Things to do across the Midlands: Take the kids to visit the backcountry this week, celebrate Juneteenth

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SUMTER COUNTY

Join the Healthy Mind, Body and Family Foundation for a fun-filled Boots On The Ground Line Dance Party with DJ Beazo to support the local food pantries and shelters. Dance for a good cause. The event will be at Sumter County Civic Center, 700 W. Liberty St. on Saturday, June 21, beginning at 7 p.m. Entry fee is $20 or $15 if you bring two nonperishable food items to donate. VIP tables start at $150 with RSVP required. Get your tickets at https://tinyurl.com/2sycetss.

Keep the kids learning this summer through a hands-on opportunity. Enjoy the first event in this summer's Third Saturday Backcountry Series on June 21 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Carolina Backcountry Homestead is at 122 N. Washington St. Learn about how people in the area lived in the 1800s through costumed volunteers and stroll through the homestead site to see blacksmithing, the garden, historic buildings and storyboards. The other dates will be July 19 and Aug. 16, also from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Admission is free.

Find a new best buddy at the Dog-eared Book and Dog Adoption Event hosted by Under the Cover on Saturday, June 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The store is at 9 S. Main St. The event will support Lucky Paws Rescue Inc. You can meet dogs looking for their forever homes, learn about fostering and volunteer opportunities and, of course, find a new favorite book, too.

Join Temple Sinai and Sumter Museum for their Curious George book readings this summer. The final reading will be on Saturday, July 12, at 1:30 p.m., when kids can hear "Curious George's Dinosaur Discovery." The event is free and open to the public at 11 Church St.

Join SC7 for an Expedition Hike at Poinsett State Park with your family this summer. On Wednesday, July 16, from 9 a.m. to noon, take a guided 3.5-mile hike and explore sections of the Knot, Coquina and Splice trails, seeing everything from pine uplands to lush, fern-filled ravines. You'll learn about the unique natural features of the park, its connection to the broader S.C. park system and ways to engage with the outdoors through hiking, conservation and stewardship. Meet at the park office parking lot. The park is at 6660 Poinsett Park Road, Wedgefield. If you can't make the morning hike, there will be another, shorter hike the same day from 2 to 4:30 p.m. with the group at Swan Lake Iris Gardens. The 2.25-mile hike will focus on local conservation efforts, student-led research and the community's environmental stewardship. Meet at Health Pavilion, 165 Garden St., Sumter. Both will be easy hikes that are open to all with free admission.

If hiking isn't your thing, perhaps kayaking with SC7? Take a 5.7-mile paddle around Sparkleberry Swamp on Thursday, July 17, from 9 a.m. to noon. Bring your own kayak or canoe, or book your excursion through Coastal Expeditions at https://coastalexpeditions.com. The swamp at the northern end of Lake Marion in South Carolina's Santee region is a submerged forest of cypress and tupelo trees with plenty to see, including great blue herons, white egrets, owls, woodpeckers and the prothonotary warbler. The trip is an easy paddle, free and open to all. Meet at Sparkleberry Landing Road.

City of Sumter Aquatics Center, 1115 S. Lafayette Drive, is open for the summer so families can cool down. The center is equipped with a six swim lane pool, diving blocks, lazy river, waterslide and wade pool with beach entrance and fountain and also offers hot showers, a concessions area, party rental, life jackets available at no charge, and lockers available for rent. Certified pool operators and aquatic facilities operators. Lifeguards, swim coaches, water aerobics and water safety instructors employed during the season are certified through the American Red Cross. The center is open to the public from Memorial Day to Labor Day. For additional information, visit www.sumtersc.gov/aquatics, call (803) 774-3998, or email aquatics@sumtersc.gov.

There are five bands scheduled to bring hits and all genres of tunes to downtown Sumter through the Fourth Fridays Concert Series this summer. The schedule this year is: June 27 - The Footnotes, July 25 - United Sound Entertainment, Aug. 22 - Chris Taylor & The Rumor and Sept. 26 - Sole Purpose. Concert attendance is free, and there will be plenty of food and drink available for sale. Sertoma will have plenty of cold brews for sale, Palmetto Optimist Club will be back with free books for the kids and popcorn for sale. Downtown restaurants will be open for dine-in and take-out.

Find a bite to eat this summer as Swan Lake Iris Gardens presents Food Truck Saturdays through Aug. 9. Each Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., get lunch from various food trucks with a nice view at the lake, 822 W. Liberty St. Admission to the gardens is free.

Find a new best buddy at the Dog-eared Book and Dog Adoption Event hosted by Under the Cover on Saturday, June 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The store is at 9 S. Main St. The event will support Lucky Paws Rescue Inc. You can meet dogs looking for their forever homes, learn about fostering and volunteer opportunities and, of course, find a new favorite book, too.

