In March 2022, Marsha Rogers went before the Piedmont Public Service District Board of Commissioners with an unusual request. She wasn't asking for money. She was asking the district to let a group of neighbors spend their own money. The Journal reported that the group, Piedmont Village Christmas Lights, had organized that January and already had 12 to 15 people involved. It needed the district to sign an agreement so lighted decorations could go up on the utility poles along Hwy. 86.
That agreement explains how Piedmont's holiday season works. Apart from a $1,500 start-up commitment from Anderson County, neighbors have paid for the candy canes and snowflakes on Hwy. 86, and they keep paying for them every year. The fifth annual Piedmont Indoor Craft and Vendor Fair, this Saturday, October 24, is one of the ways they do it.
Why a Candy Cane Needs a Utility District
The lights need the district because of the power company's rules. According to The Journal's 2022 account, Duke Energy requires lighted pole decorations to be put up through a government entity. A citizens' group can't simply hang them on Duke Energy poles and plug them in. So the lights fall under the Piedmont Public Service District, and Piedmont Village Christmas Lights pays for the decorations, the installation and the power bill. The district itself has no expense for the project.
The setup described at that 2022 meeting was simpler than the old one. Chuck Davis explained that the earlier system used breaker boxes with a meter and a string of decorations. The new system uses a box with a ground fault receptacle wired to the power lines, and each decoration has a photocell sensor. Duke Energy doesn't meter it. It sets a flat charge based on how much power the decorations need, so the bill stays the same each year unless more lights are added.
A flat bill also means a bill that comes every year. These were the 2022 figures presented at the meeting:
| Item | 2022 figure |
|---|---|
| One lighted pole decoration | $550 |
| One electrical box | $105 |
| Order goal by the March 31 deadline | 20 decorations |
| Money in hand at the meeting | Enough for 32, with 20 more promised |
| Anderson County commitment, via District 6 Councilman Jimmy Davis | $1,500 |
| Proposed Phase 2 Christmas tree | $6,500 |
The decorations came in three designs: a Candy Cane with a bow, a Snowflake and a Star of David. Most of the early donations came from individuals and some businesses. The project was led by Edith West.
The plan started from something Piedmont already had. The group said it would begin at the Saluda River bridge, which the Bonnes Amies Club decorates every year, and extend along Hwy. 86 into downtown. That puts the newer lights right beside a much older tradition.
A Fundraising Calendar That Starts in July
Four years later, the group is a registered 501(c)(3). The Journal describes it as a small group of people who work year-round on beautifying the Village of Piedmont, with a main goal of keeping the village "Merry and Bright" at Christmas.
The phrase "year-round" is accurate. The 2026 fundraising season followed this order:
- Saturday, July 25: The second annual Christmas in July Community Pancake Breakfast and Craft Show at Buffalo Cornbread, 1712 Hwy. 86. Tickets were $10 for adults and $5 for children 8 and under. More than 25 vendors and community groups filled the private dining area and the space outside, and the Piedmont Lions Club sold brooms and collected used eyeglasses.
- Saturday, October 24: The fifth annual Indoor Craft and Vendor Fair at the Historic Piedmont Community Building. Raffle tickets go on sale here for the 2026 Marsha Davis Rogers Christmas Quilt.
- Saturday, December 5: The Piedmont Holly Jolly Christmas Parade, where the quilt winner will be drawn.
Buffalo Cornbread is part of both of the first two events. In July it hosted the whole breakfast. On Saturday it's selling lunch inside the fair. The quilt is named for Marsha Davis Rogers, and Marsha Rogers is the same person who sold Venmo tickets to the July breakfast and who first brought the lights proposal to the district in 2022. The project has stayed close to the people who started it.
What's Inside 3 Main Street on Saturday
The Journal's October 8 announcement lists the fair at the Historic Piedmont Community Building, 3 Main Street, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It's open to the public, and admission is free. The money raised covers ongoing costs for the Village Christmas Lights and upcoming beautification projects in the village.
The fair uses the whole building:
- Main entrance: The 2026 Marsha Davis Rogers Christmas Quilt is on display here, and this is where you buy drawing tickets.
- Big Gym: Thirty crafters and businesses, set up all day.
- Main Hall: Civic groups and businesses.
- Rowell Club Room: Lunch from Buffalo Cornbread.
- Concessions area: Coffee from Sundays, plus what the announcement calls "maybe a few surprises."
According to the announcement, many of the vendors have been at the show since the first year. Shoppers who come back each October will likely see familiar tables.
The building has its own history with the community. In 2019, The Journal reported that the Piedmont Public Service Commission approved repairs and future improvements there, and a fire chief called it the town's long-standing center.
December 5, Where the Raffle Ends
The quilt drawing ties the fair to the parade, and the parade has a long history of its own. In The Journal's December 2025 preview, the Bonnes Amies Club had sponsored the Holly Jolly Christmas Parade for 27 years. The same club puts the garlands and bows on the Saluda River bridge, which was the starting point for the 2022 lights plan.
That makes two volunteer efforts on the same stretch of road. The Bonnes Amies Club decorates the bridge and runs the parade. Piedmont Village Christmas Lights handles the poles leading from the bridge along Hwy. 86 into downtown. A quilt ticket bought on Saturday connects the two, since it supports the lights and gets drawn at the parade.
The 2026 parade date is set for December 5. Recent parades give an idea of how the day usually goes. In 2025, the Bonnes Amies Club advertised an 11 a.m. start, with registration at the Domino's drive-through on SC 86 at Blossom Branch Road and lineup on Blossom Branch Road and Willow Drive. In 2024, WSPA listed the parade as starting at 11 a.m. on Anderson Street. Those were last year's and the year before's arrangements, so look for the club's 2026 announcement before planning a spot along the route.
Until then, Saturday is the next date on the calendar. If you'd like to get started on Christmas shopping while helping pay the Hwy. 86 light bill, the doors at 3 Main Street open at 10 a.m.
Small, neighbor-run efforts like these are a big part of what makes the Upstate home for the team at Nest Realty Greenville, and our office supports local causes through its Roots & Wings giving events. If you're at the fair on Saturday and want to talk about your own corner of Piedmont, we'd be glad to hear from you. Get Started Now.
