Winter Lights is a spectacular open-air walk-through light show made from over one million lights! Located at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville, North Carolina, this year’s event features favorites like the famously tall 50-foot lighted tree and the Quilt Garden, along with enchanting new details designed to delight and surprise. All prices are per vehicle. No pets allowed.

Winter Lights features live entertainment nightly and food and beverages from the Bent Creek Bistro, the Cocoa Shack and the Cocoa Cabin! Open nightly from 6:00 – 10:00 p.m.

Join us at the Greenville Convention Center January 15-16 for the Garage, Shed, Carport Builder Show. The Garage, Shed & Carport Builder Show brings suppliers and manufacturers together, so builders of special-use residential structures can find the materials and services they need all in one place.

WEDNESDAY 1/15/2025
11:30 AM – 5:30 PM
— HAPPY HOUR: —
4:30PM – 6:00PM

THURSDAY 1/16/2025
8:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Event Held: Woodside Conference Center

Parking off Eisenhower Drive.

Join us at the Greenville Convention Center January 15-16 for the Garage, Shed, Carport Builder Show. The Garage, Shed & Carport Builder Show brings suppliers and manufacturers together, so builders of special-use residential structures can find the materials and services they need all in one place.

WEDNESDAY 1/15/2025
11:30 AM – 5:30 PM
— HAPPY HOUR: —
4:30PM – 6:00PM

THURSDAY 1/16/2025
8:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Event Held: Woodside Conference Center

Parking off Eisenhower Drive.

AI is rapidly transforming workplaces, but understanding how to use it effectively and sustainably is essential. This 1-hour online workshop by Nature Investigations covers the basics of integrating AI in environmental education, however, this basic training would be useful for anyone interested in learning the basics of how to use AI. The workshop will include training language models, creating effective prompts, and applying your expertise to refine outputs. After covering the basics, we’ll discuss the environmental implications of using AI.

Introductory Chair Yoga workshop (no experience required!) Saturday April 12th, 1-4pm at Yogaunme Studio in Spartanburg, SC. (virtual option also) designed to help you feel better, reduce stress, and improve flexibility—no matter your lifestyle or physical ability! Whether you’re new to yoga or looking for a more accessible or versatile practice, this workshop is for you!
What to expect:
–The benefits of chair yoga & how to adopt it any lifestyle or physical ability.
–How chair yoga can help you feel better by decreasing stress & stiffness in the body.
–Experience a range of chair yoga poses & exercises for a variety of situations – including sitting, standing, and using the chair as a prop.
–Take home resources & sample practice guides for making chair yoga part of your daily life.
Details:
 Wear comfortable clothes that allow movement.
 Tea & snacks provided. Bring your own water bottle.
Online Participants: Set up a quiet space with a sturdy chair (no wheels or arms) and at least 3 feet of open space around you. You’ll have interactive opportunities with live video or chat.

Don’t miss this chance to explore how chair yoga can transform your well-being. Sign up today!

Register at https://yogaunme.com/event

During this FREE workshop, parents and caregivers will learn new skills to help avoid problems and teach children to behave responsibly during shopping trips.

All in-person participants will receive a free $10 gas gift card. Dinner will be provided.

During the FREE workshop, we will discuss and learn new potty-training strategies to make the process go more smoothly.

All in-person participants will receive a free $10 gas gift card. Doughnuts and juice will be provided.

During this FREE workshop, learn new strategies to teach kids how to clean up and keep a consistent schedule. Discuss ways to reward good behavior and use assertive discipline for misbehavior.

All in-person participants will receive a free $10 gas gift card. Dinner will be provided.

Date: Sunday, July 13, 2025
Location: Croft State Park SHELTER #1
Address: 450 Croft State Park Rd, Spartanburg, SC 29302
Time: 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM (this time frame is extended to allow everyone to complete a basket. You may finish much earlier based on your skill set).
Note: Camp Croft State Park’s Shelter #1 has tire swings, an open area for exploring and restrooms within walking distance.
Cost: $50 per participant (recommended ages 8+)
Purchase your tickets here: https://carolinabamboo.org/product/tickets-basket-weaving-workshop-bamboo-kudzu-kuboo-baskets-july-13-2025/?preview=true

Get wild and “embrace the invase” in this kudzu/bamboo= “KuBoo” Basket Weaving class! Get to know split bamboo and kudzu as weaving materials. Learn how to harvest and strip a kudzu vine. Engage with refined, hand-crafted split bamboo. Weave the Kudzu and Bamboo together to create your own personalized and unique KuBoo basket!

