Join us for the 35th Annual South Carolina Awards in the Humanities, an unforgettable evening honoring seven incredible recipients and the people, stories, and ideas that make South Carolina special. Expect heavy hors d’oeuvres from Scott Hall Catering, music from DJ Maya Wang, a signature cocktail by Will Green, a silent auction, after-hours museum access, and a room full of interesting people from across the state.  

Grab your plus one, wear something fabulous, and come ready to celebrate 35 years of the Awards and the people who prove the humanities are alive.  

• Smithsonian Americans exhibit opens in Bennettsville at the Marlboro County Museum on Saturday, October 10. The opening day events on October 10 include a lecture by state scholar Chris Judge on "Native American Archaeology in South Carolina" at 2:00 p.m. 
• 2027 Humanities Festival host applications now open! 
• Apply now to join our Speakers Bureau Humanities Out Loud program and bring your expertise to communities across South Carolina.  
• Celebrate SC250 with the Revolutionary Perspectives Series! Explore overlooked South Carolina stories from the Revolutionary War through expert-led public talks.
• Connect with South Carolina’s humanities community and help strengthen advocacy, education, and cultural connections statewide. Join the SC Humanities Coalition.

250 Years: Cultural Stewardship Across Generations | October 7 | 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM | USC Upstate, Olin B. Sansbury Jr. Campus Life Center (CLC 319): Join USC Upstate South Carolina Centro Latino for a special interactive discussion exploring cultural stewardship's role in connecting past, present, and future generations in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month.

Speakers Bureau Program: Baptists and Bootleggers: Prohibition in the South | October 15 | 6:00 p.m. | Cherokee County Museum | presented by Kathryn Smith.

Speakers Bureau Program: Cherokees in 18th Century SC | October 25 | 3:00 p.m. | Sponsored by the McCormick County Historical Commission at the Dorn Mill Complex in McCormick | Presented by Alice Taylor Colbert

Carnaval Del Barrio | October 3 | 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.| Finlay Park: Family friendly festival celebrating the Hispanic community through live entertainment, authentic cuisine, cultural performances, local artisans, community resources, and interactive activities for all ages.

Speakers Bureau Program: Blue, Red, & Black: African Americans and the Revolutionary War | October 8 | 6:00 p.m. | Richland Library St. Andrews | Presented by Donald West

Speakers Bureau Program: Folklore, Storytelling & the African American Tradition | October 10 | 1:00 p.m. | Sponsored by the Kershaw County Library | Featuring Nancy Tolson as part of the Southern Gothic Festival in Camden

Speakers Bureau Program: Dr. Matilda A. Evans: The Life of a Trailblazer | October 22 | 6:30 p.m.| The Center for African American History, Art, and Culture in Aiken | Presented by Walter Curry

Speakers Bureau Program: Edgar Allen Poe in South Carolina | October 26 | 7:00 p.m. | The Sumter County Genealogical Society Meeting | Presented by Pat McNeely

Smithsonian Americans Exhibit on display in Lancaster at the USC Native Americans Studies Center through October 3: The closing day event on Saturday, October 3 will include an artist vendor pop-up and a presentation by the Catawba Cultural Center. 

Speakers Bureau Program: Liberty and Its Limits: Free People of Color, the Enslaved, and the American Revolution in South Carolina | October 8 | 6:00 p.m. | Morris Center for Lowcountry Heritage | Presented by David Dangerfield

Speakers Bureau Program: South Carolina’s Medical “Shero”: The Inspiring Life of Dr. Matilda Arabella Evans – Book Talk | October 10 | 11:00 a.m. | Hampton Plantation State Historic Site | Presented by Walter Curry

Speakers Bureau Program: Knowing Your Roots Matters | October 17 | 3:00 p.m. | Part of the 17th Rosenwald Celebration at the Great Branch Rosenwald Teacherage in Orangeburg | Presented by Walter Curry

Speakers Bureau Program: Revolutionary War Stories in South Carolina | October 19 | 3:00 p.m. | Hilton Head Island Branch Library | Presented by Joshua Shumak

Speakers Bureau Program: Black South Carolinians Through the Eyes of White Writers | October 19 | 3:30 p.m. | Sponsored by William Thomson Chapter NSDAR at St. Paul UMC Fellowship Hall in St. Matthews | Presented by Kathryn Smith

Speakers Bureau Program: Equalization Schools | October 24 |12:00 p.m. | Friends of Frierson's "Marking A Legacy: E. L. Frierson and Rockville Elementary Celebration" on Wadmalaw Island | Presented by Damon Fordham

Echoes Across Millennia: Indigenous Arts & Culture Festival | October 3 | 10 am – 4 p.m. | Lake City, SC (Florence): Echoes Across Millennia hosted by our partners at ArtFields is coming to Lake City on October 3rd. Tribal nations from across the Southeast will be represented. Admission is free and open to everyone. Learn more at artfieldssc.org. 

Speakers Bureau Program: Francis Marion and the Revolutionary War | October 11 | 3:00 p.m. | SC Genealogical Society Chesterfield District Chapter | Presented by Fritz Hamer

National History Day Student Workshop at Coastal Carolina University | October 17 | 9 a.m. - 12 noon | Conway: Students and teachers preparing for the 2026–2027 National History Day contest season are invited to a free workshop at Coastal Carolina University.



Speakers Bureau Program: Revolutionary War Stories in South Carolina | October 22 | 6:00 p.m. | Part of Americans in Bennettsville at the Murchison School in Bennettsville | Presented by Joshua Shumak 

Did We in the Humanities Cause Our Own Demise?, Inside Higher Ed, September 2, 2026  

Move Over STEM. Humanities Degrees Are Poised For A Comeback Thanks To AI.., Forbes, September 21, 2026  

Sustaining the Humanities: Funding Innovation and Institutional Resilience in a Time of Uncertainty, Cambridge University Press, September 15, 2026

Thank you for supporting humanities experiences that bring South Carolinians together through culture, history, and storytelling.  

We’re proud to share this work with communities across the state and grateful to have you with us.