Iron Legacy MC will host the Sumter Dreamride to benefit South Carolina Special Olympics on Saturday, July 12, with registration from 7 to 9 a.m. that day. The event will include a 50/50 raffle. The group will start at Sumter Hobby Lobby then ride to Great Falls, then head back to Sumter, ending up at Yucatan Mexican Restaurant and Tobacconist Cigar Lounge. There will be an afterparty at the Sumter Clubhouse after the ride. Bike participation is $20, and riders are $10. Email sumter.sc.ilmc@gmail.com for more information.

Kick up dust with Southern Vibes Entertainment as it presents Field Fest 2025: Boots On The Ground on Saturday, July 19. This country-themed extravaganza will be a day filled with good music, great vibes and, of course, dancing. Anyone under 18 will only be permitted with a parent or guardian. The event will be at 3155 Oswego Hwy. Buy tickets at https://tinyurl.com/wy364jfs.

CLARENDON COUNTY

Clarendon will host several Juneteenth events for the community. Inspire Me is presenting the Gospel in the Park Juneteenth Festival from 4 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, June 18, at Walker Gamble Park, 2358 Walker Gamble Road. The festival will feature community partners, a live DJ, food trucks and games for the kids. For more information, contact Linda Jackson at (843) 598-8210. The day after the festival, Lighthouse Foundation of South Carolina and the Clarendon Community Partners are sponsoring Marching Together "A Legacy of Strength. A Future of Promise!" on Thursday, June 19, on Railroad Avenue. The parade lineup will be at 3:30 p.m. with the parade starting at 4:30 p.m. The downtown festival will be held from 3-8 p.m. with live entertainment, food vendors, food trucks and lots more.

Food Trucks in the Park, sponsored by Clarendon County Recreation Department, will be held every Wednesday beginning June 18 through July 30 at J.C. Britton Park, 3057 Raccoon Road. Truck vendor times will begin at 8 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. The park will be open from sunrise to sunset for your enjoyment. The vendor fee is $25. For more information, call (803) 473-3543. Bring a chair, claim a seat under one of the shelters, relax outdoors, and enjoy delicious meals from local food trucks.

The Gibbons Street Park Splash Pad in Manning is officially open for the season. Grab the children and head over to this fun water feature and cool off.

COLUMBIA

World-renowned gospel group Blind Boys of Alabama will perform at Koger Center for the Arts, 1051 Greene St., Columbia, at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 2. The concert is sponsored by the University of South Carolina School of Music and the Brookland Foundation. Tickets go on sale to the public on June 13. Honored by The National Endowment for the Arts and The Recording Academy/GRAMMYs with Lifetime Achievement Awards, inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and winners of six GRAMMY Awards, Blind Boys have attained the highest levels of achievement in a career that spans more than 70 years. Tickets can be purchased online at www.kogercenterforthearts.com, in person at the Koger Center Box Office, over the phone by calling (803) 251-2222 or through the Koger Center mobile app.

LEE COUNTY

The Lizard Man Stomp, an annual festival celebrating the legend of the Lizard Man, returns to his hometown of Bishopville from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 28. For additional information, call (803) 484-6359 or visit www.facebook.com/LIZARDMANSTOMP.

Get the kids out of the house this summer and visit Lee State Park for some exercise, art projects or learning opportunities. Kids can make some leaf-print art on July 12 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. or on Aug. 2 at the same times. If they're interested in insects, the park also will host an educational event about moths that call the park home on July 19 from 9 to 10:30 p.m. Families can also request a tram tour on the park's website, https://tinyurl.com/yfnkjzd7. The site also includes a self-led activities page to give you ideas about what to do at the park. Admission to the park is free, and it's open from 9 a.m. to sunset daily at 487 Loop Road, Bishopville.

FLORENCE

The Pee Dee Outdoor Classic is making its much-anticipated return to the Florence Center, 3300 W. Radio Drive. From July 25-27, outdoor enthusiasts of all ages are invited to explore the ultimate outdoor experience. The Pee Dee Outdoor Classic is your one-stop shop for everything outdoors - from fishing, hunting and camping to ATVs, camo gear and much more. This event brings together the region's top outdoor brands, products and experts all under one roof. Plus, enjoy exciting live animal demonstrations. This year's event is presented by Peanut Patch, Raldex Hospitality, Palmetto Mining, King Cadillac Buick GMC, Pee Dee Rod and Gun Magazine, Pepsi of Florence and Mill Creek Retrievers.

Event dates and show times are: Friday, July 25: 1-8 p.m.; Saturday, July 26, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; and Sunday, July 27, 1 a.m.-5 p.m. Tickets are $10, general admission; kids 12 and under, free. For tickets and more information, visit www.florencecenter.com or call (843) 679-9417.