Personal Injury Attorney in Kingstree, SC

Twenty-five BBQ teams will be firing up their smokers on Academy Street this weekend for the Kingstree Pig Pickin’ Festival 2024 put on by Main Street Kingstree. Williamsburg County is known world-wide for its whole hog smoked BBQ. The Pig Pickin’ Festival celebrates that down-home tradition and has been a part of Kingstree’s fall celebrations for more than 50 years.

First known as the Old-Fashioned Festival, the event became a popular competition for regional barbecue teams. The festival is under new leadership this year as Amy Pringle has taken over as Director of Main Street Kingstree. Pringle has participated in the festival, but this is her first year running the big show.

“I am blessed to embark on this journey as the new Main Street Economic Development Director and to be able to take part in our cherished festival for the very first time in this compacity,” says Pringle. “I look forward to embracing new ideas and creating unforgettable experiences with the citizens of the Town of Kingstree. I am honored to serve and work alongside our community to make this year’s festival a memorable one.”

On Friday, October 11, Hemingway Packing Company will deliver the hogs to the BBQ competition teams, who will work through the night to make sure their meat is cooked to perfection. Cookoff prizes totaling $8,000 will be awarded this year. BBQ Winners will be announced Saturday at noon on the Academy Street stage. Chicken and Ribs, People’s Choice Awards, and Anything Goes awards will be given at 3:30 p.m. Previous Anything Goes entries include everything from fried Oreos to pineapple chicken.

On Friday DJ Strawberry Love will start spinning tunes at 6:00 pm. The kids’ zone, which has new inflatables, a build your own stuffed animal booth, and a game truck this year, will open at 6:00 p.m. Wristband sales will end at 9:00 p.m. Wristbands are $5 Friday evening and $10 Saturday for unlimited rides. Charlie Floyd will take the stage at 9:00 p.m. and provide live entertainment until midnight.

Food truck and vendor sales will crank up at 9:00 a.m on Saturday, October 12 and run until 9:00 p.m. The parade starts at 10:00 a.m. Lineup will take place at the IGA and the parade will end at the Williamsburg County Library on N. Jackson Street. Keep an eye out for Bacon the Pig who will have a special appearance at Downtown Café right after the parade.

Grab a plate of BBQ and sample the fruits of the smoking labor from 10:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.

Dancing on Main performances will begin at 11:15 a.m. in front of the Courthouse on Main Street. Can you squeal like Bacon? Williamsburg HomeTown Chamber will be once again sponsoring the Pig Squealing Contest at 2:00 p.m. Give your best squeal for a chance at a trophy and cash prize.

One of the special guests at this year’s event will be Dragoon, a 4-year-old Carolina Marsh Tacky South Carolina Heritage Horse.

DJ Alicia Sabb takes over DJ duties at 4:00 p.m. and will be spinning tunes until 10:00 p.m. Fireworks will light up the sky at 10:00 p.m. on Saturday. For the best view of the fireworks bring your chairs to the Kingstree Recreation Center.

New this year will Sunday’s Gospel Fest from 3:00-6:00 p.m. at The Depot. Bring your chair and enjoy great gospel singers from the community.

Organizations in Williamsburg County are rushing to gather supplies to deliver to the most devastated areas of Western North Carolina, Florida, and other areas in need after Hurricane Helene hit Florida’s Big Bend region as a Category 4 on Thursday. The hurricane tore across the Southeast through Friday, leaving towns decimated from flooding, trees uprooted, and people stranded without power. The deathtoll across the Southeast from Hurricane Helene continues to rise, and thousands are stranded without water and other basic needs.

The following Williamsburg County organizations are working to get supplies and manpower to the communities most affected by the storms. If you have additional information, please email our staff at news@kingstreenews.com.

UPDATED: October 2, 2024

Chris Wilson and the Georgetown Five Rivers Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation are collecting items until Sunday, Oct. 6 at set up several drop-off points including a Kingstree location at 305 Clearview St. and First Baptist Church of Andrews at 6 North Rosemary Ave., Andrews. Items requested include: water, gas cans, nonperishable food items, baby food, baby formula, pet food, diapers, baby wipes, paper products, bug spray, canned goods, plastic utensils, trash bags, plastic sheeting and tarps, clothing, hygiene products, flashlights and batteries, cleaning supplies. For additional information contact Chris Wilson at (843) 485-6417.

