Camden feels extra special during the holiday season, with our lights and decorations, events and activities and the general small town charm. Parades, performances, markets and other holiday fun abound and shops and restaurants are bustling with good cheer and great gift ideas.
Make plans to join in on some of these special holiday events and activities, starting with the City of Camden’s annual Tree Lighting Ceremony on Thursday, December 5 at 6:00 pm at Broad Street Park, at the corner of Broad and Rutledge Street. The Tree Lighting Ceremony is a part of the Downtown Camden Cultural District’s “Christmas Wonderland”, where you’ll find a variety of activities and merchants will have extended shopping hours on the three Thursdays leading up to Christmas, December 5, 12 and 19. It also kicks off the “12 Days of Christmas”, highlighting community events taking place in and around Camden between December 5 and December 16, plus some bonus events leading up to Christmas. In addition to traditional holiday events, many local businesses will host open houses, pop-up shops, visits with Santa, and more fun and festive ways to help you complete your holiday shopping with less stress.
Here’s a listing of events taking place during the 12 Days of Christmas. Check back often, as more are added each week. We hope to see you out there!
Thursday, December 5
Holiday Market – 11:00 am – 6:00 pm – Arts Center of Kershaw County, 810 Lyttleton Street
The Kershaw County 250th committee, along with several organizing partners, is sponsoring a “Revolutionary November” from November 1 through November 21st.
This upcoming “Revolutionary November” will highlight Camden and Kershaw County’s importance to the outcome of the American Revolution. Local residents and vistiors alike are invited to enjoy and explore more than a dozen events throughout November, showcasing the area’s history, heritage and culture.
The month begins on November 1 with a commemorative program on the 250th anniversary of the Camden Distrct Resolves (Nov. 5, 1774), a document that set out the argument for independence later articulated in the Declaration of Independence. Other events include the Carolina Revolutionary War Weekend & Batte Reenactments on November 8-10, Colonial Cup Weekend on November 15-17, and a variety of other programs throughout the month – from tours, to presentations, to trivia night. Visit Kershaw250.com for a complete list of programs.
November 1-3 – Camden District Resolves On November 5th, 1774, Justice William Henry Drayton delivered a speech on the “Rights of Man under the Law”, arguing that there should be no taxation without the consent of the citizens, to the Camden District Grand Jury. His words resonated throughout the back country of South Carolina, and a “mini Declaration of Independence” was submitted to colonial legislature. Witness the reenactment of the 1774 Grand Jury Presentment, beginning at 12:00 pm on Friday, November 1 at the Revolutionary War Visitor Center, 212 Broad Street. Afterward, explore the Historic Camden Colonial Village and enjoy an afternoon at McCaa’s Tavern, visit the “Horses at the Battle of Camden” exhibit at the National Steeplechase Museum, or take a self-guided tour among fallen heroes at Quaker Cemetary, before embarking on a drive to see historic landmarks throughout Camden and Kershaw County.
November 8-10 – Carolinas Revolutionary War Weekend & Battle Reenactments Join the Southern Campaign 1780 for two whole days of life in the 18th century, featuring daily mock battles complete with cavalry, cannons, and cracking muskets. This is over a half century old Kershaw County tradition, bringing in reenactors and spectators as far away as the Midwest, New England, and the Deep South. The annual Carolinas Revolutionary War Weekend and the Battle Reenactment events will be held from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Saturday, November 9th and from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm Sunday, November 10th at The Meeting Place, 1208 Keys Lane in Kershaw, SC. Afternoon battle reenactments are scheduled for 1:00 pm each day.
This all outdoor, family-friendly event is the largest annual force-on-force Revolutionary War Reenactment in the nation, and this year has been named one of two national events by the Brigade of the American Revolution, British Brigade, and The Continental Line, all three premier national Revolutionary War Reenactment organizations. It is thrilling to win this trifecta designation and will mean increased reenactor participation and a bigger and better event for participants and visitors alike. You will see hundreds of Crown and Patriot reenactors, civilian reenactors, 18th C. craftsmen and merchants. Heavy rain may force a “rain delay” for battle reenactments, but the event is rain or shine. For more information, visit southerncampaign1780.org.
