These five Fort Mill roads will be closed due to South Carolina Strawberry Festival
Five Fort Mill roads will close this weekend, and traffic will be affected in other parts of town as crowds gather for the South Carolina Strawberry Festival.
North White Street will close from Old Nation Road to Clebourne Street at 8 p.m. Friday. It won’t reopen until Sunday morning. It’s in front of Walter Elisha Park, home to the main Strawberry Festival activities, and the neighboring Springs Global office building.
It’s a short stretch, but it connects key routes from downtown, southern and eastern Fort Mill to the Baxter and Kingsley areas, the interstate, U.S. 21 and other areas. The town asks drivers to use caution and, if possible, find alternate routes around the main festival area.
Several other roads around and behind the park will close, too. They include Ardrey Street from North White to Faile Street Sydney Johnson Street from North White to Jackson Street, Jackson from North White to Harris Street and Morgan Street from North White to Kerr Street. Those closures will run the same time frame.
Residents who live in those areas will have permits to access the roads, and public parking won’t be allowed there for the festival.
Could weather affect attendance?
Festival attendance is largely dependent each year on spring weather, but a dry forecast could swell crowds into the tens of thousands. The National Weather Service says showers are likely this weekend in Fort Mill, with highs in the mid-60s.
The festival has grown since the town first hosted it in 2009. It now features multiple events and venues across two weeks. The main attraction is the first Saturday in May gathering at Elisha Park.
For attendees on Saturday, public parking is available for $5 per vehicle. Fort Mill and Nation Ford high schools will have shuttles to the festival, as will lots at First Baptist Church, Fort Mill Church of God and St. Johns United Methodist Church. First Baptist and St. Johns have designated handicap parking.
Fort Mill Church of the Nazarene and the Anne Springs Close Greenway horse lot will have public parking, but not shuttle service.
