If you have been reading this site for any amount of time you know that the Pecan Festival is my favorite event (though the fair is moving up in life).  I absolutely love to see so many people coming together in downtown Florence.  It brings all of my favorite things to one place– friends, family, arts, culture, shopping, music, food, fried strawberries, fried twinkies, and most of all– FLORENCE together.

I will be posting more as the date approaches!

Here is the Official Press Release:
Featuring The 8thAnnual Street Festival, The 4thannual Pee Dee Blues Bash, and The 4thAnnual RunLike a Nut and Cook?off Competitions!What began as a vision to bring people from all over the region to the Downtown Florence area to enjoyher beauty and history has turned into a community event larger and faster growing than its foundingmembers ever expected, rapidly growing from 4,000 attendees in its 2004 inaugural year to over 50,000in 2010 and this year’s Pecan Festival is shaping up to draw even more people to the Florencecommunity.New In 2011! We will once again increase the footprint to include Dargan Street this year, allowing us to  provide larger vendor spaces and add more stages and events than ever before.   Expect eight (8) totalstages of FREE Live Entertainment with over 50 bands and entertainers, an all?new Southern Nut“Farmers Market on Evans” Street selling Fresh, Locally Grown Products, and a new “Art Walk onDargan” Street where you can watch local artists and students work. PDRTA will also offer a new freePark and Ride Shuttle Service to the festival and around the festival perimeter.   In addition, the festivalhas extended even more through the weekend this year with a Friday night event, “The Mixologist Cup”Competition sponsored by Micky Finn’s at the all?new FMU Performing Arts Center, and a new “Bike LikeA Nut” Centric and Half Centric Ride on Sunday November 6thsponsored by Fitness Forum and Aiken &Co of Florence.  If you can imagine streets brimming with a sea smiling faces, classic cars and tractors glistening in thebright sunshine, stages of pulsing music from every corner, and children dancing, jumping, and squealingin delight as balloons and grills season the cool fall air, you won’t want to miss this year’s event!  Join uson a stroll through historic Downtown Florence as the Florence Downtown Development Corporationand the City Of Florence with presenting sponsor Piggly Wiggly host their 8thannual Pecan Festival onNov 5th, 2011!   Over 250 food and craft vendors lining streets, eight stages of live entertainment withover fifty musicians including Clarence Carter, The Band of Oz, The Night Hawks, The Blue Dogs, andMidway Blue in addition to the 4thannual Pee Dee Blues Bash stages.    Peruse the American LuxuryCoach and King Cadillac Car Show and the Honda Antique Tractor Show as you join family and friends atthe Sexton Dental Amusement Rides and the FREE McLeod Health Kids Fun Zone area with liveentertainment, inflatables, face painting, putt?putt golf, a petting zoo, pecan crafts, the Roche?ProgressEnergy Science South mobile, and much more.   Stop and take a seat at the Central United MethodistChurch Sanctuary and the all New Performing Arts Center Outdoor Amphitheatre, both venues will havefree live entertainment all day long including Morgans Road and The Masterwork Choir.Interested in some competitive fun? We have you covered. The Inaugural Mixologist Cup competition isat the Performing Arts Center on Friday November 4thfrom 7?10 pm, come see what local bartendersand Mixologist mix up to create the official inaugural Pecan Festival Cocktail. Come early on Saturdayand join the Fitness Forum and Palmetto Infusion as they host their 5thannual Run Like a Nut Racebeginning at 8 am from the Fitness Forum on Elm St in Downtown, or bring your favorite pecan inspireddish and join sponsor Chic Fila of Magnolia Mall for the annual Pecan Cook?Off competition, judged byLET’S GO NUTS! The 8thAnnual South Carolina  Pecan Festival  Downtown Florence  November 4?6th2011City Councilman Glynn Willis, WBTW’s Chris Sill, and Shane Carroway; the head chef at Percy and Williesin Florence…and that’s not all, “Bike Like a Nut” on Sunday November 6th!  Join us at 9am at the FitnessForum for our first Metric or Half Metric Ride through the Greater Florence Area.  Plenty of activities foryou all weekend long!Check out florencedowntown.com for details on all of these events including what to do while you’rethere – this year is sure to be a treat for kids and adults alike!   Get the Entertainment/Stage & Kids FunZone Schedules, and an Overview & Map of the Festival, a Cook Off Application and che a Cook Off Application and check out the detailsfor all of the 2011 events including the details for the new Park & Ride Shuttle Servic

Flossip Featuring reviews, to-do's, and the not quite news in Florence, SC.