We will provide baubles and decorations for you to choose from to make your basket unique. Many of these embellishments will be made of bamboo, including beads and buttons made from canes and rhizomes.
We will also provide all weaving materials, including split bamboo that has been “defanged”, meaning: The edges of all split bamboo materials will be processed beforehand using the traditional Japanese habatori, mentori and senbiki methods. These techniques remove the sharp edges and splinters from split bamboo. Our refined split bamboo will make weaving with bamboo more enjoyable, manageable and easier on the hands. Watch our YouTube video for a quick visual overview of these three processes here: https://youtu.be/omEk3KkTLFk

While we weave, Aaron will be available for a Q&A session about bamboo. Bamboo is a mysterious plant to many. Ask Aaron questions to learn more about bamboo while you weave.

What to bring:
A water bottle
A “Can-do” attitude!

We will provide:
Electric industrial fans
All crafting and weaving materials and tools

Camp Croft State Park’s Shelter #1 has tire swings, an open area for exploring and restrooms within walking distance.

Additional Cost: Croft State Park is over 7000 acres and offers everything from a playground to hiking and biking trails. As a state park, there is an admission fee: $3 for adults over the age of 15, $1.50 for seniors, $1 for kids ages 6-15, and free for children age 5 and under. This admission fee is NOT included in your ticket price and must be paid separately upon entry into Croft State Park. Note: You may choose to avoid this fee by requesting a SC State Parks Passport from your local library. If you choose this option, we recommend making a request for this item a few weeks in advance before the class, due to possible high demand and low availability.

Does your child say they’ve got it—then nothing gets done?

If you’ve been navigating the ups and downs of routines, reminders, and motivation, this free 90-minute workshop offers tools and encouragement to help you support your child with more ease.

We’ll Cover:
– What executive function really is (and why so many teens struggle with it).
– 5 practical tools to boost independence, motivation, and focus.
– How to reduce conflict without just “getting tougher.”
– Access to our Executive Function Toolkit.
– A simple plan you can actually stick to this semester.

Perfect for parents of kids ages 10 to early 20s navigating ADHD, executive function challenges, or focus issues.

This is a supportive, skill-building workshop rooted in coaching—not therapy or diagnosis. Just real tools for real life.

Hosted by Carolina ADHD Coaching

Does your child say they’ve got it—then nothing gets done?

If you’ve been navigating the ups and downs of routines, reminders, and motivation, this free 90-minute workshop offers tools and encouragement to help you support your child with more ease.

We’ll Cover:
– What executive function really is (and why so many teens struggle with it).
– 5 practical tools to boost independence, motivation, and focus.
– How to reduce conflict without just “getting tougher.”
– Access to our Executive Function Toolkit.
– A simple plan you can actually stick to this semester.

Perfect for parents of kids ages 10 to early 20s navigating ADHD, executive function challenges, or focus issues.

This is a supportive, skill-building workshop rooted in coaching—not therapy or diagnosis. Just real tools for real life.

Hosted by Carolina ADHD Coaching

Date: Saturday, August 9, 2025
Location: Croft State Park SHELTER #3
Address: 450 Croft State Park Rd, Spartanburg, SC 29302
Time: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM (this time frame is extended to allow everyone to complete a basket. You may finish much earlier based on your skill set).
Note: Camp Croft State Park’s Shelter #3 has restrooms within walking distance and a hilltop view of the forest overlooking Lake Craig.
Cost: $50 per participant (recommended ages 8+)
Purchase your tickets here: https://carolinabamboo.org/product/kuboo-basket-weaving-saturday-august-9-2025/
Get wild and “embrace the invase” in this kudzu/bamboo= “KuBoo” Basket Weaving class! Get to know split bamboo and kudzu as weaving materials. Learn how to harvest and strip a kudzu vine. Engage with refined, hand-crafted split bamboo. Weave the Kudzu and Bamboo together to create your own personalized and unique KuBoo basket!

