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

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Wednesday, October 5, 2022
Biltmore House Rooftop Tour
Oct 5 @ 10:30 am
Biltmore Estate

Limited Capacity: 12 Guests per Tour
A truly memorable experience featuring rare photo opportunities, this exclusive guided tour offers a behind-the-scenes look at the design and construction of Biltmore House in areas unavailable on the regular house visit. Imagine yourself a Vanderbilt (or cherished Vanderbilt guest) as you take in stunning views seen only from the house’s rooftop and balconies.

Advance reservation required. Tour includes 250 stairs with no elevator access. Wheelchairs, strollers, and baby backpacks are prohibited. Backpacks are not allowed on any guided tours. Guests are required to leave backpacks in a locker or in their vehicle. To participate in this tour, guest must have a daytime ticket, a Biltmore Annual Pass, or a stay at one of the estate’s splendid overnight properties.

Diesel Train Moonshine Experience
Oct 5 @ 10:30 am – 3:00 pm
Great Smoky Mountain Railroad

Carolina Shine Moonshine Experience

“Shine and Dine” on the railway! We cordially invite you to hop on board The Carolina Shine, GSMR’s All-Adult First Class Moonshine Car! We will be proudly serving hand crafted, triple-distilled, craft moonshine. Some of the smoothest tasting moonshine in the Carolinas!

Offered on the Nantahala Gorge excursion, this shine and dine experience begins in a renovated First Class train fleet car, The Carolina Shine. The interior features copper lined walls filled with the history of moonshining in North Carolina. Learn about the proud tradition that the Appalachians established when bootlegging was an acceptable way of life and local home brews were the best in town. Read about Swain County’s very own Major Redmond, the most famous mountain moonshine outlaw of the 19th century.

Once your appetite for knowledge is satisfied, enjoy sample tastings of flavors like Apple Pie, Blackberry, Blueberry, Cherry, Peach, and Strawberry moonshine. If the samples are not enough, there will be plenty of Moonshine infused cocktails like Copper Cola or Moonshiner’s Mimosa available for purchase. GSMR is excited to feature multiple craft NC based distilleries to serve our guests only the best! Each jar is handcrafted and authentically infused with real fruit, the way moonshine was meant to be made.

Passengers will also enjoy a full service All-Adult First Class ride with an attendant and our popular Cajun seasoned Pulled Pork BBQ with Sweet Baby Ray’s sauce cooked in our special spices and slow roasted to perfection! During the month of October, 9am departures will feature the option of a delicious Cheesy Shrimp & Grits or Cheesy Ham Hash Brown Casserole while 2pm departures will be served the popular BBQ meal.

Nantahala Gorge Diesel Train Experience
Oct 5 @ 10:30 am – 3:00 pm
Great Smoky Mountains Railroad Depot

TAKE A TRAIN RIDE ALONG SIDE THE BEAUTIFUL NANTAHALA RIVER ON OUR NANTAHALA GORGE EXCURSION! DEPARTING FROM BRYSON CITY, THIS 4½ HOUR ROUNDTRIP EXCURSION CARRIES YOU 44 MILES TO THE NANTAHALA GORGE AND BACK AGAIN ARRIVING AT OUR BRYSON CITY DEPOT.

Ride this excursion via Steam or Diesel locomotive power!

Enjoy the sights and sounds of the Great Smoky Mountains while traveling along the Tennessee and Nantahala (nan-tuh-HAY-luh) River. The historic trellis bridge Fontana Trestle takes you across Fontana Lake and into the beautiful Nantahala Gorge. Onboard dining is available in First Class Seating and selecting from our  First Class Dinning menu options OR you can pre-purchase a box lunch option to make this an amazing unique moving dining experience. Arrive at our layover destination in the heart of the Nantahala Gorge for a one-hour layover where you can relax by the river or enjoy sightseeing!

Complimentary Wine Tastings Biltmore
Oct 5 @ 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Biltmore Estate

Capacity is limited.
Tasting room by reservation only. Make reservations in-person on the day of your Winery visit.

