Spring Water Festival 2024 will be last in August
The 43rd Annual Spring Water Festival, held in Williamston’s historic Mineral Spring Park, is one of the longest running festivals in the upstate and has only been canceled one time during its existence, in 2020 due to COVID.
It is held in one of the oldest public parks in the country.
The festival began in 1981, as a way to raise money to continue another popular Williamston attraction, the Christmas Park, which draws thousands of visitors to Williamston during the holiday season.
Over the years, various groups and individuals contributed time and energy to decorate the park, but as enthusiasm declined, fewer people were helping. Finally, after the park went dark one Christmas season, a local business person with a heart for the community vowed not to let it happen again. Through the efforts of Mertie Kelly, and the help of others, the Spring Water Festival was born.
The event has always been held on the fourth Saturday, and later the fourth weekend, in August.
Year after year, one of the most asked questions about the festival has been, “Why don’t you hold it on another date when it is cooler?”
Prior to the Spring Water Festival last year, members of the Williamston Fire Department, organizers of the festival car show, were already considering holding their annual car show in the Spring, instead of the month of August.
After an extremely hot Spring Water Festival day, members of the Spring Water Festival Committee began seriously considering changing the date. A majority of Spring Water Committee members felt that the festival should be moved to a date in the Spring that the Fire Department decided on for their car show.
A majority of responders to a social media survey done after the 2023 festival were supportive of the idea and Spring Water Committee members decided they wanted to change the date of the festival.
Organizers of the festival and car show intended to change the date of the festival to sometime in April of 2024, but due to a short planning period and conflicts with other festivals and events, it was decided that they should stay with the 4th weekend of August for 2024, and make the announcement that the date will change for 2025.
The festival celebrated their 43rd year on August 23 & 24, 2024.
According to organizers, 2024 will be the last year the Spring Water Festival is held in August.
Tentative date for the 44th annual Spring Water Festival will be the first weekend in May. The new date will be May 2 & 3, 2025!