The South Carolina Association of Free Will Baptist is gathering donations through Thursday, Oct. 3 to fill a semi-trailer that will take supplies to areas in need throughout South Carolina, Western North Carolina and Tennessee. Those wishing to donate should reach out to the contact person for each drop-off location before arriving with supplies. SCFWB State Office at 1169 Atkinson St., Turbeville. Contact: Gwen Ard (843) 319-4685. The Corner Crossroads Store at 3695 Sumter Hwy, Kingstree. Contact: (843) 382-8201. Requested items include: bottled water, flashlights, batteries, food (canned goods, preferably pull top lids, non-perishable items), diapers, wipes, formula, paper products, toiletries, cleaning supplies.

Kingstree First Baptist Church is currently collecting items to be delivered to areas impacted by Hurricane Helene. Items requested are: non-perishable food, bottled water and jugs of water, baby wipes and Clorox wipes, feminine hygiene products, cleaning supplies, flashlights and batteries. The cutoff for donating items is Oct. 9. For more information, contact Pastor Ian at (843)372-2164. Volunteers are needed to receive people dropping off donations Monday - Friday 8:00-5:00 from October 2-9. Please reach out to Carrie Geimer at (704)200-4934 if you would like to serve.

Aero-Tech Helicopters owners Dirk Fromman and Richie Wheeler have flown two helicopters to Hickory North Carolina where they are working with the Carolina Response Team. They were followed by a service truck with water and medical supplies and a transport van with a ground crew including Dawson Brown, Austin Mantegani, Jens Gevers and Jay Floyd to assist where needed in Western North Carolina. So far, the helicopters have flown supplies to Asheville, taken supplies to nursing homes, have rescued people off of mountains, and transported medical personnel where needed. This is an ongoing community funded effort.

(COLUMBIA) – Today South Carolina Secretary of State Mark Hammond cautioned donors to practice wise charitable giving as the Southeast begins to recover and rebuild from Hurricane Helene. “The people of South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee face unprecedented challenges following Hurricane Helene’s destruction,” said Secretary Hammond. “This recovery will not be quick, and communities will need our help. I encourage anyone who wants to help devastated communities to do their research, so that their donation will go to those in need.”

Secretary Hammond urges donors to follow these guidelines when donating to charities assisting those affected by Hurricane Helene:

Do your research to make sure that the charity is properly registered to solicit in South Carolina. The South Carolina Solicitation of Charitable Funds Act requires charities to register with the Secretary of State’s Office and file financial information, which is then published online to provide transparency to donors and other interested persons. Donors can research charities by downloading the free Give Smart SC app to look up a charity’s registration status and review its most recent annual financial report. The Give Smart SC app can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play, and allows users to research a charity quickly using their smart phone. Donors can also search charities, professional fundraisers, and raffles through the Secretary of State’s website at sos.sc.gov.

Consider limiting your contributions to charities that have a long track record of providing aid during natural disasters. Donors should restrict their donations to charities with a history of transparency and accountability, and that have the infrastructure to deliver resources to devastated areas. “Unfortunately, there are unscrupulous individuals who use natural disasters to take advantage of others’ generosity,” said Secretary Hammond. “Donors should avoid unvetted organizations to ensure that their contributions will actually go to those in need.”

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Don’t feel pressured to contribute right away. If a charity is asking for a donation and is legitimate, it will welcome the opportunity for you to ask questions about how your contribution will be used. Always ask how much of your donation will go to the charitable organization. If you are being solicited by a professional solicitor, they are required by law to disclose that they are being paid to solicit, and, if asked, how much they are being paid. Also, be aware that crowdfunding platforms charge fees for their services, which are deducted from your charitable donation.

Protect yourself from identity theft. Scammers will use a crisis as an opportunity to steal both your money and your identity. Never give out your Social Security number in response to a charitable solicitation, and only use your credit card to donate to reputable organizations. To learn more about identity theft, or to report an incident involving identity theft, please visit the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs website at consumer.sc.gov.

Notify the Secretary of State’s Office if you have any questions or concerns about a charity. If you would like to submit a complaint about a charity, professional fundraiser, or raffle, you can use either the Give Smart SC app or the Online Charitable Solicitation Complaint Form at sos.sc.gov to file a confidential complaint 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

“My prayers are with everyone who has been affected by Hurricane Helene, and especially with those who have lost loved ones,” said Secretary Hammond. “The areas of South Carolina and the Southeast that were hit hard will take a long time to rebuild, and I know that the generous people of our state will come together to make that happen. As always, please remember to give from the heart, but be sure to give smart.”

You can reach Nichole by email at news@kingstreenews.com.