Lake Wylie Today, Fall 2018

LakeWylie TODAY Fall 2018 | Issue 3

Fall in love with the lake Autumn is a great time to relax and take it easy on Lake Wylie

Horseback healing Rideability program helps those with special needs ride tall in the saddle

Chamber Spotlight Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce news and information

Our View

With cooling temps comes much to do

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By Susan Bromfield, President, Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce

s summer’s hot days and muggy nights come to an end, fall and the many treasures of the season are just around the corner. The leaves change colors, the temperatures cool and there is a sense of peace at the lake as the sounds and sights of nature become more noticeable. It won’t be long before we see the pumpkins on porches and pots with pansies and mums.

Kids are back to school and off to college.

Weekend plans start to revolve around football.

As Labor Day passes, the lake becomes calm, the boats move slower and it becomes quieter and more serene with the passing of each day. In the quiet time, the sounds of the squirrels and birds moving about are more noticeable. The hummingbirds and butterflies hover around the abundant blossoms and flowers.

Kayaking and paddle boarding are popular fall activities at the lake. It is a frequent sight to see groups of kayakers and paddle boarders in the coves and quieter areas of the lake. Seeing the fishermen in the coves and at the marina reminds us how fortunate we are to live at Lake Wylie, where there is a richness of nature, beauty and recreational opportunities for all.

Take a few moments to think about fall and all it has to offer and take in the stories and activities featured in the fall issue of Lake Wylie Today. In this issue is a story about the RideAbility program and the impact horseback riding has on those with disabilities and other challenges. A new event this fall is the 2

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York County Fashion Week, which includes a variety of events and activities centered around the latest trends in what people are wearing. We also highlight a local person who has a lifetime of collectibles at his home that includes clocks and automobiles. Don Long is well-known as a community volunteer, but few know he also lives with a museum in his home overlooking the lake. Our own Jan Todd gives us a humorous look at the deep-fried tradition of festivals in the South in her Southern Twang column.

If it’s October, then it must be time to clean up the lake and waterways with the annual Lake Wylie Riversweep, a volunteer effort highlighted in Shoreline. Did you ever want to return to being a kid at camp? Well, YMCA Camp Thunderbird has held a family camp during Labor Day weekend for decades, and this year they will expand the offering to a seasonal opportunity. Families can gather to relax or to enjoy the multitude of camp activities.

Campfires, s’mores, fishing, games, sports or just relaxing in a hammock can be part of your family reunion time in 2019. The story about Family Camp is in this issue.

Mailbag features a collection of news and information about local organizations and activities. Feel welcome to submit photos and news items to the magazine.

The fall calendar of events will highlight the various festivals, fall outings and events in the whole area.

Sit back and enjoy fall and the Lake Wylie Today fall issue for 2018. LW

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Contents Fall 2018

2 Our View Fall brings out the colorful serenity of the lake 8 Mailbag 16 Shoreline

Keeping Lake Wylie clean is a big job

22 Food for Thought

Fall brings its own flavors to local growers and farmers markets

26 Garden Party

Kehlers create ideal living space in River Hills home

32 Feature

RideAbility program enhances quality of life

36 Feature

Don Long has saved a lifetime of memories and more

40 Feature

Family tradition at Camp Thunderbird

44 Feature

York County Fashion Week

48 Fall Calendar 50 Development Update

LakeWylie TODAY

www.LakeWylieToday.com Published by SC Biz News Lake Wylie Today Editor - Steve McDaniel smcdaniel@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3123 Associate Publisher - Licia Jackson ljackson@scbiznews.com • 803.726.7546 Creative Director - Ryan Wilcox production1@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3117 Senior Graphic Designer - Jane James production2@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3118 Graphic Designer - Andrew Sprague asprague@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3128 Assistant Graphic Designer - Jessica Stout jstout@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3113 Assistant Graphic Designer - Joel Travis jtravis@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3124 Advertising Sales - Jane DuBois jane@lakewylietoday.com • 704.287.8668 Contributing Editors Susan Bromfield President, Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce susan@lakewyliesc.com • 803.831.2827 Jane DuBois jane@lakewylietoday.com • 704.287.8668 Contributing Writers Susan Bromfield Jan Todd Beth Bargar Contributing Photographers Susan Bromfield Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce Deep Creek Photography Jan Todd The entire contents of this publication are copyright by SC Business Publications LLC with all rights reserved.

Any reproduction or use of the content within this publication without permission is prohibited.

54 Spotlight

The magazine of the Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce

64 Southern Twang

A look at the Southern side by Jan Todd

Cover and Table of Contents photos by Jan Todd 4

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1439 Stuart Engals Blvd., Suite 200 Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464 843.849.3100 • Fax: 843.849.3122 www.scbiznews.com

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Mailbag Did you just catch a fish? Celebrate your 50th wedding anniversary? Are you participating in a charity event or community fundraiser? Where did you go on your last family outing? Whether you just celebrated a major milestone or are gearing up to give back, part of our goal with Lake Wylie Today is to provide a platform for our community to share what’s happening in the community through stories and photos. We want to celebrate with you, laugh with you and build memories with you. Please email photos and stories to smcdaniel@scbiznews.com .

21st annual Feis Chlobhair set for Nov. 9-10 in Clover

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he 21st annual Feis Chlobhair Scottish Games festival will be held Nov. 9-10 in Clover, sponsored by the Town of Clover and Greater Clover Chamber of Commerce. Events include the Clover Highland Games, Céilí and the Scots-Irish Festival. Celebration begins at 6:30 p.m. Friday with Céilí, a celebration of music and food in the ScotsIrish tradition, and a Whiskey Tasting event in Boyd’s Lawn & Garden parking lot at 110 N. Main St. Saturday’s festivities are scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. at Blue Eagle Academy’s walking trail at 300 Clinton Ave. The Highland Games highlight the events on Saturday. Traditional Scottish athletic and strength com-

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petitions are held, including stone throwing, caber (log) tossing and sheaf (full burlap bag) throwing.

This unique cultural event is a celebration of the ancestral ties of Clover to the British Isles. Feis Chlobhair is an opportunity to encourage the growth of the shared heritage by showcasing individuals who practice Scottish and Scots-Irish arts, crafts, athletics, music and traditions.

Anyone interested in being a vendor at any of the events must complete a vendor application form by Oct. 20. Forms, ticket information and more on the festival is available online at www.cloversc.org.

Mailbag

Peeler visits Lake Wylie to discuss growth, schools

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tate Sen. Harvey Peeler visited reSen. Harvey Peeler at the Lake Wylie Visitor cently the Lake Wylie Visitor Center Center with Bud Rother, Susan Bromfield to talk to area residents about growth, and Lisa Jubenville in August. schools, the economy and other issues. Sen. Peeler, a Gaffney native and chairman of the Senate Education Committee, represents District 14, which encompasses parts of Spartanburg, Cherokee, York and Union counties.

Clover Community Bank to join Carolina Trust Bank in acquisition

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n June 15, 2018, Clover Community Bank and Carolina Trust Bank jointly announced their entry into a merger agreement, in which Carolina Trust will acquire Clover Community Bank.

Clover Community Bank President and CEO, Gwen Thompson said this about the opportunity: “We are excited to partner with Carolina Trust and believe this combination is a great opportunity for all Clover Community stakeholders. Our customers will continue to receive the same high-quality service and care that has distinguished Clover Community Bank over the years, while benefiting from the increased product and technology offerings of a larger institution. Our shareholders will benefit from the increased liquidity of a growing NASDAQ listed company. In Carolina Trust we found a partner who shares our mission of caring for our customers, employees and community. We are very excited about the future prospects of the combined company.�

The merger is expected to be completed during the fourth quarter of 2018, at which time CCB will take on the Carolina Trust name.

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Mailbag

Program supports workforce development in area schools

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orkforce development is a vital issue for our area and to the state. Charlotte Works has teamed with the Lake Wylie, Greater York and Clover chambers of commerce along with Duke Energy and the York and Clover school districts to bring this training opportunity locally to Lake Wylie.

Participants were teachers, business and chamber leaders from our area who earned certifications so they are now able to train others and volunteer at schools to help teach soft skills to students. This was the first session done in South Carolina by Charlotte Works, and plans are to take the training across the state of South Carolina. The training program was hosted by Lake Wylie Assisted Living.

Group from the “Work Smart Train the Trainers” session held July 30-Aug. 2.

Taylor receives Lions scholarship to attend Clemson

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lover High School graduate Samuel Taylor was recently announced as the recipient of the River Hills/Lake Wylie Lions Club’s Harold Breightman Scholarship.

Taylor plans to study engineering at Clemson University starting this fall.

Also, the club announced a donation of $8,000 to People Attempting to Help, a nonprofit volunteer organization that assists in a variety of outreach projects in the area.

PATH Executive Director Laurielynn Comer (left) accepts a check for $8,000 from River Hills/Lake Wylie Lions board member Dona Van Leer.

Peter Tucker (from left), president of the River Hills/Lake Wylie Lions; scholarship recipient Samuel Taylor; his mother, Katherine Taylor; and Jerry Epping, Lions Foundation chairman.

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Mailbag

DSBG invites public to build a scarecrow

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aniel Stowe Botanical Garden in Belmont is giving folks the chance to show off their creativity in a unique way this fall with Scarecrow Hollow.

Scarecrows have been part of human culture for centuries, used mainly to protect crops from birds and other critters or scare off would-be trespassers.

Of course, now we see scarecrows everywhere around Halloween as yard decorations, and DSBG is inviting the public to submit their own “scary” creations as part of a new exhibit.

Anyone may participate in this free event, either as individuals or as a group, including schools, churches, businesses and more. Applications for entry must be submitted by Sept.

14 on the garden’s website, www.dsbg.org.

