The City of Fountain Inn has become known for its festivals, and the city’s Community Relations Department plays a critical role in making its events a success. Its representatives — Austin Watters, Community Engagement Specialist, and Elizabeth Carpenter, Neighborhood Services Coordinator, recently presented to the membership of the SC Community Development Association about how they help make it happen, and what questions festival planners everywhere should ask themselves.
In Fountain Inn, the city sponsors the Mac Arnold Cornbread & Collard Greens Blues Festival, which began in Greenville before moving to Fountain Inn 16 years ago.
“Mac Arnold is a local music legend. He’s actually from the area of Fountain Inn, so we were happy to bring his festival home,” Watters said.
The Mac Arnold Cornbread & Collard Greens Blues Festival began in Greenville
before moving to Fountain Inn. Photo: City of Fountain Inn.
Other city-sponsored festivals include the large-scale, nine-day Christmas “Inn” Our Town festival, and the Independence-Day-based Fountain Inn Fireworks Spectacular. In 2022, the city added the Juneteenth Soul Food Festival.
“We had a number of performances, live poetry, music, all kinds of food vendors. We had about 5,300 people attend that event. We probably would have had more but there were a lot of other Juneteenth events going on, so we’re really proud of that number,” Watters said.
The presenters at the SCCDA meeting explained the steps involved in planning successful events, beginning with creating event concepts by asking what sort of cultures, demographics and interests exist in the community. A festival skillfully targeted at its audience can attract residents and visitors alike. Last year, Christmas “Inn” Our Town drew 21,000 attendees, greater than the city’s estimated 2021 population of 10,995.
Watters and Carpenter reviewed key logistics questions for planners to ask — not only the budget, the event funding, and whether to make it ticketed, but also how it is promoted through traditional media and social media, and whether the city possesses adequate resources for hosting. An event that attracts thousands, for example, needs significant police resources for road closures as well as traffic and crowd control.
The Christmas "Inn" Our Town celebration has emerged as an iconic December
event for Fountain Inn. Photo: City of Fountain Inn.
“Will you have your public works staff there to assist in clean up?” she said. “Trash is such a big problem with festivals, there’s no way to get around it, you’re going to need trash cans every single block that you’re on.”
Planners also need to consider whether the event venue has adequate power connections, and whether it will cause a problem for local businesses and residents. Fountain Inn events often take place on Main Street and the parallel Depot Street, and a reduction in parking accessibility can be a concern.
“You have to kind of figure out is that hindrance worth it? Is having this amount of people impacted by what we’re doing going to be okay for these business owners?” Carpenter said.
Attendees expect food at most any event, and Carpenter said that events will often need at least one food truck for every 700 to 1,000 people.
Food vendors need permits from the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control. Other permitting issues include the SC Department of Transportation, which must permit the closure of any SCDOT-owned street, and the SC Department of Revenue, which must permit off-premises alcohol sales.
While entertainment options can include everything from games to educational sessions with local museums, Watters noted that “nothing really keeps someone in town for longer than live music.”
A well-planned and executed festival can help celebrate a community’s culture, as long as its planners focus attention on its purpose and all the particulars it needs to run smoothly.