Tag: Greenville SC

Ring in the New Year With A Little Bit Of Luck Thrown In
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Are you looking for restaurants on New Year’s Eve in Greenville, SC? A traditional Southern New Year’s Meal is meant to help you ring in a little luck! So start 2024 with some good fortune and a wonderfully prepared meal from a local restaurant!

We’ll explain where good luck comes into play, and honestly, who couldn’t use some of that?

For New Year’s Eve Fun for the Whole family, check out our guide to finishing off 2023 together – New Year’s Eve in Greenville, SC (with kids)

Ringing In The New Year With Luck

As a “Yankee,” the southern tradition of serving pork, black-eyed peas, greens, and cornbread was foreign to me. So, watching these ingredients get ripped from the grocery store’s shelves in record quantities had me wondering what the deal was. My co-workers laughed that I was blissfully unaware of this tried and true tradition in the south. But, I figured, if a meal had even the slightest chance of bringing good fortune, then it was worth a shot!

The meal, broken down by each item, is said to bring you good fortune in different ways:
- Pork
  Is thought to be a sign of prosperity because pigs root forward. That spiral cut honey ham you’ve enjoyed before on New Year’s Day, probably owes its popularity to this belief. Eating poultry is said to bring bad luck, because they dig backwards.
- Legumes
  The beans or peas prepared on New Years day symbolize coins. It’s thought that if you eat legumes, the New Year will bring good fourtune to you in the form of money(coins). I’m not sure how many you’re supposed to eat, but I don’t think I’ve been eating enough.
- Greens
  If beans bring you wealth, greens bring you the big money kind of wealth. The greens consumed on New Years symbolize the GREEN you want to see in your bank account. Cold hard cash. Again, I’m not sure how much is the right amount – but I need to eat more.
- Cornbread
  OK. forget the beans and greens. You know how everyone goes on a diet in January? I’m going on a cornbread diet. The cornbread in your holiday meal symbolizes gold. Need I say more? Why mess with the other stuff, I’m just skipping straight to the gold.
Pork, Black Eyed Peas, Greens & Cornbread – Oh My!

As I’m sure most of you can imagine (after seeing the word “Yankee”), I failed royally the first time I tried making this meal on New Year’s Day. However, my best friend took pity on me and brought me a plate of leftovers from her grandmother’s kitchen. Wisdom adds flavor to the food that can’t be store-bought, and a granny’s New Year’s meal will always be superior.

However, there is still hope in the absence of a proper southern granny. You can enjoy a Lucky New Year’s Meal with a bit of help!

Find A Traditional New Year’s Meal in Spartanburg and Greenville, SC

Restaurants Offering a Complete New Year’s Day Meal

Dine in or carry out a traditional Southern New Year’s Day meal at these restaurants.

Photo Credit: Home Team BBQ | Greenville, SC

Hometeam BBQ

2023 plans have not been announced yet
Celebrate the arrival of 2022 with Home Team Catering and order some Collards & Hoppin’ John with the pork and other delicious items you love from Home Team BBQ.

McGee’s Scott Irish Pub

Preorder a traditional New Year’s take-home meal by December 28th for curbside pickup on the 31st between 3:00-5:30 pm.

Putting Together A New Year’s Day Meal At Home With Help

Pulling together a traditional New Year’s meal at home without cooking it yourself is possible! These Upstate restaurants and markets can supply you with the things you need.

Prepared Pork Entrees

Prepared Black-Eyed Peas

Prepared Greens

Prepared Cornbread

New Years Meal Traditions In Other Cultures

I figure if doing a little to help inspire lady luck is good, then doing ALL THE THINGS is better, right? If you want to pile on a bunch of lucky traditions to seal the deal with 2023, here are some more tasty traditions.
- 12 Grapes – Mexico & Spain
  The Mexican (I’m Mexican) tradition of eating 12 grapes at midnight is said to bring you 12 months of good luck. Now that I mention it, I think I forgot to do that the last two years.
- Tamales – Mexico
  The tradition of eating tamales isn’t so much of a luck thing, although if you have a tia or abuela that makes them for you – that is already good fortune. For those of you that want to partake of the Mexican holiday tradition, there are Places in the Upstate with Holiday Tamales.
- Long (Soba) Noodles – Japan
  In the Japanese culture, people eat buckwheat soba noodles at midnight on New Year’s Eve to welcome the new year. The long noodles symbolize longevity and prosperity, and the practice dates back hundreds of years. Sakura Japanese Steakhouse has several Soba Noodle entrees on their menu to ring in the New Year.
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Kidding Around Team

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December 18, 2023
The Whole Family Can Volunteer as Food Rescuers with Loaves & Fishes

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Volunteering as a Food Rescuer at Loaves & Fishes in Greenville, SC is the perfect avenue for the whole family to give of their time to help those with food insecurity in our community.

One of the most oft-repeated questions we get here at Kidding Around is “Where can I volunteer with kids?”. Many places need kids to be around middle school age to volunteer but there are several opportunities to help others with younger kids in tow. One of those is to volunteer with Loaves & Fishes. We did it and will tell you all about how to get involved with this organization.

About Loaves & Fishes

The mission of Loaves & Fishes is “[t]o eliminate food insecurity in Greenville County by ensuring no good food goes to waste.” This is done by partnering with grocery stores and restaurants to rescue their leftover food and deliver it to community centers, schools, shelters, low-income housing, food pantries, and other people who need it in our community.

Food insecurity in the Upstate is very real. More than 45,000 residents in Greenville don’t know where their next meal is coming from and 76% percent of households who receive food assistance have kids under the age of 18 living at home. And more than half of kids who attend Greenville County Schools are eligible for free or reduced meals.

Here’s the kicker though: globally, more than 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted every year. Why can’t that food go to the people who need it? That’s the question that eventually led to the founding of Loaves & Fishes.

Loaves & Fishes was founded in 1991 and has been acting as a bridge between those places with surplus food and those places that need that food. They have four refrigerated trucks, work with 107 partner agencies, and have an army of 300+ volunteers to ensure no good food goes to waste.

Loaves & Fishes is not a food bank (this is a list of food resources in our area). They don’t store any food in their small office but can take food donations, which will go to those in need. But they make a huge difference in the community struggling with food insecurity. Last year, they rescued more than 2.5 million pounds of food.

Becoming a Food Rescuer with Loaves & Fishes

It’s an easy job and anyone with a car can do it! You will choose a route from the weekly email from Loaves & Fishes, which will tell you where to pick up food and where to drop it off.

Most of the places you’ll be picking up from are grocery stores like Publix, Lowes, and Food Lion. When we did our first route, we picked up from Publix. It was super easy – we just headed to the back of the store and told them we were from Loaves & Fishes.

Publix has a log that you sign when you pick up the food so we signed that and they had our boxes ready to go. We packed them in the car and headed off to drop them off.

Our destination was the Greer Community Ministries. The ladies were so kind there and had carts ready to help us unload all the goodies. It took only a few minutes to unload. Super easy. My kids helped with both loading and unloading so it didn’t take long.

Keep track of what you pick up since you’ll need to enter it into a database that Loaves & Fishes has to keep an account of how many pounds of food they rescue and deliver each year.

Our route took about an hour total starting from our house to Publix to Greer Community Ministries and back. Loaves & Fishes tries to match the places donating to drop off locations nearby if they can.

How to Become a Volunteer with Loaves & Fishes

If you want to volunteer with Loaves & Fishes, fill out the volunteer form on their website. After that, you’ll be given dates to choose from to attend the 45-minute long Volunteer Orientation. This is super important as you’ll get all the helpful information you need to be a successful food rescuer.

You can sign up for a route to do every week or just do them as you are able.

Families are welcome to volunteer together. There is no age limit

If you want to become a partner agency with Loaves & Fishes or run a non profit and want to learn more about working with them, information is on their FAQ page on the website.

Loaves & Fishes
25 Woods Lake Road, Suite 810 Greenville
864.232.3595

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Kristina Hernandez

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December 14, 2023
See the Earle Street Santas on this Greenville Bike Taxi Tour
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As if seeing holiday lights and the beauty of downtown Greenville could be any better – it just did. Introducing the Kidding Around Holiday Greenville Bike Taxi Tour. We did it and have all the info on this new, must-do holiday item for your family.

When Greenville Bike Taxi opened in Greenville, SC as the only pedicab biking down Main Street, owner Phil thought it’d be a great fit. Bikes use no gas. They are eco-friendly. They allow guests to really take in the sights and sounds of our beautiful downtown. And really, they are just plain fun.

And fun is exactly what we had with Phil when he took us on the new Kidding Around Holiday Tour designed specifically to enjoy the beautiful Christmas season and see lots of fantastic Christmas lights and one pretty famous street with about 40 blow-up Santas.

Greenville Bike Taxi

About Greenville Bike Taxi

Phil grew up in Greenville and moved to the coast to go to school. In Charleston, he ended up working for a bike taxi company and loved it. He peddled all over King Street and through the historic district, taking people to restaurants, markets, bars, and on shopping trips. Literally, anywhere they wanted to go.

When he decided to move back home to the Upstate, he wanted to bring that same experience to Greenville. So he did. After obtaining the necessary permits and navigating all the business paperwork, Phil opened up Greenville Bike Taxi in the spring and people have loved it.

It’s easy to see why. It’s such a unique way to get around town and since Greenville is so beautiful and since there is lots to see, it’s far from a boring way to be stuck in traffic on Main Street.

If you’re in town and want a bike taxi, just call or text (864.293.3065) Phil and he’ll come get you! A standard ride is $7/person for 10 minutes. We’ll give you pricing info on our holiday tour below.

Greenville Bike Taxi Downtiwn

The Kidding Around Holiday Bike Tour

You all know how much we love tours, right? But they are all driving tours. Now we’ve partnered with Greenville Bike Taxi to offer a Kidding Around Holiday Tour!

Here’s where you will go:
- The Gingerbread Competition at the SpringHill Suites
- The Hyatt Regency to see the Festival of Trees
- Earle Street to see the Santas – like literally dozens of them – that line the street
The entire tour is an hour long and it’s one of the best tours we’ve done downtown. Phil cranks up the Christmas tunes and you’ll get people waving at you the whole time you’re in the pedicab. Honestly, my daughters and I felt like celebrities. It was our 15 minutes (well, an hour) of fame.

Greenville Bike Taxi in front of the Hyatt

My daughters (ages 12 and 9) were just elated the entire time. They loved watching Main Street fly by and enjoyed all the stops, especially the ride down Earle Street. The novelty of being in a pedicab was a joy.

But as an adult, I absolutely loved it also. It’s just a view you don’t usually get and Phil was a great bike rider (even though he didn’t let me try to ride the bike, ya know, insurance and all that!).

I also loved it because it’s literally your own private tour. You aren’t squished in anywhere with strangers. You’re squished in with your loved ones and nice and snuggly while stopping to see all the cool stuff around town during the holidays.

Tips on Enjoying the Kidding Around Holiday Bike Tour

You’ll want to read through these tips so you can enjoy your holiday bike tour with Greenville Bike Taxi.
- Dress warmly. It’s chilly so bring hats and gloves and wear a warm jacket. Phil has blankets, which are nice and warm.
- Charge your phone for photos. I find that my phone batteries die faster in colder weather so bring your phone charged to document your fun night.
- Rides are an hour long. The tour is an hour long but you’ll stop at the two hotels and can use the restrooms if needed.
- Each bike can fit four people. You’ll be able to squeeze in two adults and two kids to any bike. If you need more space, you can rent two (or three or four) bikes for your group.
- Holiday bike tours will go to around Christmas. You’ll be able to book your tours during the week through Christmas with Greenville Bike Taxi.
Greenville Bike Taxi in downtown Greenville

Booking Your Kidding Around Holiday Bike Tour

The Kidding Around Holiday Bike Tour is being offered at a discounted hourly rate of $30/person, which includes all the stops on the tour. If you’d like to change it up, just ask Phil. He’s pretty awesome.

You can book your tour by calling or texting Phil at 864.293.3065 or emailing him at [email protected].

Tours are offered right now Monday-Thursday at 5 pm, 6 pm, and 7 pm. Weekends may be offered soon and if that happens, we’ll update our story!

Greenville Bike Taxi
864.293.3065
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Kristina Hernandez

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December 12, 2023
Dan Hamilton's Guide to Amenity-filled Greenville, SC Communities

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Every day, new families are calling the Upstate home! Greenville is growing in popularity, and city developers, architects, and homebuilders are working hard to keep up with the demand. Last year, Dan Hamilton of Greenville’s top-rated real estate team, wrote a blog post diving into some of Greenville’s most amenity-filled communities, helping readers in search of all-inclusive lifestyles find their dream home.

In this updated post, Dan is sharing FIVE new communities with you (and not just new to you, but new to the Upstate!) that feature gorgeous homes AND amazing amenities packages.

If you see a community you like or are considering a move in the future, give Hamilton & Co. a call at 864-527-7685!

We do more than just buy and sell houses; we are experts on all things Upstate and love answering your questions.

Whether you’re a seasoned local or someone eyeing Greenville as your future home, I hope you’ll find this updated guide to amenity-filled communities helpful! – Dan

Riverstone

The Riverstone community by Ryan Homes knows how to do amenities! This new neighborhood is conveniently located and has just about everything you could want in terms of amenities.

The resort-style pool and clubhouse are perfect for relaxing on a hot summer day. Walking trails along the Reedy River make the perfect outing for you and your furry friend. Families will love the neighborhood’s riverfront pavilion and playground. Finally, you won’t be needing a gym membership! State-of-the-art gym equipment, tennis courts, and a recreational field are all available to Riverstone residents.

If you and your family are still looking for entertainment beyond Riverstone’s robust amenities, you’ll be happy to know that the community is only 10 minutes away from everything Downtown Simpsonville has to offer, and just 20 minutes from Downtown Greenville.

Riverstone is zoned for Greenbriar Elementary, Hughes Middle Academy, and Southside High.

