Chapin prepares to celebrate 37th Labor Day Festival & Parade

The Town of Chapin is getting ready for its biggest party of the year and is looking forward to hosting Midlands residents and visitors from across the state for its 37th annual Labor Day Festival and Parade. The festival will feature many of the activities and events that families and individuals have come to enjoy, including live music, classic car show, arts and crafts, street vendors, food and of course, the parade. The theme for this year’s event is Chapin – The Heart of Lake Murray.

Presented by Lexington Medical Center, the weekend kicks off with the Walk or Run a Crooked 5K at Crooked Creek Park on Saturday morning to benefit the park’s senior programs and Meals on Wheels. Then on Sunday evening, Blues on Beaufort Street will offer a free musical concert featuring last year’s popular guests Anthony Charles and the Blues Dolphins. The Columbia band will perform their classic Chicago brand of blues on the outdoor stage, sponsored by United Sporting Companies, beginning at 8 pm. There will be food and refreshments available from Carolina Cookin’ and Tipsy Toad Tavern. And Tap It! Bottle and Brews will be providing samples of craft beers, too.

On Monday, the festival features a variety of activities for all ages. Sgt. Robert Barber, one of Chapin’s soon-to- be new residents thanks to Homes for Our Troops, will be serving as the Grand Marshall for the parade, accompanied by his family on the Heart of Chapin float. The Fort Jackson Army Marching Band will be playing in this year’s parade which follows the same route as last year’s parade, straight down Chapin Road (SC Hwy 76) from the GIS parking lot (917 Chapin Road) to the Bi-Lo Shopping Center (1419 Chapin Road). They will be joined by numerous community organizations, politicians, local businesses and the award-winning Chapin High School Marching Band, to name a few.

Immediately following the parade, there will be live entertainment on the Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative Stage featuring the popular R&B artists CASH MONEY. The band will take the Beaufort Street stage at 11 am. Sponsored by one of Chapin’s newest businesses, the Publix Children’s Play Area will feature a number of games, activities and bouncy house on Clark Street. The Newberry Car Buffs and Taylor’s Automotive are hosting the eighth annual Classic Car Show in the Mt. Horeb parking lot off Beaufort Street, and street vendors selling a variety of arts and crafts, clothing items, food and knick knacks will be lined up on Lexington Avenue, Beaufort and Clark Streets. The Associated Model Railroads of Columbia will once again have model train layouts on display in the American Legion Post 193 (located on Lexington Avenue in the old fire station) as well as information on the South Carolina Railroad Museum and Operation Lifesaver. In addition, the Chapin Branch Library will be holding its annual book sale in the Community Room at Chapin Town Hall (157 NW Columbia Avenue) until 2:30 pm, with proceeds benefiting children and youth reading programs.

There are Chapin – The Heart of Lake Murray Tshirts available for sale at the Chapin Chamber of Commerce and Town Hall prior to the festival, and they will be available for sale at the Town’s booth on Beaufort Street on Labor Day. The attractive blue cotton Tshirts are $10 each and available in sizes Youth Medium to 2XL.

To keep up with the latest updates on the Chapin Labor Day Festival Weekend, visit us on Facebook page or follow us on Twitter (@ChapinLaborDay).