LAURINBURG — The countdown is on for festival season in Scotland County, with a new festival joining the lineup.
Kumba kicks off the month of festivals on Sept. 26 from noon to 6 p.m. in McDuffie Square. The square will be full again on Oct. 2 from 6 to 9 p.m. for the Highland Fling, the kickoff to Highland Games weekend, which continues Oct. 3 at 8 a.m. at the grounds of the John Blue House.
The John Blue House will be full again on Oct. 10 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the John Blue Cotton Festival. From there, the festivities will move to the Laurinburg-Maxton Airport for the second annual Sky High Aerospace Expo, which is moving from a September date to an October date.
The Highland Games are gearing up to continue its title as the biggest tourism event for the county.
“For a festival, the Highland Games is the best turnout we get from a tourism standpoint,” said Tourism Development Authority Director Cory Hughes. “Hotels are pretty much full; if not, then they’re close to being booked up … we hope to get a lot of locals as well, and it’s why we are continuing to push the Highland Fling on Friday night. It’s a chance for people to get out and experience a taste of the games since it’s like a Laurinburg After 5 meets Highland Games event. But it’s a free event and a fun night in McDuffie Square.”
Hughes added that Highland Games ticket sales are currently sitting around where they were last year, and organizers are hoping for a similar turnout to previous years, which was around 3,000 people.
“The Rural Heritage Center is just a wonderful place for the games,” Hughes said. “People always talk about the setting and how much they like it and enjoy it. These are folks who are going to the Lake Norman Games, the Grandfather Mountain Games, games in Georgia, everywhere, and all of them say it’s one of the best settings for the games. It’s just a wonderful event, and we hope to see a lot of people out there.”
Tickets for the Highland Games can be purchased online at a discounted rate before the day of the games, with tickets also available at the gate. Kumba is free to attend, while tickets for the John Blue Cotton Festival will be available at the gate. Tickets for the Sky High Expo can be purchased in advance or at the gate.
“We’ve got all these events in a row, which is fantastic from a tourism standpoint,” Hughes said. “We have a mix of primarily local events and tourism events, with people coming in for the Highland Games and the airshow, so this is just great to have these events for the people of Laurinburg and Scotland County to enjoy.”