For many of us, our time spent in nature can be restful, comforting, healing, and inspiring. Nature Therapy, which is based on the Japanese practice of Shinrin Yoku, enhances this experience by encouraging us to relax, slow down, be in the moment, and gently focus on the natural world.

On this leisurely Nature Therapy walk through the Preserve, you will be able to escape the demands of everyday life, engage with your senses, and perhaps encounter nature in a slightly different way. Marie McIntyre, a certified Association of Nature & Forest Therapy guide, will offer a series of “invitations” designed to help each person in the group create their own unique individual Nature Therapy experience.

The 2024 Hub City Hog Fest, a barbecue contest to benefit Mobile Meals of Spartanburg, will take place on April 12th and 13th. The City of Spartanburg will block off several roads downtown around Morgan Square to accommodate the dozens of cook teams that will compete in this annual BBQ competition.

On Friday, April 12th, entrance into the event from noon to 5 p.m. is FREE. After 5 p.m., wristbands must be purchased for $5 each. On Saturday, April 13th, from noon to 9 p.m., $5 wristbands must be purchased. Children 10 and under are admitted free. There will be chicken wing samples from the competition teams available from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday evening. The samples of the competition teams’ barbecue and ribs are ONLY AVAILABLE from noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday.

Vendors will be on site selling BBQ all weekend. Hog Bucks must be used to purchase food from vendors and to sample BBQ from competition teams (while supplies last).

SC Arms Collectors Association Gun & Knife Show – Hall 1 – Parking off Exposition Drive

Join us on April 20th at Trailblazer Park for a reunion unlike any other!

Come enjoy delicious BBQ bites from some amazing local and guest pitmasters and chefs, live music, unlimited beverages, artisan market, great company and experience the joy of coming together as a community for an incredible cause – IDefine.

Over 30 pitmasters and chefs will be joining together as teams to cook over 15 different BBQ dishes! Each one of our amazing menu items created by our talented chefs will be ALL-INCLUSIVE, so you can eat and enjoy all day long!

ONE ticket price gets you FOUR hours of all the BBQ you can enjoy AND unlimited beverages!

SC Arms Collectors Association Gun & Knife Show – Hall 1 – Parking off Exposition Drive

The event features a 0.4-mile-walk around Conestee Park, food, music, local vendors who serve the community, and activities for children. Strides for GAPS is the organization’s largest fundraiser providing the Upstate community the opportunity to celebrate people living with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) while raising vital funds to further the GAPS mission.

Are you looking for an excuse to knit or crochet for a good cause? Help make baby hats and blankets and adult hats, scarves, and slippers to support at-risk newborns and homeless adults.  Your handmade knitwear will keep our neighbors warm.  Volunteers with basic skills in knitting or crocheting are welcome. Please bring your own needles or crochet hooks and a pattern.

Check out Knit-n-Give on WLOS: http://wlos.com/news/only-on-wloscom/close-knit-group-of-women-use-their-talents-to-help-asheville-charities

Participants in the Kids Classic play 27 holes of golf consisting of Better Ball, Captain’s Choice, and Modified-Alternate Shot at one of six premium courses, as well as enjoy lunch on the course and a post tournament awards ceremony and dinner at Greenville Country Club. Locations include the Cliffs at Keowee Falls, Cliffs Valley, Green Valley Country Club, Greenville Country Club Riverside, Smithfield’s Country Club, and the Walker Course at Clemson University.

Funds raised from the annual tournament go towards continuing the vision of Dr. Meyer and supporting the nonprofit’s mission of providing education and intensive therapy services to empower children with disabilities to reach their maximum potential.

To register and learn about sponsorship opportunities, visit:
www.meyercenter.org/kids-classic

Our Upstate’s Premier Garden Party! We look forward to this year’s signature fundraising event with an elegant, celebrated garden party including cocktails, an irresistible gourmet dinner by Cribbs Catering. Plus you can bid on the finest selection of both live and silent auction items from local artisans, shops, and individuals and the most fun trips around!

Chopped in the Burg is a fundraiser where local chefs compete to create a dish using locally sourced ingredients in a race against the clock. Our Seed to Table program, which teaches agricultural and nutrition education to Spartanburg youth from grades K-5, is supported by this fundraiser. We provide hands-on education at the school gardens we build and maintain to teach children about sustainable agriculture and empower them to make healthy food choices.

Join us for a sizzling celebration of flavor, fun, and fundraising at the annual Cribbs Kitchen Burger Cook-Off! This exciting event brings together local chefs, grilling enthusiasts, and community members in a friendly competition to create the ultimate burger, all while supporting children battling cancer.

This is our 9th year for the annual Cribbs Kitchen Burger Cook-Off and our biggest yet! With 17 teams prepared to show us what they’ve got, it’s an event you won’t want to miss. Come hungry and prepared to try all the teams’ delicious sliders so YOU can help choose the BEST burger in Spartanburg!

Presale tickets will be available on ChildrensCancerPartners.org starting on April 1.

Remember: all proceeds benefit children battling cancer and their families in our community through Children’s Cancer Partners of the Carolinas!

Follow us on Facebook @CribbsBurgerCookOff and Instagram: @BurgerCookOff

WHEN:
Saturday, May 4, 2024
12:00 pm – until the burgers sell out (~5 pm)

WHERE:
The Corner of W Main Street and Daniel Morgan Ave.
Downtown Spartanburg

We’ve heard your valuable feedback, and now you don’t have to hear us! Beginning May 4, 2021, the period between 8 and 10 a.m. on the first Tuesday morning of every month will be reserved for “Meditative Mornings,” a pause for quiet time in our gardens and on our trails. During this time, our working garden crew will abstain from using leaf blowers, mowers and other equipment so you can be sure to enjoy the sounds of birds and the wind in the trees.

Take advantage of half-price parking on the first Tuesday of every month and come out to the Arboretum to enjoy a Meditative Morning!

Join the South Carolina Wildlife Federation at Hotel Domestique’s Restaurant 17 in Travelers Rest near Greenville for a six-course conservation dinner featuring dishes inspired by imperiled bird species created by Chef Haydn Shaak, a 2022 South Carolina Chef Ambassador. This year’s featured species include the Eastern meadowlark, the little blue heron, the Eastern screech owl, the brown-headed nuthatch, the red-winged blackbird, and of course, the roseate spoonbill, whose conservation story inspired this dinner series. As each course is served, SCWF Industry Habitat Manager Jay Keck will share information about each species and the conservation efforts needed to help them thrive.

This convivial evening will not disappoint! Purchase your tickets early to ensure you can join us for this deliciously informative conservation dinner. All funds raised will benefit conservation and education programs of SCWF.

Join Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Upstate for the 4th Annual Feast For Kids’ Sake.  Dray Bar & Grill in Spartanburg is hosting a Chef’s Dinner & Wine Tasting on Thursday, May 9th, at 6:30 PM, to raise funds for creating and supporting one-to-one mentoring relationships for underserved children and youth right here in our community. 

Other activities include a silent auction and door prizes.

The doggos are taking over the Yard! Dog parents, dog-friendly business owners, dog-based non-profits–basically dog enthusiasts of every stripe–are descending on FR8yard every 1st and 3rd Wednesday this Spring for live music, awesome eats & drinks, and more! We’ll issue you a $5 PUP BUCK just for bringing out your four-legged-friends … and proceeds from our special Pooch Hooch Cocktails, courtesy of Tito’s, will be benefitting the Spartanburg Humane Society. Did we mention free dog treats??? So, come join us for our Hump Day Yappy Hours and don’t forget to bring your fur babies!