The Historic Summerville Depot will be filled with colorful quilts, traditional craftsmanship and stories of the past this weekend as the 13th Annual Sequoyah Quilt Show returns to downtown Summerville.
The smell of homemade chili and Brunswick stew will fill downtown Summerville later this month as the annual Summerville Steam Special Chili & Brunswick Stew Cook-Off returns with cash prizes, friendly competition and plenty of hometown fun.
Summerville Mini Renaissance Festival Canceled Due to Inclement Weather; Indoor Renaissance Celebration Planned
The City of Summerville has announced plans for its 2026 Christmas Parade, including this year’s theme and the dates for parade entry registration.
The annual parade will be held Monday, December 7, at 7 PM in downtown Summerville.
This year’s theme is “A Hard Candy Christmas.”
The city says float and entry registration will open November 1 and continue through December 1. Those wishing to participate will be able to register through the Summerville Recreation Department or through the city’s website.
The city will also award trophies and prize money to the top three floats participating in the parade.
The Summerville Christmas Parade is one of the community’s traditional holiday events, bringing decorated floats, organizations, businesses and other participants through downtown as the Christmas season gets underway.
Additional information about registration and parade participation is expected to be available through the City of Summerville.
Chivalry, costumes, entertainment and a little bit of medieval fun will return to Summerville next Saturday with the 2026 Summerville Mini Renaissance Festival.
The festival will be held Saturday, October 10, from 11 AM until 5 PM at Dowdy Park and is being presented by the City of Summerville.
Organizers describe the event as offering “chivalry, romance, and a rollicking good time,” with activities designed for visitors of all ages.
The festival will feature live entertainment, shopping, art, games and food, along with characters and costumes that bring a Renaissance atmosphere to downtown Summerville. Admission to the festival is free, and visitors are encouraged to come dressed in character if they would like to take part in the fun.
Another attraction during the day will be the arrival of the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum steam engine. The train’s visit will include activity at the Summerville Turntable at 1 PM, adding another attraction for visitors attending the festival.
The annual event is centered around the Summerville Depot and Dowdy Park area and combines the city’s railroad heritage with a day of Renaissance-themed activities.
The 2026 Summerville Mini Renaissance Festival gets underway at 11 AM Saturday, October 10, and continues until 5 PM.
The 52nd annual Sum Nelly Festival is taking place today, but visitors will find some significant changes because of concerns about the weekend weather.
Halloween will bring a full day of family activities to downtown Summerville later this month, with the annual Halloween Walk and Pumpkin Palooza planned for Saturday, October 31.
Activities will be centered around the East Washington Street Streetscape area and the Historic Summerville Depot.
Pumpkin Palooza will run from 10:30 AM until 3 PM in the Depot area, featuring food and craft vendors along with other activities.
The annual Halloween Walk will take place from 10:30 AM until 12:30 PM along the downtown Streetscape, giving youngsters an opportunity to dress up and take part in the Halloween festivities.
A costume contest is scheduled for 11:30 AM at the Open Air Stage.
Organizers are also planning a candy walk and other daytime activities, followed by nighttime events. A blood drive is also being held in connection with this year’s Halloween activities.
Residents should check with individual cities and towns for their separate evening trick-or-treating times and locations.
The October 31 festivities are being presented by Summerville Main Street and the Optimist Club.
Anyone interested in becoming a Pumpkin Palooza vendor can contact Susan at 706-728-0456.
The 52nd Annual Sum Nelly Festival will still go on as planned this Saturday, but the City of Summerville is now offering vendors an additional fall festival opportunity in November.
Summerville Parks and Recreation Director Adam Wilson announced Thursday that the city is organizing a new Summerville Harvest Festival for Saturday, November 7, from 9 AM until 5 PM at Dowdy Park.
Wilson said vendors who are already registered for this weekend’s Sum Nelly Festival will be able to participate in the November event free of charge.
That means vendors who have already paid for a Sum Nelly space can set up for both events — this Saturday’s Sum Nelly Festival and the November 7 Summerville Harvest Festival — without paying another vendor registration fee for the November event.
Registration for the Summerville Harvest Festival will open Monday, October 5, at www.summervillerec.org.
Meanwhile, the city says Sum Nelly will still be held this Saturday, October 3, from 9 AM until 3 PM on East Washington Street in downtown Summerville.
The festival was moved from Dowdy Park and its hours shortened because of weather concerns.
Wilson also said the Sum Nelly vendor map will be released Thursday.
The announcement comes as some Sum Nelly vendors have been circulating a petition asking that this weekend’s festival be postponed because of concerns about rain, possible flooding, attendance and the financial investment vendors have already made in the event.
For now, the city is keeping Sum Nelly on Saturday’s schedule while also giving registered vendors a second opportunity to participate in a fall festival at Dowdy Park next month.
Some vendors scheduled to participate in this weekend’s 52nd Annual Sum Nelly Festival have started an online petition asking Summerville Parks and Recreation to postpone the event because of concerns about anticipated rain and the possibility of flooding.
The 52nd Annual Sum Nelly Festival is still on for Saturday, October 3, but organizers are making several significant changes because of anticipated weather conditions.