Daniel Stowe will provide the PVC framework for each scarecrow, and all participants will have the option of keeping their creation after the exhibit. The website also has information about guidelines for the types of scarecrows allowed, how they should be constructed and more under the News and Events tab.

The exhibit will be unveiled as entries are received starting Sept. 26 and runs through Nov. 2.

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Mailbag

Quinn begins first year as Clover schools superintendent

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heila Quinn has begun her first year as superintendent of the Clover School District. She was chosen over two other finalists in February after serving as Deputy State Superintendent with the state Department of Education since 2015.

She served in the Clover School District as an assistant superintendent for five years prior to going to Columbia. She also served in the administration and as a teacher in the Rock Hill School District.

Quinn earned her doctorate in education from Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, N.C., and received her master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Winthrop University in Rock Hill “I have had the tremendous honor the past two and a half years to serve my state under the leadership of Molly Spearman, who I believe is one of the best educational leaders to have held the State Superintendent of Education position,” Quinn said. “Now, I am doubly blessed to have the opportunity to serve my community as Superintendent of Education in one of the best school districts in South Carolina.”

Art on Tap Sept. 14 at Gettys Art Center

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he Arts Council presents Art on Tap at the Gettys Art Center, 201 E. Main St. in Rock Hill from 3-8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14. Bring a lawn chair or a picnic blanket and kick back and relax in the parking lot of the Gettys Art Center.

The event features an art market with original pieces, open studios and retail shops, craft beer, music and food trucks. A T-shirt creation station is available for a $5 fee to add your own artistic touches to a T-shirt that you take home.

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Mailbag

Josh the Otter teaches water safety to kids

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f you’re in Lake Wylie and you spot an otter, look a little closer, it’s Josh the Baby Otter and he’s here helping local children learn about water safety. The Rotary Club of Lake Wylie brought the Josh the Otter water safety program to the kindergarten classes at three area schools in May, National Water Safety Month.

The Rotarians talked to the children about what water safety means and read the book, Josh the Baby Otter. The book delivers the message of the importance of learning how to float and never going near the water without an adult.

Then a special guest, Josh the Otter, stopped by to dance with the kindergarteners to the song “Learn to Float.”

Josh the Otter was created by Blake and Kathy Collingsworth in memory of their son, Joshua, who died in a pool drowning incident in June 2008. Their goal is to prevent future drowning tragedies through early childhood education and water safety courses.

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Shoreline

Clean Sweep Riversweep Success Depends on Volunteers

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www.LakeWylieToday.com | Spring 2018

By Susan Bromfield

Shoreline

Businesses, boaters and the community clean up the lake at Riversweep each year.

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Shoreline Volunteers at Lake Wylie Riversweep collect tires and junk dumped in the lake.

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t’s time to clean up Lake Wylie and its shoreline at this year’s Riversweep from 9 a.m.- 1p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 6. Gloves and bags will be available at key locations. The Buster Boyd Bridge Public boat landing will serve as the base location for the event.

Lake Wylie is our “Main Street” and is referred to as the “lifeblood” of the region.The Catawba River has been called the “workhorse” in the region for providing drinking water for approximately 2 million people and also supplies much of the region’s power. It is also utilized for the region’s sewage treatment plants as well as for recreation.

We are asking neighborhood and community leaders in three counties and two states to come together and organize their areas and arrange for volunteers to collectively make a difference by cleaning up the lake shoreline at this year’s Riversweep.

There will be receptacle at the Buster Boyd Boat Landing, McDowell Park, Ebenezer Park, Allison Creek and other locations.It is an opportunity for lakeside neighbors to join forces and clean up coves and areas where debris has collected and dispose of large objects and junk.

Please visit www.lakewylieriversweep.com for more details and signup. Boats with boat

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Trash receptacles at marinas all over Lake Wylie are overflowing each year after the cleanup.

Shoreline Lake Wylie Riversweep boat captains receive T-shirts each year.

captains are needed at each location. This is a great activity for community associations, youth groups, scouts, businesses and neighbors. Join in this effort and help keep our lake and waterways clean throughout the year.

Last year’s Lake Wylie Riversweep – Cleanup Wrapup The 654 friends and neighbors volunteered on a drizzly and rainy October Saturday in 2017 to clean up the shoreline of Lake Wylie and made the annual Riversweep another successful event. From the north end of the lake to the dam on the south end, they embarked in 45 boats, walked the shoreline, and manned the 14 gathering sites.

These dedicated workers collected a wide range of debris and trash that filled the equivalent of four construction-site size receptacles: • 503 bags of trash • 25 Styrofoam boat dock blocks • 2 kids’ plastic swimming pools • 49 bags of recyclables • 22 metal and plastic barrels • 2 fishing poles • 113 pieces of lumber • 18 feet of boat decking

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Shoreline Boats are needed to clean up the coves and waterways at Riversweep each year.

LW Chamber partners with York County to Clean our Waterways

Volunteers have helped for 16 years to make this a successful annual effort.

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t is time to get involved and make a difference in our area. The Lake Wylie Chamber proudly continues its partnership with York County in support of its Adopt-a-Stream and Storm Drain Marking programs as part of its Green Initiative. The Chamber asks businesses, neighborhoods and individuals to support these programs and make the lake and community a beautiful place. Kodiak Mini Storage was among the very first to clean and mark more than 20 drains at their facility in Lake Wylie. Get Involved. Adopt a Stream or Cove and/ or Mark Storm Drains in your area.

Lake, creek and stream levels are low this fall, making it a perfect time to clean up areas with litter and debris. Organize your group or neighbors to join and help keep our waterways clean.

Adopt-a-Stream Benefits • Keep Waterways Litter-free • Awareness of your watershed • Training on how to monitor the health of your stream • Recognition of your group on an Adopt-A-Stream sign • Certificate of appreciation • • • • •

one 12-foot by 4-foot metal gate 110 tires 17 pieces of plastic and metal furniture one 7-foot by 7-foot floating dock one each: outboard motor, outdoor grill, jet ski seat, crock pot, car hood, steering wheel, boat gas can, bicycle, buoy, metal fish attractor, fire extinguisher

The annual Riversweep doesn’t get all the trash picked up; we never do. Each year inconsiderate and uncaring users of the lake and some fishermen who think dumping tires make great fish attractors continue to contaminate Lake Wylie. Protect our waterways and clean up trash and dumped objects as you enjoy the lake during the year. LW 20

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• Community pride in our streams and coves

Storm Drain Marking Information Storm drains are the drains that you see at street corners or low points in the street or parking lot, used for transporting stormwater.

Stormwater is water from rain, snow, sleet or hail that flows across the ground or pavement when it rains. Stormwater either seeps into the ground or it flows into storm drains. These drains discharge directly into streams and creeks. The concern is that as stormwater travels across the ground, it can pick up pollutants. Stormwater is not treated. Whatever goes into a storm drain is discharged directly into our creeks, streams, rivers, and lakes. Marking drains with a simple message about not dumping waste can help increase awareness and public involvement of this very important issue.

For more information about the York County Storm Drain Marking Program and Adopt-a-Stream, contact Tom Dissington, York County Environmental Outreach at 803-909- 7136 or email tom.dissington@yorkcountygov.com or call The Lake Wylie Chamber office at 803-831-2827.

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Food for Thought

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Food for Thought

The Bounty

of Fall

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e all know summer brings an abundance of fresh produce. From apricots to zucchini and a long list in between, it’s the high season for just-offthe-vine variety.

But just because the days are shorter and cooler in September, October and November doesn’t mean we have to do without fresh fruits and vegetables. Especially here in the South with its long growing season, options abound for enjoying fresh, healthy bounty from area gardens and farms.

Fall is also a great time to savor some of South Carolina’s most idyllic weather. Once the withering heat and humidity subside to more tolerable levels starting in September, we are blessed with cool, clear mornings, warm, easy afternoons and nighttime temperatures that make us dust off the sweater or jacket we

stashed in the back of the closet in April.

So take advantage of the beautiful weather along with the bountiful harvests produced by local growers. Lake Wylie residents are blessed with a number of nearby farms that offer fresh produce, meats and other products, along with a wide variety of family friendly activities and events. None are more than a few minutes’ drive and all of these places let you escape the hectic side of life for a more rural, relaxed setting.

Bush ‘N Vine Farm in York runs produce stands in York, Rock Hill and Clover for most of the year. Its fall offerings include delicious squashes, apples, sweet potatoes, broccoli, tomatoes and more. The farm has many activities throughout the year, including tours, pick-your-own pumpkins, food truck festivals and much more. Visit their website at www.

bushnvinefarm.com for more information.

J&J Family Farm in Clover is a sustainable-growth farm that also includes a mushroom-laying yard, honey bee aviary and garlic beds, along with its wide variety of fresh fall produce. You can learn about sustainable farming, beekeeping and more through the farm’s workshop series. Their website is jandjfamilyfarm.com Rock Ridge Farm in Clover offers grass-fed beef, farm-raised pork and all-natural chicken to go with its home-grown produce. A highlight of the farm is the restored, reclaimed log cabin called “The Cabin” that serves as the farm’s country store. They have more information on their Facebook page, www.facebook. com/thecabinatrockridge.

Windy Hill Orchard in York is a familyowned and operated boutique apple orchard

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Food for Thought

and cider mill that’s open in the fall. You can pick your own apples there, enjoy fresh pressed cider, tours and more.

Dosters Farm Fresh Market in the little western York County burg of Sharon sells seasonal, farm-fresh produce, meats, wild-caught fish and fresh bread.

Of course, there are farmers markets that operate at various times of the year. Here you can browse the selections offered by many of the local growers in one location, creating your own menu of healthy, delicious recipes for the family. Food trucks, artisans and arts and craft vendors make the markets an interesting outing for everyone in the family.

The Old Town Farmers Market in Rock Hill is held every Saturday from 8 a.m.-noon.

The City Market in York runs the second Saturday of the month from 8-11 a.m. through September.