Y’all…I’m starting to get nervous. What if they forget the fried strawberries again this year? WHAT WILL I DO!?

(Don’t forget the Pecan Festival is Saturday. I will be there, will you?)

Flossip Featuring reviews, to-do's, and the not quite news in Florence, SC.

Don’t forget the Pecan Festival is THIS Weekend! You KNOW that I will be there, blue hat and all.

Details here: Florence Pecan Festival

All you have to do is search google to see how much I love the Pecan Festival.

I will even be Running (or walking) like a Nut in the Pecan Festival 5k this year!

Flossip Featuring reviews, to-do's, and the not quite news in Florence, SC.

The mornings are just enough cooler now that outdoor exercise seems actually tolerable. I know there are a lot of walks and runs coming up and I am going to be adding them to the calendar. I have gotten lots of emails from teams raising money for the Heart Walk and I am sorry I can not give to each and every one of you– BUT you can email me your individual fundraising events and I will try to post some of them.

I saw a young couple out walking this morning. I was herding children into cars and searching for a missing library book…it would have been so nice to just not go to school and take the kids on a walk instead. The school tends to frown upon that though. Also, why does my daughter have to lose a library book that cost TWENTY dollars. Sheesh.

What… oh where was I? Walks and runs. Let me know whats happening so I can add it to the calendar. I’m gearing up to “Run Like a Nut” at the Pecan Festival. Also gearing up for the fried strawberries. (See mention here, here, and here. Oh.. and here is the initial post about them. Wow, I really like them.)

Anyway, I am going to lunch with ……….. today at …………………

Yeah, I knew you wanted that information.

(This is a post by Flossip and obviously is a little scattered. I’m testing out a new app so I hope this posts to facebook and twitter automatically. I will give up my identity for fried strawberries.)

Flossip Featuring reviews, to-do's, and the not quite news in Florence, SC.

Another Pecan Festival has come and gone, and I think this festival is going to be a long term success! As you know, I think Florence has been woefully lacking in the festival department prior to the Pecan Festival. How can we be a southern town without a festival? Despair no more… we finally can rightfully claim our status as a southern city. Now we just need a “Miss Pecan”…

Anyway. The festival was a blast. I got there early in the morning and did not leave until late at night… after the last band (The Okaysions). I really wanted to hear Drink Small on Sunday, but honestly my feet were just refusing to walk me anywhere else.

First, I have to thank this woman:

I have no idea who you are, but you are absolutely the Flossip’s favorite person. Why? I was standing behind you and saw that you had printed out the Pecan Festival schedule FROM MY WEBSITE. I felt… famous! So, thank you for reading. (Thanks to ALL of you that read, but especially my new friend.)

About 12:30 you may have noticed a strange phenomenon. Central United Methodist Church was actually LIFTED UP by the Masterworks Choir. Amazing!

I was not sure that I would be moved by the music, and I was so wrong. The songs were uplifting and beautiful. It actually felt strange to walk outside and smell funnel cakes and…

KETTLE CORN!!! (See how quickly I can change direction?)

Y’all. I have this friend that doesn’t believe in the sweet/salty combination. Personally, I think that Clay Smith’s Lowcountry Kettle Corn  is being served as an appetizer in heaven. It is just that good. (They sell it at the New York Butcher Shoppe as well).

I was getting tired then, so I checked out the Blues Breezeway.

This guy was awesome. You could tell all the kids were exhausted (I was kid free for once)… and he totally got them involved in the show. He would scream chicken, they would scream chicken… great fun (and the beer truck was right there as well).

