On Saturday, Feb. 28, Sumter artist Dominique Hodge will host an artist’s talk at Sumter County Gallery of Art from 1 to 3 p.m. Admission to the Gallery is free, so don’t miss out on hearing from him. According to the gallery, Hodge was born and raised in Sumter and is known artistically as “Jakeem Da Dream,” an afro futuristic artist. “Hodge draws from many sources such as mythology, religion, history, astrology, astronomy, esoteric and hermetic philosophy. It is important to Hodge to show positive, purposeful and powerful Black imagery in his work.” You can also see Hodge’s “The Art of Afro-Alchemy” and Columbia artist Patrick Mahoney’s “Worlds Seen and Unseen” at the gallery, 200 Hasel St., from Jan. 15 to March 6.
Join the Kiwanis Club of Sumter for the 63rd Annual Pancake Day Fundraiser. Enjoy all-you-can-eat pancakes and sausages, and help the club raise money for Kiwanis projects throughout the year. Breakfast is from 7 a.m. until 1 p.m. Saturday, March 7, at Alice Drive Middle School, 40 Miller Road. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for kids (4-12 years old) and are available from any Kiwanis Club member. Need some tickets delivered to your office? Need to meet somewhere else in town? Email kiwanisclubofsumtersc@gmail.com.
Sumter Little Theatre is starting off its year with “A Streetcar Named Desire.” Follow the story of Blanche DuBois in this play about desire, delusion, and the struggle for power. The show runs from Thursday through Saturday, Feb. 26 to March 8 at 7:30 p.m. each day except Sunday, when it starts at 3 p.m. Get tickets at sumterlittletheatre.org.
The Rotary Club of Sumter-the Gamecock City’s annual Farm to Table dinner is Thursday, March 12, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Sumter County Civic Center. As always, this charity event includes all-you-can eat selections from local farms, processors, restaurants, and stores as well as beverages and a live band. Tickets are $40 at zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/farm-to-table-4. All proceeds go to CART (Coins For Alzheimer’s Research), the Sumter Rotary Scholarship Fund, Sumter United Ministries and 4-H.
If you’re a sports card enthusiast, don’t miss the Sumter sports card show on Saturday, March 14, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This is a sports card collector show to buy, sell or trade sports cards or memorabilia at Sumter Original Brewery, 2 S. Main St. Vendor tables are 8-foot tables for $50. If you’d like to participate, text Kevin at (803) 795-7227.
Spring typically brings fun outdoor events, and this March is no different. Get a taste of some award-winning wings and barbecue at the Annual Cook-off Benefit for the Boy Scouts on March 20 and March 21 while strolling around the Sumter County Fairgrounds, 30 S. Artillery Drive. That Friday will be the Wing Ding from 5:30 to 9 p.m., and the next day features all the barbecue you care to try from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Buy your tickets at sumterbbq.com.
Speaking of fun outdoors, the same weekend, Sumter’s Springfest is back for the third year! It will take over Main Street downtown on Saturday, March 21, with live music spanning country, pop and classic favorites, delicious food and family fun benefiting United Way. This event is billed as “Sumter’s biggest street party,” so don’t miss out. There will be music playing all day, a kids’ corner with activities and food and drinks from Sumter Original Brewery, Sidebar On Main and Hamptons. Gates open at 11 a.m. Proceeds will benefit United Way of Sumter, Clarendon and Lee Counties. Children 10 and under can participate for free, and tickets are $25 in advance or $35 at the gate. Buy them at https://tinyurl.com/mv7s4ft2.
Get some exercise in for a good cause on Saturday, March 21. Millions of women and children must walk 3 miles or more every day to collect water for their daily needs, and the Walk for Water is meant to raise money so they won’t have to. According to its website, “During the Walk for Water, participants walk approximately 1.5 miles to a midway point with an empty bucket. There, they will fill their bucket with dirty water and carry it another 1.5 miles to the end of the walk. When you walk, you raise funds and awareness to change the daily reality of women and children who lack access to safe water.” Join the walk at Prisma Health Shot Pouch Greenway at 10 a.m. and raise money for the cause. You can donate, register by signing up as an individual or as a team or sponsor the event at https://tinyurl.com/47d4886b. The goal for the community is $25,000. Water Mission uses the money raised for water projects to create collection tanks in communities that provide safe drinking water closer to home.
