If you were picking counties in South Carolina that excel in agriculture and art, Newberry County would be near the top of the list.
This weekend’s first Ag+Art event in Newberry County is a great chance to visit a wide variety of farms — alpacas, beehives and a winery, for example — and see local artists in action.
The Chamber of Commerce and Clemson Extension have put together an impressive offering for this self-guided, free tour, which is Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Ag+Art headlines a number of exciting events this summer. In perhaps the most anticipated, the College Street bridge is nearly finished and scheduled to open in early July.
In business news, Bar Figaro is now open, stunning and has been featured twice by WLTX. The Corner Scoop opened to great reviews and has already expanded its hours. D&B Variety Shop is now open at 1213 Main St. beside Books on Main. Across the street, Second Time Around Antiques at 1206 Main will open in July.
On Wilson Road, Dr. Sara and Roy Taylor are the new owners of Newberry Animal Hospital. Dr. Taylor has much experience in emergency and critical care and also taught at veterinarian school.
On the opposite end of Wilson Road, Blazin’ Skillet restaurant will open later this summer with the Medlock and Forrester families as the proprietors.
City government passed this month its upcoming yearly budget, which includes the completion of water plant renovations, a new electric substation and the completion of the Oakland Tennis Center, which is scheduled for October. The budget has a $2 per month increase in residential garbage service but no increase in taxes or electric rates.
In the fall the city will introduce its Paygo payment system and app for utility bills. This will allow customers to see their electric bills in “real time,” making it easier to see how adjusting usage can affect utility bills.
There’s much to do in Newberry this summer with this weekend as an example. There’s a free concert tonight in Memorial Park at 6:30 followed by Star Wars: The Force Awakens at the Opera House at 8 p.m. Tickets are $8 each. On College Street at the Setzler Farm tonight, the Newberry County Soil and Water Conservation District is showing a movie at 8:30 p.m. The always-popular Community Choir performs a patriotic concert at Newberry Elementary Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.
The Newberry Art Center has exciting art classes for youth and adults through the summer. Sports opportunities for youth include tennis lessons with the city and a junior golf clinic at the Country Club of Newberry in July.
The Opera House and city staff have put together an outstanding weekend of events around the Aug. 21 total eclipse and have even given it a name, Eclipsefest. This once in a lifetime opportunity will be fun and educational.
Finally, I encourage to continue to shop and dine locally. Newberry’s economy is better than many communities of similar size, with a large part of that being local people supporting the Newberry economy. Thank you for shopping and dining Newberry first.