Plan a relaxing visit to a county filled with small-town classics and local flavor.

Started in 2015, the Downtown Orangeburg Farmer’s Market features vendors of all varieties – from entrepreneurs to local farmers and artisans. Hosted in the newly constructed Downtown Market Pavilion, the market is a great, family-friendly way to spend an evening in town and support Orangeburg’s local businesses. The market is open 3-6pm every Tuesday from May until August.

This award-winning, annual festival for all ages centers around Orangeburg’s beautiful Edisto Memorial Gardens. Started in 1972, the Orangeburg Festival of Roses has attracted more than 40,000 visitors and celebrates the beginning of blooming season for the roses along the Edisto River and many features family-friendly events and vendors from across the County.

The Orangeburg County Fine Arts Center is dedicated to serving the community through inspiring art, arts education experiences, and the support and promotion of local artists – many of whom are on display at the Center. Located on the banks of the Edisto River, the Center provides classes on crafting, hosts performances by area artists, and has a rich permanent collection of South Carolina art.

Delve into South Carolina’s rural path at the Elloree Heritage Museum & Cultural Center. Capturing a historically-accurate view of the Town of Elloree at the time of its founding (1900) by William J. Snider, this cultural touchstone features recreated towns, stores, banks, and a hotel – along with an interactive exhibit on the cotton gin and the production of cotton in South Carolina.

Established in 1980 on the campus of South Carolina State University, this combination art museum and science center offers a diverse collection of African and African American art and cultural artifacts alongside a fully-equipped planetarium featuring Sky-Skan Automation and the NASA Educator Resource Center.

In the year 1920, the first Superintendent of Parks, Andrew Dibble, planted five acres of azaleas along the beautiful Edisto River. A playground and greenhouse soon followed, and, in 1951, the first rose was planted. Today, the Edisto Memorial Rose Garden is home to 79 beds of roses from miniatures to Old Garden Roses. This landmark example of Orangeburg County’s natural beauty is also the home to the Orangeburg Festival of Roses, one of the Southeastern Tourism Society’s top twenty events, celebrating the annual blooming of the garden. The Gardens are found within the City of Orangeburg’s limits on US Highway 301 a few blocks from the city center. Consider visiting during the peak of spring bloom, from March 15 to April 15. Call the City of Orangeburg Parks and Recreation Department for up-to-date bloom information at (803) 533-6020.

Since 1911, the Orangeburg County Fair has provided a classic small-town fair experience to visitors across the country. The annual fair is home to dozens of local vendors, musical performances, and rides and activities for all ages. The fair is held each year in the first week of October on the Orangeburg County Fairgrounds near downtown Orangeburg.

Take your family on an aquatic adventure to the Midland’s newest water park. Featuring a zero-entry pool, fountains and spray jets, and an enormous twisting water slide for the kids alongside a full-sized pool and several athletic fields. The Santee Recreation & Water Park is operated by the Orangeburg YMCA.