Explore family friendly events, theatres, galleries, concerts, nightlife, things to do, and more in the Greenville, SC and Upstate areas.

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Friday, December 19, 2025
Wild Lights
Dec 19 @ 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Riverbanks Zoo

Select Nights Starting November 21  5:00 – 9:00PM

Come experience the magic of Wild Lights at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden!

Stroll through the Zoo and discover over 60 larger-than-life handcrafted wildlife lantern displays inspired by nature. This interactive event showcases stunning illuminations sure to dazzle guests of all ages. Enjoy nightly snowfall, fun activities, photo ops and visits with Santa (through December 23).

Don’t miss this unforgettable experience!

Saturday, December 20, 2025
Wild Lights
Dec 20 @ 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Riverbanks Zoo

Select Nights Starting November 21  5:00 – 9:00PM

Come experience the magic of Wild Lights at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden!

Stroll through the Zoo and discover over 60 larger-than-life handcrafted wildlife lantern displays inspired by nature. This interactive event showcases stunning illuminations sure to dazzle guests of all ages. Enjoy nightly snowfall, fun activities, photo ops and visits with Santa (through December 23).

Don’t miss this unforgettable experience!

Sunday, December 21, 2025
Wild Lights
Dec 21 @ 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Riverbanks Zoo

Select Nights Starting November 21  5:00 – 9:00PM

Come experience the magic of Wild Lights at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden!

Stroll through the Zoo and discover over 60 larger-than-life handcrafted wildlife lantern displays inspired by nature. This interactive event showcases stunning illuminations sure to dazzle guests of all ages. Enjoy nightly snowfall, fun activities, photo ops and visits with Santa (through December 23).

Don’t miss this unforgettable experience!

Monday, December 22, 2025
Wild Lights
Dec 22 @ 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Riverbanks Zoo

Select Nights Starting November 21  5:00 – 9:00PM

Come experience the magic of Wild Lights at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden!

Stroll through the Zoo and discover over 60 larger-than-life handcrafted wildlife lantern displays inspired by nature. This interactive event showcases stunning illuminations sure to dazzle guests of all ages. Enjoy nightly snowfall, fun activities, photo ops and visits with Santa (through December 23).

Don’t miss this unforgettable experience!

Tuesday, December 23, 2025
Wild Lights
Dec 23 @ 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Riverbanks Zoo

Select Nights Starting November 21  5:00 – 9:00PM

Come experience the magic of Wild Lights at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden!

Stroll through the Zoo and discover over 60 larger-than-life handcrafted wildlife lantern displays inspired by nature. This interactive event showcases stunning illuminations sure to dazzle guests of all ages. Enjoy nightly snowfall, fun activities, photo ops and visits with Santa (through December 23).

Don’t miss this unforgettable experience!

Saturday, January 3, 2026
Open Mic Night
Jan 3 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
J Hudson Booksellers

Calling all poets and authors! Hosted by the South Carolina Governor’s School, this monthly open mic night is a great way to showcase your latest writing project.

Open to all, sign up at the event for a 5 minute time slot!

Monday, January 5, 2026
Books Over Drinks with Renae Wilson
Jan 5 @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
J Hudson Booksellers

Delve into foodways of the United States, including testimonies from more than 30 Black chefs, restaurateurs, historians and luminaries, as well as 40 historically-rooted recipes.Equal parts historical exploration and cookbook, this rich narrative reveals the rich and indelible contributions of the Black diaspora in shaping the footprint of American cuisine. If you love Kardea Brown and Toni Tipton-Martin, you do not want to miss this Books Over Drinks with Renae Wilson!

Tuesday, January 6, 2026
In Conversation with Gilbert Allen
Jan 6 @ 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
J Hudson Booksellers

Join us for a free poetry reading and conversation with local poet Gil Allen to celebrate his new collection, Stanzas in America! His conversation partner is fellow poet Claire Bateman.

Thursday, January 8, 2026
Books Over Drinks with Rachel Hawkins
Jan 8 @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
J Hudson Booksellers

The New York Times bestselling author returns with a thrilling new gothic suspense about a Gulf Coast beach motel where hurricane season can be murder. If you love Alice Feeney and Ashley Elston, you do not want to miss Lunch & Lit with Rachel Hawkins!

