The 27th Annual Fire Fest will take over Camden City Arena the last Saturday of September, and this year, a very special exhibit will be open to the public along with all of the usual Fire Fest activities.
Each year, Fire Fest serves as the kick off to national Fire Prevention Week TM (FPW). This year, the campaign message “Cooking safety starts with YOU. Pay attention to fire preventionTM” works to educate everyone about simple but important actions they can take when cooking to keep themselves and those around them safe.
“We encourage all residents to embrace the 2023 Fire Prevention Week theme, ‘Cooking safety starts with YOU,’ said Interim Fire Chief Eddie Gardner. “A cooking fire can grow quickly and we have seen many homes damaged and people injured by fires that could easily have been prevented.”
As in years past, Fire Fest will include a live “side by side” burn demonstration, involving two constructed rooms – one with sprinklers and one without – to demonstrate how quickly fire can spread and the effects of sprinkler systems in the home. And returning after many years absent, the fire safety house will be on site.
Other activities at Fire Fest will include live Junior Explorer competitions and firefighting demonstrations, a hot rod and classic car cruise-in, performances from local dance teams, a Kids Zone, vendors and food trucks through 1 pm.
Fire Fest begins at 9 am Saturday, September 30, 2023 with a parade of new and antique fire trucks, along with other emergency vehicles from Camden City Hall, down Rutledge and Broad Streets, and ending at the City Arena for opening ceremonies at 9:30 am.
“We appreciate the continued support of our vendors and entertainment partners,” said Assistant Fire Chief and Fire Fest Committee Chair Chris Tidwell. “But we really value this opportunity to connect directly with the community and teach the importance of fire prevention and safety.”
The Camden Fire Department would like to thank all event sponsors, particularly Chief Sponsors: the City of Camden, Canfor Southern Pine, Community Broadcasters, Furniture Services Inc., Lugoff Automotive Group, Ole Timey Meats, and the South Carolina State Firefighters Association. It is through the support of community sponsors that allows Fire Fest to remain a free event.
Fire Fest is always held the last Saturday of September to kick off National Fire Safety Month in October and National Fire Prevention Week, which begins Sunday, October 8th this year.
Due to updated legislation, the City of Camden is responsible for identifying the service line going to each water meter and from the water meter to each house. This will be achieved by excavating a small area on both the road side and house side of the meter box. If you already know what type of service line is supplying your residence, we ask that you please share that information with us through the Connect Camden SC app, or by calling the Water Plant at 803-432-0009. This will reduce the amount of excavation required to comply with this legislation.
Under current Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations, all water community water systems (CWSs), regardless of size, must develop and maintain an inventory of service lines that the public can access (40 CFR 141.84(a)). The inventory must describe both water system-owned and customer-owned segments of the service line. A utility must submit the initial inventory to its primacy agency by Oct. 16, 2024.
Blanket & Bands Fall Concert Schedule Rusty Davis & Friends – Thursday, 9/14 CANCELED – The FMS – Thursday, 9/28 The Dubber & Tetrahedron – Thursday, 10/5 The Tony Torre Orchestra – Thursday, 10/12 Bout Tyme – Thursday, 10/26
Free concerts return to Town Green this fall, with a variety of music on certain Thursday evenings in September and October. Get your blanket or lawn chair, family and friends, to enjoy live music outdoors. Bring a picnic dinner, grab some takeout from your favorite local restaurant or enjoy food and beverages available for purchase on site.
Kicking off the concert series on Thursday, September 14th is Camden’s own Rusty Davis & Friends, playing classic rock and timeless tunes that will have you singing along. Music begins at 6:00 pm with one of Rusty’s student musicians as the opening act. Rusty Davis & Friends will play from 6:30 – 8:30 pm.
All concerts will be held on Thursdays, from 6:00 to 8:30 pm, weather permitting. Beer and wine are permitted on Town Green during the hours of the concerts. No glass containers are allowed on Town Green. In the event of cancelation due to weather, notifications will be placed here on the City’s website and Downtown Camden Cultural District social media channels.
Unfortunately, the concert scheduled for September 28th will have to be rescheduled.
On Thursday, October 5th, the free Blankets & Bands concert on Town Green will feature Columbia-based The Dubber & Tetrahedron, as part of the Arts Center of Kershaw County’s MAD Festival. Enjoy an evening of rock, jazz and funk, flavored by the international sounds of reggae, Armenian music, and Afro beat.
On Thursday, October 12th, you can swing the night away with The Tony Torre Orchestra. Led by Tony Torre, the band is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. This 15 piece Big Band based out of Myrtle Beach will be playing an evening of swing hits with an occasional turn to blues, beach music and pop favorites.
Closing out the fall Blankets & Bands concert series on Thursday, October 26th is the Bout Tyme Band, an ensemble of talented musicians playing jazz standards, danceable pop songs, and everything in between.
The Blankets & Bands concert series is a partnership between the Downtown Camden Cultural District and the Arts Center of Kershaw County, bringing free, live music to the community during the spring and fall months.
The City of Camden is seeking applications to fill four open seats, one on the Board of Zoning Appeals, one on the Planning Commission, and two on the Board of Construction Appeals. Only City of Camden residents are eligible to apply; the deadline for applications is Friday, September 1.
The Board of Zoning Appeals consists of five members, who shall be appointed by City Council for overlapping terms of four years. The Board of Zoning Appeals hears and decides appeals where it is alleged there is error in any order, requirement, decision, or determination made by the Zoning Administrator. This Board also has the authority to grant variances if certain conditions are met.
The Board of Adjustments and Appeals (Board of Construction Appeals) consists of five members, who shall be residents of the City serving three year terms. The Board of Construction Appeals addresses and resolves matters occurring under the Fire Prevention Code, the Building Code, the Electrical Code, and the Plumbing Code.
The Planning Commission consists of seven members, who shall be residents of the City serving four year terms. The Planning Commission seeks to guide and accomplish a coordinated and harmonious development of the City of Camden in accordance with existing and future needs, best promote the efficiency and economy in the process of development. The Planning Commission’s responsibilities include: prepare and revise periodically a comprehensive plan for the City, prepare and recommend to City Council ordinances promoting orderly development in accordance with the comprehensive plan, administer the City Zoning Ordinance, Chapter 157, and review and recommend needed changes in ordinance and map of the City, to advise, and where appropriate to assist, the Building Inspector of the City as to interpretation, administration and enforcement by him of Chapter 156 and 157 of the Code of Ordinances, to hear and recommend to the City Council all requests for changes in zoning boundaries and requests for relief from zoning requirements, and to recommend to the City Council changes, additions, or deletions to the Zoning Code and map and new ordinances pertaining to zoning as it appears advisable.