South Forty Farm in Lake Wylie is open through the end of October. They offer seasonal produce, locally sourced eggs and meats, as well as other products such as Amish butter.

Catawba Fresh Market is a new concept in farmers market shopping and convenient for those not inclined to leave the house in search of fresh, local fare. You place your order online at www.catawbafreshmarket.com by 2 p.m. each Wednesday, and your order is ready that Thursday at one of four area locations you choose from. There is no fee to join or use the service. LW 24

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Food for Thought

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Garden Party

An Elegant

Solution River Hills Couple Conquers Runoff, Adds Bright New Space

Story and photos by Beth Bargar

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Garden Party

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Garden Party

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he Kehler home in River Hills is a testament to creativity and perseverance.

Lee and Dianne Kehler have channeled their skills and vision for redesigning and recreating living spaces into a beautiful golf course home. They’d had major renovation ideas from the time they bought their home 12 years ago, but shortly after moving in, they returned from a trip to a soggy surprise.

They had unknowingly purchased a home that stood in the way of runoff from the golf course. Heavy rain had sent water into their garage and around the home’s foundation.

So right away they went to work deflecting the water with drains, improved grading and installation of a stone “riverbed.” They also added gutters, which were uncommon in River Hills, and waterproofed the crawlspace.

A 1,000-square-foot addition, along with the new landscaping, solved the couple’s water issues, while their entertaining space has greatly expanded.

“The addition was something we envisioned from the beginning,” Dianne said. “But as I was so involved with our company, Remedics, and Lee with the River Hills Lions, it kept being pushed off. Also, it’s good to get a

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Garden Party

true feeling of a home before doing a major renovation, so it worked out best.”

With the recent sale of Remedics, a restoration and renovation company, and Dianne’s work with her own company, Building Solutions

by Dianne, finally they were ready to build.

“The timing was right,” Lee said. So the Kehlers brought in architect Jim Ewers to design the addition that would link the original house to the garage. They already had a formal dining room and living areas in the original house. The addition gave them a new kitchen, a great room and storage, and a comfortable connection to the garage.

The bright addition, with its large windows and skylight, is painted white and softened by a teak floor kept warm by the environmentally controlled crawlspace beneath. The feeling is open and graciously casual.

In the gardens they planted “lots and lots of perennials,” Dianne said. “We like plants that don’t need a lot of maintenance,” Lee added. As the plantings continue to evolve, they agreed that perennials will play a large role.

And all that runoff? With the proper landscaping, “We’re giving it back to the environment,” Dianne said, with the stone watercourse channeling runoff into natural drainage nearby.

Landscape professionals had added more Fall 2018 | www.LakeWylieToday.com

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Garden Party

drains to direct water away from the structure.

There were a few issues, such as adding four feet to a garage wall. “Moving the garage wall was tough,” Lee said. “You have to move the foundation, change the floor … but we think it’s worth it.”

Dianne agrees, showing appliances with all the bells and whistles in the new kitchen area.

The kitchen, dining and living areas are bright and spacious, with a vaulted ceiling and sleek ceiling light fans. A separate door and storage area lead to the garage, eliminating trips outside to get to the cars.

The large new deck is partially covered, providing alternating patches of sun and shade. And their view is of the River Hills golf course’s “10th tee, ninth green and first tee 30

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Garden Party

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box,” Lee said. “It’s beautiful.”

With the savvy drainage solutions and landscaping, the water Lee estimates as running off from 10,000 square feet of golf course doesn’t worry him anymore. He gestures across the wide expanse of open space. “Not many people have a backyard like this.”

With the saws stilled and details complete, the Kehlers are putting their new space to good use with family and friends and are taking advantage of more free time. Now that the business has sold, they’ve visited Savannah, Ga., taken a Disney cruise and traveled to Europe this summer. And they have a beautiful, livable home awaiting them after their travels.

“Now when we’re home we’ve got all of this to enjoy,” Dianne said. LW Fall 2018 | www.LakeWylieToday.com

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Riding through a pasture helps develop Feature advanced skills and balance as the riders navigate inclines and uneven terrain.

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Feature

Therapy on

the Range

by Jan Todd

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ideAbility Therapeutic Riding Center in Clover trains riders with cognitive, mental, and physical conditions, using therapists that say “neigh” a lot. It’s not that the therapists are negative, it’s just that they’re, well, horses.

It isn’t known who first discovered the positive benefits of horseback riding for treating people with special needs. Even in the days when horses were used primarily for transportation, it was recognized that riding also provided health and exercise benefits, and was helpful in the recovery of people who’d had debilitating injuries or illnesses. PATH (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International) was founded in the late 1960s, and since then the number of therapeutic riding facilities across the world has grown significantly, particularly in the past decade.

Equine therapy has been used to treat conditions ranging from autism to PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), brain injuries, cerebral palsy, hyperactivity disorders, depression, childhood trauma, and Down Syndrome. Physically, the horse’s movement causes the rider’s body to mimic the human gait, passively exercising the person’s muscles used in walking. With continued practice, the person’s muscles become stronger, and balance and coordination are improved.

Dr. Wendy Schonfeld, founder of RideAbility and certified PATH instructor, explained that the benefits from the program are not just physical. “Many of our riders are also be-

ing treated by physical therapists, which they absolutely need. But here, at the stables, the horse gives them motivation. This is an outdoor activity, where they’re working on balance and coordination, plus it is fun! They get to be on these beautiful horses, and that gives them their legs. People in wheelchairs spend their lives looking up at other people, but up on a horse, it is just the opposite. People are looking up at them.”

At this riding center in Clover, the focus is on the ability of the riders. Schonfeld elaborated, “I don’t use the word “disability,” because all of our riders have wonderful abilities. We focus on what they can do.”

The success stories are numerous. Julia, for example, is a 28-year old rider who has been riding one of the horses, named Doc, for four years. When Julia was 15, she was in a serious car accident and sustained a traumatic brain injury.

“When she first came to us, she couldn’t even sit in the saddle without assistance,” Schonfeld remembered. “She wore a large brace, and if not held up, she’d do a face plant.

We had to have six people holding her up.

Now, not only is she able to hold herself up, she’s balancing, using the horse’s reins to steer, riding up and down hills in a field. And she feels free. Doc gives her her life.”

Another rider, one who came to the center with their Veteran’s Program, suffered from PTSD and severe depression. “He was completely shut down when he first came here, full

of anger,” said Schonfeld. “He started riding and caring for the horses, and slowly began opening up. He started helping out around the farm, and even began helping out with the kids and becoming a mentor for the other veterans. He is now one of our most dedicated volunteers.”

Most of the riders help out at the stables.

After riding, the riders groom their horses, with assistance as needed. Others work entire shifts, cleaning stalls, feeding and caring for the animals. Schonfeld explained, “My vision for the special needs community was to have riders who would have jobs here, working and volunteering. We just connected with York Vocational Rehab, and they actually pay their students to work here. We’re teaching them life skills, job responsibility, teaching them to complete a job, work with others, stay focused and pay attention. We teach them to deal with frustrations, so that when they work elsewhere, they’ll be able to keep a job.”

She continued, “We also work with Clover High School. They’ll send over their special needs class to work here on Thursdays. The students clean the water buckets and feed buckets, and groom the horses. They’re learning responsibility. They have the ability to do many different jobs; they just need the opportunity.”

Schonfeld’s passion for horses, and the special needs community, came at a young age. “I worked with the Special Olympics when I was in high school,” she said. “I grew up in the city

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Feature of New York, in the Bronx. If I saw a horse, I lost my mind!” she laughed. “But I was living in an apartment. So when I was 14 years old, I started taking three buses to a city barn that would let me clean stalls and groom horses and just be around them.”

She became a chiropractor, and continued riding horses whenever she could. “I worked in a rehab office, so we worked with a lot of conditions. One day, when I was riding, I saw a little boy on a horse, and he was laughing.

A big belly laugh, from his toes to his nose. I

pulled my horse over, just to watch him. And then, they pulled him off of the horse and put him in a wheelchair. I realized that was what I needed to be doing, using all of my passions, working with horses and people like that boy. I went home and told my husband, “Guess what I want to be?”

Schonfeld worked at a therapeutic equestrian center in New York for several years, then moved with her husband to Clover and opened RideAbility. “Clover is a special place, much more rural than what I’m used to,” she

Michael (top), who has autism, has weekly riding lessons at RideAbility and works one day a week caring for the horses and cleaning the barn. Wendy Schonfeld (bottom), founder of RideAbility Therapeutic Riding Center, watches as other volunteers work with Julia, a rider with special needs. said. “The community has really taken us under their wings. We’re a 501c nonprofit organization, and rely on donations and sponsorships to operate. We’ve never had to turn anyone away. We have scholarship programs if people need them.”

The big need for the program right now is a covered arena, so that riders can have their lessons regardless of the weather. “It is so important to have consistency,” said Schonfeld.

“This past spring, with all the rain, there were three straight weeks where they couldn’t ride.

When they miss, it affects their strength and balance. We’ve started raising money for the covered arena, and the May Day Project for Clover/Lake Wylie is matching all of the donations until we have enough.”

RideAbility serves 65 riders per week, ranging from age 4 to over 70. There are currently 10 horses in the program. Schonfeld carefully selects and trains the horses herself. She explained, “Before bringing a horse into the program, I spend some time with the horse.

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Feature If I feel like it might be a good match, they come for a two-month trial. During that twomonth trial, I work with the horse, and simulate different conditions while riding. I might be spastic or floppy while riding, for instance, and train the horse to immediately stop if the rider becomes unbalanced. The horses have to be very forgiving of flapping and noises, and they have to be comfortable with side-walkers, having a person walk alongside of him while he has a rider on his back. With our riders, we usually have someone leading the horse, and then volunteers walking alongside, to help the rider with balance.

