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

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Thursday, December 5, 2019
Rockin’ Winter Photo Contest
Dec 5 @ 8:30 am – 5:30 pm
Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park

Winter can be the most beautiful time of the year at Chimney Rock. Leafless trees make for expansive views of Lake Lure and the Hickory Nut Gorge. The sky is clear; you’re likely to find a quiet spot to sit and enjoy the peacefulness. You may even see a critter scamper by you in the forest. Capture that special moment or scene on your camera, enter it in our Winter Wonders Photo Contest and tell us about it. We’ll use the winning entries on our website and Facebook album, and you’ll win some fun prizes. Photos must be taken within the Chimney Rock section of the Park.
Cost: No additional cost to enter.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1883673098397455/?event_time_id=1883673115064120

“Dressing for the Occasion: Mid-Century Sandburg as Celebrity and Family Man”
Dec 5 @ 9:30 am – 4:30 pm
Carl Sandburg Home

Sandburg Clothing on Exhibit

“Dressing for the Occasion” offers visitors a window into the style, culture, and feel of mid-century America. The family’s clothing and accessories weave together the roles of Carl Sandburg as a prominent writer, celebrity, father, and husband. This temporary exhibit offers an exciting opportunity for the public to view objects that are normally in storage or in the possession of Sandburg family members. Tours of the Sandburg Home are offered daily from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. Tickets are available first come, first served, each day from the visitor information area in the ground level of the Sandburg Home.

Nearly every room in the historically furnished house museum will be included in the exhibit. Visitors will see the characteristic scarves Carl Sandburg wore as he played his guitar and sang folk songs to entertain his family and guests, the dress Lilian Sandburg wore to meet President Lyndon B. Johnson, and many other mid-century pieces worn by the Sandburgs and their daughters. Historic photographs, paired with the clothing, will provide context.

African American Small Business Holiday Pop-Up Shop
Dec 5 @ 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Downtown

Take care of your holiday shopping list with us at our Downtown Spartanburg Holiday Pop-Up Shop! Featuring local African American entrepreneurs and retailers offering a wide variety of gifts.  This unique holiday offering will connect downtown visitors with new gift-buying options while encouraging inclusion and equity in Downtown Spartanburg.

Christmas Lionel Train Scavenger Hunt
Dec 5 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Model Trains Station

Families love Model Trains Station’s Christmas Lionel train display with scavenger hunts set to the theme of “Frozen” and “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer”. Get into the holiday spirit by visiting the snowy mountains near the North Pole or taking a peak at Charlie Brown’s fictional town of Pinetree Corners. There are seven displays running 21 trains with interactive controls for little engineers. Model Trains Station located in Taylors Mill is a family Christmas adventure worth finding.

Fall Foliage Photography Contest
Dec 5 @ 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park

Capture photos of your friends and family members enjoying the vivid hues of fall and enter them into our photo contest. We’ll use the winning entries on our website and Facebook album, and you’ll win some fun prizes. Photos must be taken within the Chimney Rock section of the Park.

No additional costs to enter.

The first-place winner will receive an overnight getaway to Hickory Nut Gorge with a stay at the Historic 1927 Lake Lure Inn & Spa, two passes to the Park, brunch for two at the Historic 1927 Lake Lure Inn & Spa and two tickets for a tour with Lake Lure Boat Tours.

The contest’s second-place winner will receive two passes to the Park, lunch for two at the Old Rock Cafe and two tickets for a tour with Lake Lure Boat Tours.

Chimney Rock’s Facebook followers will select the People’s Choice Award winner. Followers will have a week to like and share their favorite photo from an album of Winter Photo Contest entries posted on the Park’s Facebook page at facebook.com/chimneyrockparknc. The People’s Choice Award Winner will receive two passes to the Park, lunch for two at Old Rock Cafe and their photo will be featured on the Park’s Facebook page.

Shutterbugs interested in capturing Mother Nature’s wintry beauty can do so by entering Friday through Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the Park’s winter hours.

All entries must be submitted to [email protected] or to the Parks’ Facebook page through Facebook messenger.

https://www.facebook.com/events/354841472011965/?event_time_id=354841552011957

Open Doors Artists Collective Art Exhibit
Dec 5 @ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Artists Collective
The Utley Collection of Brass Instruments
Dec 5 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Carolina Music Museum

The exhibit features selected pieces from one of the world’s finest collections of over 600 historic brass instruments from the Joe and Joella Utley Collection of Spartanburg, SC. In collaboration with the National Music Museum (NMM) in Vermillion, South Dakota, which will soon house the Utley Collection, Dr. Sabine Klaus, curator of the Utley Collection, worked closely with Tom Strange, Curator and Artistic Director of the Carolina Music Museum to prepare the exhibit.
Tuesday – Saturday 10-5 Sunday 1-5

United Community Bank Ice on Main
Dec 5 @ 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Village Green

United Community Bank Ice on Main, located in the heart of downtown Greenville, is an open-air ice skating rink. Since 2011, more than 86,000 skaters and countless spectators have enjoyed Greenville’s favorite holiday tradition.

