York County’s festival season starts Friday. See events from St. Patrick’s to Flopeye Fish
St. Patrick’s Day isn’t just about wearing green, celebrating Irish culture or even drinking. Across York County, it’s also the unofficial start of festival season.
From frogs in Rock Hill to strawberries in Fort Mill to travel trailers in York, the spring and summer months bring events that draw tens of thousands of people outside. As cities and towns have grown their populations in recent years, they’ve also grown their event list.
“The demand for more local events, and not having to travel as far, is growing,” said Becky Mestas, community engagement director for the city of York.
Communities that had one large event for years have expanded with additions like summer concert series and downtown merchant events. Celebrations are becoming more diverse, too. Cities or towns with longstanding July 4 celebrations now also hold events like York does for Cinco de Mayo or Juneteenth.
The annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade in western York County is the first big outdoor event each year, but it’s organized by the Western York County branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. It’s two months later at St. Patrick’s Day when the big events put on by cities and towns start.
St. Patrick’s Day events
St. Patrick’s Day in Clover is a two-day event. The kickoff happens 6-9 p.m. Friday with food trucks, a beer garden and music by the Garrett Huffman Band. Boyd’s Tire & Appliance will host in its parking lot, at 110 N. Main St.
Activities resume from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday on Main Street. They’ll run from Walnut Street to the intersection of U.S. 321 and Bethel Street. There will be live music, more than 100 area vendors, a beer garden, dog show, kids zone, talent show and carnival rides.
This year is Clover’s 26th St. Patrick’s Day Festival in 28 years. Last year the event drew more than 5,000 people. That’s a big crowd for the town that had fewer than 6,700 residents at the 2020 Census.
“As long as the weather holds off and it’s sunny and in the 70s, I’m expecting the same thing,” said town events coordinator Samantha Long.
St. Patrick’s Day is the largest annual event put on in town, by the town. Long, like event coordinators in other are municipalities, spends much of January and February planning for what’s to come.
“This is for sure the kickoff to the event season,” Long said.
Rock Hill and Fort Mill also have public events planned. The Old Town St. Patrick’s Day Festival brings entertainment, food trucks, beer and a kids play zone to downtown Rock Hill from noon to 7 p.m. Saturday. It’s at the city hall amphitheater, 144 E. Black St. The Main Street Shamrock Jam runs noon to 8 p.m. Saturday in Fort Mill. It’ll have music, green beer, a leprechaun costume contest and kids activities on Main Street.
Though it isn’t a town event, the annual Baxter Village Spring Fling & St. Patty’s Parade happens 2-6 p.m. Saturday. The Market Street event in Baxter Village will have a parade, more than 120 vendors and entertainment.
Big public events still to come
St. Patrick’s Day also means the largest public gatherings across York County are close. Here’s more on spring and summer festivities:
▪ Come-See-Me in Rock Hill is a nearly two-week spring celebration that can draw more than 100,000 people out for dozens of events. This year it’s April 3-12. Event mascot Glen the Frog will be a frequent site across the city. Come-See-Me starts with an evening parade on Main Street and ends with a tailgate party, skydiving and fireworks. Visit comeseeme.org for more information.
▪ Fort Mill hosts the South Carolina Strawberry Festival in May 2-3. Pre-festival events start April 5 and include beauty pageants, a 5K, scavenger hunt and golf tournament. The Fort Mill event looks to rebound after rain canceled the main event last year. The first weekend of May festival has drawn more than 50,000 people to Elisha Park in past years. Visit scstrawberryfestival.com.
▪ Tega Cay will hold the Best Dam Food Festival at Catawba Park May 10, but the city’s biggest celebration each year comes July 4. The national holiday coincides with the city’s birthday. The U.S. of Cay July 4-5 has a land and boat parade, ski show, fish fry, fireworks and other activities. Visit tegacaysc.org.
▪ Silver in the City will bring Airstream travel trailers to York April 25-27, in a community event that’s been going on for nearly a decade. But York’s best-known event is Summerfest. City officials last year debated a name change and possibly a move to the fall, but decided to keep Summerfest as it’s been for more than 40 years. This year it’s Aug. 23, with shows, music and food. Visit yorksc.gov.
▪ There are plenty of other events from the Fort Mill cannon firing on July 4 to the fall Catawba Fest in Tega Cay. Communities across the area have holiday events in December. There are big gatherings outside of York County, too, like the Indian Land Community Festival May 10 and the Flopeye Fish Festival May 24 in Great Falls.
This story was originally published March 13, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
