The town of Turbeville will host the Puddin Swamp Festival on April 7, 8, and 9th. This festival began in 2007 to pay tribute to the area and has developed into a popular state event. “It was just a group of neighbors. They didn’t choose a vegetable or a fruit or anything like that. We just wanted to celebrate Puddin Swamp,” Chair Jenna Windham remarked.
The festival opens Thursday at 6:30pm with the traditional amusement rides. Friday, food vendors will be open and a parade down Main Street, a new event, will begin at 5:30pm. Terence Lonon and The Untouchables, who was recently featured on The Wave’s New Beach Music Countdown, will perform that evening from 8pm until 11pm. Super Saturday kicks off at 10am with another new event, the Jeep Jam and Truck Show. Prizes will be awarded for Cleanest, Dirtiest, Oldest, Best Custom, People’s Choice, and Best in Show. Also on Saturday’s schedule is a dance exhibition featuring Kelly’s Fine Arts and Dancin’ On Main and a live radio broadcast with Mudflap and Palmer. Family and children’s events include a Hula Hoop Contest, balloon art, laser tag, an art contest, and much more.
Puddin’ Swamp devotees will be excited to here that the Swamp Bottom “Beauty” Contest is returning this year. At 5:30pm on Saturday, the Shriner’s will be putting their dignity aside and competing for dollar votes by putting on their wives, girlfriends, and sister’s makeup and dresses. The monies raised during this humorous and lighthearted event benefits Shriner’s Hospital families.
After the contest, Todd and Melissa Ham will present a Line Dance clinic at 6:30pm. Those lessons may come in handy when the Carolina Cruisers hit the stage for an evening of DJ and dancing. The festival ends with the fireworks finale at 9:30pm
Windham described the exposition as a spring kickoff. “Once those rides go up in town square, it’s springtime,” declared Windham. The combination of warm weather and the return of togetherness should have county residents anxiously awaiting the festival.