To participate in this activity, guest must have a daytime ticket, a Biltmore Annual Pass, or a stay at one of the estate’s splendid overnight properties.

Reservations are required for all wine tastings and must be made on the day of your visit. Because our complimentary wine tastings fill up quickly, we recommend you reserve your tasting when you arrive for your visit.

Music Sandwiched In Cellosmith
Oct 5 @ 12:15 pm – 1:00 pm
Spartanburg County Public Library

Cellosmith

Join Ben Smith and explore the enchantingly resonant and voice-like sound of the cello. Ben Smith has played in the Spartanburg Philharmonic for many years and has music degrees from Florida State University and the University of Miami. He is always looking for new musical adventures–from well-trodden paths (classical) to some less explored ones (pop, traditional, jazz, etc).

Learn more about Cellosmith.

NEED TO KNOW INFO

Blood Knot
Oct 5 @ 2:00 pm
Flat Rock Playhouse

Introducing: The Black Box Series

You’ve never experienced a play on The Rock like this before! Join us for an exciting new series where the audience and artists share the stage together for an intimate and immersive theatre experience. The Black Box Series will feature contemporary works, classics, and stories and playwrights from around the globe.  Be among the first to join us on this new and exciting theatrical journey!

 show contain adult language and content.

Introducing: The Black Box
                Series. Blood Knot. Sept. 16 - Oct. 9.

Like all the best plays, Blood Knot is both relatable and searingly intimate. And like all the best plays, it will get under your skin. It is a play that asks us to dig beneath the surface of what makes us kin and what happens when we don’t like what we find there. Blood Knot, by renowned South African playwright Athol Fugard, is about two brothers, one black and the other light-skinned, grappling with crippling poverty and lonely isolation—living a strained existence in a one-room shack in apartheid South Africa. The brothers’ desperation exposes the complex angles of their relationship in this powerful, revolutionary play.

*Adult language and content.

“…one of the best, and of the best-performed plays ever to be done Off Broadway.” -The New Yorker

Fall Color Ramble
Oct 5 @ 2:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Grandfather Mountain
Fall color at Grandfather Mountain

From Oct. 1-10, guests can enjoy short, guided walks that highlight Grandfather Mountain’s fall colors. On Oct. 15, folks can join the park’s naturalists for a day full of fall-color activities, including guest speakers and additional rambles, allowing participants to explore and admire the annual phenomenon. Included with admission.

FoodShare Volunteer
Oct 5 @ 2:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Greer Relief
FoodShare Volunteer
Mill Village Farms’ FoodShare Greenville is a fresh food box program in partnership with FoodShareSC that is working to make it easier for families in our community to enjoy fresh fruits & vegetables. Volunteers are needed to welcome FoodShare participants, distribute boxes, complete order forms, etc. Sign-up for this opportunity here.
Biltmore Estate Fall Guided Bike Ride
Oct 5 @ 3:30 pm
Antler Hill Biltmore Estate

This relaxing, easy-paced adventure takes you along the French Broad River and the estate’s lush agricultural fields. Your three-to five-mile spin over a combination of flat paved trails, gravel-packed roads, and dirt trails includes occasional stops where your guide will share intriguing tidbits about the Vanderbilts, their guests, and the estate’s natural history.

Advance reservations are required. To make reservations for this activity, guest must have a daytime ticket, a Biltmore Annual Pass, or an overnight stay booked at Village Hotel, The Inn, or Cottages on Biltmore Estate.

Mountain & Comfort Bikes are available. A limited number of trailers and tag-alongs are available for younger children.

Studio 52’s Fall Theatre Class: PERFORMING ARTS: 3rd-5th Grade
Oct 5 @ 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm
Studio 52

Performing arts, 3rd - 5th

This class is designed for curious young performers eager to explore the “FUN”-damentals of acting, singing,
and dancing. Through high-energy theatre games, improvisation, pantomime, storytelling, & ensemble-based
activities, students will hone their theatre and musical theatre skills. They will build meaningful connections with
other young artists, and discover their creative potential! In the final class, showcase what you learned in an
informal performance for friends and family.

