Festivals and Activities

Anything that comes to my attention about the Rock Hill area that might be fun. Carnivals, Festivals, ect. Just info on things going on around our area.

It’s Back! The Rock Hill Annual Come See Me Festival

While I am a native of South Carolina, I am not a native of Rock Hill. But since I moved here over 6 years ago one of my favorite festivals for the Fort Mill/Rock Hill area has always been the Come See Me 10 day event. At least it is 10 days now. CSM just seems to expand and get better year after year.  This will be the third year I have written a blog about Come See Me.  I have been wracking my brain trying to find a witty and fun way to present this great festival.  I’ve decided to cheat. It’s just too big this year to list everything they have going on. Here is the website where you can see all of the activities and download the official brochure. www.comeseeme.org

The CSM  festival was first held in 1962 as a community project to invite visitors, relatives, and friends to see Rock Hill during it’s most beautiful season. It started as a weekend event and has expanded to 10 days.

The festival was the idea of its first chairman, C.H. “Ickey” Albright, former Rock Hill Mayor and State Senator, and was nurtured by nationally acclaimed illustrator Vernon Grant, a Rock Hill resident who created Rice Krispies’ gnomes, “Snap, Crackle, and Pop”.  The festival’s mascot “Glen the Frog” was also created by Vernon. He actually designed over 30 different Glens. A logo representing each new festival is selected yearly.

A central focal-point of the festival has been the historic, award-winning Glencairn Garden. Created by Dr. David A. Bigger and given to Rock Hill in   1958, the garden is overflowing with azaleas, camellias, dogwoods, wisteria, and a variety of flowers and trees. It is a great celebration of spring. I can attest to the beauty of the garden as I often pick-nick with my sister, nephews and niece there.

The Come See Me Festival is considered the largest, all volunteer festival in South Carolina and attracts more than 100,000 participants and visitors every year. The festival has been ranked in the Southeast Tourism Society’s Top 20 Spring Festivals for numerous years and has also been featured in Southern Living Magazine.

It has been a beautiful spring so far in Rock Hill.  Make it that much more special and make sure to enjoy one of the many activities at the 2012 Come See Me Party!

Hooray! Christmasville in Rock Hill is back.

I love this time of the year. It’s not that I’m overly mushy about the holidays, it’s that the climax of college football season is close and I freakin’ love the weather.  Another reason to smile this time of year if you live in the Rock Hill/Fort Mill area is the Christmasville festival.  This could easily be just some local shindig open to a very narrow section of society. But awards like South Carolina’s Event of the Year for the 4th time in a row show us that Christmasville in Rock Hill is a big time festival that appeals to all audiences.

There will be singing and dancing, great food and games,  and the kids will go wild with all of characters that are promised to be on hand day and night. Folks I’ve have gone to this festival for the last few years and I have really enjoyed it.  I’m single with no kids and I still had a smile on my face. This year my oldest nephew is three and I can’t wait to see the look on his face when we start showing him all this stuff.  Stuff, what a descriptive word. Not ambiguous at all. But that is the best you are going to get from me this year.  The Chritmasville online brochure is eight pages long. I’m not listing out all of the activities this year. If the link I provide doesn’t work, or you can’t open up a PDF file let me know and I will mail you one. But be quick, this event starts on Dec. 1 and ends on Dec. 4.  Don’t worry you’ll still get the old faves like the ice rink, Santa’s workshop, the snow village, and carriage rides. You will also some new ones that sound pretty fun.  And last but not least a tip of the hat to Vernon Grant and his wonderful imagination.

Remember people. It is imperitave that you direct all of your real estate injuiries to a licensed Rock Hill Realtor!

7th Annual Blues and Jazz Festival-Rock Hill and York

Hello again folks. I hope you have had a nice week and you have a great attitude about starting a new one.  First let me apologize the the wonderfull people of York city.  I had it in my head that the festival started this upcoming week.  And now it looks like I completely missed the new beginning to the festival. For those of you who are learning with me, the festival this year kicked off last week in the city of York with some great free music at The Brandon House, The Cole Yard, and then a concert at The Sylvia Center.  Being a Rock Hill Realtor I am in York often, especially the court house for the foreclosure auctions.  I usually grab a bite while I am there and always enjoy the atmosphere of this quaint town.

