South Carolina Festival of Flowers
Tickets on sale for some events

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By ST. CLAIRE DONAGHY
Index-Journal staff writer

The South Carolina Festival of Flowers is just the ticket for Lakelands area entertainment in June.

Tickets for a number of festival events went on sale Tuesday at the Greenwood Area Chamber of Commerce, the Greenwood Regional Tourism and Visitor’s Bureau and select other locations.

Kay Self, director of the South Carolina Festival of Flowers, said she has received “many telephone calls and e-mails” inquiring about tickets already.

“This is always a positive sign,” Self said. “I am optimistic all of our ticketed events will do well.”

Several events, including the performance of Broadway favorites by Nat Chandler and Teri Hansen, and the Festival Chorale concerts are so popular that they sell out every year, Self said, encouraging people to buy their tickets early.

“We are anticipating our beach dance to be a sell-out as well and for our Garden Gala and festival luncheon to be extremely popular,” Self said.

Some venues have limited seating capacities so tickets are limited for certain events, Self said.

“The festival luncheon and the American Girl luncheon are limited to 130 tickets each because the Greenwood Country Club can seat 130 guests in the main dining area,” Self said. “Additionally, the Garden Gala at the home of Lander University President Daniel Ball is limited to 150 tickets.”

One-stop locations for many Festival of Flowers tickets include the Greenwood Area Chamber of Commerce at 110 Phoenix St., and the Greenwood Regional Visitors and Tourism Bureau, located in the Federal Building at 120 Main St.

At these locations, you may purchase tickets to the musical performance of Broadway favorites, the Festival Chorale, the Festival Luncheon, the American Girl Luncheon, the Joyce Lavene forensic botany presentation, the Garden Gala and the beach dance.

One of the best festival bargains ticket-wise is the $2 daily ticket price for adults that covers admission to four festival events: the Craftsmen’s Fair, the Juried Art Show, the Photography Exhibit and Orchids and Art. Tickets for those events are available at the door.

Kelly McWhorter, executive director of the Greenwood Regional Tourism and Visitor’s Bureau, said the festival has grown tremendously in its 40 years and is an economic boost for the area.

“What started as a weekend of activity has blossomed into the entire month of June, encouraging more overnight visitor traffic,” McWhorter said. New events this year, McWhorter said, “will bring even more activity to Greenwood.”

For information about the Festival of Flowers, visit the Web site: www.scfestivalofflowers.org

40th Anniversary SC Festival of Flowers events requiring tickets include:

