Photos by Sean Rayford

Growing up in Maryland, trips to South Carolina had an extra element of excitement. Once you passed Pedro’s stop on the way to Myrtle Beach - it was all sharks teeth, fireworks and taffy. So I thought, at the age of 7. Turns out, I moved here and learned that South Carolina has more than big fish chompers, bombs and sugar.

This post is part of a series, looking at how folks in South Carolina celebrate July 4. You can see more at www.sodacitizen.com

About the author: Sean Rayford is a freelance photojournalist and documentary photographer in Columbia, South Carolina. He currently works regularly with The New York Times, The Associated Press and Getty Images.

Related photo story:

Harper St. Parade (July 4 - Newberry, SC)