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By Kimberly Duncan

I hate it took me this long to get around to telling you folks about Artfields. I seriously underestimated the fun factor, but a daytrip yesterday proved me a fool for doing so.

Now you need to act fast to mosey down the road to Lake City, SC (just an hour inland) for a megawatt festival of art – and lots of other cool stuff, too, because the fun ends this Saturday night! There’s still time, though. You can soak it all in for the next three glorious days.

When Artfields debuted ten years ago, it changed the look and feel of Lake City. What used to be a sleepy, little farm town is sleepy no more! Main Street is bustling, as is a larger downtown area peppered with gift shops and restaurants, a posh boutique hotel, charming green spaces tucked into alley ways, and mammoth-sized murals on the timeworn walls of historic buildings. There’s a lovely park with a playground and picnic tables and a half-mile boardwalk around a pretty lake. There’s a country club with a golf course, and a regional center for education and workforce development that is racking up accolades.

But back to Artfields … This year, the work of more than 300 artists from a dozen different states is on display all over town – in shops and eateries, a fistful of galleries, municipal buildings, and parks – indoors and outdoors in venues large and small. I fell in love with the rainbow-beautiful We Wondered If We Could Reach Its End at Main Street Mercantile. I also fell in love with Wish You Were Here, made from hundreds of multi-colored cocktail umbrellas, at the Green Frog Social House. Rest for a spell in their big, beautiful bar. The veggie burger could ruse a rancher.

Seek out The Stables and The Railway on Acline Street to see the work of more than 250 students who are part of the ArtFields Jr. Competition. I took a peek, and it is wildly impressive.  Food trucks and vendors line the streets. Sip Co. Wine and Beer is a perfect spot for people watching. There is live music here, there and yonder. Despite the hustle, galleries are cool and quiet, perfect for introspection and relaxation. Moore Farms Botanical Gardens is minutes from downtown. I could go on. Suffice it to say, this is a day trip with serious potential. I’m going for a Day II.

Saturday, the Festival’s busiest and last, will end with a blast – a fireworks show! Earlier in the evening, attendees will come together with hundreds of volunteers to award Artfields’ millionth dollar in artist prize money. (Over $100,000 in cash prizes!) Closing ceremonies will also include great food and live music from The Voltage Brothers. It promises to be a stellar evening and I hope to see you there!

A Lowcountry native, Kimberly Duncan is best known as a writer, specializing in business freelance and local history. Today Kimberly uses that extensive knowledge to help buyers and sellers reach their real estate goals. To contact Kimberly, call 843-222-2323 or email Irite1@aol.com.