Forty seven years ago this May, some folks on the fringe of a wilderness area known as Hell Hole Swamp got together and created an annual event they called the Hell Hole Swamp Festival. That was back in 1971, and life in this part of South Carolina just hasn’t been the same ever since.
The Hell Hole Swamp Festival is held the first weekend in May in the tiny community of Jamestown (population 75) in Berkeley County.
It's here that each year a young woman and a young girl each advance to swamp royalty in the Miss and Little Miss Hell Hole Swamp contests. The winners get their own float in the annual Hell Hole Swamp Festival parade — which happens to be one of the highlights of the event.
The eclectic annual festival is produced by a group of citizens that comprise Hell Hole, Inc. Its mission is to foster community fellowship and growth. And grow it DOES each May during this fun celebration as thousands converge on the swamp to partake.
The name Hell Hole Swamp is likely derived from events during the American Revolution. Later, the swamp and its moss-draped cypress trees provided shelter during the prohibition for rebellious moonshiners who were said to inhabit the swamps in Berkeley County.
When the chill in the air is nearly gone and you're breaking out the shorts for the upcoming season, you'll know it's about time for the annual Hell Hole Swamp Festival. Save the date: May 5, 2018 in Jamestown, South Carolina.
There’s no other event like it. Have you heard of the Hell Hole Swamp Festival, or have you experienced this magical event firsthand? We’d love to know.
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