“The horses understand the difference in riders,” Schonfeld continued. “If one of the volunteers is helping me exercise a horse, the horse acts totally differently than if one of our physically challenged riders is on him. He’ll run, play, be fast. But if one of our riders is on him, the horse knows what he has to do.

“Each of our riders is different. Someone like Julia, who had a traumatic brain injury, needs a slow-moving horse. She’s working on balance, on strength, working on memorizing the obstacle course, which is so important of her cognitive work. With someone who is more physically capable, the horse will move a

Haley Park, who was a student at Clover High School, organized a fundraiser to allow RideAbility to purchase this equestrian lift in 2015 to help riders mount the horses easily from their wheelchairs.

lot quicker. The horse actually knows the riders and what they can handle.”

Schonfeld calls volunteers the “backbone of the organization.” RideAbility has about 50 volunteers each week, ranging form the minimum required age of 14 up to senior citizens.

Volunteer roles include horse care and grooming, sidewalkers and leaders who assist with the safety of the riders, administrative helpers, fundraisers, and community outreach volunteers. The center is located at Cherokee Farms in Clover. LW

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Feature Don Long has procured many treasures over the years. From antique cash registers, to cherry pitters, a Regina music box, to the many clocks, they are all precious artifacts to Long.

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Time is On His Side

… and in his attic!

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verybody wants more time. But Don Long wants more time . . . clocks. He actually has a collection of hundreds of antique time clocks, machines that measure a worker’s time on the job.

This rare hobby began when Long was early in his career with IBM. While we associate IBM with computers, “It actually began as three different companies,” Long explained. “One company made scales, one was a tabulating company that made machines designed to calculate numbers, and there was the time clock company. They designed for

by Jan Todd factories, to keep up with employee time. A big factory might have as many as 40 or 50 of these clocks on the factory floor, depending on how many workers they had.”

By the time Long joined the company, IBM had consolidated the three companies into one large corporation. Long worked at IBM for 33 years as a product manager, designing the first automatic teller machines. He also designed the magnetic stripe technology that is still used today on the back of credit and debit cards. In fact, Long has in his possession the first magnetic stripe card ever made.

Long became a collector at a very young age, years before he joined IBM. “My mother was a collector,” he said. She instilled in him an appreciation for little treasures, items from the past or even his own toys. She kept the boxes for his toys, and tucked the toys away as Long outgrew them. She also preserved his comic books after he read them. Today, Long still has many of his toys and comic books from his childhood, and displays them in his house.

Peggy Upchurch, Don’s wife of seven years, was initially surprised at the extent of

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Feature “I have a picture of my great-great-grandfather sitting next to a stove like this one,” said Long.

“Not this exact stove, but one like it.” his collection when they began dating. “He told me he was a collector, but I had no idea!”

She accepted it all in good humor, though. “I tell people that we live in a warehouse posing as a house!”

Some of his collectibles have a sentimental family connection. The “Favorite” brand potbelly stove in their dining area, for instance, is identical to one that was once in his family.

“I have a picture of my great-great-grandfather sitting next to a stove like that,” said Long. “At one time, Favorite was a major stove manufacturer, probably the top one in the country.”

Other antique pieces in his home include a commercial sized icebox, a Regina music box with quite a few flat-metal song discs, a player piano, and even an antique ash-filled wooden toilet that pre-dates indoor plumbing!

Prior to moving to Lake Wylie in 1991, Long had a collection of cars that once numbered 19 vehicles, including six Model-A Fords, a Jaguar XKE, a ’55 Thunderbird, and several more. Long’s home in New Jersey had

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a large barn where he stored his car collection. When he was transferred to Charlotte, he no longer had a practical place to store the cars, and sold the collection. “It was hard to leave the cars, that’s a fact. But hey, life gives you this or gives you that, and you either roll with it or give up!” he mused.

He did keep a ’56 Oldsmobile, which originally belonged to his mother. “It only has 18,000 miles on it,” Long remarked. “It is very rare to have a car of that age with such low mileage, and one that has been in the same family for its whole existence. It has never spent a night outside of a garage.” The car is in excellent condition, of course, though it does have a dent in the front bumper. “I remember the incident well,” recalled Long.

“My mother ran into something in the back of the garage. I’ve never had it fixed.”

Long has a collection of knife rests, which originally belonged to his mother. “These were used in fairly formal dining environment. You would rest your knife on these to keep it off of the table cloth after using.” The knife rests

Feature This 1956 Oldsmobile once belonged to Don Long’s mother. “It has only 18,000 miles on it, and has never spent a night outside of a garage!” said Don. vary in design, some made of glass or crystal, others made of metal, and some unique designs with lion’s heads, dogs or other animals.

“I have a collection of slide rules, a couple hundred of those, and political license plates.”

He also has sports paraphernalia, wooden ducks, and Frankoma elephant mugs from the Republican conventions. In their rec room, Long has shelves near the ceiling with a display of hundreds of antique cherry pitters. His fascination with those, he said, began because he was intrigued with what men would invent to do a simple job like taking pits out of cherries.

Of all his collections, though, the assortment of time clocks is the most extensive, if measured by square footage. Clocks are packed wall-to-wall in a room measuring about 400 square feet.

Where did all of these clocks come from?

“Let me count the ways!” chuckled Long. “I’ve gotten them from all over the world, every state in the Union. I’ve collected them since the early ’60’s. I can’t even remember where the first one came from.” His oldest time clock

dates back to 1878.

Despite his obsession with time clocks, Long admitted that personal punctuality doesn’t share the same passion. “No, I wasn’t always on time to work,” he laughed. “Not even close!”

In his most active acquisition phase, Long sought new pieces by taking out ads in an-

tique collector magazines, visiting antique shops, and networking with other collectors.

“I’m a member of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors,” Long said.

At 81 years old, Long is still adding to his collection. “If you’re a collector with a “collector gene,” there’s always a thrill to finding new pieces,” said Long. LW

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Family Camp

by Jan Todd

40 www.LakeWylieToday.com | Fall 2018 Photo/Jan Todd

The Anderson family has been enjoying Camp Thunderbird for nearly 20 years.

Parents Chad and Tammy worked at the camp in college and were married there. Now they bring their children and extended family to Family Camp.

(Photos/Provided by Tammy Anderson)

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ver wish you could turn back time, go back and be a kid at camp? Roast s’mores, sing around the campfire, paddle a canoe, soar down a giant waterslide, and go on a scavenger hunt?

It is no secret that the YMCA Camp Thunderbird offers a premier summer camp experience for kids, and it’s located in Lake Wylie’s own back yard. What many don’t realize, though, is that the whole family – that’s right, Mom, Dad, and even the Grandparents! – can experience many of the same amazing activities as the kids at Family Camp.

Camp Thunderbird’s Brad Rippetoe has a strong appreciation for the camp experience.

His camp career started as a cabin counselor when he was in college, and he worked for a camp in Texas for 15 years prior to joining the Camp Thunderbird staff in 2000 as the environmental director. After taking over the reins as executive director last year, Rippetoe and his staff searched for ways to share the facilities and activities with even more people. One of the ways they’re doing that is by expanding the Family Camp to four weekends, beginning this fall.

“For years, Camp Thunderbird has hosted families for a three-night camp on Labor Day weekend,” explained Rippetoe. This weekend retreat has been popular among former Thunderbird campers, bringing their own kids and grandkids over the years, along with former camp counselors, and the general public.

“We have a couple of families who have been coming for as many as 50 years,” said Rippetoe. “They use the camp as their family reunion, coming year after year. They are now on the fourth generation of people coming to the camp, with ages ranging from newborn infants up to the 90-year-old grandparents.”

Rippetoe laughed. “These folks always want to reserve the same cabins. They’ll spread out their canvas lawn chairs under the shade trees, and the adults will hang out and visit while the kids run around the camp.”

Of course, adults are welcome to participate in the camp activities along with the kids.

At the Labor Day weekend camp, the water activities are still in operation, with sailing, waterskiing, canoeing, fishing, paddleboards, and the ever popular Wet Willie giant water slide. The land challenge courses are open, with staff-supervised climbing walls, zip lines, high ropes and trapeze jump. For the milder at heart, there are arts and crafts and pontoon boat rides on the lake.

“The weekend is really laid back, less structured than our kids’ summer camp,” said Rip-

petoe. “The campers are all given an itinerary with available activities for the weekend. We’ll have instructors for things like archery or the Giant Swing. Other activities are pretty simple, like the Banana Boat. We just tell them, ‘Get on and hold on!’ We have our instructors out on the water, and of course, lifeguards.

Parents can be as involved as they want to be.”

In addition to the staff-led stations, there are many things that campers can participate in on their own. Pickup games of kick ball, Frisbee, basketball and other sports can be played at any time. Camp Thunderbird has a disc golf course, hiking trails and tennis courts that can be enjoyed throughout the weekend.

In the evenings, there are optional campwide gatherings, with square dancing, skits by the campfire and organized games like “Let’s Make a Deal!” Rippetoe said, “These programs let everyone come together, meet others and just be silly and have fun.”

Some who come to Family Camp have ties to Camp Thunderbird, like Chad and Tammie Anderson. They’ve been spending Labor Day weekend at camp for almost 20 years.

“We come to Family Camp with friends and extended family, my mother, sister and her kids. We always stay in one of the openair cabins, with no air conditioning or bathrooms. We’ll go to the bath house.”

Chad and Tammy both worked at Camp Thunderbird when they were in college, and even got married at the chapel on the property. “Roughing it” in the open-air cabins takes them back to their own camp memories. “We hang out on the porch of the old cabins, and one of our friends always brings his guitar and leads us in singing old songs. It’s the place we all like to be.”

The Andersons have been bringing their kids, Savannah and Buddy, to family camp since they were young. Some of their favorite activities include the climbing wall and the Alpine Tower. “That’s an obstacle course, where you climb up really high,” explained Tammy.