USC Sumter will hold the 2026 Graduation, Transfer and Career Fair on Wednesday, March 25, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Nettles Gymnasium. This event is designed to help students explore their next steps after completing their associate and bachelor’s degrees – whether that involves transferring to a four-year institution or entering the workforce. Caps and gowns will be sold for $60 that day only, there will be free headshots from 1 to 3 p.m., refreshments, raffle, more than 20 businesses and four-year colleges in attendance and 15% off all items in the bookstore. Graduates are encouraged to attend the event. Attendees should park in the student parking area adjacent to the Nettles and Schwartz buildings off University Drive.
Art in the Park including Reading in the Park, sponsored by Palmetto Optimist Club, will return this year from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 28, in Sumter Memorial Park. The event celebrates “creativity, family fun and the power of bringing out the best in our youth!” The day will include local artists, handmade crafts, youth art displays and activities, food and sweet treats supporting local non-profits, community organizations, live performances and more. Vendor applications for artists, makers, crafters, nonprofits and food vendors only are available through the official application at https://tinyurl.com/4mrjyje3. Vendor fee is $50.
The same weekend as Art in the Park, see the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and learn about the military’s mission and equipment at the Shaw Air Expo /Thunder Over the Midlands 2026. The two-day event returns to Shaw Air Force Base on Saturday-Sunday, March 28-29, and will feature performances by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and the U.S. Army Golden Knights, as well as demonstrations by the U.S. Air Force F-16 Viper Demonstration Team and Heritage Flight. According to 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs, other acts include a “joint airpower mission demo with pyrotechnics, rocket trucks and aerobatic performances, in addition to numerous aircraft static displays and other ground demonstrations.” Displays and demonstrations will in part be themed to celebrate 60 years of the Wild Weasel mission and the nation’s 250th birthday. To commemorate National Vietnam War Veterans Day, there will be a recognition ceremony on Sunday, March 29, to which South Carolina-based Vietnam veterans and Purple Heart recipients will be invited to attend as special guests, according to 20th FW PA. The base will hold a STEM Expo on Friday, March 27, that includes a STEM competition with sixth-graders from local schools. Hours are tentatively set for 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on both days. Gates will open to the public both days at 9 a.m.
Be part of the annual Relay for Life and walk to raise awareness of and end cancer. This year’s event is on April 17 starting at 5 p.m. at Donald L. Crolley Memorial Stadium, Dalzell. Join the relay by signing up, set a fundraising goal and find inspiration at https://tinyurl.com/2s4aedxm. Money raised helps cancer patients with transportation to appointments, medical stays at Hope Lodge and grants related to cancer disparities and health equity.
If you want to see how a real farm works, don’t miss the 16th Annual Sheep Shearing Event from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 18, at Old McCaskills Farm, 377 Cantey Lane, Rembert. Highlights of the day are: wool from sheep to shawl; shearing the sheep; Border Collie demonstrations; concessions; tractor simulator; horseback rides; bluegrass music; knitters, spinners and weavers; hayrides; goats milk; soap making; face painting and more. Tickets are available at https://tinyurl.com/bd92nzru.
Mix business and fun this spring at the annual Rub O’ The Green golf tournament. See how lucky you are on the green, and you just might take home a prize. More information on registration is coming soon through Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce. For sponsorship information, contact Ariel Floyd at Ariel.Floyd@sumterchamber.com. The tournament will be held Friday, April 24, at Beech Creek Golf Course, 1800 Sam Gillespie Blvd., Sumter. There will be an awards reception immediately following. Learn more at sumterchamber.com.
Registration is now open for the Patriot’s Wounded Warrior 5K. Money generated from sign-ups for the philanthropic, family friendly Patriots’ Wounded Warrior 5K will go toward a donation to Hidden Wounds, Wounded Warrior Project and the Air and Space Forces Association’s Wounded Airmen and Guardians Program. There will also be festivities like music and spectator games when the race starts, including Bubble Battle for kids and a Courageous Cornhole competition. The first 300 total participants who register will receive a T-shirt, Wounded Warrior bracelets, Fleet Feet of Augusta goody bag and more. Organizers are Cheryl Moye, who can be reached at cheryl.r.moye@outlook.com, and YMCA of Sumter, which can be reached at (803) 773-1404. The race is on Saturday, April 25, with check-in at 8 a.m. at Patriot Park, 380 General Drive, Sumter. Register online at https://tinyurl.com/AFA5K2026, at Sumter YMCA or on race day at the park.