Festivals/Events

Party at the Social Pig! The Piggly Wiggly on Devine Street (aka the Social Pig) will be hosting their first-ever Locals Party from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. What started out as an awards ceremony for Deli Manager Joann Hook for her Charleston Pickle Company display, the party will feature Certified SC products, trivia contests, grilled items and visits from the Charleston River Dogs and Mr. Pig.

Speaking of good local food... Dupre Percival of Dupre Catering and Events has opened the first exclusively South Carolina Specialty Food Association store in the state at 302 Artisans at Senate’s End. All of the food and beverages sold at the store are products of SCSFA members. 302 Artisans is open 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. seven days a week. (803) 351-1786

Flying Saucer Draught Emporium + Pints for Prostates = Focus on Men’s Health with Belgian Beer Month, 7 p.m. every Wednesday through July 21. Each Wednesday will feature a different Belgian-style beer with a signature glass. The first 144 people will be able to get the glass and a pour of the featured beer for a special price, the price of the glass going to support Pints for Prostates. Glasses include a raffle ticket for a drawing for a special beer trip to Belgium from Sept. 7-15. Extra raffle tickets can be purchased for $10 for 1 ticket, $25 for three or $50 for seven. Flying Saucer is at 931 Senate St. (803) 933-9997

Get ready for the Lexington County Peach Festival on July 4 in Gilbert by perfecting and entering your favorite recipes in the Peachy Recipe Contest. Entries will be accepted in two categories: desserts and salads or main dishes; each recipe must contain at least two cups of fresh, locally grown peaches. Details at lexingtoncountypeachfestival.com or (803) 359-5541

Celebrate the homegrown and heritage ’mater at the Palmetto Tasty Tomato Festival July 15. This annual event is all about the tomato with heirloom tomato tastings, tomato bobbing, tomato potluck and a homegrown tomato contest. The fun runs 5-9 p.m. at City Roots, with a VIP supporter potluck at 4 p.m. Tickets: $10 in advance, $15 at the gate, kids under 12 free and $20 (plus bring a dish) VIP potluck, are available at tastytomato2012.eventbrite.com. Proceeds benefit Slow Food Columbia and Sustainable Midlands. Enter the Homegrown Tomato Contest by growing your best ’mater for collection 4-6 p.m. July 11 at the All-Local Farmers Market, 711 Whaley St. No entry fee for the contest. Details at tastytomatofest.org. Follow the fun on Twitter: @SlowFoodCola, @SustainableMid. #TastyTomato and #matersmatter

The Southern Living Taste of Charleston is set for Sept. 28-30. This three-day culinary celebration of Lowcountry cuisine, co-hosted by Southern Living Magazine and the Charleston Restaurant Association, will include an Iron Chef Competition featuring some of the best local chefs on Sept. 28; Sweet and Southern on Shem Creek, a singer/songwriter showcase, Sept. 29; Dine Around, special prix fix menus at participating Charleston-area restaurants Sept. 28 and 29; and the main Taste of Charleston event at Boone Hall Plantation on Mount Pleasant Sept. 30.

Market News

Sandhills Farmers Market along Clemson Road, across from Village at Sandhill, is open 2-7 p.m. every Tuesday through November. Master Gardeners will be available to answer questions. Information at clemson.edu/sandhill or (803) 699-3719, (803) 788-5700

Farmers in the Forest, the Forest Acres Farmers Market at Richland Mall, is open 3-7 p.m. Wednesdays through October.

Northeast Farmers Market at Lake Carolina is open 3-7 p.m. Thursdays at Town Center.

Town of Lexington Farmers Market is open 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays through Oct. 27 at 206 N. Church St.

Classes

Columbia’s Cooking! Summer Camp runs Monday-Friday 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Campers will work with members of the culinary faculty at USC to hone their skills in the kitchen. Focusing on healthy foods that are fun and flavorful, campers will prepare a meal each day, which they will get to eat. Select from one of these series, taught at the Columbia’s Cooking kitchen at 915 Greene St.: July 16-19, July 23-27 and July 30-Aug. 3.

Columbia’s Cooking also offers a Culinary Camp for kids ages 8-15 at the Katie & Irwin Kahn Jewish Community Center at 306 Flora Drive on Aug. 6-10. Learn basic cooking and baking techniques from a skilled instructor. $215/week for members, $240/week nonmembers. Campers also will receive a Columbia’s Cooking insulated lunch box.

Register for Columbia’s Cooking classes at cpcp.sph.sc.edu/cooking/classes or contact Katherine Shavo, (803) 576-5636, shavo@mailbox.sc.edu or colacook@mailbox.sc.edu or (803) 576-5666.

Healthy Hands Cooking begins a Kids 4-Week Program 4-6 p.m. Tuesdays in August at the Ballentine Community Center. Children ages 9-13 learn the basics of nutrition and healthy cooking over the course of a month. $120 for all four weeks includes all food, instruction, kitchen tool set, activities and workbook. Check out the summer camp session the week of July 23. Details at healthyhandscooking.com or call Jan Walker Pinnington, (803) 960-4572.

Chef Francois Fisera hosts cooking classes at Fleur de Lys Home Culinary Institute. Friday and Saturday, pork chops with black forest sauce; July 2, crab souffle; July 9 & 10, Provencal vegetable cake; July 13 & 14, Bordeaux wines with lamb. Fleur de Lys is at 3001 Millwood Ave. (803) 765-9999 or fleurdelyscolumbiasc.com

Let’s Cook Culinary Studio events: Friday, couples seafood; July 13, tapas; July 14, Bastille Day celebration; July 16, Beach Picnic. Detailed listings at letscookculinary.com. Let’s Cook is at 1305 Assembly St. (803) 348-5874

McCutchen House on the USC Horseshoe. See complete schedule and sign up for classes at http://webapps.csg.sc .edu/McCutchen.

Have an upcoming food event? Email details to food@thestate.com. Deadline is 5 p.m. Friday.