“You have to get on a swinging ladder to get to one level, and shimmy up a rope to another. Once you get to the top, you have to rappel down. If you’re scared of heights, like I am, it is quite an accomplishment.”

The Andersons, who live in Clover, don’t have to leave their ZIP code to go to Camp Thunderbird’s Family Camp weekend. Other families travel from farther away, with most coming from Southeastern states. Camp Thunderbird’s Conference and Retreat Director, BJ York commented, “Family Camp is a great way for people to try out the camp ex-

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The Anderson family at Family Camp.

Feature perience. Some parents aren’t sure their kids are ready for a week at summer camp, and this gives them the opportunity to just check it out.

Then, when the kid comes on his own, he is already familiar with the place, and he feels comfortable right away, because he’s been here with his family.”

York described the expansion of Family Camp to other weekends during the year. “In early December, we have a Winter Resident Camp, when kids can come back to Camp Thunderbird for a weekend and experience some activities that are a little different than summer camp. It started a few years ago as an opportunity for parents to drop off their kids, get some shopping done or go to holiday parties while the kids have a fun weekend.

“Then we had the idea to do something similar for the whole family, a little later in December,” York continued. “It will be camp with a holiday theme. We’ll have a visit from Santa Claus, and we’ll collect canned goods and donations for some children’s charities. For activities, we’ll have the ropes course open, target sports and the play field, and give people a chance to come out to Thunderbird for the weekend, an easy vacation for them.”

In the spring, Camp Thunderbird plans to offer a three-night Family Camp during Memorial Day weekend. The programs will be similar to the Labor Day camp, a great kickoff to the summer season. The fourth Family Camp weekend event is still in the works, scheduled to coincide with a fall weekend when Camp Thunderbird hosts an obstacle course race. “We’ve hosted that race for several years now, and it is always a lot of fun. We just haven’t offered overnight accommodations to the racers. We’re talking about expanding that weekend to include traditional camp activities after the race is done, and have people stay in the cabins and make a whole weekend out of it,” said Rippetoe.

Family Camp opens the door for people of all ages to experience camp, whether it be the first time or the 50th time. Rippetoe is excited to offer more opportunities for people to participate. “Camp experiences are so impactful,” he said. “Camp changes people.

At Camp Thunderbird, we’re changing lives through people and programs, through relationships. My vision is to create an inspiring space for people to come, to just ‘be.’ They can come to the camp and be inspired by the beauty of nature, focus on their relationship with God and other people in these beautiful surroundings.” LW 42

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Photo/Scott Hart

Photo/Alison Harp

Photo/Scott Hart

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Photo/Scott Hart

FASHION forward York County Fashion Week takes off!

by Jan Todd

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hat has a runway, a historic connection, and model behavior? If you guessed the upcoming York County Fashion Week, you’d be a winner!

This inaugural event, scheduled Oct. 2-7, is a culmination of efforts by a number of event planners, social media specialists, advertising executives, photographers, entertainment directors and approximately 100 models. Six days of fashion events will take place at six different venues in York County, showcasing 44

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local as well as “big city” department stores, designers, and boutiques.

YCFW originated with NaTasha McNeil, who moved back to the area just two years ago. A native of York, NaTasha began high school in York, and transferred to the S.C. Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanites to study as a classical vocalist. After graduating, she was accepted to the Mannes Conservatory in New York City where she studied opera performance. She went on tour

to Russia, Greece, and other countries for a span of about three years.

While in New York, NaTasha was exposed to Fashion Week, performing and attending events each year. She was captivated by the pageantry, the excitement of the events, and of course, the fashion!

NaTasha met her husband at a Starbucks in Harlem. “I asked him where a plug was for my laptop, and we struck up a conversation.

We had a lot in common. Both of our parents

Feature were pastors, and we just connected. About two years after that, we got married, and his job took us to Pittsburgh.”

In Pittsburgh, NaTasha opened a boutique called “CUTE for Christ.” She explained, “CUTE stands for Christ Under The Exterior, and I’d teach girls how to dress modern and trendy, without sacrificing modesty. It was an opportunity for me to delve into the fashion industry and retail.”

When the McNeils had a baby, NaTasha longed for the company and support of her family back in South Carolina, and they moved to Rock Hill. She was excited to be back home in the South, but missed the social scene and attending fashion events like those she’d participated in New York and Pittsburgh.

“It was always such a good time for me and my girlfriends, so that was the first thing I looked for after moving here. Columbia and Charlotte have Fashion Weeks, but trying to travel there during the week was hard.

So I started thinking about ways that I could bring something to our community.”

One of the first people that NaTasha contacted about her idea was Allison Love, York County Council member and business owner of Allison Love’s Fine Jewelry. “Allison loved

the idea of a fashion week, and she gave me information of people I needed to talk to.

Allison introduced me to Susan Bromfield at the Lake Wylie Chamber, and both of those ladies were so helpful in connecting me with people to make this happen,” said NaTasha.

The connections that NaTasha made evolved to what she calls the “YCFW Dream Team,” a committee that has been planning the event now for several months. The team “virtually launched” YCFW with a website and social media platforms on March 12, a date which marked the anniversary of when York County was chartered by the South Carolina legislature in 1785.

NaTasha explained the emphasis on historically significant dates. “A lot of fashion weeks are scheduled around the same time in September and overlap, which can be a huge headache for industry professionals and models. So what we wanted to do was have our event in October, and chose dates that would include Oct. 7, which was when the Patriot Militia defeated the Loyalists on Kings Mountain in 1780. So these historical dates really helped determine who we are in South Carolina.”

To further tie in with York County’s his-

tory, The Historic White Home in Rock Hill was selected as a venue for one of the Fashion Week events. And, as a nod to the White Rose City of York, models will wear halos of white roses at the Red Carpet Event during the Week’s festivities.

The YCFW also contains a charity element. One night during Fashion Week, a silent auction will benefit the Lake Wylie’s Children’s Charity. NaTasha is particularly excited about that night.

“It is going to be pretty phenomenal,” she said. “VIP guests will board a chartered houseboat at T-Bones on the Lake, take a cruise with cocktails on Lake Wylie, and dock at an undisclosed mansion where the cocktail hour will continue. Each room of the home will feature a freeze model wearing jewelry provided by Allison Love Fine Jewelry. Guests will have the opportunity to bid on these items in a silent auction. Then, everyone will take a shuttle back to Camp Thunderbird, where there will be a runway show next to the lake, with several fire pits providing light and ambiance.”

The week’s events will also include a Media Night, a Bridal Gown Exhibit, a Kids/ Teens Showcase, a Red Carpet runway show,

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and a Fashion Awards presentation.

“We should have events like this, here in our own back yard,” NaTasha emphasized.

“It will serve as great platform for all of the

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Photos/Red Bird Photography LLC

Photos/Murphy Photography

Photos/Red Bird Photography LLC

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boutiques in our area that have popped up, The fashions displayed will include “everyand will expose our community to some of day clothing” as well as high fashion, ranging the new fashions that are trending in our from styles to wear to football games as well city and other cities.” clothing for black-tie affairs. The YCFW will

Feature passport. If you spend a minimum amount at each location, you’ll receive a stamp on your passport. When you have you passport filled out with stamps, you’ll receive tickets to Fashion Week. That will be a great way to get people through the doors of the boutiques and breweries.”

Tickets are also available online for individual events during Fashion Week, at both general admission levels as well as VIP levels.

More information is online at yorkcountyfashionweek.com. LW

Photo/Maria Pahang

feature segments from designers, boutiques and larger retailers. They have participants coming from Atlanta, New York, Pittsburgh, and local areas. The event will begin with a “Launch Party” in early September.

NaTasha explained, “Most fashion weeks begin with a party a month or two prior to the event. We’re going to do a ‘Shop and Hop’ that will feature boutiques and breweries of York County, Sept. 7-9. You’ll purchase a ticket online, and that will give you a shopping bag and a beer mug. You’ll print out a

Event Schedule Tickets $25-$50 per event, Sponsorship levels also available

Tuesday, Oct. 2 Industry Kick-off Media Night, Loom Gallery in Fort Mill

Wednesday, Oct. 3 VIP Fashions on the Lake, Houseboat cruise, Silent Auction at Undisclosed Mansion, Runway show at Camp Thunderbird

Thursday, Oct. 4 Decades Bridal Gown Exhibit and Boutique Runway, The Historic White Home in Rock Hill

Friday, Oct. 5 Red Carpet Finale, Southern Charm Events venue in Rock Hill

Saturday, Oct. 6 Kids/Teen Showcase, The Glennon Center, Tega Cay

Sunday, Oct. 7 Fashion Awards, Center for the Arts, Rock Hill Fall 2018 | www.LakeWylieToday.com

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Fall Calendar

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f it’s fall, there’s a good chance there is a festival! Check out these fun, fall-inspired, family friendly events in the Lake Wylie area that will help ease you into cooler weather. Please call ahead to check times and dates as they are subject to change.

September Hard Cider tastings - Every Sat. and Sun. Windy Hill Orchard will hold hard cider tastings Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays throughout the fall. Live music Saturdays from 1-5 p.m.

Enjoy an open-air farm stand, pick-your-own apples and a hayride with Johnny Appleseed (hayride times vary). Visit windyhillorchard. com. 1860 Black Hwy, York.

‘SCarowinds’ - Weekends Sept. 14 - Oct. 28.

Carowinds will transform from a theme park to a scream park at “SCarowinds.” Experience the thrills and chills of your favorite rides and attractions, along with more than 500 scary monsters roaming the grounds. Not recommended for children under 13. 14523 Carowinds Blvd., Charlotte. www.carowinds.com.

Piedmont Pottery and Pickin’ Festival - Sept.

