COLUMBIA, S.C. — Thousands gathered in Camden for the eighth annual Irish Fest Camden on Saturday.
It's a love for Irish heritage that drives Becki O'Hara to spend months organizing Camden's Irish festival. She's the director of Camden Irish Fest and said the community has grown the festival into one of the biggest in the Southeast.
"It was a one-block street festival eight years ago and it has just grown through community support and our VIP sponsors and has just really grown over the years," she said. "I just love celebrating my Irish heritage, and I just love what this does for the community, and the community has really embraced it."
The festival was held all day Saturday, and according to O'Hara, brought close to 10,000 attendees. Three stages hosted live music, with other live bands performing throughout the festival grounds. O'Hara said the money raised on Saturday will go to a local church and other community groups.
"I have an Irish heritage, and we were just thinking about local community events that are family-friendly celebrating Saint Patrick's Day, and it just grew from there," O'Hara said.
Outside of the fun, many, including Richard Burton Peterson, took time to remember the history of Irish immigrants in South Carolina. His Irish ancestry spans over 150 years in South Carolina.
"My dear grandfather said, 'You know not where to go if you know not from whence you came.' So, understanding where your roots are and how the Celts, the Scots, and the Irish helped build the city of Columbia and really build Columbia," he said.
Preserving Irish history is something E. J. Campbell has found music can help accomplish. He performed songs weaving in Irish stories along the way.
"What drew me to Irish music is the history it tells," he said. "They say that history is written by the victors, but the people write music, and music is a big part of Irish history even now."