This weekend, Lexington County will feature local farms and statewide artisans at the S.C. Ag + Art Tour. The event is free, self-guided and features artisans displaying their handcrafted works. 

On Saturday and Sunday, eight farms and markets across the county will take part. The tour, a statewide effort, started its 2022 slate in May and also takes place in Charleston, Chester, Colleton, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lancaster, Newberry, Richland and York counties

Lexington’s Newberry and Richland neighbors also host their tours Jan. 11-12.

Lexington County was actually the first participant, said Jayne Baker, vice president of public relations and communications for the Capital City/Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board. The organization is in charge of producing the tour in Lexington County, while the Clemson University Extension began the effort years ago.

“This free self-guided farm and art tour is a great way to educate people about where their food and fiber comes from, as well as introduce them to local artisans,” Will Culler, Clemson Extension agribusiness agent and tour director, is quoted in a news release.

Each host will differ in their offerings depending on what kind of farm they are and what vendors are at each host site. Baker said there will be a great variety of artisans for people to check out and learn more about products local to South Carolina. This is also a great opportunity for people to learn about where their food comes from in terms of the local farms in the area.

The participants in the county are Clinton Sease Farm, Fire Barrel Farm, Hollow Creek Distillery, Mercer House Winery, Locklair Farm, the State Farmers Market, the Market at Icehouse and The Phillips Market Center. 

Clinton Sease Farm is Lexington (382 Olde Farm Rd., clintonseasefarm.com)  and has vegetables, homemade goods, adult beverages and ready-to-eat foods. There are also playgrounds and animals.

Fire Barrel Farm (306 George Derrick Rd., facebook.com/goatdairyfarm) is in Swansea and has vegetables, homemade goods and eggs. There will also be ready-to-eat foods and family-friendly activities to involve the kids in.

Over in Leesville is Hollow Creek Distillery (112 Rocky Ridge Rd., hollowcreekdistillery.com) with adult beverages and ready-to-eat foods. The distillery recently won SC Distillery of the Year and Double Gold for its William Alan Straight Bourbon (scoring 96 points) at the 13th Annual New York International Spirits Competition.

Mercer House Winery in Lexington (397 Walter Rawl Rd., thewinerymercerhouse.business.site) will also have adult beverages.

Locklair Farms in Gaston (109 State Pond Rd., locklairfarmsupply.com) has a variety of crops in addition to vegetables. The farm will also have guided tours. 

The final three markets – the State Farmers Market in West Columbia (3483 Charleston Hwy. West, scstatefarmersmarket.com), the Market at Icehouse in Lexington (107 West Main St., lexsc.com/307/The-Market-at-Icehouse) and Phillips Market Center in West Columbia (117 Ballard Ct., phillipsmarketcenter.com) – will have a variety of vendors and artisans at their location. 

Baker mentioned that since the tour is statewide, many artisans have naturally connected over time. It’s a great way for people to discover handmade products or goods local to their state, she added, noting that there may be artisans from Charleston that are part of the Lexington tour.

While the artisan list wasn’t finalized when the Chronicle spoke to Baker, there will be an assortment, including pottery makers, greeting card creators, jewelry artists, painters and others.