by Jennifer Miranda
Date: March 22, 2025, 10:00AM -3:00PM
Location: Devils Fork State Park, 161 Holcombe Circle, Salem, SC 29676
BellFest 2025 Postponed to March 22
Due to severe weather expected in the Jocassee Gorges area, the Friends of Jocassee Board of Directors has postponed BellFest 2025 to Saturday, March 22. We hope you’ll be able to attend on the new date!
Join us for the 12th annual BellFest at Devils Fork State Park! Founded in 2013, BellFest is a festival that celebrates the blooming of the rare Oconee bell, Shortia galacifolia. BellFest is hosted by Friends of Jocassee, a non-profit that supports conservation efforts and recreational use of Lake Jocassee and local state parks.
BellFest 2025 activities include:
- Live music
- Family activities
- Food
- Local vendors
- Guided hikes
- A silent auction benefiting Friends of Jocassee
- A guest lecture by our very own Dan Whitten, the President of SCNPS! Dan will be sharing about the unique discovery and ecological significance of the Oconee bell.
Get involved!
The Upstate chapter of the South Carolina Native Plant Society has been supporting BellFest since its founding. This year, we are looking for approximately 1-3 volunteers to assist in managing a booth. This would include selling plants, teaching the public about our society’s mission, and providing education on native plants! Volunteers are needed from 10AM-3PM and would receive free park entry. Please contact Jack Hagopian at jackchagopian@gmail.com if interested in volunteering.
Fun Fact: One of SCNPS’s founders, Joe Townsend, played an integral part in S. galacifolia conservation by learning how to germinate its seeds. Read more about Joe’s story and the fascinating history of S. galacifolia here.