Riverstone is a new community, and their beautiful craftsman and farmhouse style homes are still for sale starting from the mid-$300s. If you are interested in touring a model home in this community, I’d love to set up an appointment for you! Get in touch with me by filling out this form on my website or by calling my office directly at 864-527-7685.

Pine Valley

Pine Valley Retreat is another beautiful new-build community in the Upstate, and they have a new phase that just released! Located in the heart of Boiling Springs, residents have everything they need at their fingertips, including quick access to I-85.

Our clients who have purchased in this community were impressed with both the style of home and the amenities package. Pine Valley residents enjoy access to a beautiful amenity center with a pool, clubhouse, playground, pickleball court and more!

Psst…if you’re looking for communities with pickleball courts in particular, check out my latest blog post where I share court locations across the Upstate!

Families in Pine Valley are zoned for Sugar Ridge Elementary School, Boiling Springs Middle School, and Boiling Springs High School.

Homes in Pine Valley’s newest phase begin in the low-$300s. Builder D.R. Horton offers multiple floor plans and price points to make the homebuying process simple and customizable! If you are interested in learning more about this community or in setting up a tour, let’s get in touch!

Brookside Farms

Another popular D.R. Horton community, Brookside Farms offers residents spectacular views of both the Blue Ridge Mountains and Paris Mountain. Plus, this community is less than 10 minutes away from charming Downtown Greer.

In addition to TWO pools and a playground, Brookside Farms features winding nature trails and a peaceful pavilion for relaxing on a sunny day. Active residents will love the neighborhood’s bocce ball and pickleball courts!

Looking for entertainment outside your neighborhood? Brookside Farms’ proximity to Downtown Greer means you’ll have access to some of the Upstate’s most popular shopping, dining, and local entertainment.

In addition to various private and charter school options, families in Brookside Farms have the choice to send their children to Crestview Elementary School, Greer Middle School, and Greer High School.

Homes in this sought-after community are just starting to be built, and begin in the low-$300s. Floorplan, finishes, square-footage – you name it, you customize it at this stage of the homebuilding process! If you are interested in learning more about Brookside Farms, let’s connect! I’d love to get you set up with a tour of the community.

O’Neal Village

A self-proclaimed “close-knit family” in Greer, O’Neal Village is a mixed-use community featuring a variety of single family homes, townhomes, retail space and more!

Nestled in the foothills, O’Neal is less than 15 minutes from Downtown Greer and minutes from beautiful Lake Robinson.

O’Neal was built with nature in mind, and the community’s outdoor-focused approach has resulted in a host of convenient amenities for its residents.

Sports enthusiasts will enjoy the neighborhood basketball court and fitness center. The Wicker Park, community garden, and outdoor amphitheater are all enjoyed by the community. A fenced-in dog park provides the perfect environment for your furry friends to run wild.

The Village Square at O’Neal Village features a host of local businesses including Barista Alley, House 509 Bistro & Wine Bar, Haven Ridge Church, Little Me Academy, and more – all within walking distance of your home!

Skyland Elementary, Blue Ridge Middle School, and Greer High School, along with a variety of private and charter options, are available to O’Neal residents. Plus, Little Me Academy is a fantastic preschool option within the O’Neal community!

O’Neal Village is constructed by a handful of local builders and is currently in Phase IV of its development. Homes range in both size and style from single family homes to townhomes, with prices ranging from $190,000 to the mid $400,000s.

A number of our clients at Hamilton & Company have decided to call O’Neal home. If you would like to learn more about the community or connect with me for a tour, contact me directly at 864-527-7685 or fill out the form on my website.

Update: Hartness Community

I’ve previously shared about Hartness, but wanted to cover it again as it’s changed a lot in the last year! It has been in development for over a decade, and this amenity-rich community has an emphasis on getting outdoors.

Hartness offers a variety of custom home layouts of many sizes from townhome up to spacious estate.You can even rent in the Hartness Community!

Hartness offers its residents amenities comparable to other Upstate communities including tennis courts, green spaces, a playground and basketball courts. The community exists alongside a 150-acre Nature Preserve through which 15 miles of biking and walking trails run. Residents have access to a beautiful, serene lake and paddleboards and kayaks to explore it with.

The Village Center at Harness is home to The One5 Restaurant, Spa H, Hotel Hartness, Patterson Kitchen + Bar, and more.

When you do choose to venture beyond all of the conveniences Hartness offers, you’ll find yourself just 10 minutes from Five Forks shopping and dining and 20 minutes from Downtown Greenville.

Children in Hartness often attend Oakview Elementary, Northwood Middle, and Eastside High School.

If you are interested in learning more about building a custom home in Hartness or would like to be notified when a home goes on sale, contact me directly at 864-527-7685 or fill out the form on my website.

Whether you are new to Greenville or have lived here your whole life, I hope this guide has been helpful!

The neighborhoods highlighted in this guide are just a few of hundreds across the Upstate. If you are interested in a list of communities personalized to your interests, budget, and needs, reach out to our team at 864-527-7685. From local lender recommendations, Greenville tours, and free home shopping tools, we go above and beyond to provide our friends and clients with the tools they need to call Greenville home.

More from Dan Hamilton

Dan Hamilton’s Guide to Amenity-filled Greenville, SC Communities

Dan Hamilton’s Guide to Pickleball in Greenville

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Dan Hamilton

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December 4, 2023
Make Christmas Dinner Easy! Dine-In, Take-Out and Catered Meals

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Looking for restaurants open for Christmas in Greenville, SC? We have a list of places to eat that are open on Christmas Day! If a catered Christmas meal or dinner out in Greenville or Spartanburg this Christmas would make your holiday a little merrier, this is the list for you. Consider dining out or ordering in from a local restaurant for all of your fixings!

Our list has restaurants offering dine-in service, full take-out meals, and even restaurants where you can just grab a turkey, a ham, or a few sides to supplement your own home-cooked meal. There are lots of great restaurant options in Greenville to make some delicious Christmas dreams come true. Most of our local grocery stores are also offering Christmas items for pickup.

Celebrate the holidays in Greenville! Find holiday events, restaurants, pies, and more in our Holiday Guide.

Fill your table with amazing food for the holidays from local restaurants, cafes, bakeries, and more. We have desserts, sides, charcuterie, tamales, cookies, take-home kits and so much more!

Here’s all the amazing holiday food in Spartanburg & Greenville, SC.

Many restaurants are finalizing their menus and plans. Be sure to bookmark this page and check back soon. We’ll be updating this list with more restaurants and details as available.

Restaurants Open On Christmas Eve

We’re barreling toward a grand holiday and, frankly, many of us want to take a break. So, support a local business AND take the stress off of preparing a holiday meal!

Larkin’s

Christmas Eve Menu
32 East Broad Street, Greenville | 864.467.9777
Throughout the month of December, Larkin’s offers a take-home Holiday Essentials Kit. It serves 4-6 for Christmas. All kit pick-ups are at the Larkin’s Sawmill location (22 Graves Drive.)

Halls Chophouse

2023 Holiday Hours Undecided as of Publication date
Christmas Eve | 11 AM – 2 PM
Holiday Reservations
550 S. Main Street Greenville | 864.335.4200
Halls Chophouse is open on Christmas Eve. In addition to dining in, curbside service is also available.

The Nose Dive

2023 Holiday Hours Undecided as of Publication date
116 S Main Street, Greenville | 864.373.7300
Nose Dive Restaurant Christmas Reservations
This gastronomic-centered restaurant is open on Christmas Eve and will serve its regular menu along with special featured items. All menu items are also available for to-go orders.

Soby’s

2023 Holiday Hours Undecided as of Publication date
207 South Main Street, Greenville | 864.232.7007
Holiday Reservations
Soby’s will offer its regular menu and some featured items on Christmas Eve. The menu is also available for pick-up.

Soby’s at Christmas

Fork and Plough

2023 Holiday Hours Undecided as of Publication date
Check social media for the announcement | Make a reservation
1629 E. North Street, Greenville | 864.609.4249
In previous years, Fork and Plough have been open for dine-in on Christmas Eve. They have also offered all the to-go sides you may need to round out your Christmas meal. Sides included cornbread stuffing, collard greens, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, mac and cheese, yellow squash casserole, cheese ball, and gravy. Desserts to-go included apple pie, pecan pie, and cinnamon rolls. Don’t forget a quart of their eggnog!

Flavorshack Hot Chicken & Ribs

2023 Holiday Hours Undecided as of Publication date
2144 E Main Street , Duncan | 864.249.6078
While their 2023 holiday hours haven’t been released as of publication, Flavorshack Hot Chicken & Ribs in Duncan was open on Christmas Eve in 2022. Stay tuned to social media for updates.

Heirloom – A Midtown Eatery

2023 Holiday Hours Undecided as of Publication Date
805 Spartan Boulevard, Spartanburg | 864.913.1212
Heirloom is open on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve for dine-in. They will have a special menu, and reservations are requested.

National Chain Restaurants Open on Christmas Eve in Greenville

California Dreaming

40 Beacon Drive, Greenville | 864.234.9000
California Dreaming – Greenville Online Holiday Reservations
California Dreaming will be open on Christmas Eve from 11 am – 6 pm, and will offer its regular menu. They also offer curbside pick-up.

Cracker Barrel

Christmas Eve (open until 2 pm)
There are several Cracker Barrel locations in the Upstate.
Cracker Barrel is open on Christmas Eve and is serving its regular menu. You can also order a meal online that serves 10 people or a meal that serves 4-6. Sides and pies are also available for pre-order. Their regular menu is also available for curbside pick-up and in-store pick-up.

Restaurants Open On Both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

Roost

220 North Main Street, Greenville | 864.298.2424
Roost Restaurant Holiday Reservations
Serving a limited menu, Roost is open both Christmas day and Christmas Eve. Guests can also enjoy the Festival Of Trees in the Hyatt before or after their meal.

Christmas Brunch at Roost in 2020

Up on the Roof

Christmas Eve & Christmas Day
250 Riverplace, Greenville | 864.242.4000
Up On The Roof Restaurant Holiday Reservations
Up on the Roof will offer its regular menu with some featured items on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The menu is also available for pick-up and delivery. Reservations requested for dine-in.

Spoonbread Restaurant

120 South Main Street, Greenville | 864.421.9700 ext. 4100
Located at the historic Westin Poinsett hotel in the heart of downtown Greenville, Spoonbread is open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day for brunch. Reservations required.

Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse

Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day
Ruth’s Chris’ dining room is open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, during which their regular menu will be available for dine-in or pick-up. There are two Ruth’s Chris locations in Greenville: one downtown at the Embassy Suites Hotel and another at Congaree Road at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.
Reserve your table at Ruth’s Chris.

Asia Pacific

2023 Holiday Hours Undecided as of Publication date
420 N Pleasantburg Drive, Greenville | 864.603.1377
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
They are open Christmas Eve and their Christmas Day hours are 10 am – 5 pm and the kitchen closes at 4 pm.

Where to Get a Catered Holiday Meal

The restaurants below offer catered meals or individual pieces of a meal like smoked turkey or delicious sides and desserts. Use them to supplement your home-cooked meal and make the meal preparations a little easier!

Bobby’s BBQ

1301 N. Main Street, Fountain Inn | 864.403.2379
Grab smoked turkey breast or brisket from Bobby’s BBQ for a delicious centerpiece to your holiday meal. Orders can be placed online or in person. Pickup is December 23rd from 11 am – 5 pm.

Bucky’s BBQ

Four Upstate locations | 864.329.0054
Order a fully cooked turkey or turkey breast and side dishes at any of the four Bucky’s BBQ locations.

Chef360

Chef360 is offering meals for 6 people.

jiroz

644 N. Main Street, Greenville | 864.373.9445
This Greek restaurant traditionally offers a take-and-bake menu that can be picked up on Christmas Eve.

Henry’s Smokehouse

Locations throughout the Upstate
Henry’s holiday menu includes smoked fried turkeys, smoked turkeys, and hams. Place your order EARLY and by December 20th.
Contact Henry’s Smokehouse for more info

My Gluten-Free Chef at Crack A Doodle Do Farm

They cater throughout the Upstate | 518-495-1336
Affordable, delicious, and gluten free if needed! They serve generous portions and amazing food. Be sure to get your holiday order in early. You can also order an entire Christmas meal you can reheat at home, but orders must be placed by December 1st.

Swamp Rabbit Cafe & Grocery

205 Cedar Lane, Greenville
The Swamp Rabbit Cafe sells local turkeys and ham every year, as well as delectable pies and sides. They almost always sell out so if you want something, order it quickly. Turkeys are not cooked.

Grits and Groceries

2440 Due West Highway, Belton | 864.296.3316 | Social media for Holiday menu updates
One of my family’s favorites is New Orleans-inspired Grits and Groceries. While they haven’t released 2023 Christmas meals as of publication, they are offering Thanksgiving meals for 4-6 people.

Wade’s

1000 North Pine Street, Spartanburg | 864.582.3800
Wade’s offers holiday meals that you can cook at home. There are no preorders — items are first-come, first-serve.

The Beacon

255 John B. White, Sr. Boulevard, Spartanburg | 864.585.9387
The legendary Beacon is offering their usual Holiday Meal with your choice of turkey or ham, dressing, cranberry sauce, your choice of 2 sides, 30 rolls, 2 pies, and 2 gallons of tea. The meal will serve 18-20 people. You can also order items a la carte. Be sure to order at least 2 days in advance.

Smoke On the Water

2023 Holiday Meals have not been released at the time of publication
1 Augusta Street, Greenville | 864.232.9091
A downtown favorite that offers Southern comfort foods, Smoke on the Water traditionally offers a Holiday Dinner at Home.

Smoqued BBQ

2023 Holiday Meals have not been released at the time of publication
1150 Curtis Street, Simpsonville | 864.399.9857
You can pre-order your holiday meal from this Upstate BBQ joint through December 22nd.