 

Come out from November through January every year, to celebrate the holiday season with one of America’s favorite winter traditions – ice skating!

Operating Hours

Monday – Thursday: 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Friday: 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Saturday: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

School Break Hours

Saturday, December 21 – Sunday, January 5:
11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Holiday Hours

Wednesday, Nov. 27: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 28: 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 29: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Christmas Eve: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Christmas Day: CLOSED
New Year’s Eve: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
New Year’s Day: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Sunday, January 19: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Martin Luther King Day/Closing Day: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Greenville Scavenger Hunt
Dec 5 @ 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
220 N Main St, Greenville, SC 29601, United States

Forget tourist-filled museums, make your own memories with a photo scavenger hunt tour in Greenville! On a Let’s Roam scavenger hunt, you and your team will work together to wander throughout Greenville, racking up points and laughs along the way. Greenville Adventure is the perfect small group activity for anyone looking to spend an enjoyable afternoon in Greenville.

Some of the more memorable landmarks you’ll see are: NOMA Square, Swamp Rabbit Trail, Greenville Drive Baseball Stadium, Baseball Library..

Let’s Roam scavenger hunts work great for outdoor team building games in Greenville too! Whether you work in Greenville or are just visiting, you are sure to learn some new facts about the city as well as your teammates on this creative corporate event! This is one of the happiest hours your team will spend together!

Fear not, maids of honor, these hunts are sure fire ideas for Greenville bachelorette parties! Bachelors and bachelorettes will both enjoy roaming around on their wedding-themed Greenville scavenger hunts. Why just bar hop when you and your team can jump for joy as you complete hilarious photo challenges and see the best that Greenville has to offer!

Looking to check out a different part of the city? Check out Downtown Asheville Scavenger Hunt, Classic City Culture & History, and Lap Around Charlotte as well!

Here is some more info about this hunt:

Follow the Blue Ridge Mountains and you’ll find one of South Carolina’s most picturesque cities. On this fun-filled Greenville scavenger hunt, explore the storied buildings, great green spaces and cultural institutions.Is there a waterfall in NOMA Square? Who left their sox in the baseball stadium? Find out on this scavenger hunt of Greenville!

A Flat Rock Playhouse Christmas
Dec 5 @ 2:00 pm
Leiman Mainstage at Flat Rock Playhouse
A Flat Rock Playhouse Christmas
Dec 5 @ 2:00 pm
Leiman Mainstage at Flat Rock Playhouse
Thursday Hoppy Hour
Dec 5 @ 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm
RJ Rockers Brewery

Join us every Thursday from 3-7pm for Hoppy Hour at RJ Rockers Brewery & The Silo. Your first beer is on us with the purchase of a food item and cans are $3 each. Yes, we said FREE BEER. #SeeYouAtSilo #BrewedInTheBURG

https://www.facebook.com/events/394065761405530/?event_time_id=394065901405516

THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride
Dec 5 @ 5:00 pm – 6:15 pm
Bryson City Depot

About This Trip

Over 90,000 guests rode THE POLAR EXPRESS™ with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in 2018 and we hope to see you in 2019! The 1¼ hour round-trip excursion comes to life as the train departs the Bryson City depot for a journey through the quiet wilderness for a special visit at the North Pole. Set to the sounds of the motion picture soundtrack, guests on board will enjoy warm cocoa and a treat while listening and reading along with the magical story. Children’s faces show the magic of the season when the train arrives at the North Pole to find Santa Claus waiting. Santa will board THE POLAR EXPRESS™, greeting each child and presenting them with a special gift as in the story, their own silver sleigh bell. Christmas carols will be sung as they return back to the Bryson City Depot.

THE POLAR EXPRESS™ begins November 8, 2019, and operates through December 31, 2019.

Semi-Wild Women’s Night
Dec 5 @ 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards

Ladies, please join us the first Thursday of every month** for great wine, great friends, and lots of fun!

**July’s event will not be held because of the 4th.

https://www.facebook.com/events/2190909954570744/?event_time_id=2190909981237408

Balsam Range Art of Music Festival Kickoff
Dec 5 @ 6:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Folkmoot Center

Tickets for Balsam Range Art of Music Festival Kickoff in Waynesville from ShowClix

For the second year, Balsam Range opens its December Art of Music Festival with an official Waynesville kickoff at the Queen Auditorium, at Folkmoot Center in the Historic Hazelwood School.

Members of Balsam Range will be joined by a strong lineup of special guests to launch their popular weekend festival with a performance on Thursday, December 5.