There was a TON of food.
I found the people that make the fried strawberries… but they forgot the strawberries! They were SO nice and so apologetic… apparently I was not the only one that asked. He did promise me that they will have them next year…. sigh. Good things come to those that wait, right? (I confess I asked him where he will be in the next few months… desperate much?)

I also saw some great local artists that had some fabulous Christmas gifts. We have some really talented people in this area!

I KNOW that I saw many of you at the Pecan Festival… especially my best friend above. Next time you see me in my glasses and blue hat be sure to wave! (Perhaps I need to have a float in the Christmas festival. Who has a spare fence I can use?) I really can’t tell you how awesome it was to see downtown as it is meant to be– brimming with people, laughter, and places to eat. Hopefully this will transfer over to everyday downtown at some point!

Flossip Featuring reviews, to-do's, and the not quite news in Florence, SC.

Did you know that there is a cook off at the Pecan Festival this Saturday?  I actually did NOT know this until I went plundering around the website.

The cook-off will be held on Nov. 7th in downtown Florence, in the Irby St. parking lot of Central UMC, between Cheves and Evans St. Please arrive with your dish and entry form between 9:30 – 10:30 am. Judging will begin at 11:00 am.   **** Prizes will be awarded for 1st and 2nd place at 12:30.****Winners will be awarded a special embroidered “Pecan Cook-Off” apron.

\

How awesome is that? The categories are cakes & pies, cookies & snacks, and “Savory dishes” (not sweet). I think the Flossip should be a judge, don’t you? (I guess I don’t really qualify as celebrity like the others though.)

Flossip Featuring reviews, to-do's, and the not quite news in Florence, SC.

McLeod Health

“Kids Fun Zone”

DJ-Maurice Coleman

10:00                  Opening Ceremony

(in front of City County Complex, 180 N. Irby St.)

SPORTS COURT – CHILDREN’S STAGE

10:30-12:30       FJFL Chick-Fil-A Cheerleading Expo

1:00-1:45            Williams Middle School  Phat Pheet

1:45-2:15             Fitness World Aerobics

2:15-2:30             North Vista String Ensemble

2:30-2:45             North Vista Dance Group

2:45-3:15             Sumter Double Steppers

OTHER ENTERTAINMENT FOR CHILDREN

Inflatables, the Scrap Exchange from Durham, NC, Petting Zoo,

Putt Putt and Tattoos, Face Painting, Balloon Sculpting, Tennis,

Fire Safety, Lynches River crafts, FAHS, Society for Creative

Anachronisms

Carnival Rides, Pony Rides

Flossip Featuring reviews, to-do's, and the not quite news in Florence, SC.

2009 South Carolina Pecan Festival Entertainment Schedule

Stage 1:     First Reliance Bank Stage

10:00 a      Wilson High School ROTC & Band

Invocation

Welcome

10:30 a      Florence Men’s Choral Society

11:30 a      Anisha Green (10 yr. old opera singer)

12:00 n      Kelly’s Fine Arts & The KFA Dance Company

12:30 a      Flowtown Band (Rock)

1:30 p       E-Z Street (Beach)

2:30 p       Pantasia (Steel Drums)

3:30 p       School of Dance Arts

4:00 p       Clay Brown & Band (R/B & Beach)

5:30 p       The O’Kaysions (Beach)

Stage 2:     (Blues Bash) First Bank Stage

10:30 a      Matt Walsh Band

12:00 n      Charlie Sayles & the Blues Disciples, featuring Tony Fazio

1:30  p      Bill Lupkin & The Chicago Blues Coalition

3:30  p      Daddy Mack Blues Band

4:30  p      Studebaker John & The Hawks

Stage 3:     Crown Beverages Stage

10:30 a      Nuevo Guadalajara (Mariachi)

11:30 a      Lady Di & Company (Jazz)

12:30 p      23-19 (Rock)

1:30  p      Free Spirit (R/B & Beach)

2:30  p      David Wayne (Country)

3:30  p      Uncle Buddah & DJ J. Watts (Urban Hip-Hop)

4:30  p      The Woody’s (Rock/Beach)

Stage 4:     Hope Health Stage

10:30 a      Vocal Reunion (Southern Gospel)

11:30 a      Three Day Funk (Rock)