Now on to what we can see. Or at least what I can see! This year the part of the festival in Rock Hill will start Thursday September the 29th.  From 5:30 to 9:30 the Main Street Live and Kick-off Event is a free family friendly concert featuring music by Queen’s Collective.  The Old Town Crawl will be held on Friday September the 30th and will be from 7:30 to 11 on and around Main St Rock Hill.  Here are the venues:

Old Town Crawl along Main Street Rock Hill
7-11pm, $10 wristband:
Citizen Corners, Calvin Edwards
Erin’s Restaurant, Jes Sada
Thi’s Place on Main, Leslie Thompson
City Club of Rock Hill, Marc Hoffman
McHale’s Irish Pub, Willie “Bluesman” Roach
Periwinkle Café, Carl Ratliff/Common Ground
Old Town Bistro, Ironing Board Sam
Gettys Center Courtroom, Bristo Blue Band

The Grand Finale will the held in Rock Hill at the Palmetto Ballroom starting at 8PM and end at 11PM.  This concert will feature the musical styling of the Pair All-Stars.  Ticket can be purchase by calling the York County Arts Council at 803-238-2787 or vistit their website and buy them online.

If you have any questions about the Rock Hill area or the local Rock Hill/Fort Mill real estate market contact your local Rock Hill Realtor expert.

Incredible Rock Hill Tennis Center

Tennis Center in Rock Hill SC

OK, I’m not a big tennis player. As a matter of fact I rarely to never play tennis.  But one of the reasons I write this blog (other than to highlight the Rock Hill Real Estate and Homes website) is to familiarize folks coming in from out of town with how many different activities there are in Rock Hill.  And also remind the folks that live already live in the Fort Mill/Rock Hill area what we have going on.  We are not just a spot for people to move from Charlotte to save money on taxes. Big smile.

Since it’s opening in March of 2005, the Rock Hill Tennis Center has become the focal point of activity for tennis players all across the area.  The Center provides a top notch facility for local tennis enthusiasts and tournament play.  The RHTC is also a member organization of the US Tennis Association and works closely with the Association to offer sanctioned tournaments, leagues, and other USTA sponsored activities. I also think it’s pretty neat that when they hold tournaments, they will team up with the city of Rock Hill and Winthrop U to utilize all of the courts in the area.  Not hard to see that whether it’s meeting friends, getting lessons, group clinics or tournaments, there is always something going on.

Before I forget to mention it, there is a fee for using the facilities.  You can become a member or just pay non-member pay as you go fees.  You can call them up at (803) 326-3842 or swing by and get the pricing info while you check out the amenities.

Speaking of amenities here are a few examples of what you will find at the FHTC:

Park Features:

Ten regulation hard courts
One championship court with stadium seating
Pro Shop
Concessions Area
Observation Deck
Restrooms with changing area

Programs & Services: 
Membership
Private & Group Lessons
Leagues
Clinics
Special Events & Socials
Summer Camps
Tournaments
Tennis Programs

Membership:
Annual members of the Rock Hill Tennis Center receive the following benefits:
     Priority court usage
     No court rental fees
     Discounts on lessons & clinics
     Free ball machine rental
     No court fees for USTA league play
     Free social events for youth & adults
     Monthly e-newsletter
     Members-only tournament

As always, don’t forget to contact your favorite Rock Hill Realtor if you have any additional questions about the area.

River Park in Beautiful Rock Hill SC

OK folks, I am going to write this blog about The River Park in Rock Hill but it will not contain all of the info there is about it.  Anyone in Rock Hill who has taken advantage of this unique community area will realize I am leaving stuff out.  If you find yourself intrigued do some extra research for there are a ton of activities at this place.  To start with it is the perfect place  to learn about the delicate balance between man and our natural resources.  There are many trees throughout the park that are identified with markers along the trails that provide info about the natural surrounding and inhabitants.  As the park continues to grow, the unique natural habitat will always be respected.

