From Farm to Table in Sumter, the Carolina Cup in Kershaw, the Palmetto Sportsmen's Classic in Columbia and Palmetto Construction Derby in Florence, March has plenty to offer

SUMTER COUNTY

The Sumter County Museum's Annual Author Series presents photographer Cecil Williams and award-winning journalist Claudia Smith-Brinson as they delve into their latest collaboration, "Injustice in Focus: The Civil Rights Photography of Cecil Williams" at 4 p.m. Sunday, March 10, at the McKenzie Hall in the Heritage Education Center, 122 N. Washington St. The event will feature a book signing and discussion followed by a reception. "Injustice in Focus: The Civil Rights Photography of Cecil Williams" chronicles pivotal moments in South Carolina's civil rights history, from Thurgood Marshall's involvement in the landmark case Briggs v. Elliott to the tragic aftermath of the Orangeburg Massacre. Through 80 striking photographs complemented by Smith-Brinson's meticulous research and narrative, readers gain insight into Williams' role as a documentarian of the struggle for civil rights. This event is featured as part of the dynamic Sumter Inspire! Festival. For more information about this event and upcoming programs, visit www.SumterCountyMuseum.org.

Sumter Rotary Club will host its annual Farm to Table dinner fundraising event Thursday, March 14, at Sumter County Civic Center, 700 W. Liberty St., from 6 to 9 p.m. The charity fundraiser will support local nonprofits, including Coins for Alzheimer's Research Trust, or CART, which is a Rotary program that has raised millions of dollars' worth of pocket change for Alzheimer's disease research since 1995, Sumter United Ministries, 4-H Club and the Sumter Rotary Scholarship Fund. For $40 per ticket, attendees can enjoy savory dishes such as shrimp and grits, ham purleau, red chicken stew, barbecue chicken, pulled pork, fried fish, collard greens and peach cobbler - just to name a few. Vendors The Farm Store, Dorr Farms, Baker's Sweets, Pound of Love Bakery, Simply Southern Bistro, Pizza Lane and El Paso Tacos and Tequila will serve up some delicious dishes. Various vendors from Sumter's Farmers Market and American Legion Farmers Market will also be in attendance with fresh produce and unique finds sure to interest everyone. Along with food samples, there will also be a full bar. DJ Howie D will crank out the tunes. To purchase a ticket, visit https://tinyurl.com/5n7bwer2.

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 www.sumterbbq.com.

Old McCaskill's Farm will hold its 13th-Annual Sheep Shearing Day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 23, at 377 Cantey Lane, Rembert. This family friendly event provides an opportunity for visitors to learn about farm living. There will be border collie demos, horseback rides, hay rides, live bluegrass music and more. Visit www.oldmccaskillfarm.com or find Old McCaskill's Farm on Facebook.

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.

Sumter County Recreation Department and Eaton Corp. will hold a free Easter Movie Night on Thursday, March 28, at Patriot Park Sportsplex, 380 General Drive. An Easter egg hunt complete with the Easter Bunny will be held at 6:30 p.m. followed by an Easter-themed movie at 7:30 p.m. Bring your lawn chair and blanket. Concessions will be available. Call (803) 436-2248 or email recreation@sumtercountysc.gov.

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.

CLARENDON COUNTY

The Miss Striped Bass Festival Beauty Pageant will be held at 5 p.m. Saturday, March 9, at Weldon Auditorium, 7 Maple St., Manning. Competition will include eight age divisions including Baby Miss, Tiny Miss, Petite Miss, Wee Miss, Little Miss, Young Miss, Teen Miss and Miss Striped Bass Festival. Admission to the pageant is $5 per person.

A spaghetti dinner fundraiser with entertainment by Soul Candy will raise money for the Optimist Club's youth programs and camps. Dinners are $12 per plate at Lucy's Traditional Southern Bakehouse, 5 W. Boyce St., Manning, from 4 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 21.

The Carolina Anglers Team Trail (C.A.T.T.) will host Qualifier #4 on Saturday, March 23, on the Santee Cooper Lakes at the John C. Land III Sports Fishing Facility, 4404 Greenall Road, Summerton. Blast off will be at 7 a.m. and weigh-in at 3 p.m.

The Children's Farm Project's "It's A Spring Fundraiser Gala" will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, March 23, at the Clarendon County Community Complex gymnasium directly behind Weldon Auditorium, Manning. The gala will have food, live entertainment and giveaways. Tickets for the gala are $35 each or $250 per table. Money from the event will benefit The Children's Farm Project, a nonprofit organization. For more information, call (336) 529-3170.

