Got costumes? Looking for family fun? Baxter Village and Tega Cay have it covered

Two of the largest and most attended local fall festivals are just around the corner.

The 16th annual Baxter Village Fall Festival and Market Day, and Tega Cay’s Fall Festival will both take place on Saturday, Oct. 29. Both festival’s organizers are expecting turnout to be close to 4,000 attendees, weather permitting.

“If the weather’s nice, we’re going to draw pretty good,” said Tega Cay Parks and Recreation Director Joey Blethen. “Along with July 4th, and our food truck rallies, in terms of attendance, (the festival) is probably (Tega Cay’s) most highly attended (event,)” Blethen said.

Both events are free and open to the public. Tega Cay’s festival will be held at the Tega Cay Golf and Conference Center and Baxter’s will stretch along six blocks on Market St. in Baxter Village.

“It’s in Baxter, but it’s for all of York County,” said Baxter Village Activities Director Mike Martoccia. “We see people from all over Fort Mill, Tega Cay, Rock Hill, even Charlotte. It has a broad reach.”

Here’s what you need to know:

Baxter Village’s Fall Festival and Market Day will take place from noon – 6 p.m. Entertainment will continue into the evening at Beef O’Brady’s, with acoustic entertainment beginning at 6, and the band DeCarlo taking the stage from 8-11 p.m.

A kids’ costume contest will take place at the main stage at 1:45. No prior registration is required.

“We’ll have some great prizes for ages infant to age 12,” Activities Director Martoccia said.

There will be magic shows, cooking demos, performances by Miller Street Dance Academy, Champion Taekwondo, choral students from Orchard Park Elementary School and interactive games for all ages.

A wide variety of craft exhibitors and food vendors will be on hand for the event.

Returning this year is the Carolina Panthers Percussion Band and the Panthers’ mascot Sir Purr. The band will perform a mini-rally from 1- 2 p.m. Panthers mascot Sir Purr will greet the crowd beginning at noon.

Admission and parking are free.

“It’s the ultimate celebration of the fall season,” Martoccia said. “By tying it into Halloween this year, we’re hopeful that a lot of kids will come out in their Halloween costumes and compete in the new contest for some great prizes.”

Tega Cay celebrates fall

The Tega Cay Fall Festival will take place from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. There will be no parking at the golf course. Parking for festival-goers will be located at Runde Park and Tega Cay Elementary School and each location will have shuttle service to and from the festival. Pets are not allowed, except for service animals.

The festival will feature live entertainment from The Big Bamboo Band and performances by Tiger Kim’s Tae Kwon Do, Dance Center USA, Encore Dance, the Fort Mill High School Chorus and the Springfield Middle School Chorus.

There will be a free kids zone with inflatables for children of all ages. The Tega Cay Lion’s Club will host their annual costume contest for kids from infants to 9 years old. Prizes will be given for most original and cutest and scariest costumes. All children that participate will receive a bag of treats.

Over 100 arts, crafts and business vendors will be on hand, as well as food and beer trucks. Still need to pick out that perfect pumpkin? No worries – they’ve got you covered! Each family can pick one free pumpkin from the pumpkin patch,

“Our big thing is bringing the community together,” Blethen said. “We literally have something for all ages.”

Last year, festival organizers added food trucks and a band to the event.

“It looked like that really helped boost attendance,” said Blethen, who expects the festival to draw several thousand people, pending the weather.

“The initial (weather) forecast looks pretty promising,” Blethen said.

This story was originally published October 24, 2016 at 2:45 AM with the headline "Got costumes? Looking for family fun? Baxter Village and Tega Cay have it covered."