Dray Bar & Grill

2023 Holiday Meals have not been released at the time of publication
1800 Drayton Road, Spartanburg | 864.310.4177
Dray Bar & Grill in Spartanburg offered a traditional Christmas feast you could take home and bake in 2022. Keep your eyes peeled to social media for 2023 updates.

Blue Moon Specialty Foods

2023 Christmas Meals have not been released at the time of publication
130 South Church Street, Spartanburg | 864.586.2344
Blue Moon Specialty Foods is making scratch-made dishes for Christmas. Preorder deadline is December 18th, and pickup is December 23rd or 24th.

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India Menon

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November 30, 2023
Live Nativities Near Greenville: Traditional and Drive-Thru

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Searching for “live nativity near me”? We’ve pulled together a list of nearby live nativity events to visit this season near Greenville, SC. However you choose to experience the live nativity, we hope you have fun! And if you know of any live nativities not on this list, please let us know with a comment below.

Christmas at the Library – Billy Graham Library (December 1st-23rd, 2023)
Live nativity hours are Monday through Thursday 5 pm to 9 pm and Friday through Saturday 5 pm to 10 pm. Reservations are required to attend. The live nativity and story time are both free. Carriage rides are available for a fee ($6 for children and $12 for adults). Christmas dinner is available on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays in December. Reservations for dinner are recommended.

North Anderson Baptist Church (November 30 – December 2, 2023, 6:30-8:30 pm nightly)
This is a drive-through live nativity at North Anderson Baptist Church. It’s free to go. Address is 2308 N. Main Street, Anderson.

Experience the Stable of Bethlehem at Famoda Farm (December 21-23, 2023 at 6, 7, and 8 pm)
Walk amongst the animals and the stable of Bethlehem and watch Joseph and Mary process to the stable from a large barn. Indoor seating is available but this event can be crowded so people will also be able to stand outside and watch. Park is $10/car and $25/vans. Hot chocolate will be sold on site.

Happy Hooves’ Christmas at the Barn (December 10, 2023 2-5 pm)
This fundraiser at Eden Farms in Marietta benefits the Happy Hooves Therapeutic Equestrian Center. For $10 per person online ($15 at the door), guests can enjoy activities like “reindeer” horse and pony rides, a visit with Santa, a nativity scene and Christmas music, arts and crafts, a “peeplechase” playground for kids, a candy cane garden, and much more. Lunch, baked goods, and gifts will also be for sale.

St. James Live Drive-thru Nativity (December 2, 2023, 6:30-8 pm)
View the manger scene complete with animals from your car. St. James UMC, 213 N. Lanford Road, Spartanburg, SC. The nativity will be in the front of the church, off Savoy Street.

Live Nativity at Holly Springs Baptist Church (December 3, 2023 at 5 pm)
The children’s live nativity service starts at 5 pm with free hot dogs, hot chocolate and a petting zoo and the program begins at 6 pm.

Redeemer Lutheran Church Live Nativity (2019)

Walk Through Bethlehem Cold Spring Mennonite Church (December 8th – 10th, 2023 & December 15th – 17th, 2023)
This live nativity has guests walk through Bethlehem, meet with biblical characters, enjoy creative displays, see live animals, and enjoy cookies and hot chocolate. The event is at 226 Cold Spring Church Road, Abbeville, SC.

A Walk Through Bethlehem (December 8-10, 2023, 6-9 pm)
Walk the streets by a guided tour to see Mary and Joseph, Elizabeth, angels and Roman Soldiers before entering the busy bustling town of Bethlehem. This year, enjoy local vendors, food trucks, and a live petting zoo. The event is free and takes place at Una First Free Will Baptist Church, 2130 Caldwell Road, Una, SC.

Live Nativity at Faith Temple/Destination Church (December 12, 2023 at 6 pm)
Enjoy a live nativity and refreshments at Faith Temple and Destination Church at 5080 Sandy Flat Road, Taylors, SC.

Pickens View Wesleyan Church (December 15, 16, and 17, 2023 from 6-9 pm)
This walk-through event will have live animals (including camels), cookies, hot chocolate, and more as you walk through the streets of Bethlehem.

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Maria Bassett

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November 30, 2023
Go Skating
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Searching for ‘where to go ice skating near me’? While I’m far from being the next Olympic ice skater, I like to try my hand at it every year and luckily there are plenty of places to go ice skating near Greenville, SC! So lace up your skates, grab your coat, and have fun sliding around at one of these top ice rinks near the Upstate.

November 15th, 2023 – January 15th, 2024
United Community’s Ice on Main opens every year mid-November and is open 7 days a week through mid-January. Located at Village Green next to the Courtyard Marriott, kids (and grown-ups) of all ages ice skate in the heart of downtown Greenville.

Ice on Main 2023 Pricing:
- Adults – $10
- Children – $8
- Under 2 – Free
Read Kidding Around’s review of Ice on Main to get more information.

Year-Round
The Pavilion Recreation Complex’s ice rink is open year-round! You can free skate during public skate times or take lessons.

The Pavilion Recreation Complex Ice Skating Pricing (pricing does not include tax):
- Kid (12 & under) – $7.50
- Adults (13+) – $9.50
- Seniors (55+) – $7.50
- Skate or Walker Rental – $4.25
Read Kidding Around’s review of the Pavilion Recreation Complex.

November 18th, 2023 – January 15th, 2024
Founders Holiday Ice Rink is located in the heart of Old Town across from Fountain Park in Rock Hill, SC. It’s a popular place to lace up your skates this holiday season.

Founders Holiday Ice Rink Pricing:
- $15 | 90-minute session
Guide to Visiting York County, South Carolina

Mid-November through mid-February (check website for dates)
The Whitewater Center opens their 24,000+ square foot ice rink every year. There are four distinct skating areas with two ice trails and two free skate zones.

Whitewater Center Ice Skating Pricing:
- Included with All-Access Pass
- $24 Single Activity Day Pass
The Ultimate Guide to Fun with Kids in Charlotte, North Carolina

Where’s your favorite place to go ice skating near Greenville, SC?
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Shannon Pruitt

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November 28, 2023
You Can Help! What Our Local Food Pantries Need Now
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Are you looking for ways you can help families in need in the Greenville area? We’ve identified several food bank needs in Greenville, SC and asked for wish lists of their most needed items. We hope this guide helps you help others.

Whether it’s the holidays or not, times can get tough for families. And when you don’t know where your next meal is coming from, your level of anxiety can skyrocket… especially if you have a family to feed. Over 62,000 people in Greenville County have that very stressful problem on their minds day in and day out.

But you can help. There are several food banks in the area that help families who need it most but are sometimes forgotten. Below is a “wish list” of certain items that are needed right now and where you can drop them off. Let’s cross off hunger from the list of stressors that some families are worried about.

Greer Relief

Greer Relief | 202 Victoria Street, Greer
- Items for the food pantry (high need for soup, canned fruits, canned vegetables, breakfast items, peanut butter, and pasta sauce)
- Household items (high need for laundry detergent, dish soap, toilet paper, deodorant, and shampoo)
- Items for babies (high need for diapers size 3+, baby wipes, and boys and girls clothing in sizes 4-12)
- Holiday needs (turkey/ham, potatoes, gravy mix, stuffing, green beans, cranberry sauce, and several other items)
- You can financially support through the Thanksgiving Food Baskets program
- Current Greer Relief food pantry wish list
Harvest Hope Food Bank

Harvest Hope Food Bank | 2818 White Horse Road, Greenville
- 1 lb bags of rice
- 1 lb boxes of pasta
- 1 lb bags of dried beans
- Canned vegetables
- Canned Fruits
- Canned Chicken or Tuna
- Canned Beans
- Macaroni and Cheese
- Peanut Butter
- Cereal
- Ramen Noodles
- Boxed single-serving breakfast items (oatmeal, granola bars, grits)
- Single-serve pop-top canned meals (like Chef Boyardee, mac and cheese, or beef stew)
- Baby Supplies (diapers, wipes, formula, foods- no jars)
- Holiday Amazon Wish Lists
Greer Community Ministries

Greer Community Ministrie s | 738 S. Line Street, Greer

They gladly accept non-perishable food items to support the on-site Food Pantry Monday – Thursday 8 AM to 4 PM and Friday 8 AM to 2 PM.
- Instant potatoes/Stuffing Mix
- Canned Meat
- Jiffy Corn Bread Mix
- Beef Stew/Chicken and Dumplings
- Canned Greens (Collard, Spinach, etc.)
- 1 lb. boxes pasta
- Canned tomatoes
- Grits
- Canned Fruit
- Canned Soups
- Canned Pasta
Food Not Bombs

The Greenville Chapter Of Food Not Bombs | Location Varies

Items that are always in demand include:
- AA & AAA batteries (to power our homeless friend’s flashlights)
- Ibuprofen, Tylenol
- Baby wipes (for personal hygiene.)
- Emergency blankets
- bandaids
- Chapstick
- Toilet paper
- Toothpaste & toothbrushes
- Dog & cat food (portioned into sandwich or quart-sized bags)
- Shelf-stable food/candy/snacks/gum
- detergent/laundry soap/Tide pods
- q-tips
Loaves & Fishes Greenville

Loaves & Fishes Greenville | 25 Woods Lake Road, Suite 810, Greenville

They need these nutritious foods MOST:
- Canned fruits
- Tuna
- Beef stew
- Pasta
- Pasta sauces
- Peanut butter
- Jelly
- Fresh (unwashed) garden produce
- Amazon Wish List
If you donate glass or bagged items, please clearly label and place them in a separate area to avoid spillage.
Donation drop offs are Monday – Thursday from 9 AM to 4 PM and Friday 9 AM to 2:30 PM. Call ahead before dropping off your donation.

Foothills Family Resources

Foothills Family Resources | 3 Main Street, Slater

Foothills Family Resources welcomes ANY donations, but “complete” meal items are in high demand right now. Examples include:
- Pasta & sauce
- Peanut butter & jelly
- Rice & canned stew or beans
- Canned tuna or chicken & crackers or mac & cheese
- Soups/canned pastas
In addition, they also need toilet paper and diapers (specifically size 5 right now).

Food Pantry Maps

If you are fortunate enough to be in a position to help your community, these maps can provide you with locations near you where you can donate

Greenville County Services Map

Greenville County maintains this map of community services, which includes a layer for food pantries. where people can receive assistance throughout the year. Use the arrow at the left side of the map to view the layers and select “food system” and “food pantry.”

Ten At The Top Upstate Food Access Map

Ten At The Top created this interactive map, providing the locations of places where people can receive assistance during the summer. The map includes numerous local food banks.
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Kristina Hernandez

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November 27, 2023
Incredible Walk-Through Holiday Light Display at Heritage Park!
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The Night of Lights is a brand new, walk-through Christmas light display open now at Heritage Park in Simpsonville, SC. We spent a night there and have all the details on how you can enjoy it with your family!

Thank you to the Night of Lights for providing media tickets for this review.

Nearly a quarter mile of thousands of lights are shining bright at Night of Lights in the Upstate’s only walk-through holiday light display at Heritage Park in Simpsonville, SC. The brand-new event features beautiful light tunnels, a massive igloo, a petting zoo, lots of fun photo ops, ice skating, food, and carnival rides.

They also have several different discounts and are open nightly through December 31, 2023. Yes, even on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day.

Read on for why you should put this event on your family’s list of to-do’s for the holiday season.

For more things to do over the holidays, see our giant list of 100+ Things to do Over the Christmas Holiday season.

Night of Lights

The Night of Lights: Heritage Park Christmas Lights

When you enter Heritage Park, keep driving all the way past the playground and train depot to the CCNB Amphitheater. There is free parking and that’s where you enter the display.

The path of lights is all paved and goes for nearly a quarter mile. The Heritage Park Christmas lights have over 200 LED light displays throughout the park. You’ll pass through archways of light where you will see Santa, snowmen, and all kinds of happy Christmas creatures decked out in lights.

There is a giant, life-size inflatable igloo, which is just really cute to walk through. There are places that have lights where you and your kids can poke your heads inside and instantly become lighted holiday people. It’s a lot of fun and you can take as long as you want anywhere.

Ice Skating

The Night of Lights has a decent-sized skating rink for those of you who want to test your coordination and balance skills. The rink is not real ice but rather closely connected panels of synthetic material. As to how fast or slow you’ll go on skates, it will really depend upon your skates and ability to not fall! I had pretty awesome skates and was able to skate like I would on an ice rink. One of my kids almost mastered skating, but my other daughter wasn’t as coordinated. We all had a blast doing it though.

Skating at Night of Lights

Skating is $10/person and if you need a little extra assistance in terms of an ice walker, that is $5. The rink is close to the entrance so you can do that first or do it after you walk through the display.

The Petting Zoo at Night of Lights

Once you walk through the display, you will come to the petting zoo. The petting zoo is run by Eudora Farms, a wildlife safari based in Salley, SC. Our readers may be familiar with them since we’ve written about this farm in the past.

The animals at the Night of Lights are so cute. They have a small camel, fluffy sheep, goats, alpacas, a super fluffy baby Highlands Scottish Cow, and a bull with massive horns. You can purchase feed cups for a few dollars to feed the animals. They looked very happy and well taken care of.

Petting zoo at Night of Lights

There is also a large enclosure where you can get inside and feed parakeets with a stick of bird seed. These parakeets are so funny. They will land on your arm, hand, shoulder, phone, you name it. It costs $3 for a birdseed stick and it’s so fun to get in there with them. My daughters and I loved interacting with the little birds.

The Rides, Bounce Houses, and Santa

Night of Lights also has several rides you can enjoy during your time there. A Ferris Wheel, carousel, and green dragon spinning thing are located in front of the stage, where the 65-foot tall Christmas tree stands, and next to the petting zoo.

There are also two big bounce houses, including a giant snowman. My youngest daughter did these and loved the obstacle course one the best.

Lots of cute photo ops!

The three of us did the Ferris wheel and it was a blast. I hadn’t been on one of these old-school ones in forever and it felt secure plus you get a great view of all the lights at the top of the wheel. All the rides have to be regularly inspected so you can feel good knowing they are safe and secure.

