Fall is in the air early this year with these unseasonally cool temperatures and fall means festival season in the South! For SCKWGS members, fall festival is all about koi and goldfish. The South Carolina Koi and Water Garden Society is holding its Sixteenth Annual Koi and Goldfish Show at the Simpsonville Activity and Senior Center (310 West Curtis Street) and everyone is invited. There is no admission charge and parking is free. Consider this your “Save The Date” notice and mark your calendar. The hours of the event are: 

Friday, September 26th 2:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M.

Saturday, September 27th 9:00 A.M to 6:00 P.M. 

Sunday, September 28th  9:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M.

In addition to outstanding koi and goldfish and all kinds of pond supplies, equipment, and koi food, there will also be koi hats and other clothing items, maple trees, orchids, crystal rocks, water plants, yard and garden items, and more for sale. You can also purchase a souvenir T-shirt or a unique commemorative pin to remember the event. Instead of raffles this year, we are featuring a Browse and Buy table where all kinds of items will be offered for purchase at bargain prices…..kinda’ like a flea market.

A silent auction will be on-going throughout Friday and Saturday, with bids being accepted until 8:00 P.M. at the awards banquet on Saturday night. You do not have to be present at the banquet to win. If the winning bidder is not at the banquet, they will be notified by phone on Sunday morning and must pick up their items on Sunday before the show closes at 1:00 P.M.

For those who don’t know, koi are Japanese colored carp and many people in our area keep them as pets in backyard ponds. And some of those koi keepers actually like to enter their fish in competitions such as this to vie for top honors with other koi hobbyists rom not only South Carolina, but clubs in North Carolina, Florida, Kentucky and Illinois as well. The fish are judged by official, certified outside judges and trophies are awarded in a variety of categories. The koi to be judged are on exhibit in large blue tanks in the center of the gymnasium so visitors can walk by and get a good look at them. Children love to watch these multi-colored beauties swim around in their tanks and often marvel at the size, as some of them can measure as much as 36 inches or more. And then there are the goldfish in a variety of colors and configuration (long fins, short fins, fat faces, bubble eyes) in twenty-gallon aquariums for visitors to observe. Fish are indeed fascinating creatures and this event gives everyone the opportunity to see these beautiful living jewels up close and personal. Now that’s just not an everyday-occurrence for most folks, so this event will provide a unique and enjoyable weekend experience for the whole family. 

The show officially opens to the public at 2:00 P.M. on Friday, September 29th. Judging will begin Saturday morning and trophies will be presented at an awards banquet on Saturday night (held at the same site). For additional information, visit our website at sckwgs.org or scan the QR code on the poster. 

Hundreds of visitors from upstate communities and surrounding states attend this event every year and many of them don’t have a pond or own a single fish. Some just come to see the prize-winning fish, to do some holiday shopping, or to just see what it’s all about (or all of the above). Regardless of the reason, it’s a great way to spend a fall day in The Upstate.

If you are a regular attendee at this event every year, we look forward to seeing you again. Never been to a koi show? Well, opportunity is knockin’ on your door. The entire event is held inside, so you don’t have to worry about the weather (unless we have another hurricane!) and you can’t beat the price, as both admission and parking are free.

There is a lot going on this time of year for sure, but this might just be one of the most unique and enjoyable experiences of them all. Mark your calendar now and plan to try something new this year. You’ll be glad you did! ●