Communities use festivals to honor, celebrate their tobacco heritage

By: Morning News | SCNow
Published: September 28, 2008

Last weekend Lake City had its annual South Carolina Tobacco Festival and this weekend Mullins had its Golden Leaf Festival.

Both were started when tobacco was a huge economic driver in the Pee Dee.

Of course, that’s changed now, but as those towns work to transition to a different economy, it’s certainly worth continuing to celebrate tobacco’s influence.

Lake City Mayor Lovith Anderson Jr. told the News & Post that the festival gives the town an opportunity to show its roots.

“I see it more as a harvest-type festival,” he said. “It’s at the end of the season, when you have your crops in and people take time out of their busy lives to come downtown and socialize, reminisce and share memories with their children.”

Greater Lake City Chamber of Commerce Director Rita Smith explained that discussions have been had in the past about changing the name but officials from the State Parks, Recreation and Tourism have assured them it doesn’t hurt the festival’s image at all.

And in Mullins, Mayor Kenneth McDonald told the Star & Enterprise that tobacco still plays a role in the area’s economy and that Mullins celebrates tobacco because it’s that much of a factor in the town’s history.

“It’s our heritage,” McDonald told the newspaper. “We have the only state certified tobacco museum in South Carolina.”

“It’s tradition, and it’s our history,” city council member Terry Strickland added.

In addition to helping the communities come together to celebrate the festivals also show people what the crop used to mean and in some cases still does to the community.

And as the Pee Dee continues to work on finding ways to bring tourists to our area these festivals add another attraction.

These communities need to find ways to work with other organizations not to appeal just to local residents of the area but work to bring in people who might enjoy seeing how tobacco was farmed, cultivated and cured.

That fits in with efforts to market other things in the area as well including the Francis Marion Trail, the Bean Museum in Lake City and hopefully in the future a new Florence Museum in downtown Florence.

Tourism dollars are big now, but we have much more potential to grow those dollars.