Rides are one ticket per person and tickets are $3/each. Or you can buy in bulk, which is a little cheaper: 12 tickets for $30.

Santa is also scheduled to be at Night of Lights on November 24 & 25 and December 1-3, 8-10, and 15-17 from 5:30-9:30 pm. Photos are $5 using your own phone or camera.

Food & S’Mores

Night of Lights offers lots of yummy food options. We got a funnel cake, which was utterly amazing. We also roasted our own s’mores at the fire pits located near the rides, which was a blast.

Other food options are nachos, fries, onion rings, and chicken tenders – all the tasty fair foods.

Roasting s’mores

Honest Mom Review

The Night of Lights was a really fun experience. My kids, ages 12 and 9, and I all really enjoyed it. I’ve covered all the major light displays in our area and I really liked this one specifically for the walk-through aspect. You can take your time and enjoy all of the neat displays, take as many photos as you like, and make those special memories with your family.

I also enjoyed the petting zoo. I love animals and I feel that it’s usually easy to see if they are well taken care of and happy. These animals definitely were. The enclosures were clean and they seemed to be groomed well and happy. And the parakeet experience was so fun. Those little birds are cute and mischievous.

And, lastly, getting to speak with the management and learn all the behind-the-scenes things they are doing to make it affordable for families was fantastic. They set out to make a great event for the Christmas season but also create ways for it to be doable for as many families as possible. Everything was clean and accessible as well, which I thought spoke volumes on the effort put into the event.

Tickets, Hours, and Special Promotions

Night of Lights is open every day from November 20-December 31, 2023. Hours are Sunday-Thursday 5-10 pm and Friday-Saturday from 5-11 pm.

Ticket prices on Sunday-Thursday are $10/age 16+ and $8/ages 6-15. Friday and Saturday ticket prices are $12/ages 16+ and $10/ages 6-15. Kids age 5 and under are free.

Night of Lights has promotional pricing nightly. Here’s the schedule:
- Sundays: Senior Citizens (age 65+) are free
- Mondays: Free admission with the donation of a non-perishable food item. One free admission per food item per person.
- Tuesdays: Free admission with a toy donation for Toys for Tots. Toys must be new in original packaging, not gift-wrapped. One free admission per toy per person.
- Wednesdays: Free admission for active, reserve, and veteran military members (with valid ID).
- Thursdays: Free admission for police officers, nurses, EMS workers, and firefighters (with valid ID).
- Fridays: Free admission for teachers (with valid ID). Homeschool teachers are included (with valid association ID).
Tickets are only sold at the gate. Night of Lights is accessible and wheelchair-friendly. Be sure to follow Night of Lights on Facebook for up-to-date hours and closure due to weather.

For more holiday light displays, see our big Guide to the Best Holiday Light Displays in the Upstate.

Night of Lights at the CCNB Amphitheatre at Heritage Park
861 SE Main Street, Simpsonville
Website | Facebook
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Kristina Hernandez

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November 21, 2023
Greenville’s Ultimate List of Things to Do Over Thanksgiving Break
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Are you looking for things to do during Thanksgiving in Greenville, SC? Local mom Kristina Hernandez shares her list of things you can do as a family over Thanksgiving break, including volunteer opportunities, events, and even local hiking spots. Whether you are on your own or have family visiting for Thanksgiving, this is the list you need for a great holiday weekend.

That week of Thanksgiving is often very busy for families as they get ready for the big day, doing the necessary shopping, and trying to stay sane. Then they have the added pressure/task of finding entertaining things to do with the kids and extended family and friends who may be visiting. We usually have family as well that come here to Greenville for the holidays so it’s necessary to find things to do that appeal to everyone.

Luckily, there is no shortage of things to do during the break! Make sure to call ahead to places to make sure they are open. Places like the Greenville Zoo are closed on Thanksgiving Day.

Fun ways to spend your Thanksgiving break

Volunteer In The Community

I feel like volunteering during Thanksgiving is a good way to physically show children how to be compassionate, caring, and grateful. There are many people in our area who have no one to celebrate the holidays with or who need a little extra help to get that Thanksgiving meal on the table. I want to be the one to make that happen.

We volunteer through our church on Thanksgiving morning to deliver meals to area residents but there are other opportunities as well:
- Greer Soup Kitchen 521 E. Poinsett Street, Greer
  Take volunteers all week. Call 864-968-0323 to volunteer and for specific times.
Go see Disney on Ice

This is easily one of my favorite things to do over Thanksgiving Break. Disney on Ice always comes to Greenville and my daughters and I have the best date night. Disney on Ice runs November 22, 24, 25, and 26, 2023 at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Get tickets at the box office to save on all the fees.

Go Hiking

November is a beautiful time to get outside and hike around the area. It’s good for the kids to get out energy and fun to show visitors our beautiful state.

Table Rock Summit

On November 24, 2023 (Black Friday), admission to ALL South Carolina State Parks is free. Some of the most popular parks are located right here in the Upstate: Paris Mountain, Devils Fork, Table Rock, and Jones Gap.

Here are just a sample of trails in the Upstate and Western North Carolina to explore, just be sure to check them out so they are appropriate for members of your family who are going hiking: Hiking Guide for Families, Big Kids, & Little Kids

Shop the Book Warehouse Outlet

The massive Book Warehouse Outlet is having an epic sale November 24, 25, and 26, 2023. If you haven’t been, well – it’s heaven. There are more than a million books, games, puzzles, journals, small toys, thank-you notes, you name it. And everything is 70% off.

Run a Turkey Day Race

This is a brilliant idea – run a race in the morning of Thanksgiving and eat whatever you want at Thanksgiving dinner. You can choose to run the TreesUpstate Turkey Day 5K in Greenville or the Electric City 5K in Anderson. Both races start Thanksgiving morning.

Runners can also take to the streets of downtown Spartanburg for the Annual United Community Bank Turkey Day 8K.

Most of these races benefit local charities. Runners and walkers also earn cool swag like race t-shirts, finisher medals, and giveaways. In most cases, strollers are welcome.

Enjoy The Children’s Museum of the Upstate

If you have extended family with kids staying at your place, send them over to The Children’s Museum of the Upstate, a gem in the city with hours’ worth of fun and entertainment for children. They typically have Thanksgiving-themed crafts that week. They are closed Mondays and on Thanksgiving.

Try an Escape Room

Escape Artist Greenville offers a Christmas-themed escape room called “Yuletide Magic.” And it’s for the whole family, which is unusual since most escape rooms are for adults and older kids/teens.

Trapped in the Upstate offers a year-round Christmas-themed escape room called “Saving Santa”. Guests are part of the Elf SEAL team, hired to find Santa before Christmas is ruined. This experience is great for all ages.

Go to a Zoo

The Greenville Zoo is perfect for a trip with family if you want to stay local. And the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia is awesome for a day-long trip. The Western North Carolina Nature Center in Asheville is also worth the drive.

If you have a Roper Mountain Science Center membership, you get into the WNC Nature Center for free and pay half price at the Riverbanks Zoo if you have a Greenville Zoo membership.

Do a Jocassee Lake Tour

Jocassee Lake Tours kicks off their cooler weather lake tours in November. Seeing the lake by boat with one of their guides is always such a treat. And no need to paddle to all the waterfalls as you get to see them on the boat!

Go get your Christmas Tree

Some families get their Christmas tree and start decorating them right after Thanksgiving. It’s a fun thing for kids to do as well to search for the tree and decorate it together. Here are several Christmas tree farms in the area that open at Thanksgiving where you can find your perfect tree.

Go Ice Skating

The ice rink in downtown Greenville is open not only the week of Thanksgiving but also from 9:30 am – 5:30 pm on Thanksgiving Day. This is a fun way to enjoy family time and also a great way to bring visitors to downtown Greenville and show them the sights! $10/adult, $8/kid, which includes skate rental. Tickets for specific dates & time slots are available for advance purchase online. Walk-up tickets will only be available when space allows. Everything you need to know about Greenville’s Ice On Main.

Kick off the Christmas Season at Christmas on the Farm

Christmas at the Farm is more than just a Christmas tree lot. It is an experience for the whole family full of fun holiday activities, all centered around picking a Christmas tree. Trees are imported from the mountains of North Carolina and are brought to Arran Farm, for a two weekend only Christmas tree festival. They will have a hot chocolate bar, food trucks, crafts, trivia, yard games, a bonfire with s’mores, a photo booth, and much more. Additionally, your favorite local vendors will be selling their amazing festive products, perfect for gift-giving and stocking stuffers. Tickets are $15/adults and $10/children.
- November 24 from 10 am – 3 pm
- November 25 from 10 am – 3 pm
- November 26 from Noon – 5 pm
- December 2 from 10 am – 3 pm
- December 3 from Noon – 5 pm
Play Inside

It can be chilly that week of Thanksgiving and there are a ton of things to do indoors: trampoline parks, bounce houses, libraries, museums, arcades, paint-your-own-pottery, roller skating, and ice skating rinks. While many are closed on Thanksgiving Day, they are open the other days of the week (just be sure to call in advance before bundling everyone up and heading out to one of them).

Hop on a Train

The Great Smoky Mountain Railroad in Bryson City, NC is running both their super popular Polar Express train and the Winter Nantahala Gorge Excursion all during the week of Thanksgiving (except Thanksgiving Day). This is a great trip to create wonderful memories for your family.

Enjoy the A Festival of Trees

The free Festival of Trees in downtown Greenville at the Courtyard Marriott Downtown, the Embassy Suites by Hilton – Riverplace, and the Hyatt Regency kick off on Friday, November 17th. You can stroll through the hotels and check out all the different decorated Christmas trees.

Support Small Businesses

Check out the local Holiday Markets and shop local artisans, crafters, food vendors, and more. You can also skip the crowds on Black Friday and head out on Saturday to one of these local businesses that offer unique gifts for your family.

Shop a Flea Market

Feel like wandering through eBay or Craigslist in real life? Check out the Barnyard Flea Market in Greer, only open on the weekends. It has everything you could possibly need in one place and is just plain fun to walk through. In Anderson, the Jockey Lot, open Saturdays & Sundays, is a huge flea market as well.

Enjoy Christmas Lights

The Upstate Holiday Light Show, the Christmas House in Inman, the Anderson Christmas Lights, and several others are all operating Thanksgiving weekend. Check out our list of Places to See Christmas Lights in the Upstate to schedule your trip. Some of these are free while others require an admission fee.

Spend the weekend driving to see all of the best-decorated homes in the Upstate with 2023 Kidding Around Christmas Driving Routes. They will be published after Thanksgiving.

Our Driving Routes of Upstate, SC Christmas Light Displays is a great way to finish off the week!

Check Out The Things on The Kidding Around Event Calendar

Location

All

Downtown Spartanburg

Events in Abbeville County

Events in Anderson County

Events in Boiling Springs

Events in Brevard

Events in Campobello

Events in Charlotte, NC

Events in Clemson

Events in Columbia

Events in Duncan

Events in Duncan

Events in Easley

Events in Fountain Inn

Events in Gaffney

Events in Greenville City

Events in Greenville County

Events in Greenwood County

Events in Greer

Events in Hendersonville

Events in Inman

Events in Landrum

Events in Laurens County

Events in Liberty

Events in Mauldin

Events in North Carolina

Events in Oconee County

Events In Pickens County

Events in Seneca

Events in Simpsonville

Events in Spartanburg County

Events in Taylors

Events in Travelers Rest

Events in Western North Carolina

Events in Woodruff

Featured

Travel

Virtual Events

For more fun things to do the week of Thanksgiving, and every day, head to the Kidding Around Event Calendar!

Visit Columbia, SC!

Our sister site has a list of things to do over Thanksgiving break in Columbia, SC. Get a change of scenery and check out what Columbia has to offer this Thanksgiving! They have some new events this year like Fireflies Holiday Lights that you won’t want to miss!
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Kristina Hernandez

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November 20, 2023
Get a unique gift from a local maker or artist right here in GVL

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Looking for handmade and one-of-a-kind unique gifts from artists and makers in Greenville, SC? Earlier this year, our team at Kidding Around decided that we really wanted to highlight local artists and makers in our Upstate, SC community. There are so many talented individuals that we knew were out there and we wanted to shine a light on them and their talents. So we created a weekly Facebook post series that highlighted a new maker or artist every Wednesday.

And while we have an awesome Shop Local Guide, we wanted to put all of the makers and artists we’ve highlighted this year in one post so you can peruse them at your leisure and maybe snag a few Christmas gifts for loved ones from people right here in town, supporting local businesses while getting something totally unique.

Looking for more? Head to our Ultimate Greenville, SC Shopping Guide.

We’ve broken the makers up into the kinds of things that they create.

Products from Greenville, SC Makers and Artists:
Art Gifts from Greenville Artists
Baked Goods
Candles from Greenville Makers
Custom Gifts from Greenville Makers
Elderberry Syrup
Flowers
Products for Children from Greenville Makers
Household Goods
Jewelry
Monograms
Soaps
Stationary
Woodwork for Greenville Makers

Art

Pencil Drawings by Ashley

This artists makes pencil drawings from photos, including pets, people, houses, & more!

Every Wednesday afternoon, we highlight a local artist or maker right here on our page. We want to showcase the…

Posted by Kidding Around Greenville, SC on Wednesday, November 18, 2020

Mary’s Pours

Mary’s Pours makes fluid art in sizes ranging from 8×10 inches to 4×4 feet; small accent pieces to large statement pieces.

Every Wednesday afternoon, we highlight a local artist or maker right here on our page. We want to showcase the…

Posted by Kidding Around Greenville, SC on Wednesday, October 14, 2020

FELTasticFashion

Offers handmade wool felted which are decorative (painting/sculpture), wearable (Hair clip/Brooch/Scarf) & functional (washcloth/felted soap/stress ball/dryer ball).

