SANTEE, S.C. — Crowds are expected to come by the hundreds to the Orangeburg County town of Santee this week.
That's because several big events are here: the King Kat Sweet 16 fishing tournament, The South Carolina Peanut Growers Association meeting, and a golf tournament.
This means an influx of tourists supporting local businesses and staying at its hotels.
“That money and those funds directly affect the economy of our area," said executive director of Santee Cooper Country Jane Powell.
Santee's location along Lake Marion makes it a hot spot for fishermen. This played a part in why the King Kat Tournament Trail decided to bring its first-ever Sweet 16 tournament to Santee Cooper in Clarendon County.
The King Kat Sweet 16 Tournament takes place starting Thursday and ends Saturday at the Palmetto Shores in Summerton. There will be 16 teams of anglers competing from across the country."
"Santee Cooper is a catfish fishermen's dream destination," said King Kat Captain Scott Peavy, "Multiple hundred-pound fish have been caught out of Santee. It’s just a destination that all fishermen wanna come to," said Captain Scott Peavy."
He says both spectators and competitors are expected to come as far as North Carolina, Missouri, Tennessee, Ohio, and Alabama. The first day of the event coincides with a meeting for the South Carolina Peanut Growers on Thursday at the Santee Conference Center.
Even more visitors are expected to come into Santee from up north as golf season approaches in February.
“You know we wanna tell them to come back and catch a memory and take that back home with you so whenever you think of our beautiful lakes and our beautiful area you’ve got a nice positive image.”