12:30 a      TOS Band (Jazz, R/B, Beach)

1:30  p      Borrowed Time (Bluegrass)

2:30  p      Sensational Brown Brothers (Gospel)

3:30  p      William Taylor (Classic Pop)

4:30  p      Barry Brown (Country)

Stage 5:     (Blues Bash-Acoustic Alley) BTC – Business Technology Stage

11:45 a      Shrimp City Slim

1:00  p      Juke Joint Johnny & Drew Baldwin

2:15  p      Freddie Vanderford & Brandon Turner

3:30  p      Cotton Blue

4:30  p      Jeff Norwood

Flossip Featuring reviews, to-do's, and the not quite news in Florence, SC.

I **may** have mentioned my love for the Pecan Festival before (and not just the fried strawberries)(though those ARE a factor…). I have a nice countdown in the sidebar that will tell you EXACTLY how many days before the Pecan Festival begins.

The Day will kick off with the annual “Run Like a Nut.” This is a great 5 and 10k that winds through downtown Florence. I would love to see every single one of you out there. You can register with All Sport Running.

Run like a Nut is now 2 races.We are offering a 10k, 5k and 1 mile fun run for kids. The courses are very flat and fast as it winds mostly through median divided, established neighborhoods near downtown Florence. The run is part of the Downtown Development Corporation’s annual Pecan Festival. The race kicks off the event at St. John’s Episcopal Church,one block from downtown, so the participants can walk directly to the festival once the race is concluded. There is no fee for the festival. Indoor facilities will be available in case of inclement weather. T-shirts guaranteed to all pre-registered runners and awards to top 3 in each age group. Corporate teams may register as well. Race starts promptly at 9am. Registration opens at 7:45am. Runners may call or write Robin Parker for additional information. Runners may register in person or mail to the Fitness Forum 120 E. Elm St. Florence 29506

The “Downtown Street Festival” will start at 10 am. There is absolutely something at the Pecan Festival for every age and personality in Florence.

This year I am really excited about the Pee Dee Blues Bash running simultaneously with the Pecan Festival. (They also have an awesome website.)

I will be updating about the Pecan Festival a LOT between now and November 7. Stay tuned for details!

Flossip Featuring reviews, to-do's, and the not quite news in Florence, SC.

When I tell you that we did the Pecan festival yesterday, we pretty much did it all. Starting with Running like Nuts in the morning, we left at 4:44 p.m. with one crying child and one sleeping child. We really wanted to see Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs, but it was just not meant to be.

I didn’t get as many pictures as I intended because somehow lugging two children, a pocketbook, camera, Lowcountry Kettle Corn, Cotton Candy, and drinks was just more than I could handle. While I am happy that it was so crowded, it also makes me super paranoid, so we had all hands on deck to make sure the kids didn’t get lost.

My absolute favorite part of this years Pecan Festival? FRIED STRAWBERRIES. Hands down! I told Mr. F that I was trying them out for your benefit, to see if it was worth it. I fully believe that when you are at a festival you absolutely must indulge in festival food. They were so good that I am tempted to look at the SC Festival Schedule and figure out their next stop. I thought they would be gross, but basically he dipped a skewer with five fresh strawberries in the funnel cake batter and then tossed it straight in the fryer. Absolute piece of heaven on a stick.

The corn dog was good as well and I am not kidding when I tell you that my entire family was able to snack on one.

Second favorite of the festival? Lowcountry kettle corn. I need to find a website for them, because this is the best popcorn ever. It is somehow sweet and salty at the same time. We came home with a big bag. (Speaking of which I need to find that before someone else eats it all.)

There was art, there was culture, country music, beach music, hip hop, bounce castles, politicians, hot rod’s… I just can’t do justice to the entire festival. The only thing I wished for was a picnic table. I am sure there were some, I just wanted one to magically appear in front of me so that I didn’t have to look for one.

One thing about having downtown blocked to traffic… it was nice. I enjoyed sitting in front of Central UMC and having lunch without cars driving by.

And hey, Big Willie says that he likes it too…

Flossip Featuring reviews, to-do's, and the not quite news in Florence, SC.