Wednesday, January 14, 2026
Literary Bingo
Jan 14 @ 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
J Hudson Booksellers

It’s Bookish Game Night at M. Judson! Join us and our friends at the Greenville County Library for a night of Literary Bingo, complete with prizes. Look for this event once a month, for a regular dose of fun.

Sunday, January 18, 2026
Silent Reading Party
Jan 18 @ 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm
J Hudson Booksellers

Enjoy 3 uninterrupted hours of silent reading in the M. Judson Gallery space.

Your ticket includes snacks, beverages, and most importantly: peace and quiet.

Wednesday, January 21, 2026
Books Over Drinks with Ashley Elston
Jan 21 @ 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm
J Hudson Booksellers

A tense, feverish thriller about two women’s lives that are forever intertwined when a murder threatens to expose them both. If you love Riley Sagar and Shari Lapena, you do not want to miss this Books Over Drinks with Ashley Elston and special guest Megan Miranda!

Friday, January 23, 2026
Trae Crowder
Jan 23 @ 8:00 pm
Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium

Trae Crowder first gained international attention (or notoriety depending on your politics) in 2016 for his hugely viral series of “Liberal Redneck” comedic “porch rant” videos. Since then, Trae has written a best-selling book, The Liberal Redneck Manifesto: Draggin Dixie Outta The Dark, toured the country thrice over playing sold out theatre shows under the WellRED Comedy Tour banner, appeared on Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO), Nightline (ABC), The View, Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell (MSNBC), NPR, WTF with Marc Maron, MTV, CNN, Huffington Post and in the Veronica Mars reboot, as “Chattanooga Charlie”, among many others. Initially from rural Celina, TN, Trae now lives in Los Angeles, CA and has developed and sold five scripted pilots for Warner Bros TV, ABC, and FOX and continues to work as a writer. Trae stars in and produces regular sketches for Comedy Central, Funny or Die, ATTN, Facebook Watch, New York Daily News which have garnered tens of millions of views online. 

Tuesday, January 27, 2026
Edgar Allan Poe Talk led by Tim Helwig
Jan 27 @ 7:00 pm
Hughes Main Library

Free admission. This event is a discussion, not an in-character performance. Hughes Main Library and online.

Ernest Hemingway – Novelist, journalist and short story writer,
Hemingway revolutionized all three literary forms, earning him
the 1954 Nobel Prize in Literature. His life was as rebellious and
noteworthy as his writings.

Friday, January 30, 2026
Laugh for a Child 2026
Jan 30 @ 6:30 pm – 10:30 pm
Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium, The Hall

Laugh for a Child 2026 – Celebrating 20 Years of Smiles!
Friday, January 30, 2026 | 6:30 PM | Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium

Join Healthy Smiles of Spartanburg for the 20th Anniversary of Laugh for a Child, Spartanburg’s premier comedy fundraiser benefiting free dental care for local children in need. Enjoy a night of laughter and live entertainment featuring nationally acclaimed comedian Derrick Stroup, Queen City Keys and Uptown Dueling Pianos, plus exciting raffles, prizes, and surprises throughout the evening.

All proceeds support Healthy Smiles’ mission to provide free dental screenings, education, and treatment for children across Spartanburg, Cherokee, and Union Counties.

Tickets and sponsorships are available now at healthysmilesonline.org
.
Don’t miss the funniest night in the ’Burg — where every laugh helps a child smile brighter!

Thursday, April 2, 2026
Comedian and actor Rory Scovel
Apr 2 @ 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Radio Room

Comedian and actor Rory Scovel – a Greenville, S.C. native –will have two hometown shows in his 2026 Know Your Enemy Tour, playing The Radio Room on Thursday, April 2, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. The evening is presented by
Big Spring Entertainment and tickets to both shows on April 2, 2026 are now on sale at
radioroomgreenville.com.

Rory Scovel is an actor, comedian, and writer. His latest comedy special Rory Scovel: Religion, Sex,
and A Few Things In Between released in February, 2024 on Max.

Sunday, September 27, 2026
Taste of the Carolinas Fest
Sep 27 all-day
Drayton Mills

The newest Food + Drink Festival in the Upstate!
Join us for a celebration of local eats, craft drinks, and community vibes