DATE:     4/10/96
CONTACT:  Dr. Stephen Verkade, (803) 788-5700
WRITER:   Tom Lollis, (803) 284-3343

Sparkleberry Country Fair Offers Something for All

     COLUMBIA -- The Northeast area of Richland County will
host a day for education and family fun on April 20.    
     It's the inaugural Sparkleberry Country Fair at 
Clemson University's Sandhill Research and Education Center 
at Two Notch and Clemson roads.
     "This is an effort by the entire community," said Stephen 
Verkade, resident director at Sandhill REC. "More than 100 
people in the Northeast area have worked on this festival."
     "The result will be like an old-fashioned country fair," 
he said.
     The program -- beginning at 9 a.m. and running until 
6 p.m. -- runs the gamut from fun and games, educational programs 
on gardening and wildlife, bands, races and a petting zoo, 
to school, business and community exhibits, hot air balloon 
rides and more.     
     "If anyone gets hungry, we'll have lots of vendors on
hand with barbecue and other treats," Verkade said.
     Six horticulture seminars will be offered. At 10:30 
Master Gardener Dot Mathias will speak on Butterfly Gardening. 
She will be followed at 11:30 by Jim Aitken, Clemson Extension 
horticulturist, who will speak on wildflowers.     
     At 12:30 county agent Powell Smith will talk about vegatable 
gardening. At 1:30 county agent Sam Cheatham will provide tips 
on lawn care.     
     WIS-TV news anchor and Master Gardener Susan Aude Fisher
will speak at 2:30 on "Bringing Blue Birds into Your Yard," 
and Verkade will finish up at 3:30 with a talk on environmental 
landscape management.
     Verkade says volunteers will be on hand to answer questions 
about the center's demonstration areas -- a cottage garden, 
a square foot garden, a backyard wildlife habitat and a 
composting demonstration area.     
     In addition, nature walks will offer a look at three 
distinct habitats on the center's grounds -- sandhills, 
lakeshore and hardwood wetlands.
     "We'll also offer a plant problem clinic. Anyone who 
has a plant that's not doing well can bring it or a sample 
in for a professional diagnosis," Verkade said.
     Craftsmen from all over South Carolina will be on 
hand to sell their work. Two separate stages will be set 
up for bands such as Endless Summer and Something Simple and 
other talent to perform throughout the day.
     Also on the agenda are a one-mile fun run and a five-kilometer 
race plus an exhibit of more than a dozen antique automobiles.          
                           END