Palmetto Sportsmen’s Classic

Palmetto Sportsmen’s Classic, Columbia, South Carolina

The Palmetto Sportsmen’s Classic is South Carolina’s largest outdoor expo, drawing more than 40,000 people to the South Carolina State Fairgrounds in Columbia each spring.

The 2026 event runs March 27th through 29th, presented jointly by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) and the Harry R. E. Hampton Memorial Fund, a conservation organization that has supported outdoor education in the state for decades. This is not a generic gear show. It is a three-day celebration of South Carolina’s hunting, fishing, and boating culture, with live animals, hands-on demonstrations, and roughly 350 exhibitors spread across multiple buildings and outdoor exhibit areas at the fairgrounds on Rosewood Drive.

Hours run Friday 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and Sunday 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. General admission is $12 online in advance or $14 at the gate, and kids 12 and under get in free, making this an easy family call on a March weekend. Senior citizens, military members, veterans, and first responders receive a discount at the gate. Parking on the fairgrounds runs $5. Buying tickets online before you go saves the gate line and locks in the lower rate.

Inside, the exhibitor mix covers boats, fishing tackle, ATVs, hunting gear, and outdoor apparel from both national brands and local South Carolina outfitters. Live demonstrations are a consistent highlight, including the DockDogs Canine Aquatic Competition, where dogs compete in distance jumping off a dock into a pool, which tends to be the loudest and most crowd-pleasing corner of the fairgrounds. Conservation and safety seminars run throughout the weekend on topics ranging from boater safety to wildlife stewardship, organized by SCDNR staff and certified instructors. The South Carolina Wildlife magazine and the Hampton Fund co-sponsor an annual on-site Outdoor Photography Contest and Writers Competition, open for entry at the show.

Good to know: Saturday is the busiest day by a significant margin, with the largest crowds arriving mid-morning. If you want a more relaxed pace and better access to the popular demo areas, Friday afternoon or Sunday morning are the better windows. The layout spans indoor and outdoor spaces across multiple fairground buildings, so comfortable walking shoes matter. Early March in Columbia typically runs in the mid-50s to mid-60s, with occasional afternoon rain, so a light jacket is worth keeping in your bag.

If you’re going with kids: The DockDogs competition and the live wildlife exhibits are the two most reliable kid draws. Budget extra time near both, and note that the free admission for children 12 and under makes this one of the more affordable family outings in the spring calendar.

Quick Tips

• Buy tickets at psclassic.com before the weekend to save $2 per person and skip the gate line
• Saturday 9:00 a.m. opening is the peak entry time; arrive then for first access or Friday afternoon for lighter crowds
• Parking is $5 on-site at the fairgrounds, with additional street and lot options on Rosewood Drive
• Seminars fill up quickly, especially boater safety and fishing clinics, so check the schedule on the official site before you go
• The show runs rain or shine across both indoor and outdoor spaces, so dress for variable March weather

Lake Murray sits about 20 minutes west of the State Fairgrounds and is one of the most accessible large reservoir lakes in the Southeast, with more than 500 miles of shoreline and consistent fishing for striped bass, largemouth, and crappie. After three days of looking at fishing gear at the Classic, a morning on the water at Lake Murray is a natural way to close out the weekend. For shoreline rentals and lake house options, browse available properties on Lake.com and pair your expo trip with a Saturday or Sunday night on the water.