We will provide baubles and decorations for you to choose from to make your basket unique. Many of these embellishments will be made of bamboo, including beads and buttons made from canes and rhizomes.
We will also provide all weaving materials, including split bamboo that has been “defanged”, meaning: The edges of all split bamboo materials will be processed beforehand using the traditional Japanese habatori, mentori and senbiki methods. These techniques remove the sharp edges and splinters from split bamboo. Our refined split bamboo will make weaving with bamboo more enjoyable, manageable and easier on the hands. Watch our YouTube video for a quick visual overview of these three processes here: https://youtu.be/omEk3KkTLFk

While we weave, Aaron will be available for a Q&A session about bamboo. Bamboo is a mysterious plant to many. Ask Aaron questions to learn more about bamboo while you weave.

What to bring:
A water bottle
A “Can-do” attitude!

We will provide:
Electric industrial fans
All crafting and weaving materials and tools

Camp Croft State Park’s Shelter #3 has restrooms within walking distance and a hilltop view of the forest overlooking Lake Craig.

Additional Cost: Croft State Park is over 7000 acres and offers everything from a playground to hiking and biking trails. As a state park, there is an admission fee: $3 for adults over the age of 15, $1.50 for seniors, $1 for kids ages 6-15, and free for children age 5 and under. This admission fee is NOT included in your ticket price and must be paid separately upon entry into Croft State Park. Note: You may choose to avoid this fee by requesting a SC State Parks Passport from your local library. If you choose this option, we recommend making a request for this item a few weeks in advance before the class, due to possible high demand and low availability.

Friday, August 22 at 12:30

Chapman Cultural Center

The Last Train Robber

Did You Know America’s Last Train Robber Lived Out His Years in Spartanburg, SC?

He never meant to rob a moving train—or get caught in a shootout just blocks from the White House. But it really happened.

Climb aboard with author Wilson Casey to hear the firsthand account of the last moving train robbery in American history. In Bedlam on the W. Virginia Rails, Casey shares the incredible true story of Luman “Lu” Ramsdell, as told by the train robber himself. Dubbed “The B&O Zoot Suit Bandits” by the national press, Lu and his gang became infamous for their violent 1949 heist.

Lunch and Learn is sponsored by the Chapman Cultural Center

There are a limited number of seats, be sure to register in advance (even members!)

Admission: $5 for non-members / Free for SCHA members.

Don’t forget to bring your lunch!

Back by popular demand, the third Annual Mountain Monarch Festival will be at Gorges State Park in Sapphire on Saturday, Oct. 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This free event, hosted by the park and sponsored by the Friends of Gorges State Park and other partners, will celebrate the monarch butterfly during its migration and raise awareness about the species’ declining numbers. The park lies along the monarchs’ migratory route. The butterflies can be seen in early October each year flying over the park, heading south to the high-elevation fir forests in central-southern Mexico’s Volcanic Belt, where they overwinter until early spring.

The festival will offer educational programs and exhibits as well as children’s crafts, face painting by Brevard College cheerleaders, a butterfly hike, and a Monarch Migration Passport to guide visitors through the activities. The featured speakers will be Heyward Douglas, an entomologist who is a former naturalist and has served on the Foothills Trail Conservancy’s board of directors since 1989, who will talk about visiting the wintering area for the monarchs in Mexico, and Brian Bockhahn, interpretation and education specialist for North Carolina State Parks, who will discuss “Monarch Life Cycle and Tagging.”

The event, activities and programs are free and open to the public. The event will be held rain or shine and is first-come, first-served. For event details, visit https://www.friendsofgorges.org

This is a one-hour immersive ceremony where sound and skin art unfold in real time.

As Callie Adams plays crystal singing bowls live, the space is filled with vibration and intention. Henna artist Art Nehart tunes into the energy, creating intuitive designs flowing like vines across the skin.

You may choose to receive henna or simply rest in the sonic field.
All participants are held in a space of beauty, breath, and belonging.

To preserve the intimacy of this offering, advance registration is required.
Henna adornment is limited and walk-ins are not available.