Spittoono facts for kids
Spittoono is a fun music festival that happens every year in August. It lasts for three days in Central, South Carolina. The main goal of Spittoono is to raise money for good causes.
It started as a playful copy of another big arts festival called Spoleto, which is in Charleston, South Carolina. Spittoono (sometimes spelled Spitoono) was created by a group of local people called the Redneck Performing Arts Association (RPAA). They started it at a place called the ESSO Club in Clemson. The ESSO Club used to be a gas station and grocery store. The RPAA officially became a charity organization in 1982.
About the Festival
This yearly event began in the summer of 1981. Since then, it has raised over $130,000. This money helps many different charities in the area. These charities usually help "kids and animals."
Local bands play music for free at the festival. There is no charge to get into the festival grounds. The money for charity comes from selling T-shirts and cold drinks.
Music Styles
The music played at Spittoono includes many different styles. You can hear rock and roll, country music, Bluegrass, and the Blues. It's more like a country music show than an opera!
Festival Locations
From 1981 to 1990, Spittoono was held in the parking lot of the ESSO Club. But it grew too big for that space. Also, there was a disagreement about how the money from drink sales was handled.
So, in 1991, the music festival moved. It went to a larger space at the Guard Armory. Spittoono moved to its current location in 2015. This happened after it outgrew the armory field.
The Future of Spittoono
In recent years, fewer people were attending the festival. This was partly because the new location was farther away. Also, many of the original attendees were getting older. Plus, bad weather hit the festival for two years in a row.
Because of these reasons, the RPAA announced that Spittoono XXXVII would be the last one. This "Grand Finale" was held from August 24-26, 2017.
However, on the final night of Spittoono XXXVII, exciting news was shared. A new sponsor agreed to take over the project! This means Spittoono will continue.
On September 8, 2017, the RPAA announced good news. They donated $18,000 to a dozen charities. This money was raised during that year's event.
