The Oldest Fairs in South Carolina

Held annually in Columbia, the South Carolina State Fair is a 12-day October spectacular at the state capital, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors from across South Carolina for livestock competition, entertainment, and fair tradition. Founded in 1869, it stands as one of South Carolina's most enduring agricultural fair traditions.

The Great Anderson County Fair in Anderson is an 11-day May celebration in the Upstate's electric city, one of South Carolina's largest spring fairs drawing families from the Piedmont region. Since its 1901 founding, it's endured as a century-plus South Carolina agricultural tradition.

Sumter's Sumter American Legion Fair is a six-day September celebration in the heart of the South Carolina Pee Dee, drawing families from the military community surrounding Shaw Air Force Base.

Every year, Spartanburg hosts the Piedmont Interstate Fair, which is a six-day October celebration in the heart of the Upstate's manufacturing and BMW corridor, drawing families from across the Spartanburg metro. Since 1945, it's brought South Carolina neighbors together year after year.

In Ladson, the Coastal Carolina Fair is an 11-day October-November fair serving greater Charleston, drawing hundreds of thousands of Lowcountry visitors for the region's premier fair experience. Founded in 1957, it has grown into a beloved annual event for the region.