Also on this weekend, you can sample “revolutionary” BBQ during the aptly named Battle of Camden BBQ Festival Friday evening and Saturday, November 8th and 9th, hosted by the Camden Jaycees on the Historic Camden Foundation campus. Featuring two days of South Carolina’s best pit masters smoking up amazing barbecue for you to sample, Friday night is all about the chicken wing, starting at 6:00 pm, and Saturday is when you find out who will win it all in their pulled pork competition, beginning at 11:00 am. Free entry, tickets for samples. Learn more at www.facebook.com/battleofcamdenbbq.
November 15-17 – Colonial Cup Weekend Experience Camden and all it has to offer, as we celebrate the return of the Colonial Cup, one of the premiere steeplechase races of the season. The 49th running of the Marion duPont Scott Colonial Cup Races will take place on Sunday, November 17th. The Colonial Cup, starting in 1970, was Mrs. Scott’s idea, and it became the first international steeplechase run in the United States with a purse of $100,000. Get ready for race day with a Pre-Cup Cocktail Party on Saturday evening. Learn more at carolinacup.org/colonialcup.
Get into town early to enjoy events in the Downtown Camden Cultural District leading up to the Colonial Cup, including a “Party at the Pavilion” Thursday, November 14th, hosted by the Kershaw County Young Professionals at the Arts Center of Kershaw County. And experience the first ever Silver Leaf Cigar Street Festival on Commerce Alley, beginning at 11:00 am on Saturday, November 15th behind Silver Leaf Cigar Lounge, 1015 Broad Street. Enjoy shopping and dining all day long in the cultural district. Learn more at www.facebook.com/Silverleaflounge.
More events are being added weekly to make this a simply “Revolutionary November” in Camden and Kershaw County. Keep up to date at Kershaw250.com.
The African American Cultural Center of Camden, located at 517 York Street, will kick-off its 2024-2025 season with the theme, celebrating community. The public is invited to enjoy a number of events from September 14th through 22nd.
The opening event will be held on Saturday, September 14th from 1:00 to 3:00 pm with its symposium, “Let’s Talk About…Healing through Reconciliation?”, featuring Bishop Gary Rivas of Lyttleton Street United Methodist Church and Dr. James Coleman as moderator. The event will take place at the Revolutionary War Visitor Center, 212 Broad Street. Admission is free, but registration is encouraged by calling 803-432-2421 x1153 or emailing kspadacenta@camdensc.org.
On Tuesday, September 17th, the African American Cultural Center partners with Gallery 537 to present “Prose, Poetry, Etc.”. This event will provide an opportunity to strengthen community ties by sharing commonalities through poetry, prose and music. All are welcome to share their voice at the open mic. Doors open at 5:00 pm; light hors d’oeuvres will be served. Open mic will take place from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. The Gallery is located at 537 East DeKalb Street. Admission is free, but registration is encouraged by calling 803-432-2421 x1153 or emailing kspadacenta@camdensc.org. Performers for open mic may sign up at the door or call in advance for more details.
The highlight of the week-long celebration, Community Day at the Center, will be held on Saturday, September 21st from 11:00 am to 3:30 pm in partnership with Concerned Citizens of Kershaw County and will take place at the African American Cultural Center and the Price House. This day will be an opportunity to learn more about the Cultural Center and its role in the community. Those interested in preserving their family history are encouraged to bring family photographs and documents to be scanned. There will also be a variety of entertainment for both children and adults, storytelling, games, bounce house, the Kershaw County Library Book Mobile, informational tables and vendors. This day will also be an opportunity to meet some of the 2024 candidates, who will speak briefly about their platform for the upcoming November election. Designated parking will be available.
The celebration concludes on Sunday, September 22nd at 2:00 pm with “Artists in the Sanctuary”. This event is in partnership with Camden Second Presbyterian Church and co-sponsored by the Althea J. Truitt Memorial Fund. The Community is invited to enjoy an afternoon of live jazz and blues. The event is free. Seating is limited. Registration is encouraged by calling 803-432-2421 x1153 or emailing kspadacenta@camdensc.org.
The African American Cultural Center of Camden exhibits artifacts and documents that examine and celebrate the lives and contributions of Camden’s African American community. The Center’s exhibits relate the stories of the African American experience in Camden. The African American Cultural Center of Camden, located at 517 York Street, is currently open on Saturdays from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.