Wee Wine + Dahlias
Oct 5 @ 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Bullington Gardens, Inc.

 

Enjoy an exclusive evening at Bullington Gardens while you sip delicious, locally sourced wine and stroll through the spectacular Dahlias in full bloom. Groups of up to 8 are invited for a twilight party in either the pavilion, tents, or (in case of rain) the horticultural therapy greenhouse. The cost is $300 and will include 2 bottles of wine, 1 bottle of cider and water. Tables will be adorned with fresh floral arrangements that are yours to take home. Bring your own hors d’oeuvres or an entire meal to host an amazing private dinner party with an unrivaled view.

$300 per group per evening. Sponsors are welcome! $500 per sponsor will get your name on all of our social media accounts, plus honorable mention on our website and newsletter. Two areas will be available on a first-come/first-serve basis. Enjoy the evening under the shady pavilion or get an up close view of the dahlias under a tent.

Hoops + Heels
Oct 5 @ 6:00 pm
Bon Secours Wellness Arena

The 2nd annual Furman women’s basketball “Hoops & Heels” fundraising and women’s empowerment event is scheduled for Oct. 5 at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in downtown Greenville.

National and Olympic champion coaching great Dawn Staley is the featured speaker for the event, which gets underway with a VIP cocktail hour at 6:00 p.m., followed by the dinner and program beginning at 7:00 p.m.

Registration and multiple sponsorship and ticket opportunities are detailed HERE. 

“We are extremely excited to welcome National and Olympic Champion Dawn Staley as our speaker for this year’s “Hoops and Heels” event,” said Furman head coach Jackie Carson.  “The interest in women’s basketball, particularly in the state of South Carolina, is at an all-time high due to Dawn’s program at the University of South Carolina. She is not only an amazing leader on the court but personifies true servant leadership with her civic and community engagement across the country. Her words will empower all attendees, and we look forward to the Greenville and Furman communities joining us for a legendary evening.”

Fresh off a 2022 NCAA National Championship and a gold medal winning performance in the Tokyo Olympics as the head coach of the USA Women’s Basketball National Team, Staley is one of the most respected and successful coaches in the game of basketball. As a stand-out student-athlete at the University of Virginia and in the WNBA, she has exemplified greatness both on the court and the sidelines. Staley’s legacy on the basketball landscape was immortalized when she was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2013.

Carson ’00, who starred for Furman as a player over a brilliant four-year career, is entering her 13th year as head coach at her alma mater. The Paladins are coming off their most successful season in 22 years and competed in postseason play for the third time in four seasons.

WEST END WALKING TOUR
Oct 5 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Greenville—Falls Park

This tour begins at the very birthplace of Greenville—Falls Park. The same allure of the gorgeous 40-foot natural waterfall that casts a spell on Falls Park visitors today must have had the same impact on the first colonial settler, Richard Pearis, when he arrived in c.1769. Less than a handful of American cities can boast such a waterfall in the heart of downtown. Visitors receive a chronological history of our city beginning with a view of the falls from the newest icon of the city’s cityscape—the award-winning pedestrian Liberty Bridge. At the foundation walls of an 1816 grist mill built by Vardry McBee, guests will learn about the factors that caused this small trading post town to grow into the textile center of the world.

Other highlights of the tour include discussion of some of the oldest buildings still existing along the banks of the river, including the 1882 Huguenot Mill and the Gower, Cox and Markley Carriage factory buildings that are now used for dining and entertainment. On the other side of the river banks, visitors will soak in the magnificent features of the $137 million Riverplace development with its unique mix of restaurants, offices, condominiums, artists’ open studios, a 30-foot cascading waterfall feature, hotel and more.

