Around Town: Sumter Elks Lodge 855 to hold charity barbecue and open house fundraiser

The Downtown Book Club will meet at 3 p.m. today in the Maker-Space Room of the downtown branch of the Sumter County Library, 111 N. Harvin St., to discuss "Circe" by Madeline Miller.

The Sumter County Museum will hold a free talk and book signing reception with Author Dr. Walter B. Curry Jr. from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 3, in McKenzie Hall of the Sumter County Museum, 122 N. Washington St. The topic will be South Carolina African American Confederate Pensioners. A reception will follow with light refreshments and the opportunity to purchase books to be signed.

The Sumter Elks Lodge 855 charity barbecue and open house fundraiser will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 17, at 1104 W. Liberty St. Donations received will go to support Elk charitable work. Tickets are $10 per plate and must be purchased by Feb. 13 indicating your choice of pulled pork or chicken on the ticket. Dinners include meat, beans, slaw and a roll. Takeout or dine under the pavilion. Call Bud Butler at (405) 210-7848 or Brian Davis at (803) 491-5339 for tickets.

A Motown Revue and Black history month art exhibit will be held at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24, at Patriot Hall, 135 Haynsworth St. Visit www.patriothallsc.org or call (803) 436-2260 for information.

The Alzheimer's Association South Carolina Chapter will hold a pop-up community meet and greet from 4 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 27, at the Sumter County Public Library, 111 N. Harvin St. Residents of all ages are invited to drop by to enjoy refreshments while learning about free support services for anyone facing any type of dementia. Association staff and volunteers will be on hand to chat about care and support programs, advocacy efforts, fundraising events and volunteer opportunities. Registration is requested by calling (800) 272-3900 or visiting https://bit.ly/AlzPopUp.

The 2024 Rub O' the Green Golf Tournament will be held on Friday, March 15, at Beech Creek Golf Course, 1800 Sam Gillespie Blvd. Registration/check-in and lunch will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. followed by a 12:30 p.m. shotgun start. Space is limited to a maximum of 25 teams with four players per team. Visit https://business.sumterchamber.com/events/details/2024-rub-o-the-green-golf-tournament-presented-by-5128.

The Annual Barbecue Cook-Off benefiting Boy Scouts of America will be held Friday-Saturday, March 22-23, at the Sumter American Legion Fairgrounds, Sumter County Civic Center, 700 W. Liberty St. Wing ding will be held from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Friday with barbecue tasting and competition being held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. For information or tickets, visit sumterbbq.com.

Local and out-of-town bands will unite to deliver an epic concert event with Sumter Springfest. Happening on Main Street in downtown Sumter, the event will be held from 2 to 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 23. From mouth-watering hamburgers to fire-roasted pizza to a classy meal, there will be dining options available for whatever you may be craving. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit https://sumterspringfest.com .

Swan Con: Sumter's Comic Arts Festival, presented by USC Sumter and the Sumter County Cultural Commission, will be held Friday and Saturday, March 29-30, at USC Sumter, 200 Miller Road. Celebrating all things geeky, nerdy and fantastical, this free event will feature collectibles, artwork, costumes and more. For event information or updates, follow on Facebook at Sumter SwanCon.