22. Potters from North and South Carolina, including contemporary Catawba Indian potters, will be on hand at the Piedmont Pottery and Pickin’ Festival. Demonstrations in 18th-century cooking with pottery on an open hearth, artful presentations, live music, barbecue, tours of a plantation house and booths. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Fiddle ‘n Pig Shindig Annual BBQ & Blue- Historic Brattonsville, 1444 Brattonsville Road, grass Festival - Sept. 8. The Anne Springs McConnells, SC. 803-684-2327.

Close Greenway hosts the annual barbecue and bluegrass festival featuring bluegrass acts October from the Carolinas and a variety of barbecue Lake Wylie Children’s Charity Inc. Fall and other food trucks. Music begins at 11 Benefit Concert - Sept. 30. The annual fall a.m. This year’s festival will include the Pal- benefit concert is the last big event of the metto Biergarten Grand Tasting highlight- year for LWCC. Come join in a fun day of ing South Carolina breweries from 3-6 p.m. live music, food, a silent auction and kid Admission: music-only tickets are $10 for zone to raise money to help families of garden members, $12 for nonmembers, and children with life-threatening illnesses. In members 14 and under receive free entry. the past, auction items included helicopter Grand Tasting tickets are sold separately; $35 rides, wing parties, catering events and winin advance for members, $40 for nonmem- ery tours. Noon-6 p.m. bers; $50 day of. Limited number available.

Dairy Barn, 288 Dairy Barn Lane, Fort Mill. Curtin Farms Fest - Oct. 20. Curtin Farms Fest is a community gathering featuring a Great Pumpkin Fest at Carowinds - Sept. 15 marketplace for handmade, handcrafted – Oct. 28. Family friendly Halloween attrac- and hand-restored goods at a working farm. tions for the little ghosts and goblins Saturdays Food and music. 407 Paraham Road, Clover. and Sundays from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. including a 10 a.m.-4 p.m. costume parade, foam zone, mazes and more.

It’s kid-sized frights that every age will love Lost Hollow Music Festival at Daniel Stowe in addition to all the rides. 14523 Carowinds Botanical Garden - Oct. 13-14. Live muBlvd, Charlotte. Visit www.carowinds.com for sic and jam sessions with the Catawba Rivticket information. er Bluegrass Association. Food trucks, craft 48

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beer for sale, kids’ activities and more. 6500 S. New Hope Road, Belmont. www.dsbg.org.

Apple Harvest Festival - Oct. 20. 25th annual Apple Harvest Festival. Windy Hill Orchard.

10 a.m.-6 p.m. 1860 Black Hwy, York. 803684-0690. www.windyhillorchard.com.

Tega Cay Fall Festival - Oct. 20. Features arts and crafts, businesses and food/beverage vendors. Local entertainment and kid zones. Children’s costume contest and hula hoop contest for all ages. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Glennon Center, 15083 Molokai Drive, Tega Cay. Scarecrow Hollow at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden – Sept. 2-Nov. 2. Scarecrows have been a part of human culture for thousands of years. DSBG is inviting the public to create their own scarecrow as part of a fall exhibit to celebrate this tradition. Rules for participation are on the garden’s website under the News & Events tab. 6500 South New Hope Road Belmont. www.dsbg.org.

November Feis Chlobhair: Scottish Games in Clover - Nov. 9-10. The Town of Clover and Greater Clover Chamber of Commerce will host its 21st annual Feis Chlobhair | Clover Highland Games, Céilí & Scots-Irish Festival. Celebration begins at 6:30 p.m. Friday with the traditional Céilí and a new Whiskey Tasting event in Boyd’s Lawn & Garden parking lot at 110 N. Main St. Saturday’s festivities are scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. at Blue Eagle Academy’s walking trail at 300 Clinton Ave. This unique cultural event is a celebration of the ancestral ties of Clover to the British Isles. Feis Chlobhair is an opportunity to encourage the growth of the shared heritage by showcasing individuals who practice Scottish and Scots-Irish arts, crafts, athletics, music and traditions. Vendor application deadline is Oct. 20. www.cloversc.org. LW

Food for Thought

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Lake Wylie Home Sales Continue Strong Trend

by Andy Reynolds

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Development Update A waterfront home located at 3251 Lake Pointe Drive in the gated community of Reflection Pointe in Belmont features a bright, open floor plan, deep-water access and dock with covered boat lift. A brick patio (inset) provides scenic views of the lake and a nice outdoor space.

(Photos/Provided by Andy Reynolds)

H

ope everyone has enjoyed their summer here in the Lake Wylie area. We are very fortunate to live in such a beautiful area where we not only get to experience amazing activities in our own backyards, but can make easy getaways to the mountains or the beaches in a few hours.

Let’s talk real estate. Nationally overall, the real estate market has been very good the last few years, as well as locally on Lake Wylie and for surrounding nonwaterfront home sales.

Real estate is local, not a one-size-fits-all mentality, so it varies greatly based on location and price. In our area, the market has been extremely strong in the $300,000-and-below range for nonwaterfront, single-family home sales.

However, nonwaterfront home sales above $425,000 in most areas around Lake Wylie are not fast-moving like the media seems to portray, due to more inventory choices a buyer has to pick from. The Lake Wylie waterfront market has been strong under $700,000 and in the $1 million to $1.3 million range for waterfront and water-view homes this year.

Let’s take a look at the numbers for Lake Wylie waterfront and the ZIP codes around

the lake for nonwaterfront sales for the months of January-July 2018 compared to the same timeframe for 2017, according to the Carolinas Multiple Listing Service (CMLS).

Lake Wylie waterfront single-family sales show 80 homes sold January-July in 2018 compared to 88 for the same period in 2017.

Average time on the market fell to 124 days for 2018 from 138 for 2017. Currently there are 104 homes for sale on Lake Wylie and 27 currently under contract.

Nonwaterfront home sales in 29710 (Clover and Lake Wylie) year-to-date through July have 373 homes sold for an average price of $290,000 compared in 339 in 2017. Average days on market in 2018 are 67 compared to 72 in 2017. New home sales in 29710 dropped from 124 in 2017 to 84 in 2018 as one of strongest-selling neighborhoods, Timberlake, sold out of lots at the end of 2017. Currently, there are 144 homes available for sale with another 99 under contract in this ZIP code.

For 29745 ZIP code (York), we have had 261 homes sale in 2018 for an average of $250,000 compared to 256 in 2017. Average days on market are 60 in 2018 vs. 62 in 2017.

Fall 2018 | www.LakeWylieToday.com

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Development Update

This home at 933 Autumn Glen Court in Lake Wylie has been upgraded to solar power and features a kayak/canoe launch area within walking distance.

New homes sales in 2018 have been 77 vs. 71 in 2017. Currently, there are 116 homes for sale with another 80 under contract.

For 29708 (Tega Cay/Fort Mill), we have had 475 home sales in 2018 at an average price of $393,000 vs. 499 in 2017, days on market have increased from 66 to 73 and new home sales have stayed steady at 159 in 2017 to 157 in 2018. Currently for sale there are 172 homes with an additional 104 under contract.

For 29732 (Rock Hill), 535 homes sold in 52

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2018 compared to 509 in 2017. Days on market have dropped from 2017’s 46 to 2018’s 31 days. New construction home sales were 56 in 2018 compared to 51 in 2017. Currently there are 126 homes for sale with an additional 151 under contract.

For 28012 (Belmont, N.C.), We have had 204 sales at an average of $280,000 compared to 202 in 2017 and the average days on the market have been 63 compared to 64 in 2017.

New home sales for Belmont in 2018 have in-

creased from 38 homes in 2017 to 54 in 2018.

Currently there are 101 homes for sale with additional 52 under contract.

For 28278 (Charlotte, N.C.), we had seen 499 homes sold in 2018 for an average of $366,000 compared to 509 in 2017, average days on market have increased slightly from 50 to 61 for 2018. New homes sales in 2017 were at 211 compared to 203 in 2018. Currently available for sale are 195 homes with additional 140 under contract.

Development Update

This home at 1012 Ledge Wood Lane is new construction on two acres in the Henry's Glen subdivision of Clover. It features hardwood floors, granite countertops throughout, tray ceilings and walk-in closets in all bedrooms.

In closing, keep in mind that real estate is very local, prices vary greatly from neighborhood to neighborhood and different price points experience different market conditions. LW Andy Reynolds is a local Realtor with Keller Williams Realty covering N.C. and S.C. Andy grew up in the Lake Wylie area and has been ranked the top individual producing agent in his office the last four years and is one of the top agents in the Carolinas for Keller Williams Realty.

Fall 2018 | www.LakeWylieToday.com

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Spotlight Spotlight

News of the Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce

Fall 2018

2018 Splash Dash Winners!

Clockwide from top left: Overall Female 10K Winner, Karen Human of Fort Mill; Overall Male 10K Winner, Robert McBee; Clover Air Force Junior ROTC cadets volunteer at the Splash Dash; Runners and Walkers get off to a strong start at the 25th Annual Splash Dash; Overall Male 5K Winner, Rodolfo Sequeyro of Charlotte.

Thank you to the

Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce 2018 Splash Dash Sponsors!

Atrium Health Lowe’s – Lake Wylie River Hills Community Association YMCA Camp Thunderbird Bank of York Bethel Commons Fred Caldwell Chevrolet Clover Community Bank

Comporium Contagious Graphics Duke Energy Glaza Chiropractic Center Halford, Niemiec & Freeman Harris Teeter Kochi Japanese Steakhouse Lake Point Ridge by Redwood Lake Wylie Family Dentistry

Please Patronize our Sponsors!

