Betty Lane Cherry poses on an airport tarmac with boxes labeled “South Carolina Peaches,” showcasing the fruit during a promotional tour in the 1950s. | Photo via Richland Library Digital Archives
Before “influencer” was a job title, there was Betty Lane Cherry — Miss USA, runner-up for Miss World, and “Miss Fruit Salad,” as she was dubbed on national TV. A fitting nickname for a person with the last name of Cherry from Orangeburg, who’s pushing peaches.
Cherry spent years representing the South Carolina Peach Council across the Northeast and later served as Peach Queen for the National Peach Council, promoting peaches nationwide through interviews, events, and media campaigns.
She even appeared on South Carolina roadmaps and postcards that dubbed the Palmetto State as “The Real Peach State.” Her tour included stops on shows like “The Don McNeill Breakfast Club” — where her “Miss Fruit Salad” nickname was born — and the “Today” show, where she famously kept her composure when the show’s chimpanzee crawled on her to grab a ripe peach.
Lunchbox Learning - The Story of Camperdown Mill | 12-1 p.m. | Upcountry History Museum | $0+ | Local historian John Nolan leads this conversation about Camperdown Mill, its roots, and how it helped pave the way for today’s Liberty Bridge and revitalized West End.
Calimar White | 7 p.m. | Comedy Zone | $30+ | This viral comedian, racking up millions of views online, brings his standup to the stage.
Thursday, July 17
Duke’s Hot Tomato Summer | Thursday, July 17-Sunday, July 27 | Times vary | Various locations | Price of purchase | Local restaurants showcase Duke’s Mayo with its BFF, a summer tomato.
Pitch-Space Live | 5-6:30 p.m. | Flywheel Coworking | Free | Watch startups pitch for growth and receive live feedback from investors, join the Q+A, and network with founders and the startup community.
Luke Bryan | 7 p.m. | Bon Secours Wellness Arena | $50+ | The “Country Song Came On Tour” features hits like “Play It Again,” “Country Girl (Shake It For Me),” and “That’s My Kind Of Night.”
Friday, July 18
Clay Workshop | 6:30-8:30 p.m. | Sassafrass Flower Farm, Easley | $55+ | Create your own clay flower frog (also known as a stem stand), perfect for displaying your u-pick bouquet.
Saturday, July 19
Powered by Purity Pop-Up | 8 a.m.-1 p.m. | Due South Coffee Roasters | Free | Recharge your morning with outdoor yoga, free breakfast burritos, PT consults, and free Purity Coffee.
The Mumford & Sons Railroad Revival Tour will now roll into CCNB Amphitheatre in Simpsonville on Monday, Aug. 4 (instead of the former Spartanburg location). Plus, Darius Rucker is joining the lineup. Get tickets.
Number
$3.06 million. That’s how much the City of Greenville approved for tourism events like Artisphere, euphoria, Fall for Greenville, the SC New Play Festival, and Greenville Jazz Festival, funded by the state accommodations tax. City officials say next year’s application process will include pre-meetings and a new points system for scoring requests. (Greenville Journal)
Civic
The Greenville City Council gave initial approval to sell the right-of-way access on South Hudson Street for $241,976. This clears the way for SCDOT to replace the Hudson Street bridge — damaged by Hurricane Helene last fall — with construction now set to start on Thursday, Aug. 7. (Greenville Journal)
Traffic
The City of Greenville wants to acquire parts of West Broad, Butler, West McBee, and Townes Streets from SCDOT to help align street design with Greenville’s urban standards and support neighborhood character and economic growth. The council approved a resolution to submit a request to SCDOT to start the process. (Greenville Journal)
Cause
Today, July 16, 100% of beef brisket sandwich sales at Lewis Barbecue will support disaster relief efforts in Central Texas following the recent floods.
Shop
Angel’s Bookshoppe on Pleasantburg Drive is a hidden haven for rare finds — think 1556 Latin Bibles, first editions of Tolkien, and signed treasures. Owners Angel and Jerry Anderson tell The Post and Courier Greenville it’s never been about money, it’s about what each book represents.
Try This
Your next big event could use some attention. Get a crowd in the room by letting us help you spread the word. Our self-service ad portal can put your event in front of our highly engaged local audience in a matter of two days. Get started now.
Correction
Yesterday’s newsletter incorrectly stated the date of the Greenville Drive’s upcoming Blood Drive — it’s actually happening today, July 16. Head to District 356 at Fluor Field from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. to give back and save lives. Make an appointment.
Category
Eat
🍑 The ultimate SC peach cookbook
You’ve picked (or picked up) your peaches. Now what? | Photo by GVLtoday
A celebration of sweet, savory, and sippable peach creations — from cocktails to cobblers — we’re featuring recipes from top chefs and local restaurants to celebrate our very first Peach Week.
Click the button below for recipes from Soby’s in GVL, Husk in CHS, L’Ostrica in CLT, and even straight from the SC Peach Council in COLA.
The fun doesn’t have to end here. After reading the newsletter, head over to our games page. Games refresh with new challenges every day at 6 a.m. from crossword puzzle to Sudoku to themed word search.
Who remembers when Steve Harvey accidentally crowned Miss Colombia when Miss Philippines was the real Miss Universe in 2015?
Betty Lane Cherry was asked for advice because the trending pop-culture moment was reminiscent of the 1956 Miss World competition, when she thought she had been named Miss World, but within minutes, Miss Germany was crowned, and Cherry was the runner-up.
Her advice? “Hold your head high because you’re going to get opportunities like you’ve never seen before.”
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