BBQ and Blues Music to Fill Uptown Greenwood
BBQ and Blues Music to Fill Uptown Greenwood
Over 90 competition BBQ teams. Over 25 national and international blues musicians. One of the South’s largest BBQ and blues festivals is set for Uptown Greenwood, South Carolina July 7-9, 2022. The South Carolina Festival of Discovery is in its 21st year and presented by 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 proud and excited in 2022 to host renowned BBQ competitors and blues artists for local and visiting enthusiasts of both. We look forward to seeing you July 7-9!”, said Mayor Brandon Smith, City of Greenwood.
Over 90 teams are expected to compete in this years’ KCBS (Kansas City Barbecue Society) sanctioned event that includes a prize purse of $25,000, with the Grand Champion taking home more than $3,000. Because over 112 judges will be required to judge so many entries, officials expect the hotels and restaurants to be full of visitors throughout the weekend, producing a large economic impact for the Greenwood area. Most of the teams will be located on Uptown Greenwood’s Main Street, which will be closed during the entire Festival.
For the fourth year, kids will have an opportunity to compete in Kids Que, 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. Kids Que will take place Friday from 6 – 8 pm, July 8 at the Uptown Market.
“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-one fabulous years!”
The fun starts Thursday evening, July 7th, with a kickoff concert at 6:30pm on the Main Stage. Outdoor concerts will continue through Saturday at 10pm 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, TW Boons, Inn on the Square, Howard’s on Main, Southern Soul on Main, Montague’s Restaurant, Fat Daddy’s BBQ, Good Times Brewing, Polo’s Restaurant, Flynn’s on Maxwell, Buffalo Grill, 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. For details on bands, performances, and venues, refer to www.greenwoodbluescruise.com.
As an added bonus for 2022, performances by local musicians will take place at the Local Stage, sponsored by Harley Funeral Home and The Greenwood Building, on Friday and Saturday at the Uptown Market on Maxwell Avenue. Additional Festival events during the weekend include amusement rides and the annual Hot Dog Eating Contest.
Vist Uptown Greenwood July 7th – 9th 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 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 39,000 people attend the festival. In 2021, the festival impacted Greenwood’s local economy by over $2.6 million. For more information, visit www.festivalofdiscovery.com or call (864) 942.8448.
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