The final weekend of the South Carolina State Fair will feature warm conditions with temperatures reaching the 80s before a cold front arrives early next week.
After what has been a relatively cool fair, a pocket of warm air will send temperatures into the low to mid-80s during the afternoon, giving visitors a sunny close to the annual event.
Typically, high temperatures during mid-October only reach the mid-70s, but the Midlands region is expected to run about 5 to 8 degrees above average on Saturday and Sunday.
An incoming frontal boundary will increase rain chances and help send temperatures back to more normal levels, but the system is not expected to arrive before one of the oldest fairs in the nation wraps up on Sunday evening.
First held in 1869, the South Carolina State Fair has been a tradition for more than 150 years and was only canceled once back in 1918, due to the Spanish flu pandemic.
Today, the event on the southern side of the state capital attracts around 500,000 visitors each year who take part in agricultural competitions, feast on classic food and enjoy the attractions.
This year’s theme, “Harvesting Happiness,” highlights the event’s nonprofit mission and its role in giving back to the community.
The fair says it awards more than $500,000 in scholarships to students across the state in an effort to enhance young people’s educational opportunities.
“The South Carolina State Fair is more than an event - it’s a tradition that brings our state together year after year,” Nancy Smith, general manager of the S.C. State Fair, said in a statement. “From exciting rides and one-of-a-kind foods to live entertainment, competitions and showcases of South Carolina’s best in art, agriculture and more - plus a special appearance by celebrity chef Sandra Lee - this year’s fair promises something special for everyone.”
Those attending the final day may want to hold on to their hats and balloons, as is typical before a cold front, winds could gust between 20 and 30 mph.
The gusty winds are expected to stay below Wind Advisory criteria, but small objects that are not properly secured could be blown over.
Forecast models are still in some disagreement on the exact timing and strength of the front, which will dictate how much rain will fall across the region.
The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, commonly known as the ECMWF, suggests an earlier arrival on Sunday with the potential for showers and isolated thunderstorms.
The Global Forecast System, which is the American model, keeps the frontal boundary weaker, with many communities across the Palmetto State likely missing out on substantial rainfall.
Any rain that does develop is expected to occur after the gates to the public have closed on Sunday evening, keeping most fairgoers dry through the final day.
The warmest temperature fairgoers encountered this year was an 85-degree high on opening day, but the passage of a cold front and a nor’easter off the coast kept temperatures in the 60s during the fair’s first weekend.
The fair’s full schedule of activities and entertainment can be found at scstatefair.org/fair-calendar.