Lake City has recently been named one of the best places to visit in May by Travel + Leisure magazine! With Lake City mentioned along notable international locations like Botswana, London, Monaco, and Stockholm, it’s exciting to see Lake City gain international recognition as a recommended travel destination.

Lake City received this huge honor in part because of our botanical garden.  Moore Farms Botanical Garden is located on land that has been owned by the Moore family for six generations.  Once a bustling cotton & tobacco farm, MFBG is now a 65-acre cultivated garden filled with exuberant plant displays.  Woven throughout this aesthetic tapestry are innovative research, educational programs and community outreach. Today, there are new discoveries to be made every season, as this is a garden that evolves, changes and inspires. This is a “gardener’s garden,” and we encourage each visitor to make that a stop on your next trip to Lake City.

Our beautiful, one-of-a-kind botanical garden isn’t the only reason Travel + Leisure named Lake City along with other notable international locations as a top destination in May; our arts and culture played a pivotal role.  Beginning this weekend, Lake City will host a trifecta of art exhibitions over the summer months at TRAX Visual Art Center and Jones-Carter Gallery featuring the work of Beverly Buchanan, Jenny Fine, and Jerry Siegel. The exhibitions by these Southern artists will be on display until July 27 and are free to view to the public!

If you are just enjoying a leisurely walk around historic downtown Lake City, I recommend you take a moment to explore one of our many murals and public art pieces positioned around town.  Two new murals have been added to Lake City’s collection, and both were completed during ArtFields 2019 last month!  Artist Donald Walker finished his “butterfly mural” during ArtFields as spectators watched over him.  The mural is loaded with hidden objects and I encourage you to gaze at this beautiful mural and find each hidden picture!  The second newest mural addition to Lake City was done by Hand in Hand.  Couple Andrew and Sarah Wilson painted green beans wrapped by a bandana with a strawberry print and a tobacco leaf.  This mural is a tribute to the rich agricultural history of Lake City with this quote underneath, “planted on common ground, a timeless harvest, built upon seasons past, a bounty of green beans! Strawberries, and tobacco leaves.  The fortunes of their times. grown from yards and farms, wrapped up in history, we are creating shared prosperity.”

Don’t be a stranger any longer to this beautiful small town, plan your next visit this summer to enjoy our beautiful art presence, blooming florals, and scenic downtown!  To learn more about one of Travel + Leisure’s top destinations this May, checkout www.visitlakecitysc.com.