And also because more people all the time are finding out that Anderson is just a great place to live. Leaders of this city of nearly 30,000 are not the only ones boosting Anderson's success. Anderson is the proud home of Freedom Weekend Aloft, one of the nation's largest hot air balloon festivals. Held every Memorial Day weekend, the festival's new home is the 337-acre Anderson Sports and Entertainment Center complex. Adding to the fun are fireworks, amusement rides, fabulous food from area restaurants and the offerings of 170 arts and crafts exhibitors.
Recreation is a priority here.
And this being South Carolina, golf courses are plentiful. A few miles away are historic Pendleton and its picturesque town square, six state parks, the Sumter National Forest, miles of hiking trails and whitewater adventure on the Chattooga River, a National Scenic River. The arts are alive with the likes of the Anderson County Arts Council, the Callie Stringer Rainey Fine Arts Center on the Anderson College campus, the Anderson Symphony Orchestra Association, Symphonic Chorale and the Anderson Community Theatre. For Anderson, the surge continues.