At River Park in Rock Hill everyone can enjoy the environmentally sensitive 70 acres on the smooth flowing Catawba River.  Many miles of wooded trails, including handicapped accessible trails, wander through the park and along the scenic river.  You can picnic, hike the trails, canoe or Kayak, all the while enjoying the plants, birds and animals in a peaceful, undisturbed setting.  (until the family with a few wailing kids come by)

Ok, here is a quick list of things to do:  Trails- Wetlands Trail, River Trail, Waterford Trail; Kayak and Canoe Access; Picnic Amenities; Outdoor Classroom; Paddling Programs; Environmental Education; Summer Camps; Geocaching; and many other programs and services.

As always my friends if you need more information about this area contact a Rock Hill Realtor.

Rock Hill Old Town Market

I have live the last six years in Rock Hill and I confess to never having been to the Old Town Market.  Part of it is that my lifestyle is just different.  No kids, not into arts and crafts much, and the first time I heard about something similar to this it was held at some incredibly early time twice a week.  I think that might have been a straight up local farmers market.  The Old Town market as it is now seems to have a ton going for it.

The Market features the best of local artisans, farmers, and crafters.  At any market you will find a variety of unique arts and crafts and some of the freshest, homegrown produce around.  From what I can tell Mondays and Wednesdays might lean more toward the farmers market style gathering where you can pick up products from the local growers.  Saturdays are a blend of the local growers and the artsy/craftsy folks.  Thursday evenings in Rock Hill at the same location are lively, family friendly events with growers, artisans, musical entertainment, fun children activities and more.

This looks like a lot of fun for individuals and families to get out of the house and enjoy some of the great local flavor Rock Hill has to offer.  Below are the times:

May 5th through Sept. 29th

Mon and Wed 8am-11am

Thursdays 5pm–8pm

Saturdays 8am-noon

Please check website www.onlyinoldtown.com/market to double check dates and times.

118 Caldwell Street, Rock Hill–behind the Gettys Art Center

As always please contact a local Rock Hill Realtor for any assistance.

Rock Hill Bicycle Club

I know, I know, this is not exactly a hot Rock Hill Real Estate topic. But even though I love being a Realtor sometimes I just get tired of writing about the same thing.  Besides, I have learned a lot about the area I live in by just trying to find things about the Rock Hill/Fort Mill to blog about.  For instance I had no idea there was such a thing as the Rock Hill Bicycle Club.  Here is a little bit about them that I swiped from their brochure.

The RHBC is one of the oldest bike clubs in the Carolinas and boasts the oldest continuously held bike race in South Carolina.  The organization promotes fitness, friendship, safety, maintenance and competency in cycling.

The RHBC is located in the Old English District of South Carolina and hosts a variety of events on a weekly and yearly calendar.  There are over 300 events on the calendar every year including such activities as arranging bike tours, scheduling rides and races, encouraging bicycle commuting and sponsoring bicycle events.  They also serve as a voice for the community by providing cycling education to the public.  There website is www.rockhillbicycleclub.com.

Recreation, Advocacy, Competition.  Not bad words to describe an organization.  And as always if you do want more info on
the Rock Hill/Fort Mill area contact your local Rock Hill Realtor.

Lake Wylie Music Fest

Lake Wylie Music Fest is an all volunteer grass roots effort of everyday boaters to brings some fun and music to the shores of Lake Wylie located next to Rock Hill and Fort Mill in York county SC.  LWMF is a free water based concert series hosted in the evenings of every second Saturday in June, July, and August.  The festival will feature an eclectic blend of Carolina musicians and performance artists.  Here are a few:

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JUNE 11  4:00pm=Wes Clark

                    4:45pm=Chis Sheppard and friends

                    5:30pm=Joe Collins

                    6:15pm=En-Trance Bellydance

                    7:15pm=Lindy Dobbins and the Red Velvet Manx

                    8:15pm=The Wiggle Wagons

The Lake Wylie Music Fest (www.lakewyliemusicfest.com) is a floating fest, with the performances on land and the audience in boats.  Sounds like fun, wish I had a boat.  So anchor you boat for the evening and enjoy a good time filled with creative energies and s festive atmosphere to inspire you adult fun.

The location will be at a portion of Boyd’s Cove also know as The Cow’s Cove.

For more info on the area contact your Rock Hill Realtor.