Slow Food Pee Dee Potluck - Day 361

Slow Food Pee Dee will hold its monthly meeting on Sunday, January 6th at Victor's Bistro. The 2 featured ingredients will be rice and greens and the potluck will begin at 6:30.The monthly gatherings will be held the first Sunday of each month. For questions on Slow Food Pee Dee, check out their facebook page to learn more about the slow food movement.

For more details, please see our calendar.

Hartsville's Good Living Marketplace - Day 360

Hartsville's Good Living Marketplace will return on January 5th. From 11am-3pm walk around Cargwill Way exploring produce from Ovis Hill and other local farms, crafts and artwork from local artists. There will also be a chili cookoff, so bring your appetite!

For more details, please visit our calendar or call 843.858.1600.

Florence Athletic Hall of Fame Induction - Day 359

 

 

The Florence Area Sports Council will induct 8 athletes into the Florence Athletic Hall of Fame on January 5th. The banquet will be held at the Florence Civic Center with a social hour from 5-6pm and the banquet from 6-9pm. Athletes to be inducted include:

 

Wilbur Cole

Jeff Fields

Tommy Johnson

Dickie Lester

Coach William "Scooby" Long

Spyder Webb

Mary Jane Billheimer Weir

Coach Robert "Ears" Wilson

 

 

Tickets are $25 each and can be purchased from the Florence Civic Center Administrative Office during normal business hours. You can reach the office at 843.67939417.

 

For more details, please visit our calendar.

 

 

 

ArtFields Art Competition - Day 358

Have you heard about ArtFields? Lake City is hosting an art competition in April where selected artists will exhibit their work and compete for prize money. They are giving away a total of $100,000 for 3 separate prizes. That's the largest cash prize in the southeast! Think you've got what it takes to compete? Check out the blog post below written by Pee Dee Arts on how to enter your work in the competition.

Pee Dee Arts says:

ArtFields will award $100,000 in prize money during its inaugural event April 19-28, 2013 in Lake City, South Carolina. Selected artists will be invited to exhibit their work in one of the historic downtown Lake City venues, from a museum to a barbershop for ten days. Art competition winners will be determined by popular choice and juried panel votes. Voters will have to be present in Lake City, SC to cast their votes during ArtFields.

Step One – Register (Opens Monday, January 7, 2013 at 9 AM EST)
1. Sign up for an account through artfields.slideroom.com (beginning January 7).
2. Create an artist profile by providing your contact information.
3. Upload a high-resolution image(s) of the artwork to be considered. File formats supported jpeg, png, gif, and bmp. (One artwork entry per artist).
4. Pay the non-refundable $25 application fee.

Venues cannot see your artwork submission until registration is complete. ArtFields submissions must be completed by Thursday, February 7, 2013 by 5 PM EST.

Step Two – Notification of Acceptance
1. All submissions will be reviewed by an independent panel of visual arts professionals and rated on a scale from 1 to 5 (1 = lowest score; 5 = highest score).
2. The top-rated 400 artists will be invited to exhibit during ArtFields 2013 in Lake City, South Carolina.
3. You will be contacted via e-mail no later than Sunday, February 17, 2013.

Step Three – Venue Selection
1. Venues will view selected artworks through a private gallery on ArtFieldsSC.org.
2. You will be invited by the venue no later than Sunday, February 17, 2013 via e-mail.
3. An Artist and Venue Hosting Agreement will be signed to confirm your participation.

The venues are responsible for consulting with the ArtFields Arts & Cultural Relations Director before inviting artists to exhibit in their space. This will ensure venues will display each artwork in the most fitting, safe environment with sufficient room for viewing.

For more information, visit the ArtFields website at artfieldssc.org. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Day Hikes - Day 357

Have a New Year's resolution to get more exercise or just love the great outdoors? Consider one of the state parks for their First Day Hike! Cheraw, Lee, Little Pee Dee, Huntington Beach, and Myrtle Beach State Park will be participating in ranger guided hikes through the parks. Each park will have a different start time and length of the hike so check the calendar or the link below for more details regarding the park of your choice. What a great way to start 2013 off on a great foot!


First Day Hike Participants Around the State

BRAVO Bridal Expo - Day 356

Calling all brides to be! BRAVO! will be hosting a spring bridal expo at the Florence Civic Center on January 6th. The expo is a one-stop-shop where you can mark things off of your list all under one roof. You can meet with photographers, caterers, videographers, venues, and any other type of vendor that a bride will need for the big day. The bridal expo will be from 2-6pm with a $12 admission fee at the door ($10 in advance).

For details, call 888-66BRAVO or visit our calendar.

New Year's Day Dillon 300 - Day 355

Spend New Year's Day at the Dillon Motor Speedway! The 3rd Annual Raceway Automotive "New Year's Day 300" will begin at 2pm, but the gates will open at 9am.Tickets are just $12 for adults and kids11 and under are admitted for free. Dillon Motor Speedway offers military and senior discounts at every event. You can get inside the track with an infield pit pass for $25.

