Humanities Festival

Every year, South Carolina Humanities sponsors a Humanities Festival in a community in South Carolina. Established in 1993 in honor of South Carolina Humanities’ 20th Anniversary, the Humanities Festival has been held in 25 different communities. Each festival celebrates the local history and culture of the host community, engaging the citizens in lectures, discussions, films, and exhibits and facilitating partnerships among cultural organizations and community groups. 

Apply to host the 2026 SC Humanities Festival!

SC Humanities is now accepting applications from interested community organizations or government entities to host the 2026 SC Humanities Festival. The deadline to apply is Friday, February 13, 2026.

SC Humanities seeks a host that can provide Festival components that: 

• preserve and promote knowledge and understanding of the histories, stories and cultures of the selected community. 
• promote public awareness of the importance and pervasiveness of the humanities in daily life; 
• build alliances and networks across the community through collaboration with local organizations including education, business, and federal, state and local governments; 
• make a particular effort to reach underserved areas of the selected community 
• cause people to analyze critically their values, beliefs, and attitudes relating to both the past and the present; 
  
  

One community will be selected for 2026 and will receive an award of $10,000. No match is required.

The application must be submitted through SC Humanities’ online grants management system. Organizations will need to create an account to access the SC Humanities Festival application. Please review the registration instructions HERE. You can preview the application questions HERE. If you have an questions or difficulties, please contact T.J. Wallace at tjwallace@schumanities.org.