Festivals & Events

In early January coon hunting enthusiasts from all over the United States and Canada are drawn to Orangeburg County for the Grand American Coon Hunt. Selected as one of the “Top Twenty Tourism Events in the Southeast” by the Southeast Tourism Society, Grand American is the largest field trial for coon dogs in the United States and is a qualifying event for the World Coon Hunt. In late April, The South Carolina Festival of Roses is held in the Edisto Memorial Gardens. This festival features a weekend of family friendly fun with entertainment including music, sports, races, arts and crafts and much more.

In mid October you can sample the different fare available at the annual “Taste of Orangeburg”. Held in downtown Orangeburg, festival goers will be able to try dishes from a variety of local restaurants. From November to January the City of Orangeburg invites you to experience the most breathtaking display of lights you will ever see. The Children’s Garden Christmas, a drive through display located in the beautiful Edisto Memorial Gardens, hosts thousands of lights including still and animated displays.

Recreation

Orangeburg County offers an array of outdoor recreation. The Santee Cooper Lakes provide 170,000 acres of fresh water for boating, swimming, year round fishing and other aquatic activities. Boaters can even sail to Charleston through the Santee Cooper Lakes’ navigation lock.

The Santee State Park features 30 lake front cabins and 150 campsites. Park guests can enjoy activities such as sailing, tennis, boating, camping or taking a stroll on the nature walk. Some of the offerings at the park include boat rentals and professionally guided tours. Orangeburg County also offers everything for the golfer from the scenic courses to the year round temperate climate. There are excellent golf country club facilities available. The City of Orangeburg’s Hillcrest Golf Club offers challenging play and is centrally located for county residents and visitors to the area.  Another public golf course is the Foxboro Golf Course. The Foxboro is a 6,819 yard course with superb greens. The Santee Cooper Lakes area is well represented with beautiful courses in picturesque settings. The Lake Marion Golf Course is a public 6,600 yard championship course which overlooks Lake Marion. A Semi-private Santee Cooper Country Club also overlooks Lake Marion on a 6,500 yard championship course. Lastly there is the Santee National Golf Club, a 7,200 yard public course that challenges everyone from the novice to the seasoned pro.

Places to see

Orangeburg County is home to many of the state’s historic points of interest, Eutaw Springs Battlefield being one of them. A monument of S.C. Highway 6 designates this historical site as one of the bloodiest battle of the American Revolution and the last major engagement of the war in the Carolinas.

The Orangeburg County Fine Arts Center housed in the old River Pavilion, overlooks the Edisto River. It offers performances, programs and classes in the visual, performing and literary arts. The art center is also home to the Lusty Gallery which displays a variety of art from paintings, mosaics, pottery, quilts, woodcarvings, and miniatures.  Rated as one of the top twenty visitor attractions of South Carolina, The Edisto Memorial Gardens holds not only a mountain of historical significance but also is one of the most breathtaking landscapes in South Carolina.  This site was first developed in the 1920’s with a few azaleas on 5 acres of land.  A playground was added in 1922, followed by a greenhouse and nursery facility in 1947. To extend the season of beauty, the first rose garden was planted in 1951.  Currently, there are more than 50 beds of roses-ranging from miniatures to grand flora to climbers-on over 150 acres of land.  Some 4,000 plants representing at least 75 labeled varieties of roses are always on display in the Gardens.  In July 1992, a major new theme was added to the Gardens with the establishment of the Horne Wetlands Park.  This 2,600 foot boardwalk takes the visitor into a Tupelo/Cypress wetland that lies between in Display Rose Garden and the North fork of the Edisto River.