For more information, please click here.

Nunsense - Day 354

Enjoy a funny story about the Little Sisters of Hoboken as they discover one of their own has accidentally killed off the other residents in the convent. Laugh along as the sisters try to come up with the funeral costs! You won't believe some of their talents.

Nunsense will be at the Florence Little Theatre January 18-26. Tickets are $25 for adults and $18 for students. They will go on sale to the general public on January 16th. Call the box office for more information at 843.662.3731.

For more information on upcoming shows and events around Florence, please visit our calendar.

Combating the holiday weight gain - Day 253

Most of us will indulge in holiday treats over the next week, but it isn't too early to think about exercise goals in 2013! You can even start this weekend by walking one of the trails in Florence. Start at the Veteran's Park behind the Florence Civic Center and continue on the path in either direction. Or, you can start at Freedom Florence Recreation Complex and choose from a variety of trails and loops. Enlarge the photo below for maps of the different connectors.

 

 

If you'd rather hit the gym, check out Fitness Forum for their open house event Commit2BFit in 2013! This is your chance to visit for free on January 14th through January 16th. You can try out new aerobic and strength training classes. For a listing of all of classes being offered, please click here.

 

 

For a listing of events in the region, please visit our calendar. We'll keep you busy in 2013.

Catch a flick - Day 352

Courtesy of Julia4.com

Looking for a good movie to watch this weekend? Here are the movies playing though December 23rd at the Regal Swamp Fox and the Julia 4.


Julia 4:

Jack Reacher (PG-13)

Red Dawn Part 2 (PG-13)

Rise of the Guardian (PG)

The Hobbit (PG-13)


At the Regal Swamp Fox Cinema:

Jack Reacher (PG-13)

This is 40 (R)

The Guilt Trip (PG-13)

Monsters, Inc. & Monsters, Inc. 3-D (G)

The Hobbit (PG- 13)

Playing for Keeps (PG-13)

Life of Pi (PG)

Red Dawn Part 2 (PG-13)

Rise of Guardians (PG)

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Pt. 2 (PG-13)

Lincoln (PG-13)

Skyfall (PG-13)


You can find a complete listing of movies and descriptions, along with show times for each cinema by clicking on their links below.

Julia 4

Regal Swamp Fox


For more things to do in the area, please visit our calendar.

 

Cultivate and Celebrate Community Exhibit - Day 351

The Greater Lake City Artist Guild presents the "Cultivate and Celebrate Community" exhibit. The exhibit's theme is "Rejoice in the present and nurture the future. One neighbor, One inspiration, and One masterpiece at a time." The exhibit will be on display at the Artfields Gallery in Lake City until January 12th. The Artfields office is located at 110 E. Main Street.

For details, please see our calendar.

 

Magnolia Mall information - Day 350

You still have plenty of time to shop for presents. Well, just 4 days but who is counting? Magnolia Mall has special holiday hours in place and in case you need to hit the mall in the next few days, here they are:

Today  8am-11pm

Friday  8am-11pm

Saturday  7am-11pm

Sunday  8am-10pm

Monday  7am-6pm

Haven't had your picture taken with Santa yet? You can do that while you are picking up your last minute gifts as well.

Through December 24, Santa's hours are as follows:

Thursday- Saturday 10am-9pm

Sunday Noon-6pm 

 Mon. 12/24 9am-6pm

(Break Times: Monday through Saturday 1pm - 2pm and 5pm - 6pm and Sundays 3pm - 3:45pm)

According to the Magnolia Mall website you have 3 days, 11 hours, 52 minutes, 3 seconds and counting! Good luck!

For information on events happening in Florence, please visit our calendar.

Ezra Brown at the Art Trail Gallery! - Day 349

Enjoy the soulful sounds of Ezra Brown on the saxophone Friday night at The Art Trail Gallery. The doors open at 7pm and the admission fee is $10. This is the first time Brown will be playing in his hometown! If you are a jazz fan, you don't want to miss this special show. 

Remember, the gallery's new location is at 185 West Evans Street in Florence. For more details, please visit our calendar. 

Dylan Sneed with Tori Sparks - Day 348

Critically acclaimed songwriter Dylan Sneed will play a rare hometown show in Hartsville at the Midnight Rooster tonight. Tori Sparks will also be playing for the first time in Hartsville. The concert will begin tonight at 8pm. Sparks is an American songwriter now based in Barcelona, Spain. She spends most of her time on the road all over the world and has visited 15 countries this year alone. Between the two talented songwriters, you are in for a treat!

For more information please call the Midnight Rooster at 843.383.0800 or visit our calendar.

