Come See Me Festival
Encyclopedia
The Come See Me festival
is an annual Spring festival hosted in Rock Hill
, South Carolina
.
The Festival was the idea of its first chairman C. H. "Ickey" Albright, former Rock Hill Mayor and State Senator, and was nurtured by nationally acclaimed illustrator Vernon Grant
, a Rock Hill resident who created cereal's celebrated gnomes, "Snap, Crackle, and Pop".
The festival centers on Rock Hill's historic, Glencairn Garden which is in full bloom each year during the festival. The Garden is where the name for the Come See Me mascot
, Glen, comes from.
Come See Me is the largest festival in South Carolina, and is in the Top 20 Southeast Spring Festivals.
Each year the festival ends with a city-wide tailgate party and fireworks extravaganza hosted at Winthrop Lake.
The Come-See-Me Festival was first held in 1962 as a community project to invite visitors, relatives and friends to see Rock Hill during its most beautiful season. It started as a weekend event and has expanded to 10 days.
The Festival was the idea of its first chairman C. H. “Ickey” Albright, former Rock Hill Mayor and State Senator, and was nurtured by nationally acclaimed illustrator Vernon Grant, a Rock Hill resident who created cereal's celebrated gnomes, “Snap, Crackle, and Pop”.
The Festival's mascot, “Glen the Frog”, was also created by Mr. Grant, who designed over 30 different “Glens”. A new logo representing each new festival is selected yearly with an updated design and new colors.
A central focus of the Festival has always been the historic, award-winning Glencairn Garden, created by Dr. David A. Bigger and given to the City of Rock Hill in 1958. Over 3,500 azaleas are surrounded by camellias, dogwood, wisteria and a variety of flowers and trees.
The Come-See-Me Festival is considered the largest, all-volunteer festival in South Carolina and attracts over 125,000 participants and visitors each year. The festival has been ranked in the Southeast's Top 20 Spring Festivals.
Festival
A festival or gala is an event, usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on and celebrates some unique aspect of that community and the Festival....
is an annual Spring festival hosted in Rock Hill
Rock Hill, South Carolina
Rock Hill is the largest city in York County, South Carolina and the fourth-largest city in the state. It is also the third-largest city of the Charlotte metropolitan area, behind Charlotte and Concord, North Carolina. The population was 71,459 as of . Rock Hill has undergone rapid growth between...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
.
About the Festival
Come See Me was originally founded to be a way for neighbors in the Rock Hill community to get to know one another. The event was first held in 1962 and the citizens of Rock Hill were encouraged to invite people to see the city at the peak of its Spring beauty.The Festival was the idea of its first chairman C. H. "Ickey" Albright, former Rock Hill Mayor and State Senator, and was nurtured by nationally acclaimed illustrator Vernon Grant
Vernon Grant (Kellogg's)
Vernon Simeon Plemion Grant was an American illustrator known for his whimsical gnome characters and fairy tale drawings. Over seven decades, Grant created hundreds of illustrations for advertising and major magazines, including Judge and Ladies' Home Journal...
, a Rock Hill resident who created cereal's celebrated gnomes, "Snap, Crackle, and Pop".
The festival centers on Rock Hill's historic, Glencairn Garden which is in full bloom each year during the festival. The Garden is where the name for the Come See Me mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
, Glen, comes from.
Come See Me is the largest festival in South Carolina, and is in the Top 20 Southeast Spring Festivals.
Each year the festival ends with a city-wide tailgate party and fireworks extravaganza hosted at Winthrop Lake.
Highlight Activities
- Come See Me Parade
- Come-See-Me Decorating Contest
- Beach Bash
- Mayor’s Frog Jump
- Gourmet Gardens
- Moonlight Jazz & Blues
- Tailgate Party
The Come-See-Me Festival was first held in 1962 as a community project to invite visitors, relatives and friends to see Rock Hill during its most beautiful season. It started as a weekend event and has expanded to 10 days.
The Festival was the idea of its first chairman C. H. “Ickey” Albright, former Rock Hill Mayor and State Senator, and was nurtured by nationally acclaimed illustrator Vernon Grant, a Rock Hill resident who created cereal's celebrated gnomes, “Snap, Crackle, and Pop”.
The Festival's mascot, “Glen the Frog”, was also created by Mr. Grant, who designed over 30 different “Glens”. A new logo representing each new festival is selected yearly with an updated design and new colors.
A central focus of the Festival has always been the historic, award-winning Glencairn Garden, created by Dr. David A. Bigger and given to the City of Rock Hill in 1958. Over 3,500 azaleas are surrounded by camellias, dogwood, wisteria and a variety of flowers and trees.
The Come-See-Me Festival is considered the largest, all-volunteer festival in South Carolina and attracts over 125,000 participants and visitors each year. The festival has been ranked in the Southeast's Top 20 Spring Festivals.