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There's Something About "The Town of Friendly People" You Need to Know!
Why We Love Grits and What that Means When You Visit St. George, SC
 Our Small Community has been through a lot over the years. Back in Colonial times, life was hard for everyone. Not unlike other parts of the South, St. George knew about hard times, sweat equity, and working the land til ya' drop..."or got the vapors".
On our very soil, battles were fought.
Crops were raised. Family Lineage was established for generations to come. Eventually Freedom was won from British tyranny, and then with the passage of time, well deserved Freedom came to all Men who worked and toiled for the fruit of the land.
When you visit St. George, you will see parts of our National Heritage, historical sites, landmarks and well preserved architecture from days gone by. But what of today? What is our Community like today in modern times?
Why should you come to visit St. George South Carolina?
How Our Community Became the Home of the "World Grits Festival"
 Sometime in the late 1980's, it was noticed by a few national grocery store distributors that, "Y'all sure do order a LOT of grits!"
In fact, not only did St. George order a lot of grits, the Townspeople consumed a LOT of grits. For a small, rural Community of only about 2,000 folks, a disproportionate amount of the hominy was being cooked up everyday.
Everyone agreed that if it proved to be true that St. George did consume a disproportionately large amount of grits, they would do some research to find out just how much we did eat. As it turned out, the people of St. George actually ate more grits per capita than any other place in the world!
We were the GRITS EATING CHAMPIONS!
Thus, the World Grits Festival was born.
What's So Great About Grits?
 Everything! Grits, and Hominy (a coarser, bleached, dried white corn grit), is a staple of Southern Cooking and Southern Tradition. Grits come from corn, which has been grown in South Carolina for centuries as a staple food. The corn was dried out and then ground up at the Grist Mill. Grist Mills were once common in every part of the South. Some still remain to this day.
Back in 1952, Charleston's Post and Courier declared:
"Grits are inexpensive, simple, tasty, and a thoroughly digestible food. Grits should be made popular around the world! Given enough of it, the inhabitants of the Earth would have nothing to fight about. A man full of Grits...is a man full of Peace". Now who among us can argue with that kind of logic?
Grits Let Us Hold on to Our Southern Tradition and Culture - the good parts!
 So there you have it. Now, every April in our little Town of St. George, South Carolina, upwards of 45,000 folks come from far and wide to celebrate the Joy of GRITS, the wholesome goodness, the fun, and the flavors of the South. That's why we love grits and that's why they serve as a very fitting representation of our unique, rural Community.
"The St. George World Grits Festival is not, however, all just fun and games. From the very start it has been dedicated to Community Improvement".
"It provides the local folks a festival of wholesome, family fun and our students some needed scholarships while also attracting lots of visitors to enjoy the multitude of events that are designed to appeal to persons of all ages."
Come and visit St. George, "The Town of Frendly People," every Spring and share some grits with us! And remember, "A man full of Grits...is a man full of Peace". |