May 2024 Council Highlights

May 2024 Council Highlights 

  • The annual Sumter Iris Festival is coming up this weekend and we are asking the City to turn itself purple yet again! Show your purple in honor of our 82nd annual event. This year’s festival kicks off with a Hawaiian Luau at The Taste at the Gardens on Thursday, May 23rd at 6PM. Door prizes, music, great food, and a special performance by the Charleston Polynesian Dancers. Come on out and have some fun. It’s free admission and free parking.
    • Then Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, starting at 10 AM enjoy entertainment, arts & crafts, food vendors, kids games, and family fun all weekend long. An old school carousel, featured artists painting throughout the gardens, parade, car shows, and the only time at the gardens you can purchase your very own heirloom Japanese Iris from the Sumter Master Gardeners booth… and so much more! For more details visit irisfestival.org.
  • In partnership with the City of Sumter, the Sumter Museum will soon be breaking ground on a state-of-the-art, 36,000-square-foot facility that is set to open in 2026. The two-story building will comprise of multiple exhibits dedicated to military and local history and will display the works of local artist Grainger McKoy, as well as pieces from the esteemed private collection of military historian Sammy Way. A preview of the planned expansion can now be viewed at McKenzie Hall.
    • We are excited to share more as the project continues. Additional information can be found at sumtermuseum.org.
  • Recently, the City of Sumter broke ground on a new Shot Pouch Greenway trailhead at the Swan Lake Iris Gardens.
    • Including a new entryway, this development will provide a new parking lot off of Bland Avenue that will include 54 paved parking spots. Updated landscaping and green space will also be included in the renovations. Construction is scheduled to be completed before the end of 2024.
    • Special thank you to the Sumter delegation and House Speaker Murrell Smith for their support and contributions in securing funding for this project. Stay tuned for more updates.

 

  • The City of Sumter recently broke ground on a new water tank off of Cockerill Road, located in the Live Oak Industrial Park.
    • This new elevated water tank will have the capacity for 1 million gallons, making it the largest water storage tank in the City. This will allow the City to increase our water storage capacity and help better serve the surrounding industries, commercial businesses, and residential areas. At double the size of the existing tank in the Live Oak Industrial Park, Sumter will have the capacity to continue the recruitment of major industrial businesses.
    • This project is being funded through the Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA) South Carolina Infrastructure Investment Program (SCIIP). Special thank you to Speaker of the House Murrell Smith for securing this funding and for his continued support for the growth of our City. Construction began in May 2024 and is scheduled to be completed in 2025. We look forward to sharing more updates as this project continues.
  • The 2024 USTA Palmetto Pro Open will take place June 3-9 at the Palmetto Tennis Center. This year marks the 16th anniversary of the tournament, and the City of Sumter will once again welcome women from all over the world to participate in this prestigious event.
    • The best part? There's no admission fee for spectators, and shaded seating will be available on the courts right beside the action! Go to com for more information.
  • The Aquatics Center will be open for the season on Monday, May 27th, Memorial Day. The Aquatic Center offers classes and activities, including a free Water Aerobics class. They also allow for party rentals, which include the use of our new lazy river. Open swim times are Tuesday – Sunday. Check them out at sumterswim.com/.
  • The Palmetto Tennis Center is offering Youth Summer Camps June 17-20, June 24-27, July 8-11, and July 15-18. There is a fee associated with the camps; however, the city offers scholarships through our First Serve Program. Applications are available on our website at com.
  • Get ready to kick off Summer with the Fourth Fridays Concerts Downtown, starting this Friday. These free concerts are held on the Sumter County Courthouse Lawn from 6:30 to PM. Food and beverages will be available to purchase. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets, but no coolers, please. This year the bands are:
  • May 24 – Honey and The New Era Band
  • June 28 – The Live in the Flesh Experience
  • July 26 – Chief Complaint
  • August 23 Second Nature
  • September 27 – Too Much Sylvia

 

  • For those that live on Shaw AFB, remember you have a free shuttle service available to you for the 4th Friday Concerts. The shuttle will pick up at Carolina Skies and the dorms at 6 PM and approximately 8:30 PM, and then drop off in Downtown Sumter. The shuttle will return to Shaw at 8 PM, 10:30 PM and again at 11 PM. This free shuttle is brought to you by the Santee-Wateree Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) and the Sumter Visitors Center. This shuttle is open to all active-duty military and families that live on Shaw AFB. All riders must have a current ID with base access.
  • Join us for the annual Memorial Day Ceremony at Veterans Park, beside the Sumter entrance to Shaw AFB. Monday, May 27 at 11AM
  • For lots more events and activities in Sumter visit lovesumter.com.
  • We invite you to visit and attend a regular City Council meeting, our meetings are held on the first and third Tuesday of each month. The next meeting is Tuesday, June 4th at 1 PM and Tuesday, June 18th at 5:30 PM. If you can’t make a meeting public comments may also be submitted online anytime through our website at sumtersc.gov/council/meetings or city residents can contact the Mayor or their Council representative any time before any meeting to discuss a concern or idea.