  • Garden Gala at the home of Lander University President Dan Ball: 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., June 1. Tickets are $50 per person or $100 per couple, and include a complimentary bottle of wine and a wine glass. Tickets may be purchased from the Arts Council of Greenwood County, 388-7800; the Greenwood Area Chamber of Commerce, 223-8431 and Uptown Bath and Kitchen, 229-1220. In the event of inclement weather, the gala will be at the Lander University Cultural Center. LanderUniversity president Dan Ball, along with his wife, Marjorie, are the hosts for this Festival of Flowers kick-off event, which includes live music by the Hebegeebees, heavy hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction and a wine tasting.
  • Juried Art Exhibit: June 5 through July 13 at the Federal Building. Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The exhibit will be open some additional hours during the main Festival of Flowers weekend from June 21 to June 24. An artists’ reception is from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. June 21. Tickets: $2 per day for all adults and includes admission to Orchids and Art, the Craftsmen’s Show and Photography Exhibit. Tickets are available at the door. The exhibit includes works from artists across the state and awards are given for best in show, merit, Festival of Flowers award for the best floral entry and honorable mention.
  • Festival of Flowers Luncheon at Greenwood Country Club: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. June 8. Tickets are $20 and are available at Greenwood Area Chamber of Commerce, 223-8431, the Greenwood Regional Tourism and Visitors Bureau, 953-2466 and Uptown Bath and Kitchen, 229-1220. Author and entertaining entrepreneur Kimberly Kennedy is giving a presentation and will be signing copies of her book, “The Art and Craft of Entertaining.” Kennedy was a winner of the CBS television competition “Wickedly Perfect” and she has been a lifestyles contributor on several TV shows.
  • Greenwood Festival Chorale presents “America in Song:” at 8 p.m. June 12 at the Lander University Cultural Center. Tickets: $15 (available at the Greenwood Area Chamber of Commerce, 223-8431 or at the Greenwood Regional Tourism and Visitors Bureau, 953-2466.) Artistic director and conductor Charles T. Gaines leads the entire chorale, soloists and an orchestra in a collection of American folk and patriotic tunes by famous composers. Those in attendance are encouraged to wear red, white and blue.
  • “Some Enchanted Evening:” a musical evening of Broadway masterpieces at 8 p.m. June 14 at the Lander University Cultural Center. This performance includes the vocal talents of Nat Chandler and Teri Hansen, accompanied by Laura Berquist. Tickets: $15 (available at the Greenwood Area Chamber of Commerce, 223-8431 and at the Greenwood Regional Tourism and Visitors Bureau at the Federal Building, 953-2466.) Chandler and Hansen were recently in a national tour of “Camelot” starring Robert Goulet.
  • American Girl Luncheon at the Greenwood Country Club, 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. June 18. Tickets: $15 (available at Greenwood Area Chamber of Commerce, 223-8431, the Greenwood Regional Tourism and Visitors Bureau, 953-2466 and at The Beaded Palm, 227-2111.) Girls and their American Girl dolls are welcome at this luncheon that includes an etiquette presentation by Penelope Thomas and a jewelry-making activity for participants and their dolls.
  • Greenwood Community Theatre production of “The Secret Garden:” Ticket prices to be announced. Tickets are available from Greenwood Community Theatre. Call 229-5704. Evening performances at 8 p.m. are scheduled for June 20, 21, 22, and 23. Matinee performances at 2 p.m. are scheduled for June 23 and 24. This musical by Marsha Norman, with music by Lucy Simon is based on the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The story involves an 11-year-old girl, orphaned inIndia who returns to England to live with an embittered, reclusive uncle and his invalid son. They live on a Yorkshire estate with a magic, locked garden. The cast, of both adults and children, also has guest artists such as Greenwoodhometown favorite Nat Chandler and others from New York City, according to Bess Park, GCT’s executive/artistic director.
  • Orchids and Art at the Federal Building: 5:30 p.m. June 21, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. June 22, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. June 23, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. June 24. Daily tickets: $2 (available at the door.) Admittance also includes the Juried Arts Show, Craftsmen’s Fair Exhibit and the Photography Exhibit. Orchids, grown locally by Connie Moody of PC Orchids Inc., will be on display in the front lobby. Artists from across the state will have works displayed in the gallery.
  • Festival of Flowers Beach Dance with The Embers: 7:30-9 p.m., June 22, at the Greenwood Civic Center. Individual tickets are $25, and a reserved table for eight is $200. A VIP front row table for 10 is $300. Tickets are available from the Greenwood Area Chamber of Commerce. Call 223-8431. The ticket price includes food and drinks. Enjoy beach music or shagging tunes by the Embers, line dance lessons hors d’oeuvres and more.
  • Craftsmen’s Fair Exhibit at Greenwood High School: Noon to 6 p.m. June 22, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 23, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. June 24. Daily tickets $2 (available at the door.) Ticket also includes admittance to the Juried Art Show and Photography exhibit at the Federal Building, 120 Main St. Crafters from across the Southeast show their wares at Greenwood High School. Entrants are judged and awards are given in a variety of categories, including clay, glass, jewelry, metal, natural, paper, paint, wood and software.o Visit Historic Hodges: June 23, Tickets are $5 (available at Hodges Town Hall. Call 374-7915.) In this once-thriving railroad town and farming community, you can tour nineteenth-century homes, churches and businesses. Hodges is at the intersection of highways S.C. 246, U.S. 178 and S.C. 185. Rest at the town gazebo, shop, try local eateries or bring your own picnic lunch. Lemonade and tea available at Town Hall.
  • Photography Exhibit and Contest at the Federal Building: 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. June 21, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. June 22, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. June 23, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. June 24. Daily tickets are $2 per adult (available at the door.) Ticket also includes admittance to Orchids and Art, the Juried Arts Show and Craftsmen’s Fair. View nature photography by Ben Geer Keys and Doug Kennemore as well as work by a number of amateur and professional photographers working with color, black and white and digital photography. Exhibitors also include participants in the Greenwood YMCA specialty summer camp. Awards are given in the categories of advanced color, advanced black and white, basic (color and black and white) and digital (color and black and white.)
  • Forensic Botany: Living Clues to Death: 4 p.m. June 23, in the Starlight Room at Inn on the Square, Tickets are $6 (available at the Greenwood Area Chamber of Commerce, 223-8431 and the Greenwood Regional Visitors and Tourism Bureau, 953-2465.) Joyce Lavene, a Southern garden mystery writer, syndicated columnist and Master Gardener, presents a program on forensic botany and poisonous plants. Lavene and her husband, Jim, collaborate on books such as those in the Peggy Lee Garden Mysteries series and the Sheriff Sharyn Howard Mystery series.