How many hot dogs can you eat? The South Carolina resident that puts away the most at the South Carolina Festival of Discovery hot dog contest will walk away with a $500 prize.

The festival is partnering with Skins Hot Dogs, a hot dog restaurant with 10 locations in the upstate including Anderson, Seneca, Mauldin, Greenville, Clemson and Easley. The first Skins opened by Loyd “Skin” Thrasher in Anderson in 1946.

The Festival of Discovery runs July 12-14 in Greenwood. It’s a barbecue competition and a three-day celebration of blues music called the Greenwood Blues Cruise. You can read more about the festival here.
 
This is one eating contest where no world-famous eating champion is going to take the prize. Only South Carolina residents with a valid identification are eligible to enter.

In 12 minutes, contestants will see how many hot dogs they can eat, and they have to eat both the wiener and the bun. The contest is limited to the first 15 entrants. Register in advance by calling Uptown Greenwood at (864) 942-8448.

Here are some other food events planned for July:

* The 54th Lexington County Peach Festival in Gilbert from 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. July 4. This festival includes a peach recipe contest, beauty pageants, arts and crafts, live entertainment and even a Revolutionary War re-enactment. All types of food are available, but this is a celebration of the peach so you can enjoy peach ice cream, peach tea, fresh peaches, peach cobbler and other peach treats.

* Cherokee County celebrates the peach with the S.C. Peach Festival in Gaffney July 12-14. Events include a dessert contest, a parade, carnival rides, a wrestling show and a corn hole tournament.

* The Palmetto Tasty Tomato Festival will be 5-9 p.m. Sunday, July 15, at City Roots urban farm in Columbia. The centerpiece of the event, sponsored by Slow Food Columbia and Sustainable Midlands, is the awarding of the best tomato in several categories.

* The Pageland Watermelon Festival will be Friday and Saturday, July 20-21. The events include a watermelon seed-spitting and watermelon eating contests, along with entertainment, carnival rides and a rodeo.