SC250 State Fair exhibit set to stay open for foreseeable future

COLUMBIA — Anyone who missed the Revolutionary War exhibit at last year’s State Fair will have plenty of chances to catch it.

The SC250 Commission’s display will remain in its spot at the State Fairgrounds for the next several years, with no closing date in sight, officials for the State Fair and the commission charged with promoting the country’s 250th birthday said this week.

The sestercentennial celebration will continue through 2033, the 250th anniversary of Britain officially recognizing the new nation under the Treaty of Paris.

Access to the display is not limited to the State Fair, which runs for just under two weeks in October. Volunteers will staff the exhibit during other events that take place on the fair’s Columbia campus during the off-season.

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That includes the Columbia Boat Show this weekend, the Palmetto Sportsmen’s Classic next month and the Columbia International Festival in April, said Nancy Smith, general manager of the State Fair. The display won’t be open on a daily basis, but groups interested in a tour can contact SC250, she said.

“What is so exciting is the fact that this exhibit gives the South Carolina State Fair an opportunity to connect with students across the state of South Carolina and, really, beyond, as we share the story of our past and celebrate the vital role that South Carolina played in winning our independence,” Smith said.

Winding through the center of the display is a replica of a South Carolina swamp, with a wooden pathway, a replica cannon and regionally accurate fake plants.

Visitors can sign a giant copy of the Declaration of Independence, take photographs wearing historic uniforms in a partial replica of a log cabin, and leave notes with their wishes for the America of the future. Mannequins wear period-accurate clothing, and dioramas tell visitors stories from the Revolutionary War that often go overlooked, including those of women, Black people and Native Americans.

That means everyone should be able to find a piece of history that resonates with them, said William Grimsley, chairman of the SC250 Commission.

‘There is something in here that should touch every one of us,” Grimsley said. “Whether you come from a South Carolina lineage of 300-plus years ago, or whether you just drove across the border today; whether you’re a man, woman, Black, white, Indigenous, Asian, you name it — pick your demographic group — I guarantee you that you’re going to find something that resonates with you.”

For those who already saw the exhibit, the commission hopes to add updates and new displays corresponding with what was happening in the state 250 years ago, SC250 director Molly Fortune previously told the Daily Gazette.