A stroll back up Main St. into the West End discusses a famous Greenvillian, Charles Townes. This tour will give you a great overview of our city’s past but you’ll also hear about the exciting current projects that are adding to the downtown experience as well as future projects that are going to be transforming us into the future.

Highlights include:

• Ruins of an 1816 grist mill built by the “Father of Greenville”, Vardry McBee

• The 1882 Huguenot Mill – learn how Greenville became the “Textile Center of the World”
• The 1857 Gower, Cox and Markley Carriage factory building, once the largest carriage company in the South
• Riverplace – stroll the river walk while learning about the beautiful complex of fine restaurants, shopping, condos, open artist studios, and more overlooking the Reedy River that has sparked a revitalization of the Historic West End
• The bronze memorial to Charles Townes, a Greenvillian who became the inventor of the laser.

Blood Knot
Oct 5 @ 7:30 pm
Flat Rock Playhouse

Introducing: The Black Box Series

You’ve never experienced a play on The Rock like this before! Join us for an exciting new series where the audience and artists share the stage together for an intimate and immersive theatre experience. The Black Box Series will feature contemporary works, classics, and stories and playwrights from around the globe.  Be among the first to join us on this new and exciting theatrical journey!

 show contain adult language and content.

Introducing: The Black Box
                Series. Blood Knot. Sept. 16 - Oct. 9.

Like all the best plays, Blood Knot is both relatable and searingly intimate. And like all the best plays, it will get under your skin. It is a play that asks us to dig beneath the surface of what makes us kin and what happens when we don’t like what we find there. Blood Knot, by renowned South African playwright Athol Fugard, is about two brothers, one black and the other light-skinned, grappling with crippling poverty and lonely isolation—living a strained existence in a one-room shack in apartheid South Africa. The brothers’ desperation exposes the complex angles of their relationship in this powerful, revolutionary play.

*Adult language and content.

“…one of the best, and of the best-performed plays ever to be done Off Broadway.” -The New Yorker

Thursday, October 6, 2022
2022 Leiman Match Opportunity for Flatrock Playhouse
Oct 6 all-day
online

Did you know that monthly donations sustain the arts at Flat Rock Playhouse? Recurring, monthly donations ensure immediate support while sowing seeds for the future. Today, you can make an even greater impact through the Leiman Matching Gift Opportunity! Thanks to generous supporters, David & Sharon Leiman, your gift will be matched at $1.80 for every $1.00 contributed. To qualify, simply sign up for a monthly donation of $18.00 or more through the end of 2022. Today is your last chance to qualify for four months of support!
The donation amount of $18.00 truly gives life and vitality to the arts at Flat Rock Playhouse. In Judaism, it is common to give and receive gifts in multiples of $18 or “Chai”, which signifies a good omen for life. As we near the end of our first full season in two years, we’ll hope you’ll join us in giving life to the theater!

44th Annual Tri State Sculptors Conference
Oct 6 all-day
Wofford College

The 44th Annual Tri State Sculptors Conference will be hosted here at Wofford College in Spartanburg, SC! This year’s theme, “The Shape I’m In,” was inspired by a stray lyric from a country-folk song. We like that it has many interpretations, from the fleshy forms we inhabit to our present mental and emotional states, from the architecture that surrounds us to our resistance to creative fatigue. When we also consider our two keynote speakers, Michaela Pilar Brown and Allan Wexler, the theme also refers to the limitless configurations we embody as artists and seekers navigating our way to the center of the mysteries that keep us going.

 

Programming will primarily take place in the lovely Rosalind Sallenger Richardson Center for the Arts, and the Goodall Environmental Studies Center in beautiful Glendale Shoals will be our host for the aluminum pour. Our Member exhibition will begin on August 31 and culminate with a reception during the conference. Come join us! Click on the links below to get more information about each opportunity and how to submit your proposals online.

