Our celebration of history and art has plenty of fun family activities.

The Colleton County Rice Festival wouldn’t have lasted for over 35 years without plenty of fun for the entire family. Celebrating the rich cultural history of our area also means adding all sorts of things to do.

Entertainment & Crafts, Food and More. Wander the streets of historic downtown Walterboro and visit with our friendly arts & crafts people as they display their wares in our street-fair atmosphere. As you stroll among buildings that date back to the heyday of the rice plantations, grab a bite from an interesting array of food booths. Adding to your experience is music and other entertainment throughout the weekend.

Parade.What is a festival celebrating a piece of Southern Heritage without a parade in honor of the event? Join us on Saturday, April 30 at 11 a.m. for the Rice Festival Parade, which includes floats, marching bands, beauty queens and all the trappings that a heritage festival can muster. Interested in taking part?

Rice Run. Join us on Saturday, April 30, at 8 a.m. for an early morning race throughout historic Walterboro, beginning at the old Post Office on Washington Street. This 5K run and 5K walk begins at 8 a.m. and the mile fun run begins at 9 a.m. At its conclution, cash prizes will be awarded to both male and female finisher at the awards celebration at Walterboro Country Club.

Cooking Contest presented by Bethel United Methodist Church. Rice takes its rightful place of honor as local cooks compete for cash prices as they present their favorite rice dishes for judging. Join us as we crown the winners at Bethel United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall. Judging begins at 1:30 p.m. and prizes awarded at 2:30 p.m. on April 29.

Rice Festival Pageant. Held on Saturday, April 16. The winner takes her rightful place of honor in the Rice Festival Parade, and serves as the official hostess of the festival. Open to children aged birth to four years and five years and older.  For information and entry form please visit here, email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 843-893-3984.