The 16th-Annual Charity Golf Classic to benefit the animals at A Second Chance Animal Shelter (ASCAS) will be held on Saturday, March 23, at Players Course at Wyboo, 1560 Players Course Drive, Manning. Registration will be held at 8 a.m., followed by 9 a.m. shotgun start. Cost is $40 per person for Players Course members and $55 for non-members. Entry forms can be found at A Second Chance Thrift Store in Manning, Players Course at Wyboo, The Shoppe on Brooks in Manning and Shared Treasures in Summerton. Call Herb Whetsell at (843) 509-3737 or Mike Stegmoyer at (803) 460-0878.

The Shake, Rattle and Read Toddler Storytime for ages up to 4 will be held at 10:30 a.m. each Wednesday at Harvin Clarendon County Library. The program will include a story, singing, dancing and an activity for the library's little patrons to enjoy. The library's Homeschool Connection Club for ages preschool to high school will be held at 11 a.m. every Friday. This program was created to connect homeschool families with resources available with the local community and the public library.

Enjoy a free Silver Screen Matinee at 2 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month at the Harvin Clarendon County Library, 215 N. Brooks St., Manning. Everyone is invited to attend. For more information, log onto clarendoncountylibrary.com or call (803) 435-8633.

On Friday, April 5, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and again on Saturday, April 6, from 9 a.m. to noon, the Clarendon County Master Gardeners are hosting a tomato plant sale at Land, Parker and Welch law offices near Keitt Street. Several varieties will be available, including the popular Cherokee Purple and Sun Gold tomatoes.

KERSHAW COUNTY

Easter at Aberdeen is scheduled for Saturday, March 23. Join the Camden Archives & Museum for the grand opening of Aberdeen with free fun and family friendly activities. Celebrate Easter with an Easter egg hunt for children 12 and under, light refreshments outside and an open house during the event that lasts from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 1409 Broad St., Camden. The Easter Egg Hunt will kick off at 10:30 a.m. Participants will be given a basket and some ears. Beginning March 30, Aberdeen will be open for Saturday tours.

The 89th-Annual Carolina Cup Races, known as the "Best Outdoor Event in the Carolinas," will run Saturday, March 30. Attendees will be treated to six races, which will benefit the Health Resource District of Kershaw County, along with a day of tailgating, the opportunity to indulge in hospitality tents for a delicious lunch at Hospitality Terrace and diverse vendors for a great shopping experience at Vendors Village. Visit https://carolinacup.org/ for tickets and more information about the annual event.

COLUMBIA

The S.C. Gun and Knife Show will be held Saturday-Sunday, March 16-17, at South Carolina State Fairgrounds, 1200 Rosewood Drive, Columbia. Show hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $10 per person or $8 with military ID and children under 12 years of age admitted free with paid adult. Visit the South Carolina Arms Collectors Association at www.scgunshows.com. Call (803) 463-9377 or email showdirector@scgunshows.com.

In Downtown Columbia, the historic, century-old, tree-lined neighborhood called Cottontown comes alive at the Cottontown Art Crawl. On Saturday, March 19, at 10 a.m., 115 South Carolina artists gather on the front porches and lawns of this neighborhood to sell their artwork. Music, food vendors and local restaurants will be there as well. For additional information, visit www.facebook.com/groups/cottontownartcrawl.

The Palmetto Sportsmen's Classic, a S.C. Farm Bureau-sponsored event, is every outdoorsman's dream. Come to the S.C. State Fairgrounds, 1200 Rosewood Drive, Columbia, Friday-Sunday, March 22-24, and see what the fuss is about. Features include a canine aquatic competition, fishing demonstrations in Jim Vitaro's Hawg Trough - a 5,000-gallon fish tank - a chance to meet two world-class anglers, Jimmy Houston and Roland Martin, the SCDNR's Aquatic Education Pond, the Extreme Raptor Show, vendors galore and more. The hours of the Classic are: Friday, noon-8 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. General admission is $10, with children 12 and under admitted for free. Senior citizens, military, veterans and first responders receive a discount at the gate. Fairground parking is $5. To purchase tickets online, visit www.psclassic.com/tickets.

Celebrate all things green and Gaelic at St. Pat's in Five Points in Columbia from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, March 16. The festival is the Midlands' largest annual street festival and the biggest one-day St. Patrick's Day celebration in the Southeast. The event boasts an array of activities for all ages including music, performances, a children's carnival, a parade and food and craft vendors. Schedule is as follows: 7:30 a.m., Get to the Green 5K/10K and 1-Mile Family Fun Run; 10 a.m., festival gates open; 10 a.m., St. Pat's Parade; 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Pot O' Gold Playland; noon-7 p.m., national, regional and local bands perform on multiple stages. For additional information and tickets, visit stpatscolumbia.com.

FLORENCE COUNTY

The car wrecking, metal smashing event of the year, the Palmetto Destruction Demolition Derby will be held Friday-Saturday, March 29-30, at the Florence Center, 3300 W. Radio Drive, Florence. Visit www.florencecenter.com/events/2024/palmetto-destruction to purchase tickets.