DATE: 9/19/07

CONTACT: Christine Drais, (864) 656-3405; cdrais@clemson.edu

WRITER: Diane Palmer, (864) 656-4741; spalmer@clemson.edu

Botanical Garden schedules Harvest Festival

CLEMSON -- The South Carolina Botanical Garden has planned a day filled with harvests, history and harps to celebrate Thomas Green Clemson’s 200 th birthday on Oct. 13. The event is for everyone and admission is free.

The day starts at 9 a.m. with a Harvest Festival at the heirloom vegetable garden beside the historic Hanover House. There will be farm equipment and seed harvesting demonstrations as well as heirloom vegetable tastings. Antique tools, storytelling, and blue-grass music will also be a part of the morning.

Local grown and produced food will be available to purchase for lunch.

At the other end of the Garden at 1 p.m. visitors may enjoy the dedication of the new Cherokee Garden. Native American dancers and storytellers will be on hand to help visitors learn more about the first inhabitants of our garden.

Also starting at 1 p.m. the Bob Campbell Geology Museum will be opening its new exhibit on Thomas Green Clemson and his strong link to mining. Children and adults might enjoy the t-shirt painting, jewelry making demonstrations, and other fun with rocks and fossils.

"There is something for everyone in this fun filled day all throughout the garden, said Christine Drais, public relations director of the garden. “Go to the Hunt Cabin and Hayden Conference Center for programs there too."

From 3 to 6 p.m. there will be a series of musical performances at the Garden Amphitheater. South Carolina musicians will be playing music composed by South Carolinians, including some pieces written by Clemson himself.

The South Carolina Botanical Garden is located on the Clemson University campus at the intersection of Highway 76 and Perimeter Road. It encompasses 295 acres of gardens, streams and woodlands, and is open year-round from sunrise to sunset, free of charge. Support the Garden, become a ‘FRIEND of the Garden’; contact Christine Drais for more information at (864) 656-3405 or cdrais@clemson.edu.

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