As residents and visitors across the state begin to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, we cannot overlook the Camden Resolves, sometimes known as the “Little Declaration of Independence.” Signed on 5 November 1774, this document will be remembered at events in Camden during the first weekend in November.
So exactly what is this document? How did it come about and what did it mean? Before we can begin to understand the document, we must understand what was happening in Camden that brought about its creation.
By 1770, Camden was the only town located within the expansive Camden District, one of seven districts in the colony. The district was bounded by the Lynches River on the east and by the Congaree and Broad Rivers on the west. It extended from present-day Manning to the North Carolina state line and included what are now nine of the state’s counties: York, Chester, Fairfield, Richland, Clarendon, Sumter, Kershaw, Lancaster, and Lee. Also by this time, the colony was sharply divided between those who supported independence from Great Britain and those who remained loyal to the king. While support for independence was strong in South Carolina’s lowcountry, residents in this part of the colony were more focused on their “farms, orchards, herds, mills, and stores,” working hard to improve their circumstances from that of subsistence farmer to substantial planter (Partisans and Redcoats p 20).
By 1771 a courthouse and a jail had been constructed in Camden to serve the entire district. The first judges and sheriffs were British, appointed by British officials. By 1774, however, Judge William Henry Drayton of Charleston District had been named an assistant judge for the Northern Circuit of South Carolina, which included the Districts of Camden, Cheraw, and Georgetown.
On 5 November 1774, Judge Drayton came to Camden to preside over the grand jury as part of his routine tour of the judicial circuit. Over the previous decade Drayton had been more of a Loyalist than a Patriot, having served in the South Carolina Royal Assembly and on the Provincial Council in Charleston. In 1774, however, his allegiance shifted as British Judge William Henry Drayton (1742-1779) officials repeatedly appointed Englishmen to government posts that Drayton wanted for himself. This practice of the British appointing fellow Brits to American positions was problematic not just for Drayton but for many colonists, as the men who were being appointed had little knowledge or understanding of colonial affairs before arriving in South Carolina to fill a particular vacancy.
Finally, in 1774 Parliament’s passage of the Coercive Acts (known as the Intolerable Acts in the colonies) convinced Drayton that the “liberty and property of the American [were] at the pleasure of a despotic power” (South Carolina Encyclopedia p 274). In his charge to the grand jury at Camden, Drayton urged the jurors to defy British authority: “By as much as you prefer freedom to slavery, by so much ought you to prefer a generous death to servitude, and to hazard every thing to endeavor to maintain that rank which is so gloriously preeminent above all other Nations” (South Carolina Gazette, 12 Dec 1774). Drayton’s instructions to the grand jury were clear: “By the lawful obligations of your oath, I charge you to do your duty: to maintain the laws, the rights, the Constitution of your country, even at the hazard of your lives and fortunes.”
Judge Drayton’s charge led the twenty-two members of the grand jury to issue the presentments that we will be remembering in November. The document begins with three grievances: (1) that the extensive size of St. Mark’s Parish, in which Camden District was located, hindered the “propagation of the Gospel in the back parts of said Parish;” (2) that there was no law in place to standardize the “prices of Entertainment at public houses, there being a great number of them in Camden District;” and (3) “as a grievance of the most dangerous and alarming nature, the power exercised by the Parliament to Tax and to make Laws to bind the American Colonies in all cases whatsoever.” The signers went on to declare the following:
“We conceive such a Power is destructive of our Birth-Rights as FREEMEN — descended from English Ancestors — Seeing such Free men cannot be constitutionally taxed or bound by any Law without their Consent, expressed by themselves or implied by their Representatives of their own Election; a consent which the good People of this Colony have never signified . . . So now, that the Body of this District are legally assembled . . . we think it our indispensable Duty clearly to express the very imminent Danger to which [the people of this District] are exposed from the usurped Power of the British Parliament.”
Published in the South Carolina Gazette on 12 December 1774, Camden’s presentments were followed by similar documents from Cheraw, Ninety Six, Georgetown, and other districts in South Carolina. The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence followed in North Carolina on 20 May 1775, and the Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson and signed by members of the Continental Congress came the following year. While all of these documents express similar sentiments about freedom, liberty, and tyranny, Camden’s was the first!
