WEDNESDAY, Serving S.C. since October 15, 1894 $1.00 MAY 22, 2019 days of Iris Festival fun Events begin Thursday with Taste at the Gardens Top BY BRUCE MILLS
[email protected] attractions umter’s Swan Lake-Iris Gardens has grown For a full schedule, see A8. into what’s known as a showplace of flowers and the home of all eight species of swan. THURSDAY, MAY 23 It’sS also home to the longest continuously running Ribbon cutting, Taste at the Gardens crowning of the Garden Street Stage, festival in the Southeast with the Iris Festival. king and queen 6 - 9 p.m.; tickets $5 Heath Pavilion, 5:15 p.m. Since 1940, visitors from across the U.S. and many SHRINE DAY PARADE other countries have traveled Who are the Shriners? FRIDAY, MAY 24 SATURDAY, MAY 25 to the Gamecock City for the Find the route for the 14th-Annual Shrine Day Parade festival to see — and buy — Featured artist Michael Duffy 14th-Annual Shrine Day Parade on Saturday morning A7 the thousands of Japanese Bland Gardens Gazebo, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. West Liberty Street, 10 a.m. irises growing along the banks of the lake and to par- Lynn Kennedy, chairwoman Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital Anastasia Patterson, angler ticipate in the wide variety of of the Iris Festival Commit- community health free screenings Garden Street Side, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Swan Lake Visitors Center, 9 - 11 a.m. festival events. tee and events planner for Just Kidding Around This year’s festival will be the City of Sumter.