Bamberg County Joins 2026 Ag + Art Tour, Applications Due Soon

Two days remain for Bamberg County farms and agritourism operators to secure a spot on the 2026 South Carolina Ag+Art Tour: the application window for farm and agritourism sites closes April 5, with the county's tour day set for May 23, running 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Artisans, makers, and craft vendors have a longer runway: the artisan application deadline is April 19. Both tracks are open through the Bamberg County page on the Ag+Art Tour website, where county contact Jessica Bradshaw is listed for questions. A volunteer signup form and sponsorship flyer are also linked on the page for community members who want to support the event without being a tour stop.

It is Bamberg's second consecutive year on the tour, which now spans 16 counties across 8 weekends statewide. Since launching in 2012, the South Carolina Ag+Art Tour has logged more than 150,000 visitors, a total that organizers describe as the largest free farm and art tour in the nation.

The economic case for participating farms is direct: tour stops open their gates on May 23 to regional visitors who come specifically to buy local products, watch artisans work, and see agriculture up close. Because the tour is free to attend, there is no ticket barrier keeping families away; sales that happen on tour day go straight to the producer. Beyond the single-day window, farms listed on the statewide website gain year-round visibility with agritourism visitors, grant programs, and potential wholesale buyers who use the site as a discovery tool.

For Bamberg County, where row-crop agriculture, forestry, and small-scale craft production anchor much of the rural economy, a spot on the tour functions as a low-cost marketing channel that connects local producers directly with consumers who might otherwise never find them.

The tour is self-guided, meaning visitors plan their own routes between stops. Organizers advise visitors to map their route before May 23 and confirm payment preferences with individual vendors in advance. Sponsorships, which help keep the event free for the public, are available for local businesses and civic organizations through the sponsorship flyer on the Bamberg County page.