365 Days Around Florence is a blog written by the Florence Convention & Visitors Bureau. At the Visitors Center - located near the Florence Civic Center - we spend a great deal of our time letting guests know how much is happening in Florence. We decided to share (blog-style) 365 days worth of things to do. Find more things to do on our online calendar, and enjoy.

Mark Your Calendar - Day 347

Sam Cooke

There are some really exciting shows coming in January to the Francis Marion University Performing Arts Center. Here are some upcoming events that you might want to mark down on your calendar:

Coming up in January 2013:

January 15th - The Glenn Miller Orchestra

January 19th - Gonzalo Bergara Quartet

January 23rd - Soul Street Dance: 'Breakin' Backwards'

January 25th - The Cooke Book: The Music of Sam Cooke

January 26th - Florence Symphony Youth Orchestra's Piano Competition

For information on any of these events, please visit our calendar or call 843.661.4444. You can also visit the FMU PAC website here. 

365 Days Around Florence is a blog written by the Florence Convention & Visitors Bureau. At the Visitors Center - located near the Florence Civic Center - we spend a great deal of our time letting guests know how much is happening in Florence. We decided to share (blog-style) 365 days worth of things to do. Find more things to do on our online calendar, and enjoy.

27th Annual Carolina Classic Tournament - Day 346

The Carolina Classic Basketball Tournament will be held at West Florence High School December 26-29. Teams from around the region will be vying for the championship title. You can see the following teams in action next week: Darlington, Florence Christian, Hartsville, Hemingway, Lake City, Lower Richland, Marion, Mullins, South Florence, Timmonsville, Wilson and West Florence. Tickets are $6 for adults and $4 for students.

For more information, please visit our calendar.

2012 Carolina Classic Tournament Schedule 

Wednesday, December 26
1. Darlington HS vs. Florence Christian HS          2:15 pm.
2. Marion HS vs. Timmonsville HS                     4:00 pm.
3. Wilson HS vs. Lake City HS                            5:45 pm.
4. West Florence HS vs. Hemingway HS              7:30 pm.

Thursday, December 27
5. Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2                   11:15 am.
6. Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4                    1:00 pm.
7. Lower Richland HS vs. Winner Game 1           2:45 pm.
8. Hartsville HS vs. Winner Game 2                    4:30 pm.
9. South Florence HS vs. Winner Game 4            6:15 pm.
10. Mullins HS vs. Winner Game 3                     8:00 pm.

Friday, December 28
11.  Loser Game 5 vs. Loser Game 6               12:30 pm.
12.  Loser Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8                 2:15 pm.
13.  Loser Game 9 vs. Loser Game 10              4:00 pm.
14.  Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8           5:45 pm.
15.  Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10         7:30 pm.

Saturday, December 29
16.  Loser Game 12 vs. Loser Game 13            12:30 pm.
17.  Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6           2:15 pm.  (Consolation Bracket II Championship)
18.  Winner Game 12 vs. Winner Game 13       4:00 pm.  (Consolation Bracket I Championship)
19.  Loser Game 14 vs. Loser Game 15             5:45 pm.  (Division 3rd Place Game)
20.  Winner Game 14 vs. Winner Game 15        7:30 pm.  (CHAMPIONSHIP)         

Note: First team listed for each game is the home team.

365 Days Around Florence is a blog written by the Florence Convention & Visitors Bureau. At the Visitors Center - located near the Florence Civic Center - we spend a great deal of our time letting guests know how much is happening in Florence. We decided to share (blog-style) 365 days worth of things to do. Find more things to do on our online calendar, and enjoy.

YMCA New Year's Eve Child Care Lock In - Day 345

 New Year's Eve is quickly approaching and if you are looking for a babysitter for your child, consider the Florence Family YMCA Child Care Lock In! From 7pm on New Year's Eve until 9am on New Year's Day, your child (between the ages of 6-12) will be having their own fun bringing in 2013. The lock in will include swimming, games, sports, movies and a count down to midnight snack. If you are interested in reserving your child's spot at the YMCA for the lock in, please call Megan at 665-1234. Payment in full is required to reserve the spot.

$40/Y Members (each additional child $30) $45/Participants (each additional child $35) For more details on things to do in Florence, please visit our calendar. online calendar, and enjoy.

Simply Christmas Exhibit - Day 344

Photo courtesy of the Hartsville Museum

Stop in the Hartsville Museum to see the Simply Christmas exhibit. Learn about the history of the holiday and interesting customs of Christmas. You can see the exhibit Monday - Friday, 10am-5pm or on Saturday, 10am-2pm. The exhibit will be up until January 8th. Admission is free, but Holiday cheer is required!

For more information, please visit our calendar.

365 Days Around Florence is a blog written by the Florence Convention & Visitors Bureau. At the Visitors Center - located near the Florence Civic Center - we spend a great deal of our time letting guests know how much is happening in Florence. We decided to share (blog-style) 365 days worth of things to do. Find more things to do on our online calendar, and enjoy.