Every Wednesday afternoon, we highlight a local artist or maker right here on our page. We want to showcase the…

Posted by Kidding Around Greenville, SC on Wednesday, September 16, 2020

House of Flawless

House of Flawless is make-up artist.

Every Wednesday afternoon, we highlight a local artist or maker right here on our page. We want to showcase the…

Posted by Kidding Around Greenville, SC on Wednesday, August 12, 2020

Vaunda’s glass

Makes: Stained glass mosaics

Every Wednesday afternoon, we highlight a local artist or maker right here on our page. We want to showcase the…

Posted by Kidding Around Greenville, SC on Wednesday, April 8, 2020

The Tattered Traveler

The Tattered Traveler creates unique giclée art prints, original paintings, and accessories inspired by a passion for everyday comforts, simple joys, and an endless curiosity.

Every Wednesday afternoon, we will be highlighting a local artist or maker right here on our page. We want to showcase…

Posted by Kidding Around Greenville, SC on Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Baked Goods

Ethel Mae’s Bake Shop

Ethel Mae’s Bake Shop sells Custoc sugar cookies, cupcakes, cake pops, and other baked treats.

Every Wednesday afternoon, we highlight a local artist or maker right here on our page. We want to showcase the…

Posted by Kidding Around Greenville, SC on Wednesday, October 7, 2020

Sweets by Julie

Sweets by Julie makes a variety of gluten free baked goods.

Every Wednesday afternoon, we highlight a local artist or maker right here on our page. We want to showcase the…

Posted by Kidding Around Greenville, SC on Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Carolina Bourbon Belles

They offer gourmet bourbon confections made with a love and nostalgia for their Old Kentucky Home.

Every Wednesday afternoon, we highlight a local artist or maker right here on our page. We want to showcase the…

Posted by Kidding Around Greenville, SC on Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Candles

Mercy Verity Candles

They make hand poured soy/olive wax candles in beautiful reusable vessels.

Every Wednesday afternoon, we highlight a local artist or maker right here on our page. We want to showcase the…

Posted by Kidding Around Greenville, SC on Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Custom Gifts

Time Capsule Jewelry

Time Capsule Jewelry makes custom gifts like t-shirts, decals, planters, ornaments, and more, as well as jewelry and hair accessories. They also do party planning for kids parties including decorations, shirts, and more.

Every Wednesday afternoon, we highlight a local artist or maker right here on our page. We want to showcase the…

Posted by Kidding Around Greenville, SC on Wednesday, June 24, 2020

A Few of my Favourite Things

This maker’s big seller is cross stitch portraits of families, but she also makes party decorations and custom T-shirts.

Every Wednesday afternoon, we highlight a local artist or maker right here on our page. We want to showcase the…

Posted by Kidding Around Greenville, SC on Wednesday, July 1, 2020

The Charming Petunia- Handmade Crafts

The Charming Petunia sells custom tumblers, keychains, magnets and decals.

Every Wednesday afternoon, we highlight a local artist or maker right here on our page. We want to showcase the…

Posted by Kidding Around Greenville, SC on Wednesday, May 13, 2020

The Encouragement Co.

The Encouragment Co. is a local maker that creates hand screen printed, trendy tees with encouraging phrases and images.

Every Wednesday afternoon, we highlight a local artist or maker right here on our page. We want to showcase the…

Posted by Kidding Around Greenville, SC on Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Indigo Roots Textiles

Indigo Root Textiles sells botanically hand dyed and hand crafted products, using USA grown and process Indigo as well as foraged plant and food waste dyes.

Every Wednesday afternoon, we highlight a local artist or maker right here on our page. We want to showcase the…

Posted by Kidding Around Greenville, SC on Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Elderberry Syrup

A Couple Of Mommies

Locally Handcrafted Elderberry Products

Every Wednesday afternoon, we highlight a local artist or maker right here on our page. We want to showcase the…

Posted by Kidding Around Greenville, SC on Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Mama K’s Homemade

Mama K’s Homemade sells organic elderberry syrup.

Every Wednesday afternoon, we highlight a local artist or maker right here on our page. We want to showcase the…

Posted by Kidding Around Greenville, SC on Wednesday, September 9, 2020

Flowers

Sassafrass Flower Farm

This flower farm opens up for U-PICK events for all ages, spring through October.

Every Wednesday afternoon, we highlight a local artist or maker right here on our page. We want to showcase the…

Posted by Kidding Around Greenville, SC on Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Bloomphoria

Bloomphoria makes wooden floral arrangements.

Every Wednesday afternoon, we will highlight a local artist or maker right here on our page. We want to showcase the…

Posted by Kidding Around Greenville, SC on Wednesday, April 1, 2020

For Children

Fro Treats Hair Bows for Children, LLC

This maker sells faux leather bows for children. All bows are attached to a soft nylon band (no clips) which allows for you to slide it over any hairstyle that your child may have.

Every Wednesday afternoon, we highlight a local artist or maker right here on our page. We want to showcase the…

Posted by Kidding Around Greenville, SC on Wednesday, July 22, 2020

Allison’s Crochet Creations

Allison’s Crochet Creations sells crochet animals, blankets, hats, scarves, baby items, and more.

Every Wednesday afternoon, we highlight a local artist or maker right here on our page. We want to showcase the…

Posted by Kidding Around Greenville, SC on Wednesday, July 15, 2020

Household Goods

Catblack917

Catblack917 sells resin spoon pendants, earrings, decorated bottles, upcycled items and holiday crafts.

Every Wednesday afternoon, we highlight a local artist or maker right here on our page. We want to showcase the…

Posted by Kidding Around Greenville, SC on Wednesday, August 5, 2020

The Cedar Bee

The Cedar Bee makes custom home decor. She creates apparel and all sorts of cups and mugs.

Every Wednesday afternoon, we highlight a local artist or maker right here on our page. We want to showcase the…

Posted by Kidding Around Greenville, SC on Wednesday, July 8, 2020

S3 Designs Unlimited

Makes custom shirts, decals, custom mugs/tumblers, custom garden flags, home signs, etc.

Every Wednesday afternoon, we highlight a local artist or maker right here on our page. We want to showcase the…

Posted by Kidding Around Greenville, SC on Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Jewelry

Hook&Leather

Hook&Leather makes leather jewelry and accessories.

Every Wednesday afternoon, we highlight a local artist or maker right here on our page. We want to showcase the…

Posted by Kidding Around Greenville, SC on Wednesday, September 2, 2020

Blue Burd Creations

Blue Burd Creations makes handmade leather earrings.

Every Wednesday afternoon, we highlight a local artist or maker right here on our page. We want to showcase the…

Posted by Kidding Around Greenville, SC on Wednesday, June 17, 2020

LeeAnalyze LLC

Handforged jewelry (earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings, etc) made from recycled industrial metals, natural elements, and vintage finds. Sustainable, durable, and hypoallergenic. (Custom sculptures and home decor are available upon request)

Every Wednesday afternoon, we highlight a local artist or maker right here on our page. We want to showcase the…

Posted by Kidding Around Greenville, SC on Wednesday, March 18, 2020

The Merchant Magpie

The Merchant Magpie sells handcrafted polymer clay earrings and hand smocked silk necklaces.

Every Wednesday afternoon, we will be highlighting a local artist or maker right here on our page. We want to showcase…

Posted by Kidding Around Greenville, SC on Wednesday, February 26, 2020

JBJ Designs Artisan Jewelry

This metalsmith creates one of a kind jewelry from silver, copper, hand cut stones, and handmade beads. The jewelry is hand-fabricated and my own designs.

Every Wednesday afternoon, we highlight a local artist or maker right here on our page. We want to showcase the…

Posted by Kidding Around Greenville, SC on Wednesday, October 28, 2020

Monograms

Monograms and More by Michele

This maker sells personalized items, specializing in vinyl, HTV, t-shirts, and earrings.

Every Wednesday afternoon, we highlight a local artist or maker right here on our page. We want to showcase the…

Posted by Kidding Around Greenville, SC on Wednesday, July 29, 2020

H Pea Creations

H Pea Creations sells monogrammed and appliquéd items.

Every Wednesday afternoon, we highlight a local artist or maker right here on our page. We want to showcase the…

Posted by Kidding Around Greenville, SC on Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Soaps

NOOD CLEAN

NOOD CLEAN makes natural soaps and cleaning products.

Every Wednesday afternoon, we highlight a local artist or maker right here on our page. We want to showcase the…

Posted by Kidding Around Greenville, SC on Wednesday, August 19, 2020

Stationary

Printed Water

Printed Water sell cheery paper goods including personalized stationery, whimsical greeting cards and custom watercolor art.

Every Wednesday afternoon, we highlight a local artist or maker right here on our page. We want to showcase the…

Posted by Kidding Around Greenville, SC on Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Woodwork

Wegler Custom Designs

Custom woodworking & blade works

Every Wednesday afternoon, we will highlight a local artist or maker right here on our page. We want to showcase the…

Posted by Kidding Around Greenville, SC on Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Turned and Burned

Turned and Burned creates turned wooden vases, bowls, plates, coasters and other items on a lathe. Channels are then burned into the items which are filled with glow in the dark epoxy.

Every Wednesday afternoon, we will be highlighting a local artist or maker right here on our page. We want to showcase…

Posted by Kidding Around Greenville, SC on Wednesday, February 19, 2020

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Kristina Hernandez

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November 18, 2023
Learn How to Bake Amazing Bread with Bluebird Homestead in the Upstate

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If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to make real bread with freshly milled whole grains for your family, the class you need to take is the Daily Bread class from Bluebird Homestead in Fountain Inn. We did and have all the delicious details you need!

I love bread. Carbs are my BFF. And while I’m not the best baker (don’t make me measure anything, please), I can get by. So when a friend asked me to go to a bread making class with her daughter and my own girls, I was all in.

What I didn’t realize is just how much vital information I would be taking away from the Bluebird Homestead Daily Bread class. My head was spinning by the end with all the knowledge I learned from Liz Roessner. This isn’t a regular baking class. It’s much, much more. Read on to learn why.

About Bluebird Homestead and Liz Roessner

Liz and her family moved to the Greenville area in 2021 and she was already a pretty awesome baker. She would give loaves of bread to neighbors, families, and friends for gifts and had a solid background on ancient grains, grain milling, and nutrition. And Liz is really smart. She worked in nuclear cardiology for more than a decade.

“That gave me an extreme love for whole foods that serve and heal our bodies,” she said.

Her family moved to the Upstate due to her husband’s job and Liz continued her practice of gifting amazing loaves of bread to neighbors. It was through one of those neighbors, who suggested that she check out becoming a vendor at the Simpsonville Farmers Market. So she did and that turned out to be a big hit.

Liz would bake for 14 hours every other week and sell out of everything. Her Ezekiel bread and Cinnamon Sugar loaves were customer favorites. Customers started asking about baking classes so Liz met those requests and started teaching others how to mill grain and bake bread and lots of goodies.

Shop at Bluebird Homestead

“I could sell you a loaf of bread and feed you for a day but I could teach you how to bake bread and feed your family for generations,” she said.

She and her family live in a beautiful farmhouse on a few acres and have chickens, ducks, goats, and rabbits. She even has a little boutique shop with all the coolest baking and milling gear. She sells those as well as lots of different types of grains.

Learning about Grains

When I walked into Liz’s kitchen (which is my total dream kitchen by the way – white cabinets, a big island, stools, gas stove – gorgeous), she was using her Mockmill grain mill to grind hard red and hard white wheat for our class. It was a loud contraption but oh-so-cool. I felt like I was walking in on Laura Ingalls’ family, except a lot more modern and without the hand grain mill or outhouse.

I would later learn that that mill grain mill was at the heart of what we would be baking today.

Liz has a very soft and sweet demeanor, which is excellent for teaching. She is also a homeschool mom of three kids, which meant my kids were about to get a great lesson in science and homemaking. Total win. Also, I mention Liz’s demeanor because she gives you a lot of useful information that you may not have known about the bread you are eating from the grocery store (spoiler alert: it has almost zero nutrients due to processing) and yet she doesn’t make you feel terrible about it. I really appreciated that.

We started with an education about grain and its makeup. She has samples of many different types of grain and the processes it goes through that takes out all the superfood nutrients that it was designed to have in the first place. Essentially, all flour you buy in the grocery store is lacking in the nutrients that grain has because once the outer shell is broken, you have 72 hours to bake with it before it loses those incredible nutrients and starts to spoil. This is why that grain mill is essential to your at-home whole grain baking experience.

I felt bad thinking of my All Purpose flour at home I had just bought knowing that it was basically useless for providing my family with all that goodness that grain has. But again, Liz didn’t make me feel terrible about it – she is so good at providing you with useful information and kind of just letting you think about it.

We learned there are over 30 different types of grain and the gluten varies in each one to a lot of it to none of it and why you need to know that info when you’re baking. This was all completely new information for me and it was like stepping into an entirely other world of interesting food concepts. Liz is a decent artist and drew what a grain looks like on a little whiteboard, which was totally fascinating. I love science so this was fun.

Let’s Get to Baking

Once we had our grain lesson, it was time to get to the good stuff. Liz had already given us each a muffin she had made that morning and it was so delicious. I could immediately tell the difference between pastries made with any other kind of flour versus what she served straight from freshly-milled grains.

These classes are for both kids and adults but since we had a few homeschooling kids, they helped to pour the ingredients into the Bosch mixer Liz has. This mixer is the granddaddy of all mixers. It is very powerful and meant to mix flour made from whole grains. If you use a KitchenAid mixer to do this, you may blow out the motor since that is made for All Purpose flour (just FYI!). Whole grains have a very density and fiber content, which requires a stronger motor.

We got the dough mixing and let it sit for a bit to do its thing while Liz talked to us about dough reading. This is basically being able to look at the dough when you’re ready to make it the nice texture it should be before kneading. There isn’t a set amount of flour to add as it depends on what the dough is telling you. Liz is obviously a dough whisperer.

