"G" is for Gallivants Ferry Stump Meeting. The Gallivants Ferry Stump Meeting, a Democratic Party tradition since the 1880s, originated during Wade Hampton's 1876 gubernatorial campaign. Starting in a place called the Thicket, they matured into a tradition under the guidance of the Holliday family. The "stump" referred to a time when politicians promoted their candidacy by allegedly giving speeches while standing on tree stumps to be seen and heard above the assembled throng.
The Hollidays moved the political gathering to a site beside their family store and four generations of the family have continued the tradition of hosting the event. Over the years the Galivants Ferry Stump Meeting has drawn huge crowds and assumed a carnival-like atmosphere, featuring balloons, chicken bog, barbecue, clogging, and country and gospel music—as well a political oratory.
