BBQ and Blues Music to Fill Uptown Greenwood
Over 90 competition BBQ teams. Nineteen national blues musicians. One of the South’s largest BBQ and blues festivals is set for Uptown Greenwood, South Carolina July 11-13, 2024. The South Carolina Festival of Discovery is in its 23rd year and is presented by Caterpillar and Carolina Pride Foods. As in years past, the SC Festival of Discovery is proud to offer no gate or parking fees as well as no cover charges for the blues concerts.
“Year after year, the SC Festival of Discovery continues to snowball into one of our country’s premier food and music festivals. We are so fortunate in Greenwood to be able to host what has grown to become the best BBQ festival in the South. When coupled with a showcase of world-class blues musicians, it is no wonder why this weekend is an annual favorite for locals and visitors alike. We look forward to seeing you July 11-13!”, Mayor Brandon Smith, City of Greenwood.
Over 90 teams are expected to compete in this year’s Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS) sanctioned event that includes a prize purse of $25,000, with the Grand Champion taking home more than $3,000. City officials expect on hotels and restaurants to be full of visitors throughout the weekend, producing a large economic impact for the Greenwood area. Competition teams will be in and around Uptown Greenwood’s Main Street, which will be closed during the entire Festival. For a full listing of weekend road closures, please visit www.festivalofdiscovery.com.
For the fifth year, kids will have an opportunity to compete in the Kids Que competition, which allows young chefs to show off their grilling skills for the chance to win a cash prize and the title of Kids Que champion. This popular spectator event will take place Friday, July 12 from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at the Uptown Market at 220 Maxwell Ave.
“Blues and BBQ are a part of South Carolina culture and tradition,” said Greenwood Blues Cruise Artistic Director Gary Erwin. “The Blues Cruise is an eclectic mix of blues music styles in an intimate setting of Uptown Greenwood’s outdoor stage and small pubs and restaurants.” He adds, “It’s no wonder we’ve been on everyone’s summer fun radar for twenty-two fabulous years!”
The fun starts Thursday evening, July 11th with a kickoff concert at 6:00 p.m. on the Main Stage sponsored by Carolina Pride and Caterpillar. The Main Stage is sponsored by E.A. Sween for 2024. Outdoor concerts will continue through Saturday at 10 p.m. on the Main Stage tent and throughout various “Blues Cruise” venues in the Uptown Greenwood area. Sponsored by The Index Journal, the “Blues Cruise” will feature venues including Aromas Uptown, Inn on the Square, Howard’s on Main, TW Boons, Greenwood Museum, Eggs Up Grill, Montague’s Restaurant, Good Times Brewing, Polo’s Restaurant, Flynn’s on Maxwell, Sled Dawg Brewery, Buffalo Grill,NxT Door on Maxwell, One Forty Six, and the Main Stage near the fountain in Uptown Greenwood. Under the artistic direction of Shrimp City Slim (Gary Erwin), this year’s “Blues Cruise” will feature numerous talented blues performers, sure to be crowd pleasers. A number of the traveling blues artists will even be collaborating with local musicians upstairs at Howard’s on Main on Friday and Saturday evenings. For details on bands, performances and venues, refer to www.festivalofdiscovery.com.
After the conclusion of the awards ceremony on Saturday evening, local legends, KRAWfish, will play a blues set before headliner Jimmy Hall takes the stage for the first-ever Main Stage headliner closing concert. Jimmy Hall first gained popularity as the lead vocalist, saxophonist and harmonica player for the band Wet Willie, who emerged from Mobile, Alabama during early days of the blues-based Southern rock movement. His unique brand of R&B-infused rock and roll and onstage swagger propelled the group’s signature song “Keep on Smilin’” to the Top 10 on the Billboard singles chart in 1974. After seven albums with Capricorn Records, Wet Willie moved forward to Epic Records, releasing the singles Street Corner Serenade and Weekend. Both singles hit the US Top 40, and five other songs were placed in the Billboard Top 100.
Additional Festival events during the weekend include Kids Zone Amusement Rides beginning Thursday from 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m., Friday from 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m., and Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.. Saturday morning make plans for the People’s Choice eventfrom 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. The annual Hot Dog Eating Contest will take place Saturday at noon at the Main Stage.
Officials are also excited to announce the return of the craft showtaking place on Maxwell Avenue Saturday, July 13 from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. “BBQ and Outdoor Living” vendors will be featured offering sauces, rubs, cutting boards and more for the BBQ enthusiasts.
Visit Uptown Greenwood July 11th–13th as the sounds of the blues and the smell of BBQ fill the air!
For a full listing of weekend events visit www.festivalofdiscovery.com.
About the South Carolina Festival of Discovery
The South Carolina Festival of Discovery, presented by Caterpillar and Carolina Pride Foods, is one of the largest BBQ and blues festivals in the Southeast. Started in 2001, the festival is organized by the Uptown Greenwood Development Corporation. Each year, more than 49,000 people attend the festival. In 2023, the festival impacted Greenwood’s local economy by over $2.8 million. For more information, visit www.festivalofdiscovery.com or call (864) 942.8448.