We were baking eight loaves today, which is enough for Liz’s family of five for almost a month. She keeps one loaf out when she bakes eight and freezes the other seven after slicing them. She said we can take about 3-6 hours every month to achieve the same.

The time went by fast as we let the dough rise, ate some snacks and lunch we brought, and browsed her shop. There is plenty of time to ask questions and Liz is a wealth of knowledge about baking so I took full advantage of that!

Once the dough was ready to weigh and roll out, we got to choose what kind of bread we would make. Liz made two pizza rolls and oh my gosh, they were incredible – so soft and flavorful and just simple. She showed us how to slam the dough on the counter to get the air bubbles out, how to roll it out and how to add cinnamon and sugar for that kind of bread (both my kids made those and they turned out oh-so-good).

They had to rise again before baking, which gave us more time to ask questions and learn. Liz gave us a tour of the shop and showed us the 12 grains she had in stock and what was unique about each of them. She had hard red, soft white, rye, spelt, millet, oat groat, and others. I was just amazed at how much she knew about them. I felt like my head was spinning with all this new knowledge.

So Many Options for Baking

Liz gave us a ton of great ideas for the dough she taught us to make. She showed us how to use it to make English muffins, bagels, and pretzels. I was hooked on the bagel and pretzel concept. Those are my ultimate weaknesses when it comes to carbs.

She talked to us more about the grain miller and how you can use it to make flour out of dried beans and corn. I had no idea this was a thing. I had no idea a lot of what she taught us was a thing. But it was so traditional and simple and comforting. And the final product really spoke for itself. The difference in eating this bread made from true whole grains was a world apart from eating bread made from literally anything else.

When our four hours were up, we got to head home with not only all the knowledge Liz bestowed on us but a loaf of bread. That bread barely made it a few hours at home before we dove into it.

One of the bigger questions I had was about the kitchen equipment she was using. A grain miller is pretty much a necessity if you want to do this at home. They are upwards of $340+ depending on the model, which is quite the investment. Add that Bosch mixer and it can look daunting. Liz really encouraged us to do our own research though and try to look at it from a long-term perspective on your family’s health and wellness. Spending money now could potentially pay off in the long run in a huge way in terms of doctor bills, health, and overall happiness (tasty bread = happy people!). It’s something I’ve been pondering since the class.

Taking a Class

Liz doesn’t have a regular schedule of classes yet but she does have a waiting list of people who want to take the class and can accommodate private class requests. It’s best to email her to get on her list ([email protected]) and follow her Facebook page for updates on classes and which markets she will be at and when classes have openings.

You can also shop at her store, which has everything from the grain mills to the Bosch mixer to measuring cups, silicone baking mats, and pounds upon pounds of fresh grains.

Classes are four hours long and the Daily Bread Class is $45/person or $70/family pair. She offers homeschool families a discount so ask her about that. Also, this would make an amazing experience gift for Christmas or a birthday.

I would a hundred percent recommend this class with Liz. Even if you don’t walk out of there wanting to live on a homestead and grow all your own food and grain, you’ll learn so much and perhaps pick up a new way to feed your family that is tastier and healthier than you’d ever expect.

Bluebird Homestead SC
Fountain Inn, SC | [email protected]
Bluebird Homestead SC Facebook page

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Kristina Hernandez

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November 14, 2023
Where You Can Order Charcuterie Boards in Greenville & Spartanburg, SC

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Ever considered enjoying delicious food in a festive way with a charcuterie board? There are plenty of places to hire a local charcuterie artist to make a celebratory charcuterie board in Greenville, SC. While they’re not one of the easiest things to pronounce, they’re easy to look at (and even easier to eat).

The delicious french trend of displaying meats, cheeses, and other delectable morsels together might be tricky to say. But with our help, finding a local charcuterie artist won’t be difficult. We’ve listed out some local places where you can order full charcuterie boards, ingredients, and hand-crafted boards that are a work of art even by themselves.

What is Charcuterie?

First, though, let’s have a petite leçon de Français. If you remember your high school French and can correctly pronounce charcuterie, then you are dismissed from class. However, if you find yourself saying this very French word without the confidence of a French man in a beret, we can help.

”Shark-Q-Terry” is how you should pronounce the word when you order your artistic tray of cured meats, cheeses, and fruit. Perhaps you might have seen another shark-related pronunciation, “swimming,” around on social media. S’il Vous plaît, do not pronounce it this way. I promise you won’t have been the first to try and place your order in this fashion.

Ordering a Charcuterie Board in Greenville, SC

Now that we’ve gone over the hard part, here comes the delicious part. If looking at all of these local options doesn’t make your mouth water, I don’t know what will. Even though parties aren’t the most fabulous idea this year, I think this holiday season could be the best to order a charcuterie board.

Think about it; you wouldn’t have to share it with a ton of people at a party. The treat of something special is the perfect way to celebrate with your family this year. There are options to fit every taste and budget, and you’ll be supporting a local small business in the process.

Photo Credit: Chadcuterie

Chadcuterie

Ladies Night | $30
Manchego cheese, wild berry chèvre, pimento cheese, salami, fresh fruit, crackers, cornichons, spiced walnuts, baguettes

Gangwer Grazer |$68
Three kinds of cheese, three types of meat, fresh fruit, crudités, crackers, baguettes, stout mustard, pimento cheese, olives, cornichons, spiced walnuts, local honey & caramel corn

The full list of Chadcuterie options is available online

Contact Chadcuterie for more info about Custom ”Bring Your Own Board” option

Photo Credit: Southern Grazer

Southern Grazer

Options include artisan cheeses and meats, fruits, veggies, crackers, nuts, pickles or olives, and a sweet.

4” mini boxes (10 box minimum) – $10

9” medium grazer (serves 4) – $60

12” large grazer (serves 8) – $90

Also available: platters, trays, and grazing tables

Other Charcuterie Options In Greenville, SC

Ordering a Charcuterie Board in Spartanburg, SC

Dray: Bar & Grill / Plankowner Brewery

Half boards | $16

Full Boards | $28

Other Charcuterie Options in Spartanburg, SC

Looking for An Actual Board For That Charcuterie?

Are you looking to try a DIY approach to that spread? If you need a board for your creation or have one of the listed makers create custom meat and cheese masterpiece for you, these local woodworkers are ready to help!

Photo Credit: Ballew Woodworks

Looking to set up a special picnic for your family? Why not use a picnic set-up service to help you make it memorable?

Bon Appetit, enjoy that tray of treats!

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Kidding Around Team

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November 8, 2023
Over 50 Light Displays Near Greenville and Spartanburg

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Are you looking for the best places to see Christmas lights near Greenville, SC or Spartanburg, SC? This list includes all of the local mega-light displays, light displays large enough to drive to see, and even some local Christmas lights at homes that deck it out for Christmas Griswold style.

While we do our best to offer accurate information, please check with these venues and organizations before visiting. Please help keep Kidding Around Greenville and Spartanburg content free by not copying and reproducing this content without permission.

Drive-Thru Holiday Lights Near Greenville and Spartanburg

Anderson Christmas Lights across from the Anderson Civic Center Thanksgiving, November 23 – December 25, 2023
It includes 3.5 million Christmas lights!

Cost $10 per car

Opens at 5:30 pm each evening

Special entertainment is listed on their Entertainment Schedule

Upstate Holiday Light Show at District Park in Easley, SC opens Thanksgiving through December 31, 2023. In addition to driving through the dancing lights, guests can also visit a winter wonderland and Santa’s free petting zoo.

Cars, SUVs, Trucks, and Minivans – $35

Sun-Thurs 6 pm-10 pm

Fri & Sat 6 pm-11 pm

Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland and Winterfest Village – This drive-thru light experience at the Tryon Equestrian International Center is a real family treat. There are also live shows on select nights. The show runs nightly from November 17, 2023 – January 7, 2024, from 6-10 pm. The Winterfest Village is open weekends in December through December 23rd from 5-9 pm.

Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland Weekdays: $30/cars, Weekends: $35/cars (additional costs for larger vehicles)

Winterfest Village: Some activities are free but most require a wristband, which cost $5/adult, $20/child 12 and under. Winterfest happens Friday-Sunday 5-9 pm starting December 1, 2023 and ending December 23, 2023.

Holiday Lights Trolley Tours with Main Street Trolley operate in Spartanburg, SC throughout the month of December. The exact dates and 2023 pricing are TBA.

Oconee State Park Holiday Light Show will be a walk-through or drive-through event! Trees will be lit with beautiful lights and holiday displays. There will be a Santa workshop while you grab hot chocolate and coffee.

The Magical Music Holiday Light Show at Seneca’s Norton-Thompson Park is a FREE event and fun for the whole family! Dates are from November 17th, 2023 to December 31st, 2023.

Holiday Putt Through Lights at Takeoff Minigolf in Greenville: You can walk through a big holiday light display while playing mini-golf. The special event opens November 24, 2023 and runs Thursday-Sunday until December 30th. Tickets should be reserved online and are $15/adults, $13/kids.

[2023 info has not been announced] Lake Lure Flowering Bridge: This is a short day trip from Greenville but totally worth it. The Flowering Bridge in Lake Lure, NC is free and during Christmas, they light it up and you can walk through the display and garden! See our story on the cool bridge, which also includes things to do in the Chimney Rock Village just down the street (I’d recommend getting hot chocolate). The lights will remain on through the first week of January and a holiday celebration will take place on November 30th at 5:30 pm.

Lighting Displays and Ceremonies

Holidays at the Zoo– (Select dates in December) Walk through the Greenville Zoo and be dazzled by thousands of lights, festive decorations, and holiday music. Tickets are timed, and advanced registration is recommended. The zoo will be closed from December 24th – 25th. Other dates are open from 4 pm to 8 pm. You can purchase tickets online.

Christmas on Limestone in Gaffney with Laser Light Show– (December 1st, 2023) There will be a parade, laser light show, and a Main Street celebration in Gaffney.

2023 Festival of Trees – Come see the holiday trees on display from November 17th, 2023 to December 25th, 2023 at the Hyatt Regency Downtown, the Courtyard Marriott Greenville Downtown, Embassy Suites Downtown, and the Hampton Inn & Suites RiverPlace. FREE

Tiny Town Easley, SC– A piece of the small town South lives on, in tiny form! Over 80 tiny structures adorned with lights, Christmas decor, and lots of character make up Tiny Town. The display is open nightly from Thanksgiving Day to New Year’s Day (closed when raining). They also have hot chocolate, hot coffee, a bonfire, and select dates of visits with Santa.

City of Seneca Tree Lighting and Magical Musical Holiday Light Show in Seneca – Join the mayor on November 27th, 2023 at 5 pm for this fun-filled holiday tradition of lighting the Christmas Tree at Norton-Thompson Park. The Christmas Parade follows at 6:30 pm. The Magical Musical Holiday Light Show runs November 17th-December 31st nightly from 5:30-10 pm.

Holiday Hop: Travelers Rest, SC Tree Lighting and more (November 27th, 2023) Tree Lighting, Christmas kids craft station, stories with Mrs. Claus, selfies with Santa all on Main Street in Travelers Rest, SC.

[2023 info has not been announced] Simpsonville Tree Lighting Ceremony (December 1, 2022 at 6 pm) – Sing-a-longs, free hot chocolate, cookies, and letters to Santa. Free.

Mauldin Tree Lighting (November 30th, 2023 at 5 pm) – Enjoy holiday music and tree lighting at the Mauldin Outdoor Amphitheater behind the Mauldin Cultural Center.

Tree Lighting Ceremony at Greer City Park (December 1, 2023 at 5-8 pm) This family-friendly event also includes a visit from Santa. Be sure to head over to Trade Street for dinner before or after the event. The full event starts at 5:00 pm.

Night of Lights: Greenville Christmas Tree Lighting (December 1, 2023 at 5:30 pm) This event will have live music, vendors, food trucks, and more starting at 5:30 pm.

Dickens of a Christmas- (December 5th, 2023 from 6 to 9 pm) Tree lighting in Spartanburg, SC. The event also includes a Victorican-style Christmas celebration throughout Downtown Spartanburg. Enjoy live music, vendors, horse and carriage rides, living window displays, and more.

Holiday Lights at Hidden Pasture Unicorn Farm– You can explore the unicorn farm and enjoy the Christmas lights Fridays – Sundays from November 17th – December 23rd. Lights and a movie start at 5 pm. Prices are $12 for 18+ and $14 for kids 3-17 years old.

Belton, SC Christmas Tree Lighting and Parade (2023 Dates TBA)

Free Light Displays at Businesses

Nearby Christmas Lights: Check Out Free Holiday Light Displays

Our readers love the Kidding Around Christmas Driving Routes. Our 2023 routes are coming soon! Check back near Thanksgiving time.

Homes with light shows that include music (and sometimes even hot chocolate and Santa). Expect to wait in traffic to see them. If visiting these displays, park on the sides of the street, being sure to leave room for traffic and not block neighbors’ driveways.

Also, we recommend that you check the Facebook page of the light display before heading out. That’s typically where you can find current information on traffic rules, parking, and nights off.

Private Home Light Displays

We will be updating this list for 2023 soon. Bookmark this list and check back!

This list includes displays that were submitted in 2022 by readers and others who are both on our Holiday Light Tour and ones that are not. Their status has been confirmed unless otherwise noted.

This section includes:
Greenville, SC Static Christmas Light Displays
Synchronized Light Shows in Greenville
Spartanburg, SC Static Christmas Light Displays
Synchronized Christmas Light Shows in Spartanburg

Greenville Area Static Light Displays

4 Andrea Lane | Greenville/Easley Route | Photo: Jason Hurdich

111 Silver Pine Ct | Greer Route

113 Northview St, Lyman | Greer Route | Photo: Jason Hurdich

11 Woodmore Court, Simpsonville

120 Fairfield Drive, Mauldin

104 Fox Farm Way, Greer

119 Cherrywood Trail, Greer (The Candy Cane House)

2 Woodharbor Drive, Taylors

311 Shadow Ridge Circle Simpsonville

Greenville Synchronized Light Displays

101 Rockberry Terrace Simpsonville

Spartanburg Light Displays

292 Autumn Glen Drive, Spartanburg

Anderson County Light Displays

Dixieland D’Lights at 8 Carver Street Ext, Due West, SC

Christmas Light Displays That Are Worth The Drive

Speedway Christmas Lights – The annual drive-thru Christmas lights at the Charlotte Motor Speedway is super popular. More than 4 million lights over 3.75 miles adorn this display, which runs from Friday, November 17, 2023, to Sunday, January 7, 2024. They are closed on Christmas Day.

