If you’re looking for something to do Memorial Day Weekend, the annual Sumter Iris Festival is a great idea. There will be vendors, a parade, great food, a carousel, and more.
For more help planning your trip, check out all of our travel posts.
Memorial Day Weekend is the unofficial start to summer. Homeowners use that weekend as a reason to host the first backyard barbecue of the season and towns use the weekend as an excuse to host festivals.
The city of Sumter is in (nearly) the smack, dab, center of the state, hosts the Iris Festival every Memorial Day Weekend. In fact, the festival is South Carolina’s oldest continuous festival, dating back to 1940.
We are being hosted by the city of Sumter to check out the 2023 Iris Festival and are so looking forward to it. Once we’re there, we plan to update this post with more details about our experience at the event and in the town itself, so be sure to come back for that.
If you’re planning to visit the Sumter Iris Festival, it won’t take all day. Find out what else to do in town in our Things To Do In Sumter, South Carolina post.
Sumter Iris Festival History
Affiliate links are included in this post and Drugstore Divas may make a small commission if you use them.
The Sumter Iris Festival was started when a local businessman, J.J. Brennan, brought the idea of celebrating the gardens to the Kiwanis Club. If you know anything about the Kiwanis Club, the Kiwanians are always very good about supporting great ideas. So, the Kiwanains came on board and the festival was a go.
Eight years into it, the local radio station WFIG (appropriately named World Famous Iris Gardens — true story) convinced the popular (albeit questionable) American radio and television game show, Queen for a Day, to visit Sumter for the festival. Since the program aired nationally, the festival was in the homes of listeners from 500 radio stations nationwide that day.
That propelled Sumter’s Iris Festival to what it is today, a three-day festival at Swan Lake Iris Gardens, the United States’ only public park that features all eight species of swans. It’s also filled with Japanese Iris plants, which you can purchase during the festival (in limited quantities, so get there early if you want some).
Besides plant sales, the festival also has over 200 craft vendors, two car shows, a parade, food, and more.
Sumter Iris Festival: Frequently Asked Questions
Before we get to the schedule, let’s answer some questions about the festival.
The Iris Festival 2023 is taking place May 25 to 28, on Thursday from 6 pm to 9 pm, Friday and Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm, and Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm.
The Iris Festival is held at Swan Lake Iris Gardens (822 West Liberty Street) in Sumter, SC.
There’s a huge parking lot at Swan Lake Iris Gardens, where you can park for free during the event. For overflow, there will be shuttle busses from the Civic Center to Swan Lake Iris Gardens on Saturday (11 am to 6:15 pm) and Sunday (10 am to 5:15 pm).
There are parts of the 120-acre Swan Lake, like trails and the gazebo, that are open to the public during the festival. There aren’t any vendors or activities in that section.
Other parts of the garden, like the chocolate, sensory, and butterfly gardens, will be open during the festival as well. Vendors will be set up near these gardens. The majority of the kids activities, plus many more vendors tents, are on the other side of Swan Lake. There’s a trolly that will bring you between the two sections.
You can see a full map of the Iris Festival via that link.
Sumter Iris Festival Schedule Of Events
All events on Memorial Day Weekend happen at the Swan Lake Iris Gardens unless otherwise noted.
Saturday, April 29
Iris Festival Pageant: 8 queens, 2 overall queens, and one Miss Swan Lake will be named at the pageant, held at the Sumter Opera House at 10 am.
Friday, May 19
Iris Jr. Championships National Event: a USTA event held as a pre-state qualifier.
Saturday, May 20
Iris Jr. Championships National Event: a USTA event held as a pre-state qualifier.
Sunday, May 21
Iris Jr. Championships National Event: a USTA event held as a pre-state qualifier.
Thursday, May 25
”A Night Out In Rio”: The Taste at the Gardens event begins at the Garden Street Gate. Admission is free and food and beverages will be available for purchase. From 6 pm to 8:30 pm.
Boat rides: At the Garden Street dock from 6 pm to 8:30 pm.
Crowing of the King and Queen: At the Garden Street Gate at 6 pm.
Music: DJ Howie D spins from 6 pm to 8:30 pm.
Opening Ceremony: At the Garden Street Gate at 6 pm.
The Phantom Tollbooth: The play will be at the Sumter Little Theatre at 7:30 pm. Tickets are required.
Friday, May 26
Boat rides: At the Garden Street dock from 10 am to 6 pm.
Education Day Activities: From 10 am to 5 pm.
Festival Trolly: From 10 am to 6 pm.
Karaoke: On the main stage at noon.
Kids Scavenger Hunt (K-5): At 10 am.
Music: Bill Eaker on the main stage at 10 am; From the Morning on the Dock Stage at 2 pm, Fighting for Daylight on the Main Stage at 3:30 pm, Just Vibes Band on the Main Stage at 4:30 pm, and Believer’s Quartet on the Main Stage at 5:30 pm.