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Lake Wylie Pediatric Dentistry Lake Wylie-a Senior Lifestyle Community M.L. Ford & Sons Q2U BBQ Pit Queen City Timing Rey Azteca The Office Gym and Fitness Center York County Natural Gas York Electric Co-Op

Spotlight LAKE WYLIE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce

ANNUAL GOLF CLASSIC

ANNUAL GOLF CLASSIC REGISTRATION FORM

THURSDAY, September 27, 2018 1:00 p.m. Shotgun Start Captain’s Choice

Thursday, September 27, 2018 1:00 pm Shotgun Start– Captain’s Choice River Hills Country Club

Held at

River Hills Country Club

Contact Name:___________________________________________________________ Company:_______________________________________________________________ Address:________________________________________________________________ City:_____________________________________ State:________ Zip:_____________

Play limited to 25 foursomes $125.00 per golfer $500.00 per foursome

Daytime Telephone: ( )_________________________ Fax: ( )___________________

Hole Sponsorships Available

All player spots are reserved upon receipt of payment and registration form.

Fabulous day of golf, hospitality, networking and fun Prizes at almost every Hole Featuring our special Hospitality on Holes

E-mail:__________________________________________________________________

Golf – Includes box lunch, driving range privileges, cart, hospitality and great networking!

________ Individual Golfer(s) @ $125 per person

Total $_______

________ Golf Team(s) – Four players @ $500 per team Total $_______

Golfer’s Name:________________________________ Handicap:___ E-mail:_________________________ Golfer’s Name:________________________________ Handicap:___ E-mail:_________________________ Golfer’s Name:________________________________ Handicap:___ E-mail:_________________________

Prizes, box lunch and hospitality included

Golfer’s Name:________________________________ Handicap:___ E-mail:_________________________

Business After Golf

Optional

Hospitality and Libations 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. on the terrace of River Hills Country Club

Contact Lake Wylie Chamber at 803-831-2827 or e-mail lakewyliechamber@yahoo.com for further information or to reserve a spot

_____Mulligan (s) – Limit 2 per player $5 each _____Mulligan (s) – For the team $40

Total $_______ Total $_______

Golfer Gift Bag Donation

(for 120 golfers, i.e. pens, tees, hats, balls, etc.)

Don’t miss this great opportunity to showcase your business to participants.

Please return this registration form with your check to:

Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 5233, Lake Wylie, SC 29710 Phone: 803-831-2827 Fax: 803-831-2460 Email: lakewyliechamber@yahoo.com Web: www.lakewyliesc.com

Fall 2018 | www.LakeWylieToday.com

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Spotlight

Business After Hours May 3, 2018 Sponsored by Keller Williams – Lake Wylie and Q2U BBQ Photos by Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce

Andy Reynolds and Myra Munn of Keller Williams welcome Charles Wood to the BAH.

Perry Johnston of Dock Masters and Tony Swainey of Keller Williams at the BAH.

The staff from Carolina Family Dentistry enjoy the BAH.

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Debra Andres of Wells Fargo Home Mortgage wins a door prize.

Susan Bromfield welcomes Angel Neelands and Tom Setzler of Clover Community Bank to the BAH.

Janeece Swainey and Pam Morrell of Keller Williams.

Tom Setzler of Clover Community Bank happily accepts his door prize.

Spotlight

Business After Hours May 24, 2018 Sponsored by Marine Max Hall Marine, Tow Boat U.S. – Lake Wylie and Clawson’s Pile Driving and Construction

Photos by Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce

Chamber Members enjoy a beautiful boat at Marine Max.

Peter Hegarty from the Lake Wylie Marine Commission and pianist Carol Chase at Marine Max.

Georgina Cathcart of Kasby’s, Kay Peters at the BAH in May.

Tow Boat U.S. team, co-sponsor of the BAH.

Susan Bromfiled of the Chamber thanks Jeff Hall of Marine Max for hosting the BAH.

Adam Huth, Tow Boat U.S., Rick Welch, Marine Max Hall Marine, Kim Shrewsberry and Randy Clawson, Clawson’s Pile Driving and Construction.

Lynn Sherrill of Lake Wylie Tax wins a dock ladder from Clawson’s Pile Driving and Construction.

Fall 2018 | www.LakeWylieToday.com

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Spotlight

Business After Hours June 14, 2018 Sponsored by Arby’s – Lake Wylie, River Hills Marina Club, T-Bones on the Lake, SunTrust Bank and Tow Boat U.S. – Lake Wylie Photos by Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce

Andrea and Craig Meglii of Clover at River Councilwoman Allison Love and County Manager Bill Hills Marina in June.

Shanahan enjoy catering by Arby’s of Lake Wylie.

Johnny Walker of Iron Gate Farm and Dana and Marlene Anthony of Dana Anthony Custom Homes at the BAH.

Patsy and Rick Zioncheck, owners of Lee’s Hoagie House in Lake Wylie, enjoy the beautiful evening on the lake.

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Chamber members enjoy the food catered

by Arby’s of Lake Wylie.

The Arby’s team welcome members to the Business After Hours.

Perry Johnston and Allison Love.

David McCorkle of LKW Realty at the June Business After Hours.

Spotlight

Business After Hours July 12, 2018 Sponsored by Caromont Family Medicine - Lake Wylie Photos by Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce

Myra Munn, Dianne Kehler, Steve Huffstetler and Angel Neelands at the July Business After Hours.

Eddie Lukowski of Lake Wylie Travel accepts a door prize from Kofi Asiedu, NP.

Kendra Richardson, MD, Kofi Asiedu, NP, and Amanda Ivey, NP are the newest health care providers in Lake Wylie.

Ronny Stone of the Clover Chamber wins a beautiful basket full of ice cream goodies.

Betty DeBree of CaroMont presents a fabulous prize to Steve Huffstetler of Carolina Trust Bank.

Providers and staff of CaroMont Family Medicine welcome Chamber Members to the BAH.

Ann Rother, Bud Rother and Norma Wood enjoy the evening at CaroMont Family Medicine of Lake Wylie.

Robyn Hoover, Catherine Lindgren and Daphne Lash of Supreme Lending.

Fall 2018 | www.LakeWylieToday.com

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Spotlight Nominations are now being accepted for 2018 Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce

Business Person and Citizen of the Year

•

Candidates should have the following:

•

A history of long-time involvement in the community.

•

A positive impact on the Lake Wylie Community.

•

Business person must be a chamber member with a history of being supportive of community and chamber activities.

•

Citizen should be a person who makes a positive difference to the community as a whole.

Past Recipients include:

Business Person Citizen 2017............................. Gwen Thompson.................... Perry Johnston 2016............................. Tom Smith............................... Melanie Wilson 2015............................. Kitty Muccigrosso................... Dick Mann 2014............................. Haven Presley.......................... Norma Wood 2013............................. Leonard Jackson...................... Lisa McCarthy 2012............................. Q2U BBQ................................. Chad Bordeaux

Business of the Year 2011............................. Doug McSpadden................... Rep. Ralph Norman 2010............................. Fred Caldwell.......................... Tom Smith 2009............................. Rob Watson............................. Elizabeth Hartley

and Fred Nason - Watson Insurance

Business of the Year 2008............................. Al Powell.................................. Vince Mugavero 2007............................. Ed Stewart.................................Susan Bromfield (Milestone Award) 2006............................. Diana Grubenhoff.................. Dr. Steve Miszkiewicz 2005............................. Mark DeChant........................ Stacy Waddell -Blackmon 2004............................. Andy Kane .............................. Fred Wetherell 2003............................. Rod Hall................................... Roberta Spampinato 2002............................. Leslie Hall................................ Don Long 2001............................. Paige McCarter....................... Charles Wood 2000............................. David Mathein........................ S.C. Rep. Becky Meacham 1999............................. Myron Boloyan....................... S.C. Rep. Herb Kirsh 1998............................. Tally Roberts........................... Ruth Sheets 1997............................. Jong and Po Liu....................... Diane Roberts 1996............................. Jack Allen................................. Senator Harvey Peeler 1995............................. MaMa “C”................................ Nick and Joanne Jones 1994............................. Mark Erwin............................. Peggy Upchurch 1993............................. John Wilkerson....................... “Duck” Alexander 1992............................. n/a............................................. Firechief Bill Johnston

Nominee for Business Person: _______________________________________________ Nominee for Citizen: ______________________________________________________ Please tell us about your nominee and his/or her contributions to the community: _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________

Deadline for nominees 10/18/18 - 5:00 PM email: lakewyliechamber@yahoo.com 60

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Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce

2018 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Charles Wood - Chairman Susan Bromfield - President LAKE WYLIE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Donna Bordeaux BORDEAUX & BORDEAUX, CPAS, PA Fred Caldwell FRED CALDWELL CHEVROLET Jane DuBois LAKE WYLIE TODAY/ LAKE WYLIE MARKETING Allan Gregory K. A. WEALTH MANAGEMENT Jeff Ledford Don Long Paige McCarter FAIRWAY MORTGAGE Doug McSpadden MCSPADDEN CUSTOM HOMES Matthew Mugavero LAKE WYLIE LIQUORS Sheila Quinn CLOVER SCHOOL DISTRICT Brian Rich Q2U BBQ AND CATERING Brad Rippetoe YMCA CAMP THUNDERBIRD Michaelyn Sherrill HOME COMPANIONS Gwen Thompson CLOVER COMMUNITY BANK P.O. Box 5233 264 Latitude Lane, Suite 101 Lake Wylie, SC 29710 (803) 831-2827 Fax: (803) 831-2460 lakewyliechamber@yahoo.com www.lakewyliesc.com

Spotlight Club/Organization

Massage Therapy

Clover Touchdown Club

ACE: A Caring Environment

April Readett, President P.O. Box 1001 Clover, SC 29710 803-987-3630 president@clovertouchdownclub.com www.clovertouchdownclub.com

Financial

Welcome New Members April 20 - August 14, 2018 Construction/Repair Lake Wylie Renovations

Certainty Home Loan

Robin C. Freeman 1414 Village Harbor Drive Lake Wylie, SC 29710 803-909-8200 rfreeman@certaintyhomeloans.com www.robincfreeman.com

Supreme Lending, LLC

Rob Birkenbach/Gary Keblin 168 Highway 274, Box 127 Lake Wylie, SC 29710 803-792-8447 rob.birkenbach@lkwrenovations.com www.lkwrenovations.com

Sally Jane Busk 15720 Brixham Hill Avenue Charlotte, NC 28277 704-609-8600 sallyjanebusk@supremelending.com www.supremelending.com

Renewing Members

Fort Mill Ford Gala Affairs Halford, Niemiec and Freeman Home Companions, LLC Kasby’s By The Lake Kochi Japanese Steakhouse, LLC Lake Wylie Assisted Living Lake Wylie Bowl N’ Bounce Lake Wylie Eye Lake Wylie Family Dentistry Lake Wylie Liquors Lake Wylie Pizza and Italian Restaurant Lake Wylie Wellness and Chiropractic Center Lakepointe Ridge by Redwood Law Office of Craig S. Johannesmeyer, PLLC Lee’s Hoagie House M. L. Ford & Sons, Inc. McClatchy Newspapers, Inc. New River Church Palisades Episcopal School Piedmont Medical Center Piedmont Regional Association of Realtors Pioneer Solutions, LLC QuikTrip R.P. Boggs & Co. Restore Mobility for the Blind Rey Azteca, Inc.