Tickets for cars are $35 – $45 and $140-$175 for buses. Fast passes are available for $75 per car (including ticket).

Holiday Lights on the River at Saluda Shoals Park in Columbia, SC (Thursday, November 23rd, 2023 to Friday, December 31st, 2023) Over a million lights on the 2-mile loop of the park. Includes a laser light show, hayrides, tube slide, Santa, and more.

Admission is $25 a family car.

Looking for more lights? Check out the Christmas Lights Displays Around Columbia, SC plus more ways to celebrate the holidays in Columbia, SC.

Holiday Lights on the River, Columbia, SC

Winter Lights – This popular light show at the NC Arboretum in Asheville is converting the walk-through garden lights to a one-mile drive-thru experience. The show runs from November 17, 2023 – December 31, 2023 nightly from 6 pm – 10:30 pm.

Garden Lights at Atlanta Botanical Garden (November 18, 2023 – January 14, 2024) This massive light display includes colored orbs, model trains, and a glittery rain forest.

Christmas Town, USA in McAdenville, NC (December 1 – 26, 2023) This nearby town decks out completely for Christmas. You can either park and walk around the town or drive through (the 1.3 miles takes approximately 30-40 minutes to drive through). The lights are on nightly from 5:30 – 10 pm.
Read our review of Christmas Town, USA here.

World of Illuminations is taking place at one Atlanta area location this year, the Six Flags White Water park in Marietta (November 15th, 2023 – December 31st, 2023). This light display boasts over two million lights synchronized to music and has been named to the Forbes magazine list of Best Light Displays in the US.

Enchanted Safari (Marietta, Georgia at Six Flags White Water)
Starts at $40 per car

Read our review of World Of Illuminations Candy Rush here

Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland

Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland and Winterfest Village – This drive-thru light experience at the Tryon Equestrian International Center is a real family treat. The show runs nightly from November 17, 2023 – January 1, 2024, from 6-10 pm. The Winterfest Village is open weekends in December through December 23rd from 5-9 pm.

Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland tickets start at $35 per car.

Winterfest Village: Some activities are free but most require a wristband, which cost $10-$12 per child. Winterfest happens Friday Sunday 5-9 pm starting December 1, 2023 through December 17th and December 19th through December 23, 2023.

Smoky Mountain Event Center in Waynesville, NC ( 2023 TBA) This light display is a drive-thru and has lots of great twinkling lights for your family to enjoy. Tickets are $20/car and you need to choose a time for your reservation. Bonus: book a holiday tour of the alpaca farm and Santa visit at Winchester Creek farm, also in Waynesville.

Holiday Light Show at Oconee State Park (December 1, 2023- through January 10, 2024) Take a spin through the campground to enjoy light displays provided by the local community and businesses. Included with park admission.

Want to know what’s going on in Greenville over Christmas?

Just check our Ultimate Holiday Guide where we keep track of Santa, holiday storytimes, and more

Be sure to join our mailing list so that you can get our weekend planner each week in your inbox!

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Kidding Around Team

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November 6, 2023
Santa Sightings! Here’s Where You Can Find Santa This Year!

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Are you searching for “places to see Santa near me”? Or hoping to run into Santa near Greenville, SC this season? We are tracking his sleigh and reindeer to be sure that you get the inside scoop on where Santa will be visiting this Christmas in Greenville and Spartanburg! This list includes everything from free events to professional photos and even a spot where you can see Santa climb a mountain. Did we miss anything? Let us know at [email protected].

While we do our best to offer accurate information, please check with these venues and organizations before visiting. Please help keep Kidding Around Greenville free by not copying and reproducing this content without permission.

Stay tuned for even more opportunities to see Santa in 2023! We’ll be updating this list throughout the season!

Find Santa Near Greenville, SC and Spartanburg

Places to Get Professional Photos with Santa

Santa at Haywood Mall Make a reservation now to see Santa beginning November 10th, 2023. You will need to book and pay for your Santa Magic photo experience in advance. Packages start at $39.99.

Santa at Cabela’s 2023 Reservations are now open. Santa arrives on November 4th, and photos with Santa begin November 4th, 2023. Reserve your time slot in advance to visit with Santa at Cabela’s and receive a free 4×6 photo with Santa. Here’s our Kidding Around Mom Review of Visiting Santa at Cabela’s.

Santa at Hidden Pasture Farm’s Yuletide Unicorn Festival: Weekends November 17th through December 23rd, 2023 from 11 am until 9 pm see Santa for visits and pictures. Santa pictures are free to take. Tickets to the festival are $18 each for those 18+, $14 each for those ages 3-17, and babies 2 and under are free.

Holiday Hop & Tree Lighting (November 25th, 2023) Tree Lighting, Christmas kids craft station, stories with Mrs. Claus, FREE professional photos with Santa (available for download after the event) all on Main Street in Travelers Rest, SC.

Greenville Christmas Market at Grand Bohemian Lodge (Select dates with Santa are November 24th, 2023 – December 30th, 2023) Meet and greet with Santa on select dates during the Greenville Christmas Market at the Grand Bohemian Lodge in Downtown Greenville. Hours vary.

Dine with Santa

December 2nd, 2023: Greer’s Breakfast With Santa, Tickets go on sale November 6th and will sell out quickly. Purchase a ticket on November 6th, 2023 at 7:00 pm for online (click on programs/classes) or by phone at 864.968.7008. Maximum of 8 people per table.

December 10th, 2023: Santa Brunch at Avenue. There are three times to choose from, 10:30 am, 12:15 pm, and 1:30 pm. Tickets are $0 – $49, and can be purchased ahead of time.

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See Santa Near the Upstate: Santa Day Trips and Getaways

Select dates in November and December, 2023: Visit Santa at Winchester Creek Farm in Waynesville, NC. Tour of the farm, where they have alpacas (and baby alpacas!), miniature cows and horses, donkeys, and chickens. Kids can visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus in the comfort of the barn and tickets include a complimentary cookie and candy cane.

December 2nd, 2023: 26th Annual Santa on the Chimney at Chimney Rock State Park. Viewers will get to see Santa climbing down the Chimney (rock that is!). There will be photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, live holiday music, letters to Santa, crafts, hiking with an elf, animal meet and greets, holiday shopping, and more! The event is included in park admission.

2023 Dates TBD: Tiny Town in Easley is where you will find Santa visiting and meeting with children. While there, you can also visit dozens of miniature Christmas displays.

2023: Heading down to the Midlands? Check out where to see Santa in Columbia, SC.

While we do our best to offer accurate information, please check with these venues and organizations before visiting. Please help keep Kidding Around Greenville free by not copying and reproducing this content without permission.

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Bethany Winston

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November 2, 2023
Get a Delicious Thanksgiving Meal at One of These Places in Greenville

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Looking for some help with food for Thanksgiving in Greenville, SC? Do you find cooking Thanksgiving dinner to be a little overwhelming? Honestly—preparing a Thanksgiving meal is no joke. Making the turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, and various other side dishes can be hard and take a lot of time. Some families choose to totally skip it and go out for dinner or order in and pick up.

Our list has restaurants offering dine-in service, full take-out meals and even restaurants where you can just grab a turkey or a few sides to supplement your own home-cooked meal. There are lots of great restaurant options in Greenville to make your most delicious Thanksgiving dinner dreams come true.

Most of our local grocery stores are also offering Thanksgiving meals, or at least part of them, for pickup.

Thanksgiving Restaurants in Greenville
This article includes:
Thanksgiving Dine-in and Full Meal Take-Out Options
Restaurants where you can order turkey, individual sides, or catered meal for Thanksgiving

Where to dine in or order take-out on Thanksgiving in Greenville for 2023

The Lazy Goat

170 River Place, Greenville | 864.679.5229
The restaurant will be serving a Thanksgiving family-style meal from 10 am – 6 pm. Call to reserve a table or do so online via OpenTable. The cost is $39/adults, $17/children 7 – 12, and those 6 and under dine for free.

CityRange Steakhouse

615 Haywood Road, Greenville | 864.286.9018
CityRange will be open from 11 am – 4 pm on Thanksgiving Day. Reservations are needed.

The Nose Dive

116 S Main Street, Greenville | 864.373.7300
The Nose Dive takes Thanksgiving Day reservations for 11:30 am to 4 pm, offering a la carte items with all of your Thanksgiving favorite starters, mains, and sides. Some delicious items to look forward to include Lemon Thyme Roasted Turkey with Gravy, Herb Roasted Prime Rib, Candied Bacon Brussels Sprouts, Cranberry Apple Sage Stuffing, and so many more items!

Sullivan’s Metropolitan Grill

208 South Main Street, Anderson, SC | 864.226.8945
Sullivan’s is taking reservations for Thanksgiving Brunch. Call to make your reservations today!

Restaurant 17

10 Road of Vines, Travelers Rest | 864.635.2894
If you’re looking for a feast, then look no future. Restaurant 17 will host a Thanksgiving feast with a carving station, a dessert station, and everything you can imagine for the perfect meal. They have seating times available from 11 am – 6 pm. Make a reservation asap at 864.635.2894.

Roost

220 North Main Street, Greenville | 864.298.2424
Roost offers a fully loaded buffet for your Thanksgiving feast, with everything you can imagine, from 10 am – 6 pm.

BrickTop’s

1 North Main Street, Ste. H, Greenville | 864.794.3830
BrickTop’s in Greenville will be open all day serving a Thanksgiving Dinner, and they are also offering a full Thanksgiving carry-out meal. You can choose a Roast Turkey Dinner, Prime Rib Dinner, or Beef Wellington Dinner. Each meal includes a house salad, whipped potatoes, corn, stuffing, and rolls. Orders must be placed by 5 pm on November 15th.

Soby’s

207 South Main Street, Greenville | 864.232.7007
NOTE: 2023 Information is not available yet. Soby’s reservations for Thanksgiving Day fill up quickly (if they are sold out, call and check for cancellations periodically before the big day). For Thanksgiving, they are serving an a la carte menu of holiday favorites like a roasted turkey plate, roasted rib roast, glazed pit ham, creole pasta salad, southern sage cornbread dressing, traditional Thanksgiving desserts, and more.

Up on the Roof

250 Riverplace, Greenville | 864.242.4000
NOTE: 2023 Information is not available yet. Thanksgiving with a twist is the theme at Up on the Roof in Greenville, where they are offering lobster stuffed deviled eggs, roasted duck, turkey pot pie, and pumpkin cheesecake. Everything is a la carte. Oh, and they are offering bottomless mimosas. Cheers. Reservations requested.

Urban Wren

116 N Markley St, Greenville | 864.626.6336
NOTE: 2023 Information is not available yet. Urban Wren will host Thanksgiving from 12 pm to 5 pm on Thanksgiving Day, so you will want to make your reservation as soon as possible. The cost is $60 per person, $30 per child aged 13 to 18, and free for children 12 and under. There will be pit-smoked ham, herb-roasted turkey, tons of sides to choose from, delicious desserts, and everything you need to make the perfect plate.
Urban Wren

Big Boys Country Cooking

Easley, SC | 864.671.6063
NOTE: 2023 Information is not available yet. Big Boys Country Cooking will be open on Thanksgiving Day from 11 am to 4 pm for a traditional southern meal. There is an all-you-can-eat buffet for $14.99! This was confirmed with the Easley location, so contact other locations if you are interested in dining on Thanksgiving to confirm.

Maestro’s Bistro and Dinner Club

104 Main Street, Greenville | 864.248.0702
NOTE: 2023 Information is not available yet. Make your reservations soon, because Maestro’s Bistro’s Thanksgiving Day meal fills up quickly. They offer traditional roasted turkey or fried turkey as their main proteins, with sides such as garlic mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, and many more sides to choose from. Dessert options are delicious choices such as apple souffle or pumpkin pie. Their full menu is also available if you’re looking for a meal that ventures outside of traditional favorites. Plates are $44 per person.

Stax’s Drake House

5112 North Howard Avenue, Landrum | 864.457.2533
NOTE: 2023 Information is not available yet. Stax’s Drake House will serve a traditional Thanksgiving dinner from 11 am to 3:30 pm.

Hall’s Chophouse

550 South Main Street, Greenville | 864.335.4200
NOTE: 2023 Information is not available yet. Hall’s Chophouse will be open on Thanksgiving Day from 11 am to 7 pm. Make your reservation today!

National Chains open on Thanksgiving 2023

California Dreaming

40 Beacon Drive, Greenville | 864.234.9000
A huge Thanksgiving menu is being offered at California Dreaming with Thanksgiving Dinner including Oven Roasted Turkey Breast, Sweet Potato Casserole, Green Beans and Carrots, Mashed Potatoes, Southern Herb Stuffing, and more – $28.95 | $12.95-$13.95/Kids. Call to make reservations.

Ruths Chris Steakhouse

Greenville, SC
The famous steakhouse is serving a Thanksgiving dinner where guests can choose between a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, complete with slow-roasted turkey and a signature side item of your choice like garlic mashed potatoes, green beans, or creamed spinach, plus pumpkin cheesecake, or ordering from their regular menu. They will be offering a full Thanksgiving meal for pickup this year as well. Complete Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner $48/Adults – $17/Kids.

Cracker Barrel

Greenville & Spartanburg, SC
NOTE: 2023 Information is not available yet. Cracker Barrel is serving a special Thanksgiving menu in their dining rooms. You can also order a meal online that serves 10 people, with the choice of entree, sides, and rolls or biscuits. You can also order one of their Thanksgiving Meals to Go.