Petting Zoo: Besides the Visitors Center from 10 am to 6 pm.
Tandem Health BP Screening: At the Visitors Center from 9 am to 11 am.
The Phantom Tollbooth: The play will be at the Sumter Little Theatre at 7:30 pm. Tickets are required.
Vendors: Food and farmers market type vendors will be on site from 10 am to 6 pm.
Saturday, May 27
Boat rides: At the Garden Street dock from 10 am to 6 pm.
Carousel: Open beside the Visitors Center from 10 am to 6 pm.
Car Show: The Head Turnerz Classic Car Show will take place at the event. Cars will be judged for prizes. The cars will be set up from 10 am to 3 pm.
Children’s Art in the Park: From 10 am to 5 pm.
Dreamworks Dance Academy: On the Main Stage at 12:30 pm.
Festival Trolly: From 10 am to 6 pm.
Hands on Praise Puppets: On the Main Stage at 10:45 am.
Kids Area: A kids area with children’s activities, a playground, and more at the Garden Street entrance from 10 am to 6 pm.
Mary Hinson Flower Show: At the Alice Boyle Garden Center from 10 am to 4 pm.
Miss Libby’s School of Dance: On the Main Stage at 11:45 am.
Music: Mel Geddings on the Dock Stage at 10 am, Frank Fickling on the Garden Street stage at noon, From the Morning on the Dock Stage at 2 pm, SHS Show Choir on the Main Stage at 3 pm, Just Vibes Band on the Main Stage at 4 pm,
Petting Zoo: Besides the Visitors Center from 10 am to 6 pm.
SAFE Kids Adventureland: In the Kids Area from 10 am to 4 pm.
Shrine Day Parade: Begins at 10 am. The parade runs from the Sumter Civic Center to USC Sumter.
Spring Garden Tour: At the Alice Boyle Garden Center from 11 am to 3 pm.
Sumter Tae Kwan Do: On the Main Stage at 1:15 pm.
The Phantom Tollbooth: The play will be at the Sumter Little Theatre at 7:30 pm. Tickets are required.
Vendors: Food and farmers market type vendors will be on site from 10 am to 6 pm.
Sunday, May 28
Boat rides: At the Garden Street dock from 10 am to 5 pm.
Festival Trolly: From 10 am to 5 pm.
Kids Area: With a playground and more at the Garden Street entrance from 10 am to 5 pm.
Mary Hinson Flower Show: At the Alice Boyle Garden Center from 1 pm to 4 pm.
Music: Frank Fickling on the Garden Street Stage at 1 pm and The Green Swamp Collective on the Main Stage at 2 pm.
Petting Zoo: Besides the Visitors Center from 10 am to 5 pm.
Sumter Cruisers Iris Festival Car Show: From 1 pm to 3 pm.
Vendors: Food and farmers market type vendors will be on site from 10 am to 6 pm.
Where to stay for the Sumter Iris Festival?
If you’re looking for places to stay in the Sumter area during the Sumter Iris Festival, we found a few hotels for you to choose from:
Things To Do in Sumter, SC:
We wet heading to Sumter for the first time for this year’s Iris Festival. Once we check out the town, we’ll We went to Sumter for the first time for this year’s Iris Festival and found so many things to do in Sumter, South Carolina. There was lots of live music, lots of good food, and more.
If you’re looking for things to do in the area, check out Charleston, SC and Myrtle Beach, SC, which can both be a day trip from Sumter.
More South Carolina Festivals:
If you’re visiting the Sumter Iris Festival because you enjoy floral attractions, you definitely need to check out the South Carolina Festival of Flowers in Greenwood, SC as well. That happens annually at the beginning of June and over 50 topiaries are on display throughout the town.
Greenwood also hosts the South Carolina Festival Of Discovery in July, which we went to in 2022 and had such a good time at. It’s a barbecue and blues festival, filled with great food and great music.
And, if you like barbecue, you also need to check out the Hogs & Hens BBQ Festival in the fall. That’s in Abbeville, SC, which is a short drive from Greenwood.
Have you been to the Sumter Iris Festival? Comment below and let us know what you thought.
Laurie
Saturday 3rd of June 2023
We have a local Iris Festival in Greeneville, TN. I’m sure it’s a bit smaller than the Sumter one. Enjoy!
Joanne
Wednesday 31st of May 2023
That sounds like a wonderful way to spend Memorial day weekend!
Cara ~ Vintage Style Gal
Tuesday 30th of May 2023
Sounds like a great festival, you will have to update us on how it was. Sounds like so much fun!
My Corner of the World
Thursday 25th of May 2023
That sure sounds like a fabulous festival!
EsmeSalon
Tuesday 23rd of May 2023
Sounds like an awesome annual event to attend.