Record Temps, Record Crowds Flock to Chapin for Labor Day Festivities

CHAPIN, SC – Thousands braved the heat to watch this year’s 35^th annual Labor Day Parade loop around the lakeside community’s downtown business district, featuring floats by area churches, civic groups and businesses as well as area beauty queens, marching bands and a multitude of politicians running for office.

The theme for this year’s festival was Hooked on Chapin and there was an assortment of fishing related parade entries. Winners of this year’s parade were El Poblano Mexican Restaurant in the Best Commercial category; Chapin High School Marching Band for Best School entry; St. Peter Lutheran Church for Best Church category; and Chapin Sunrise Rotary for Best Non-profit category. Honorable mentions went to Lexington Medical Center, the Greater Chapin Chamber of Commerce, Mt. Horeb Lutheran Church, the National Junior ROTC band and Dark Knight Trail.

For the Chapin Champions Talent Contest, Logan Baldwin won the grand prize, and other division winners included the Spring Hill Varsity Dance Company, Nikki Darazs, Macy Crawford and Breanna Tepper.  Runners-up were Kaylin Antley, Allie Gee, and Amelia Alonso for division 1, Sara Potts in division 2, Krystal Lindler in division 3 and the Roof Top Band in division 4.

The festival included a record number of vendors as well as participants and boasted 105 parade entries, including the popular Oscar Meyer WienerMobile. A variety of arts and craft, retail and food vendors lined up and down Beaufort and Clark Streets for people to shop and try new things. In addition, the Newberry Car Buffs hosted its annual Classic Car Show and there were two free concerts for music lovers – an old fashioned gospel show and a beach, boogie and blues type show featuring Off The Chain Band and Show.

The Labor Day Festival and Parade serves as Chapin’s biggest annual event and builds community pride and fosters tourism. An estimated 30,000 people came out for the day-long festivities that included activities for people of all ages and backgrounds.

Photos of the fun will be posted later this week on the town’s website: chapinsc.com.