The 51st Colonial Cup runs at Springdale Race Course on Sunday, November 22, 2026. It closes the National Steeplechase Association season, and the feature race carries a $150,000 purse. For people who live in Camden, the weekend reaches well beyond the racecourse this year. It starts Friday evening at a museum, and Saturday ends with a free street festival on Broad Street. That festival is partly funded by a 5K that is new this year.
The timing matters downtown. The Haigler Hotel at Broad and Rutledge is aiming to open in spring 2027, in time for the Carolina Cup. That makes this November the last race weekend without it, and the in-town part of the weekend is already growing.
Friday opens at the National Steeplechase Museum
The official Colonial Cup schedule calls Friday, November 20 the weekend kickoff. That evening's event is the Bluegrass and Blue Jeans Happy Hour at the National Steeplechase Museum at 5 p.m., with tickets sold in advance. A stable tour that morning at 10:30 benefits the South Carolina Equine Park and includes lunch and transportation.
Friday is light on purpose. Nothing has been scheduled against the happy hour, so the museum gets the town's first evening of race week to itself.
Saturday belongs to the town
Saturday, November 21 is where the 2026 schedule changes. In order:
- 8:00 a.m. The first Rockin' Before the Races 5K, a flat, fast course for runners and walkers of all levels.
- 11:00 a.m. Gates open for the Colonial Cup Polo Celebration, sponsored by the Camden Polo Club and benefiting the Injured Jockeys Fund. Jockeys play Trainers at noon, and the Camden Cup match starts at 3 p.m.
- 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. The Rockin' Before the Races Street Festival at 1050 Broad Street. Mack Fowler & Company perform with guest Elliot Poston, River Rat Classics hosts a classic-car cruise-in, and there is food, games and family activities. Admission is free.
The 5K and the festival are tied together. According to Experience Camden, proceeds from the morning race support the evening festival. One Saturday, two downtown events, and the first pays for the second. A household could run in the morning, watch polo at midday and walk to Broad Street for the music. The 5K and polo have their own registration and tickets, and the evening festival is free.
The Experience Camden calendar also lists a Revolutionary-history program that Saturday, "Remember the Ladies: Backcountry Edition." It isn't billed as a race event, but it gives anyone not interested in horses a reason to be downtown before the festival starts.
Sunday at Springdale, priced out
Sunday is still the main event. Gates open at 9 a.m., and the six-race card runs from 1:00 to 3:55 p.m., roughly every 35 minutes. The feature is the Grade 1 Marion duPont Scott Colonial Cup, a Sport of Kings Hurdle Stakes with a $150,000 purse, out of $310,000 in total purses for the fall meet.
Before the first race, the Corgi races in the infield start at 11:00 a.m. and the Best Dressed contest at 11:30. The TruVista Fiber Kids' Zone opens at 10 a.m. The race organizers' announcement lists face painting, visits with Santa Claus and oversized outdoor games, and children 12 and under get in free.
Here are the 2026 prices from the Colonial Cup tickets and pricing page. The $42 early-bird rate ended October 15, so standard pricing applies now.
| Option | 2026 price | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| General admission, online or card at gate | $52.50 | Kids 12 and under free |
| General admission, cash at gate | $60 | Same ticket, higher price |
| General parking | $21 | Gates 1 and 3 |
| Infield tailgate, Row A to Row D | $262.50 to $157.50 | Two GA tickets included |
| Front Row tailgate | $262.50 or $367.50 | Price depends on space number |
| East Rail | $210 | Two GA tickets included |
| Restricted | $315 | One driving RV up to 35 feet |
| Champions Club | $183.75 adult, $105 child | Requires a separate GA or grandstand ticket |
| Skyline Club | $1,050 couples, $3,150 suite for eight | Open bar, food stations, VIP parking |
The $7.50 gap between paying cash at the gate and buying online is the easiest savings on the table. Every tailgate space comes with two general admission tickets. That means a Row D infield space at $157.50 costs $52.50 more than two people buying general admission online, with a parked spot on the infield in exchange. Hospitality Hill tents run from $2,100 to $5,250 for groups that want a hosted setup. The FAQ says general admission is unlikely to sell out but reserved tailgate spaces are limited.
Gates, grills and the rules that shape a tailgate
The directions and map page lists a gate address for each parking type. Your hangtag tells you which one to use, and there is no re-entry.
- Gate 1: 302 Knights Hill Road, general parking
- Gate 2: 2696 Springdale Drive, VIP parking
- Gate 3: 6009 Liberty Hill Road, general parking
- Gate 6: 2620 Springdale Drive, Restricted parking
- Gate 4 is marked Carolina Cup only and is closed this weekend
The standing rules and regulations shape how a tailgate gets set up. No pets, generators, trailers or drones are allowed, and tents and canopies have to stay inside your reserved space. Charcoal grills, oil fryers, smokers and steamers are also banned. The only cooking equipment allowed is a small propane camp stove with a cylinder under 20 ounces. If your tailgate menu depends on a fryer or smoker, cook it at home and bring it in. The FAQ allows chairs as long as they don't block views or neighboring spaces.
By the Carolina Cup, Broad Street should have a hotel
This year, Saturday night ends on Broad Street and Sunday ends at Springdale. Next spring, the Haigler is meant to give race weekends a gathering place of their own downtown.
The Kershaw County Current reported on October 7 that the $21 million project at Broad and Rutledge is moving toward a spring 2027 opening. Developers are hoping to welcome guests in time for the Carolina Cup. Development partner Philip Woollcott told the paper that construction should be finished by the end of February, and that the team is "cautiously optimistic about hitting our dates." Spring is a target, not a confirmed opening date.
According to the same report, the building will have 50 rooms, with recessed balconies on the fourth floor overlooking downtown, plus about 1,300 square feet of event space for meetings, wedding receptions and rehearsal dinners. Development partner Ben Zeigler told The Current, "We're not coming in to build a big box generic hotel," and said the design will draw on Camden's history and equestrian heritage.
For residents, the restaurant matters more than the rooms. Indigo Road Hospitality Group will run Kirkwood Grill, a 120-seat dining room modeled in part on Ralph Lauren's Polo Bar in New York. It plans to serve dinner seven nights a week and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays, with entrées expected to cost $21 to $28. The menu will include Waldorf salad, lobster club sandwiches and tableside desserts. Indigo Road founder Steve Palmer told The Current, "We want this to be an everyday restaurant that people can enjoy again and again." Woollcott described the lobby as a place to have coffee with a friend, read about local history or play a game of mahjong.
Hiring is expected to start in early November for about 70 jobs, including general manager, executive chef, bartenders and front desk staff. Hiring will be underway while the Colonial Cup crowds are on Broad Street. If the schedule holds, the next race weekend will end at a 120-seat dining room at Broad and Rutledge.
Race weekend shows how much a few downtown blocks can draw on a single Saturday night. If you'd like to know what that means for a home within walking distance of Broad Street, Harcourts Carolinas can prepare a home valuation or schedule a consultation with our team before the spring Carolina Cup.
