Concert, fireworks highlight Fort Jackson centennial celebration this week

Fort Jackson will continue its yearlong centennial celebration this week with several events and activities, including a free concert Saturday by country music stars Hunter Hayes and Kellie Pickler.

The concert will also include fireworks and a demonstration jump by the Army’s Golden Knights parachute team. Saturday’s events will be held from 5:30-10 p.m.

The Golden Knights will jump between 6 and 6:30 p.m. The concert starts at 7 p.m. Fireworks will begin at approximately 9:30 p.m. following the last song. But be forewarned, there will be no entry to the post after 9 p.m.

The events will be open to the public, and food trucks will be available. The event is similar to the Fourth of July concert and fireworks display.

Blankets and lawn chairs are allowed, and free rides will be available for children.

Since it opened in 1917, Fort Jackson has trained nearly 1 million soldiers. Today, it is the nation’s largest basic training installation.

The fort also is home to a host of other training missions, such as the Armed Forces Chaplaincy Center, the Drill Sergeant Academy, the Soldier Support Institute and the Non-Commissioned Officers Academy.

The concert is presented by the post's Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation division. It is the first time Hunter Hayes has performed at the fort, and the second time for Pickler. She last performed on post in 2011.

But if you go, there are a few rules:

▪  Access to the installation for non-military-affiliated people will be through all gates. Everyone older than 16 must have a valid state or government-issued identification card for entry. The vehicle driver must possess a valid driver’s license, proof of insurance and registration.

▪  Inside the fort, drivers should follow signs and instructions given by traffic control personnel. After 9 p.m., Gates 1 (Jackson Boulevard), 2 (Forest Drive/Strom Thurmond Boulevard), 4 (Percival/Boyden Arbor Road) and 5 (Leesburg Road) will be open for outbound traffic only.

▪  Motorcycle riders also must conform to Department of Defense regulations, including wearing a DOT-approved helmet, full-fingered gloves, over-the-ankle boots and long-sleeved shirt/jacket.

▪  Random vehicle searches will be conducted at the gates.

▪  Prohibited items include: alcoholic beverages, coolers, grills, tailgate tents, clothing or signage with offensive or vulgar language or political messages, inappropriate clothing, umbrellas, video cameras, cameras with lenses longer than 6 inches when fully extended, remote-controlled flying devices, animals (service animals allowed but must be on a leash).

This story was originally published May 30, 2017 at 6:41 PM with the headline "Concert, fireworks highlight Fort Jackson centennial celebration this week."