In a special night honoring the art of songwriting, Balsam Range welcomes John Wiggins, Milan Miller, Aaron Bibelhauser and Missy Armstrong, and adds an appearance by Terry Baucom, a founding member of Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, IIIrd Tyme Out and Boone Creek, and current leader of his band The Dukes of Drive.

Balsam Range will follow the songwriters with its own performance, and will give a sneak-peek of some material from its upcoming album (Note: no recording devices allowed in the auditorium). In addition, Balsam Range’s Marc Pruett will sign copies of his new autobiography “Rascally Mountain Boy”, and may share a tale of two from the book.

The event begins with a social gathering at 6pm, with barbeque and fresh beer available for purchase.

Tickets are $25 in advance, $28 at the door, and can be purchased in advance at Folkmoot.org or by calling 828.452.2997. Tickets sales and contributions support Folkmoot programs that sustain cultural arts for youth and families in Western North Carolina.

Food will be available at the event:
BBQ chopped pork with a choice of 2 sides from; slaw, beans or collards: $12.00
Peach Cobbler: $3.00

Serving: 5:30pm-7:00pm

Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland
Dec 5 @ 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Tryon International Equestrian Center

Shadrack's Christmas Wonderland

Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland presented by Ingles
Tryon Resort is thrilled to be the newest location on the Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland circuit. This two-mile journey weaves through hundreds of thousands of animated Christmas lights coordinated to music for an estimated 30 minutes of holiday enchantment. The Wonderland also features giant, custom-built displays of Santa and his pals on vacation in the mountains, hang gliding, rock climbing, ice fishing, lounging around the campfire, and more. This playful portion of the show is sure to please everyone, young to old.

The tour finishes in Tryon Resort’s Winterfest Village filled with more fun for the whole family. The tour is $25 per carload with additional pricing for group vans and buses available. Tickets are available online in advance or at the exhibit entrance, and discount tickets are available at any Ingles location. Tours are self-driven and open from 6pm-10pm seven days a week beginning November 15, 2019 and ending on January 5, 2020.

An Evening of Foxfire Cuisine: A Tasting & Book Signing
Dec 5 @ 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Fiction Addiction

Join us for an evening sponsored by Slow Food Upstate as we re-connect with our Appalachian cooking heritage. Each ticket includes a copy of the revised edition of The Foxfire Book of Appalachian Cookery, and a tasting sampler prepared by Adam’s Mobile Market based on recipes from the book. Foxfire’s Executive Director and editor of the revised cookbook, T.J. Smith, will be available to sign books. Vegetarian and gluten-free meals will be available upon request as supplies last.

The menu includes:

– Butternut Squash Soup with Sorghum Syrup (p.164) and Pickled Apples (p.69)
– Stewed Hog Cheek (p.80) with “Riz Biscuits” (p.155) and Addies Chow Chow (p.68)
– Bakers Creek Mill Yellow Grits (p.150), Fried Green Tomatoes (p.52) and Horseradish Cream

Irish Session at Triskelion
Dec 5 @ 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Triskelion Brewing Company

Irish Session at Triskelion!
( Every first and third Thursday of the month)

A session is a community celebration of traditional Celtic Music and an exploration of a vast, colorful, musical world that originates from Ireland, Scotland and the other Celtic nations.

The tunes start at 6:30 and the final set will finish by 8:30; every first and third Thursday of the month.

All skill levels are welcome, beginners are invited and it is free to the public. We will mainly be playing dance tunes from the Irish music tradition, but certainly not strictly!

If you are interested in playing traditional Celtic music, please come join us!

https://www.facebook.com/events/137638900463983/?event_time_id=137638977130642

THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride
Dec 5 @ 6:30 pm – 7:45 pm
Bryson City Depot

About This Trip

Over 90,000 guests rode THE POLAR EXPRESS™ with the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in 2018 and we hope to see you in 2019! The 1¼ hour round-trip excursion comes to life as the train departs the Bryson City depot for a journey through the quiet wilderness for a special visit at the North Pole. Set to the sounds of the motion picture soundtrack, guests on board will enjoy warm cocoa and a treat while listening and reading along with the magical story. Children’s faces show the magic of the season when the train arrives at the North Pole to find Santa Claus waiting. Santa will board THE POLAR EXPRESS™, greeting each child and presenting them with a special gift as in the story, their own silver sleigh bell. Christmas carols will be sung as they return back to the Bryson City Depot.

THE POLAR EXPRESS™ begins November 8, 2019, and operates through December 31, 2019.

True Home Open Mic at Flood Gallery
Dec 5 @ 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Flood Gallery

Uncensored expression: anyone is invited to step up to share song, music, poetry, comedy, rants & raves!

The most eclectic open mic around, in a welcoming gallery setting! 6 pm signup, perform 6:30-8:30 pm.