Artisphere Lookbook Volume III
Oct 6 all-day
online
Brevard Music Center Car Raffle
Oct 6 all-day
online w/ Brevard Music Center

Official 2022 Raffle RulesAudi Asheville

PROCEEDS

This raffle is a fundraising event, and all net proceeds benefit the Brevard Music Center (BMC). Brevard Music Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. EIN# 56-0729350

DRAWING

The drawing will take place on Tuesday, November 15, 2022 at 3:00pm EDT. All mail, phone, and internet orders must be received by 11:59pm EDT on Monday, November 14, 2022.

TICKETS

The cost to purchase a single entry (“Ticket”) for the Raffle is $125 (U.S. Funds only) and is not tax deductible.

DETAILS

  1. By entering this raffle, entrants accept and agree to be bound by all the rules, limitations and restrictions set forth here and that their names and/or likenesses may be disclosed to and used by the news media and may otherwise be used by BMC for publicity purposes.
  2. The winner may choose a new 2022 Volvo, Subaru, or Hyundai prize vehicle from Hunter Automotive Group of Fletcher, NC with an MSRP up to $50,000.
  3. Vehicle choice will be subject to the current available inventory of the dealer. BMC reserves the right to substitute a Volvo, Subaru, or Hyundai model of equal value.
  4. The winner is responsible for all taxes, delivery costs, dealer fees, and any options he or she may choose above the vehicle’s manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) greater than $50,000.
  5. The gross winnings of the raffle will be reported to the federal and state tax authorities at the MSRP and the winner is responsible for income tax withholding prior to taking title to the prize.
  6. Individuals may purchase as many tickets as they wish; however, only 1,500 tickets will be sold.
  7. Participants must be 18 years old or older.
  8. BMC employees, faculty, and students 18 or older are eligible to participate.
  9. Winnings are not redeemable for cash.
  10. If a minimum of 600 tickets is not sold, all ticket holders will receive a full refund and the raffle will not occur.
  11. BMC does not make or provide any representation, guarantee or warranty, expressed or implied, in connection with the car and accepts no liability or responsibility regarding the construction or condition of the car.

WINNINGS

Once the winner has selected a prize vehicle, the Dealer will notify BMC of the award vehicle’s MSRP. BMC will calculate the required federal income taxes due. The raffle winner is responsible for remitting the funds to BMC for the federal income tax. Brevard Music Center is required by law to report the base MSRP of the vehicle the winner chooses as gaming income to federal and state authorities and to withhold and deposit federal income taxes equal to 25% of the MSRP less the wager (raffle ticket). The winner’s payment of the federal taxes to BMC will be deposited with the US Federal Treasury and the winner will receive credit for the taxes remitted. In order for the dealer to release the winner’s vehicle, the winner will need to provide the following to BMC:

  1. A completed form W-9.
  2. Payment to BMC of the appropriate amount of federal tax withholding in cash or certified check.

Once both of these are received, BMC will authorize the dealer to release the vehicle. The winner will receive a Form W-2G by January 31, 2023 to use in preparing their 2022 income tax return.

Fall at Biltmore
Oct 6 all-day
Biltmore Estate

October 1 – November 3, 2022

To witness autumn’s colorful transformation of the Blue Ridge Mountains is truly magical. Experience it at Biltmore, located in Asheville, NC, a one-of-a-kind fall destination for an overnight stay or day trip. America’s Largest Home®, 8,000 acres of gardens and grounds, an award-winning Winery, a variety of overnight accommodations, and so much more await.

Purchase your tickets now to enjoy Fall at Biltmore… before it’s gone.

Jiffy Lube + Meals on Wheels of Greenville Fundraiser
Oct 6 all-day
Jiffy Lube Various Locations
As part of their Drive To Do More commitment to support charities and volunteers nationwide, Jiffy Lube is collaborating with Meals on Wheels to raise funds and awareness that will help our seniors stay nourished. We’re excited to invite Jiffy Lube customers to join the effort!

From October 1 to October 31, customers who receive oil changes, tire rotations or other vehicle maintenance will be able to donate $3 to Meals on Wheels at check-out. Funds raised in our community will be used to support our efforts at Meals on Wheels of Greenville! Learn more about the partnership.