John de la Howe Anniversary Celebration

The 1797 Celebration will be held Saturday, Nov. 5 on the campus of the South Carolina Governor's School for Agriculture at John de la Howe.

The sprawling 1,310-acre John de la Howe farm site will host a day-long festival rooted in the history of the former Lethe Farm once owned by enigmatic French physician John de la Howe. The theme for this family-friendly event is “Coming Home to John de la Howe.”

The festival will run from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. and  coincide with a reunion of John de la Howe alumni from across the country. Festivities will begin with the second “Bull Run” 5K road race, which will give runners an opportunity to explore the winding gravel roads of the John de la Howe campus. From 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., The 1797 Celebration will offer a variety of family-friendly activities for history buffs, including a display of documents and artifacts from the campus’s 225-year history and from the nearby Willington On The Way history center; living history demonstrations featuring Colonial re-enactors from the Living History Park in nearby North Augusta; a petting zoo; agriculture-themed field games and competitions; and campus tours.

Dr. de la Howe’s tomb and his Lethe Plantation home site near the banks of Little River and Lake Thurmond also will be available to visitors for self-guided tours. Live music and a parade around the 12-acre Governor’s Green at the center of the campus are planned. Breakfast and lunch will be available for purchase.

Admission is free and the public is invited to attend.