Florence bars and restaurants are preparing for a heavy influx of customers on Thanksgiving Eve as people come to Florence to spend the holiday weekend with their families.
Two of the venues which traditionally receive the largest crowds are Redbone Alley and Apple Annie’s.
Redbone Alley will feature their annual concert with South Carolina-based group The Blue Dogs and opening group Cousin Homer.
“This might be the 10th year (The Blue Dogs) have performed here,” said Redbone Alley house manager Alan Hyman.
Hyman said Blue Dogs lead singer Bobby Houck is a Florence native whose family still resides in Florence. The Florence concert, he explained, “is like a homecoming for (him),” he said.
Usually, Hyman said, “we serve dinner until 10 p.m., the band starts at 9 p.m. and we don’t taper off until around 1 a.m. It’s one of the biggest nights of the year.”
Down the street, Apple Annie’s anticipates it will be filled to capacity with locals and visitors in for the holidays.
Apple Annie’s co-owner Shane Brannon said bands once played Thanksgiving Eve until it became too crowded for music to be played or performed.
Even without live music, he said, the crowds came out.
Gathering at Apple Annie’s, he said, “has been about a 20-year tradition. (Wednesday night) we’ll have about 3,000 people,” he said.
Brannon said the reason behind the crowd is Apple Annie’s long-standing presence in the community.
“Everyone that’s moved away from Florence knows it’s the place to come to,” he said.
On Thanksgiving Eve, he said, “we actually run four bars. We rent a 40-by-40 (foot) circus tent and we run two bars underneath it.”
Also featuring entertainment Wednesday will be McDermott’s Irish Pub with Oliver and The Freeloaders performing at 9 p.m. with opening act Stereo Reform and J. Michael’s Grill & Bar with Palehorse performing at 9:30 p.m.
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