A traveling exhibit from the South Carolina State Museum has made its way to Camden. Featuring 40 photographs exploring the story of the black baseball team from Rembert, and their fans, this exhibit is on display through September at the African American Cultural Center, located at 517 York Street.
Until Jackie Robinson and Camden’s Larry Doby broke the color barrier in 1947, major league baseball was the strictly for white players and fans. Segregated and separated, black players were forced to form leagues of their own. Based on the 1998 book The 521 All-Stars: A Championship Story of Baseball and Community, by Frye Gaillard with photographs by Byron Baldwin, this exhibit displays the 521 All-Stars, which formed in the 1920s, and the community that surrounded and supported them. It showcases both the camaraderie of the game – teams made up of brothers, fathers and sons, along with the harsh realities of the conditions they played in – bits of scrap metal collected to create base lines, rotten wood bleachers, pine tree branches for brooms.
“This exhibition encapsulates not just the story of the 521 All-Stars, but of comradery and community, of stories and memories that bring people together. I think that is powerfully beautiful,” says Timia Thompson, Collections Outreach Manager.
Named for Hwy 521, which runs past their baseball field, the 521 All-Stars played for the love of the game. In 1996, author Frye Gaillard was driving north on Route 521 when he discovered a homemade ballpark and stopped to take pictures of the players. He and photographer Byron Baldwin spent two more seasons documenting the baseball team.
“I think this exhibit is important because it shows how a game like baseball brings people together,” says South Carolina State Museum’s Curator of History, Fritz Hamer who organized the traveling exhibit.
Byron Baldwin donated his photographs for this traveling exhibit. It will be on display through September at the African American Cultural Center, 517 York Street in downtown Camden. The Center is currently open on Saturdays, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.
The City of Camden continues to host a summer series of small business workshops at the Camden branch of the Kershaw County Library. Kat Spadacenta, Community Development Coordinator, and representatives from the Library and Small Business Development Center will lead workshops for small business owners and any member of the public wishing to attend.
Workshops will be held on Tuesdays – June 4, June 25, July 9, July 23, and August 6 at the Camden Library Branch, 1304 Broad Street. A community development workshop will be held August 13. All workshops are from 6:00 to 7:00 pm.
June 4 – Make Your Small Business More Accessible – When businesses build digital communications that allow people with disabilities to perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with products and services, it expands their market. Implementing accessibility best practices can help businesses grow, and improve the experience for all users. In this Grow with Google workshop, you’ll what accessibility means online, how to design for accessibility – web pages, email, and tips for physical spaces, and tips for being more inclusive as a small business.
June 25 – How to Write an Effective Business Plan – An effective business plan is an important tool for a business owner. Join this webinar, hosted by SC Small Business Development Center’s Bob Jones, and learn about the elements that make a business plan effective. Bob will cover what information should be included in a business plan, how to write an executive summary, and the purposes of a business plan and what impact it can have.
July 9 – Library Resources for Business – Cris Wilson, Adult Services Librarian for Kershaw County Library will give an overview of the online resources available to your business, courtesy of the South Carolina State Library. Any South Carolina resident who has a current, valid library card can access these resources. The Camden Branch also has a business reference collection, which will be covered. These materials are available for use inside the library building. Bring a laptop to this workshop.
July 23 – Boost Your Money Management Skills for Your Small Business – Whether you’re starting a new business or already managing one, it’s important to understand how to manage your business finances. Having good money management skills will help increase your business’s opportunity for success. This Grow with Google workshop will show you how to separate business and personal finances, track your business finances, understand cash flow and profit & loss. Plus, you’ll learn about money management mistakes to avoid.
August 6 – Cybersecurity and Your Small Business – Cybersecurity is an important issue for businesses of all sizes. In this Grow with Google workshop, you will learn the basics of online security and how it applies to your business and customers, ways you can identify common digital threats, and steps you can take to protect your business. You’ll walk away with practical tips and tools to increase your business’ cybersecurity, as well as what steps you can take after a potential security breach.
August 13 – Cultural District and Community Development Strategy Workshop – Join Community Development Coordinator Kat Spadacenta to learn about upcoming events and activities taking place in the Downtown Camden Cultural District and how you can be a part of them. Help in the planning and design of a community mural, brainstorm for the holiday season, and share your thoughts on what you’d like to see in your community.
