Field Days: Explore This Year’s Ag + Art Tour

By Ashley Daniels

Looking for something to do around here this summer?

Hop on over to our neighboring counties that are hosting the annual South Carolina Ag + Art Tour (Ag “and” Art). Chesterfield County was included in the tour of 2021, but this year’s event stops in Lancaster, Kershaw, Richland, Lexington, Newberry, Fairfield, Chester, and York counties.

This free, self-guided tour of farms and markets is the perfect combination, featuring local artisans at every turn on weekends throughout the summer, all with a backdrop of local farms. The tour is the largest free farm and art tour in the United States, with more than 45,000 visitors taking part in the fun since 2012. More Ag + Art Tour accolades include: the 2018 Attraction of the Year by the Olde English Tourism District, a Top 20 Event in June by the Southeast Tourism Society, a 2013 American Farm Bureau County of Excellence for York County, and an official mention by former Governor Nikki Haley that “June is Ag + Art Month in South Carolina.”

As a member of the South Carolina Agritourism Association, the Ag + Art Tour, folks have the opportunity to see first-hand where their food comes from, watch artists in action and purchase their works, enjoy live music from local musicians, and just learn more about rural life in our neck of the woods.

Start your tour May 21 and 22 in Lancaster County, and continue June 4 and 5 in Kershaw and York counties (east), June 11 and 12 in Lexington, Newberry, Richland and York (west) counties, June 18 and 19 in Fairfield County, and June 25 and 26 in Chester County. Summer stops along the Ag + Art Tour include a bounty of businesses, including an ag-based brewery, an apiary, a pepper company, a goat dairy farm, and oodles of greenhouses, nurseries, farmer’s markets, stables, ranches, community gardens, and more farms.

For a complete list of participants and schedule, visit https://www.agandarttour.com/.