Pendleton Spring Jubilee Draws Crowds, Despite Afternoon Rain

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

Rain threatened, but Saturday morning featured some beautiful, though cloudy, weather for the first part of day one of the 49th Pendleton Spring Jubilee. Downtown and the Village Green were filled throughout the morning and early afternoon before the rain arrived late in the day.

The Jubilee is no ordinary art festival, and the event has been refined over nearly 50 years into something “unique and unforgettable year after year.” The award-winning festival is a juried arts and crafts gathering that brings together professional artists and handcrafters from across the Southeast in a family-oriented setting.

With the historic Village Green served as a centerpiece for the weekend, the rest of the event’s footprint were built for wandering and surrounding downtown: rows of booths, live entertainment, food vendors, and the sort of serendipitous shopping that can turn a casual stroll into a surprising purchase.

As many as 85 artisans with work ranging from jewelry and pottery to painting, photography, fiber, woodcraft, and glass were on hand Saturday. That mix helps explain why the festival has long appealed to people who come looking not just for souvenirs, but for a sense that the town, for one weekend, has been temporarily reorganized around making things by hand.