April 20 - August 14, 2018 Andy Reynolds-Keller Williams Realty Anytime Fitness of Lake Wylie, LLC Arby’s/Brumit Restaurant Group, LLC Association Management Solutions Azteca Grill Bank of York BNA CPA & Advisors Boat Sales of Lake Wylie, Inc. Cabela’s Carolina Contracting & Investments, Inc. Carolina Family Dentistry at Lake Wylie Carolina Water Service Carolinas Healthcare System/Atrium Health CaroMont Health Catawba Valley Dental Care Clawson’s Pile Driving and Construction, Inc. Clover Community Bank Clover School District Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden Dr. M’s Mobile Pet Vet Duke Energy Earl Tindol Ford, Inc. Elrod Pope Law Firm

Jeani Rogers 9-107 Executive Court, Lake Wylie, SC 29710 980-522-2877

Marketing/Social Media Services Sprout Socially

Andrea Meglii 803-627-9466 andrea@sproutsocially.com www.sproutsocially.com

Accommodations The Lodges at Lake Wylie Monte Smith 118 Lodges Lane Lake Wylie, SC 29710 803-810-5355 lakewylie@hrpliving.com www.lodgesatlakewylie.com

Towne Place Suites Rock Hill

Lynn Peppler 2135 Tabor Drive, Rock Hill, SC 29730 803-327-0700 lpeppler@strandhospitality.com www.marriott.com/rkhts Riordan Orthodontics River Hills Club, Inc. Rotary Club of Lake Wylie Scholarship Gold Consulting Sea Tow Steele Creek Animal Hospital Suzanne Smith-Keller Williams T-Bones on the Lake Village at Lake Wylie Villas at Marlin Bay Watson Insurance White Tiger Furniture and Design, LLC York County York County Natural Gas York Electric Cooperative, Inc. York Technical College

Individuals: Kevin Brackett Representative Bruce Bryant Dianne Kehler Don Long Diane Roberts J. Watts Robertson Bud Rother Nancy Snyder Peggy Upchurch

Fall 2018 | www.LakeWylieToday.com

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Spotlight

GOINGS-ON

Walmart

Walmart in Lake Wylie kicked off it online shopping with a ribbon-cutting and celebration. Charles Wood (rear), Chamber chairman, and Councilwoman Allison Love (left) assisted Russell Sinclair of Walmart with the festivities.

Cars & Coffee

Some of the cars at this summer’s Cars and Coffee.

Rob Pila of Lake Wylie Assisted Living with residents enjoy the beautiful day at Cars and Coffee.

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Fun Day at Cars and Coffee at Fred Caldwell Chevrolet in Clover.

Mini Donuts and Coffee at Fred Caldwell Chevrolet.

Spotlight

Save The Date!

LAKE WYLIE CHAMBER

Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce

Upcoming Activities Business After Hours

Thursday, September 13, 2018 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Sponsored by and held at Villas at Marlin Bay Highway 49 and 2060 Cutterpoint Dr. Lake Wylie

Business After Hours

Thursday, October 25, 2018 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Sponsored by and held at Kasby’s at Lake Wylie Shopton Road and Highway 49 Charlotte, NC

Lake Wylie Chamber of Commerce Annual Golf Classic

Annual Holiday Gala

Business After Golf

Holiday Business After Hours

Thursday, September 27, 2018 1 p.m. Shotgun Start, Captain’s Choice Held at River Hills Country Club Lake Wylie, SC

Thursday, September 27, 2018 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Held at River Hills Country Club Lake Wylie, SC

Business After Hours

Thursday, October 11, 2018 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Sponsored by and held at Lake Wylie Wellness & Chiropractic Center Plantation Square - 4543 Charlotte Highway Lake Wylie

Thursday, December 6, 2018 6:30 p.m.-Midnight Cocktails Dinner and Music Seating Limited, Festive Attire Held at River Hills Country Club Lake Wylie, SC

ANNUAL HOLIDAY GALA Thursday, December 6, 2018 Held at River Hills Country Club Lake Wylie

Tuesday, December 11, 2018 5:30–7:30 p.m.

Sponsored by and held at Lake Wylie Assisted Living with Lake Wylie Liquors and Home Companions

Holiday Boat Parade and Christmas by the Lake

Saturday, December 15, 2018 4:00 Festivities - 6:30 p.m. Boat Parade Held by T-Bones on the Lake Fall 2018 | www.LakeWylieToday.com

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Southern Twang

Festivals … with a side of pork

by Jan Todd

I

t’s fall, y’all, and that means it’s festival time! It all kicks off with “Summerfest” in York, which actually signals the end of summer for some, with lots of food, music and good times of a classic Southern small town festival.

Although the South can’t take credit for festivals in general, we certainly do have some unique ways of celebrating. Some think that the purpose of festivals is to commemorate things like harvest time, and to celebrate community. Others think that it is one big yard sale for arts and crafts. Or perhaps, the purpose is to figure out new things to fry.

We’ve all had funnel cakes and corn dogs.

But these days? Fried Oreos, Fried Butter, and Chicken Fried Bacon are on the menu. As if those foods wouldn’t harden your arteries on their own! Lawsa mercy!

In the Carolinas, one requirement at almost every festival is barbecue. Fact is, there are several festivals where barbecue is the star of the show! There’s the Fiddle ’n Pig Shindig in Fort Mill, the SOOIE BBQ Cook-off in Upstate SC, the Beach, Boogie & BBQ Festival at the coast, Butts and Bluegrass in our very own Clover, a Speed and Feed in Darlington, and Hops & Hogs down in Aiken, which is what your belly will be doing after a day at the festival.

If you want an authentic Southern take on pork, though, venture on down to Salley, South Carolina for the Chitlin’ Strut. Held the Saturday after Thanksgiving, there’s a parade, a hawg calling contest, and a Chitlin Strut Idol

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Contest, all centered around . . . pig intestines.

Yep, that’s right. There’s even a beauty contest, crowning a Queen of the Chitlin Strut. Mama would be so proud.

Another Southern food celebration is the Mush, Music & Mutts festival in nearby Shelby, N.C. Now the combination of “Mush” and “Mutts” might bring sled dogs to mind, which wouldn’t make much sense in Shelby. Southerners, though, know “Mush” to mean livermush, which is a concoction made of pig liver, head parts and cornmeal. Best way to eat it, of course, is fried. The festival has been going on for 30 years, and in recent years they’ve added Dogs in Costume (the Mutts element) and craft beer, just in case there is someone out there who wouldn’t come to a festival all about pig parts.

For some reason, lots of festivals have a 5K or 10K run to kick off the day. I can’t figure out who thought that up, because I’d think that runners wouldn’t exactly be drawn to an event featuring Deep Fried Pop Tarts. I did hear of a festival up in Virginia, though, that has a 0K non-run. Race participants sit, kneel, or even lie down on the ground and the race officials carry the finish line over their heads.

Now that’s what I’m talking about!

In Branchville, South Carolina, home of the world’s oldest railroad junction, they have the “Raylrode Daze Festivul” every September. They have carnival rides, Can Can girls, gunfights and a Kangaroo Court. They don’t, however, have a Spelling Bee. Pumpkin Festivals and Corn Mazes are

great ways to celebrate Halloween. Statesville, North Carolina, though, holds its Pumpkin Fest in early November. Maybe it’s a way to get rid of all the pumpkins that didn’t sell for Halloween. They have crafts and fried foods, of course, but also feature Pumpkin Bowling, Pumpkin Painting, and the Pumpkin Smash!

Another strangely timed festival is a couple of counties over in Cherryville, N.C., where they hold their Oktoberfest in, well, September. Gracious daisies. Still, it’s a lot of fun with a Dachsund race, a shooting contest (not to worry, nowhere close to the Dachsund race), lots of beer, and an Oompah band (which gets better and better with the beer.)

Now, you’ll have to travel a bit farther, up to the mountains, to go to a festival in Banner Elk where they race woolly worms to predict the weather. Or, you can head up the coast toward the Outer Banks to go to the Mullet Festival. Don’t change your hairstyle yet; they’re talking about mullet FISH. They do toss them, though. That’s gotta be fun.

You’ll need to wait ’til spring to go to the Flopeye Fish Festival in Great Falls, or the Puddin’ Swamp Festival in Turbeville, SC. Play your cards right, and you might get to meet Miss Swamp Bottom.

And as for Lake Wylie? Why, the closest thing we have is the Christmas by the Lake and Holiday Boat Parade in December. All we need is Deep Fried Hot Chocolate and random pig parts to roast on a campfire, and we have ourselves a festival! LW