The 38th annual S.C. Poultry Festival was held last weekend. It was for three days starting on Thursday, May 9 through Saturday night, May 11 and there was a fireworks show.

The South Carolina Poultry Festival was thought of by the infamous Sara Shealy of Shealy’s BBQ.  One morning at a Leesville Merchants meeting, according to the festival’s website, Mrs. Shealy, wanted to do something to recognize the largest industry in the Batesburg-Leesville area including the “ridge” areas of Saluda, Ridge Spring, Monetta and other small towns located on the ridge.  She thought of the Ridge Poultry Festival, and so it came to be in 1987. And the first one, a single-day event, was pretty small with approximately 10,000 people attending. 

“The festival remains humble and retains a great deal from the first festival; however, it has grown exponentially with over 90 craft vendors, 100 plus unit parade, 3 stages of continuous entertainment and an indescribable Pyromusical, fireworks in sync with music,” according to the website. “The attendance over the three-day event has exceeded 100,000 people. The steering committee has grown from 7 people to 30 people.  The carnival has doubled in size, a chicken cooking contest, a tractor and car show and a road race has been added, and much more.”