ELLOREE -- Local residents and visitors will have a chance to browse for deals at Elloree's annual Arts & Antiques Festival, set for Friday and Saturday, Oct. 17-18.

This year's festival will feature something for everyone, including lots of entertainment, shopping and good food. The shops in the historic Town of Elloree will offer special sales while numerous vendors will be selling all sorts of wares on Cleveland Street.

The Elloree Heritage Museum's "Country Store" will open both days of the festival. Museum volunteers will sell homemade pies, cakes, cookies, preserves and more. The museum needs the help of local volunteers to provide their specialties for sale as well. To sign up as a volunteer, call the museum at 803-897-2225. All proceeds will benefit the Elloree Heritage Museum and Cultural Center.

Also during the festival, Elloree's Pork Fest Piggies, pigs decorated by local merchants, civic organizations and agencies, will be on display on Cleveland Street. The unique pigs will be auctioned off during the Lights of Winter event on Nov. 15. Proceeds from the auction will be used by the Pork Fest to purchase new Christmas decorations for S.C. 6.

The Arts & Antiques Festival will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday. In conjunction with the festival, the Regional Medical Center will hold a blood drive from noon to 3 p.m. On Friday night, The Smile Band will perform during the street dance from 6 to 9 p.m.

The festival will continue at 8 a.m. Saturday and feature music throughout the day and a jump castle for the kids.

The Sugarloaf Mountain Boys, who sing a variety of bluegrass music, will perform from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and a pumpkin-carving contest will be held at 2 p.m. In addition, a costume contest will get under way at 2:30 p.m.

Lisa Hayes, the 2007 Orangeburg Idol winner, will perform from 4 to 6 p.m. with the Just Whalin Band to close out the 2008 festival.

For more information, call Town Clerk Chasity Canaday at Elloree Town Hall at 803-897-2821 or visit www.elloreesc.com.

T&D Correspondent Danielle Sanders can be reached by e-mail at crazyd_308@hotmail.com. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

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