By Shelly Simmons, volunteer Co-Chair for the 8th Annual Art on the Trail fundraising event for Travelers Rest Artists Alliance.

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There are so many amazing things to do in the Upstate that it’s hard to choose how to spend a weekend. We all want to shop local, eat local, and experience local talent. We all want something that will hold our kids’ interest and excitement in a way that excites us, too. We want trails that we can run, walk, and bike on that pass by trailside markets so we can rest and refuel. Then we all want ice-cream scooped inside of a freshly baked waffle cone for dessert. We want tasty microbrews and great local music. We want to taste a bit of the fine arts and oogle over the intricate details in local, handmade crafts. We want to immerse ourselves in our community and good times.

This is why I love Art on the Trail. It’s all of that wrapped up in a perfect little package and it’s coming to downtown Travelers Rest on Saturday, October 5th from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Art on the Trail is a one-day immersive art and culture experience designed with everyone in mind. It’s set along the iconic Swamp Rabbit Trail in downtown Travelers Rest, features over 1 mile of artist’s tents and crafter’s booths, and is a fundraiser for Travelers Rest Artists Alliance.

Artist displays | Travelers Rest Artists Alliance (with permission from all contributing artists)

If you’re not an art aficionado, don’t let the “Art” part of Art on the Trail scare you away. Yes, there will be amazing and creative works of art there and the chance to meet and buy from local artists. In fact, Art on the Trail features more emerging local artists than any other arts and crafts festival in the Upstate that I know of. And you will want to take something home with you! Having a wide variety of artisans with price ranges affordable for everyone makes that possible. It’ll probably be the reason you finally throw out that “home interior” you found at a garage sale when you moved into your first place and it just keeps following you wherever you move.

It’s also the experiences at Art on the Trail that makes it an event I think is a perfect way to spend a weekend. Have a dog? A couple of kids? Bring them! This isn't just another boring art and craft show....not with a “mud hut” pottery bus where your kids can sling clay and make their own masterpieces or play giant musical instruments while you and your pooch lend your artistic impressions to create colorful pieces of community dog and people art.

Frank Lee Ruggles | Travelers Rest Artists Alliance (with permission from all contributing artists)

You might even get the chance to hear Frank Lee Ruggles, a critically acclaimed National Parks Landscape Photographer who follows in the footsteps of the late, great Ansel Adams. He’s going to share what his time in the parks has taught him about climate change and how he plans to use art to help preserve our great outdoors. He’ll be hanging out at Rocket Surgery that afternoon at 3:30 p.m. so be sure to stop by (and then stay for an exquisite dinner that’s a culinary masterpiece!)

A meal at Rocket Surgery | Travelers Rest Artists Alliance (with permission from all contributing artists)

Art on the Trail is a creative gathering that invites its guests to taste a slice of the culinary arts that makes Travelers Rest the place to go for a great meal out. If you decide to come, be ready to arouse your inner artist with interactive and immersive entertainment, and most importantly, shop local for keepsakes handcrafted by folks with deep roots in the Upstate community. Hope to see you there!