Where to Get a Turkey, Sides, or Catered Thanksgiving Meal 2023

The restaurants below are offering catered meals or individual pieces of a meal like a smoked turkey or delicious sides and desserts. Use them to supplement your home-cooked meal and make the meal preparations a little easier!

Chophouse ’47

36 Beacon Drive, Greenville | 864.286.8700
Their catered meal serves up to eight people and includes the turkey, all the sides like honey glazed carrots, cornbread, two kinds of potatoes, and cranberry sauce for $235. Must pick up by 5 pm on Thanksgiving Day.

Swamp Rabbit Cafe & Grocery

205 Cedar Lane, Greenville | 864.255.3385
The Swamp Rabbit Cafe sells local Heritage and White Broad Breasted turkeys and ham every year, as well as delectable pies and sides. They have vegan and gluten-free options for sides as well! They almost always sell out so if you want something, order it quickly. Turkeys are not cooked.

Hall’s Chophouse

Greenville, SC | 864.335.4200
NOTE: 2023 Information is not available yet. You can order Thanksgiving to Go from Hall’s with an Oven Roasted Turkey Dinner that feeds four ($265) or eight ($495), or a Honey Baked Ham Dinner that feeds four ($235) or eight ($420). Meals are accompanied by sides like traditional stuffing, Yukon gold mashed potatoes, candied sweet potatoes, roasted Brussel sprouts, and cornbread. There are also additional sides available, and three fresh pies to choose from. Orders must be placed by 5 pm on Friday, November 18th, 2022. Pick up is Wednesday, November 23rd or Thanksgiving Day.

Larkins

Greenville, SC
Larkins offers a Thanksgiving Take & Bake Kit, complete with all the classics. The kit has 7 lbs of turkey breast, turkey gravy, cranberry sauce, four cheese mac, whipped potatoes, sweet potato casserole and pecan praline topping, cornbread stuffing, green beans, rolls, and apple cake! Yum! Each kit will feed 6-8 people comfortably, and costs $299 per kit. Pickup is November 21st or 22nd at Larkin’s Sawmill, 22 Graves Drive, Greenville.

Chef360

Chef360 catering is offering meals for six to 8 people that include turkey, mac & cheese, mashed potatoes, squash, salad, cornbread, and pumpkin pie. Add-ons are available. They also offer a vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free meal. There are two Thanksgiving Meal options, one for $139 and one for $189.

Fork & Plough

1629 East North Street, Greenville | 864.609.4249
NOTE: 2023 Information is not available yet. Fork & Plough offers a full Thanksgiving meal for pickup complete with smoked turkey breast, and all the sides you could want. Place your order online through November 19th for pickup on Tuesday, November 22nd, or Wednesday, November 23rd.

Two Chefs

Greenville, SC
NOTE: 2023 Information is not available yet. Desserts and side dishes are available for pre-order, and pick-up. Thanksgiving orders must be placed by 4 pm on November 18th, 2022 for pickup on November 23rd between 2 pm and 4 pm. They offer everything but Turkey, from soups, dressing, lots of vegetable sides, desserts, and more.

Ji-Roz

Greenville, SC
Enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal with high-quality ingredients from Ji-Roz. You can pick up HOT and ready for your own oven on Thanksgiving Day from 10 am to 12 pm. They offer whole roasted turkey for $89, an abundance of sides like greek-style green beans, macaroni and cheese casserole, homemade cornbread dressing, and a lot more options. Their side platters feed 12. To order, visit their website, click “order online”, choose Thanksgiving Day as your schedule, and scroll down to the bottom of the list until you see “Thanksgiving Menu”.

Henry’s Smokehouse

Greenville, SC | 864.232.7774
They traditionally offer smoked fried turkeys, smoked turkeys, spiral hams, and lots of sides. They’ll start taking orders on October 1st. Call for pricing and details.

Iron Hill Brewery

Greenville, SC
NOTE: 2023 Information is not available yet. Iron Hill Brewery offers a dinner for 4 for only $75 that includes oven-roasted turkey, sausage and sage stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry orange sauce, and gravy. You can also add an apple pie or pumpkin pie for $12 more. When ordering your food, be sure to select 11/23 as your checkout date.

Stella’s Southern Bistro

684 Fairview Road, Simpsonville | 864.757.1212
NOTE: 2023 Information is not available yet. They have sides and pies that are fully cooked such as collards, stuffing, mac ‘n cheese, and other delicious options, everything is usually available except for the turkey.

Table 301 Catering

68 Global Drive, Greenville (pickup location) | 864.271.8431
You can order your entire Thanksgiving meal or pick out what you need from Table 301. All items come fully cooked—all you have to do is reheat. Preorder by 3 pm on Friday, November 17. Pickup at 68 Global Drive, Greenville on Wednesday, November 22nd between 8 am – 3 pm or Thursday, November 23rd between 9 am – 12 pm.

Bobby’s BBQ

1301 N. Main Street, Fountain Inn | 864.403.2379
Bobby’s has all the meats you could want for your Thanksgiving dinner! Preorders are open, and you can order whole turkey breast for $75, whole briskets for $140, port butts, and pans of your favorite side dishes. Pickup will be Wednesday, November 22nd between 11 am and 3 pm.

Bucky’s BBQ

Greenville & Fountain Inn, SC
NOTE: 2023 Information is not available yet. Bucky’s is a staple in the Greenville community, and its holiday menu does not disappoint. You must preorder for their holiday menu at least 36 hours before pick up. The holiday menu offers large pans of cornbread stuffing, green beans, mac and cheese, and sweet potato crunch. Their general menu has loads of meats and sides to purchase if you’re looking for additional items. You can find the holiday menu by clicking “order online” on their website, selecting the location, and then scrolling down. You can also call 864-329-0054 to order.

Mike & Jeff’s BBQ

2401 Old Buncombe Road, Greenville | 864.271.5225
NOTE: 2023 Information is not available yet. If you’re wanting a turkey or ham smoked to perfection, but are not the cooking type, Mike & Jeff’s BBQ will take whatever size turkey or ham you need and smoke it for you. You must bring your own meat for them to smoke. They also offer sweet potato souffle, just let them know how many servings you need!

White Wine and Butter

215 Trade Street A105, Greer | 864.417.4106

NOTE: 2023 Information is not available yet. If you are looking for hot food to pick up, then White Wine and Butter has you covered. They offer Grilled tomahawk steak, cajun fried turkey, and rack of lamb as their protein options, with signature sides like smoke gouda mac n cheese, cornbread dressing, crab stuffed mushrooms, and other sides. You can also order a charcuterie box gift set that feeds 10 for $150. Pick-up dates are November 23rd and 24th. You can reserve your pickup by calling 864.417.4106 or emailing [email protected].

The Bleu Porch

Greer, SC | 864.479.0433
NOTE: 2023 Information is not available yet. You can preorder sides such as cornbread dressing and gravy, sweet potato casserole, southern mac and cheese, deviled eggs or pineapple casserole, and 10 different desserts from The Bleu Porch for Thanksgiving. They even have delicious Hummingbird cake! Orders must be placed by 2:30 on Thursday, November 17, 2022.

Smoky Dreams BBQ

2131 Woodruff Road, Greenville | 864-627-4227
NOTE: 2023 Information is not available yet. You can preorder anything from the Smoky Dreams menu, and there will be additional items available for Thanksgiving including Turkey, cornbread dressing, and pork loin. Pick-up is the day before Thanksgiving by 2 pm. You can place your order anytime Wednesday through Saturday from 11 am to 7 pm, just let the team know you are interested in preordering for Thanksgiving.

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill

NOTE: 2023 Information is not available yet. You can order your entire Thanksgiving Feast from Firebirds, with roasted brown turkey, honey-glazed ham, sides, and desserts. The package feeds 6 and is $160. You must place your order by November 19th, 2022 for pickup on the 22nd or 23rd.

Moe’s Original BBQ

Greenville, SC | 864.520.1740
NOTE: 2023 Information is not available yet. The holiday menu at Moe’s Original BBQ offers smoked meats such as traditional smoked turkey for $70, spiral sliced ham, or smoked turkey breast. You can also order pans of various sides that will feed either 10-12 people or 20-25 people. Orders must be placed by Friday, November 18, 2022, for a Wednesday, November 23 pickup by 3 pm.

Lewis Barbeque

214 Rutherford Street, Greenville | 864.513.6045
NOTE: 2023 Information is not available yet. Preorder a delicious turkey breast, USDA Prime Beef briquet, and delicious sides like green chili corn pudding and mac and cheese from Lewis Barbeque Greenville. Preorders must be placed by Friday, November 18th, 2022! Orders can be picked up Monday, November 21st through Wednesday, November 23rd, 2022.

Do you know of a restaurant offering Thanksgiving meals? Let us know in the comments!

Heading down to Columbia for the holiday? Don’t miss our list of restaurants for Thanksgiving dinner in Columbia!

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Kidding Around Team

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October 30, 2023
Liven Up Your Child’s Weekend With Zoo Tots at the Greenville Zoo

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Do you know about the Zoo Tots program at the Greenville Zoo? Zoo Tots is a great way to liven up your preschooler’s weekend. With storytime, plenty of sensory play, and a meeting with a zoo animal, Zoo Tots is sure to have something that your child will enjoy! Kidding Around’s India and her 3-year old went to a recent Zoo Tots and a good time was had by all! Read on to find out about the Zoo Tots program and how you can sign-up!

Special thanks to the Greenville Zoo for providing admission to this program.

The Greenville Zoo’s Morgan Laskowski reads The Three Little Pigs during a recent Zoo Tots class.

We’ve been members of the Greenville Zoo on and off for the better part of 7 years. However, it was just last weekend that my family tried out one of their education programs. We have been missing out! We’re always looking for new experiences, especially outdoor ones, and Zoo Tots hit the mark.

Want to know more about the Greenville Zoo? Here’s our guide to the Greenville Zoo with all the information you need to plan a fabulous zoo day.

Zoo Tots is one of several educational programs offered at the Greenville Zoo. It is designed for children between the ages of 2-4. The class lasts about 45 minutes to an hour. During the class, students will get to play freely at several different sensory play stations, hear a story, and meet one of the zoo’s animals up close.

The Zoo Tots Experience

When we went to Zoo Tots, the kids had some free-play time at various sensory stations. Then, the kids gathered around and heard a story. Knowing her audience and their need to move, the teacher paused the story to ask kids different questions and let them get their wiggles out. This definitely helps keep them engaged.

During our visit, kids listened to the story of The Three Little Pigs. This is a story involving some predatory behavior by a wolf. The story allowed the teacher to segue into a chat about pig predators. Like many animals, pigs are afraid of snakes! They magically move without legs and have been known to bite, after all! This is when the kids (and caregivers) got to meet Saul the Ball Python. Everyone got to take a turn looking at and petting Saul.

After a little more free play, we all got together to walk down to the farm area and meet Bill and Ted, the zoo’s Kunekune pigs. (Fun fact: Pua, Moana’s pig sidekick, is an animated version of a Kunekune pig.) Then, our group thanked the teacher and got to explore the zoo on our own.

While we usually spend about an hour at the zoo, we ended up spending a very full two hours playing and exploring in a way that was new to us. My daughter enjoyed being around other kids and getting to roll up her sleeves with this new experience.

I really enjoyed that we both got to experience a place we knew but in a different way. Plus, this program was all about educational play! In the short span of an hour, the kids were exposed to different colors, textures, ways to play, use their brains, and explore.

Greenville Zoo Education Program Mission

While we had a great time just playing, Morgan Laskowski, the Greenville Zoo’s Education Programs Coordinator, suggested that this and other education programs at the zoo keep in mind a larger mission of encouraging conservation, sustainability, and education.

Zoo Tots might be the first zoo encounter for some kids and, as Morgan explained, seeing kids’ relationships with the zoo, with animals, and with the environment change over time can be really rewarding for teachers, parents, and students alike. “I look forward to developing relationships with families as they start to join in our programming. We see kids come to our programs for years. It’s really rewarding to see how their interests and understanding develop over time!”

A Zoo Tots student meets Saul the Ball Python during the Zoo Tots Class. |

Zoo Tots is designed for kids between the ages of 2-4. Morgan explains that Zoo Tots is fun for any kid, whether they’ve developed a love for animals or not. “This is not necessarily for ‘animal people.’ It’s just good plain play!”

When you get to the zoo, one of the zoo educators meets you and your other classmates at the entrance to the zoo. After your class is assembled, you’ll walk over to the area where the class is being held. Due to the setup for Boo in the Zoo, our program was held in the picnic area near the concession stand. However, usually the program is held in the picnic area near the Education Center and next to the Griffon Vulture enclosure. Whenever possible, Zoo Tots classes are held outside. When needed, the zoo staff will set up fans or heaters.

Zoo Tots is offered the first Friday and Saturday of the month at 10 a.m. The following classes are on the Zoo Tots schedule for the remainder of 2023 and first half of 2024:

November 3rd & 4th – Animal ABC’s: Kids will connect the ABC’s with different animals.

December 1st & 2nd – Counting Creatures: Kids will practicing counting.

January 5th & 6th* – Senses Safari: Kids will discover 4 senses-sight, sound, touch, and smell.

February 16th & 17th* – Dino Day: Kids will learn about different types of dinosaurs.

March 8th & 9th – Messy Mammals: With a focus on mammals, kids will get messy with this hands-on class.

April 5th & 6th – Colors & Camouflage: Kids will learn all about animals that can hide easily.

May 3rd & 4th – Animal Babies: Kids will learn lots of baby animals.

*Date subject to change

Families can register for Zoo Tots on Greenville Zoo’s website. The cost of this program is $10 for zoo members and $22 for non-members. The cost includes the class, as well as zoo admission for one child and one adult caregiver. Another adult may attend, but you have to get the instructor’s permission first and there will be a $5 charge.

Do you have other kids in your life who might want some hands-on learning experiences at the zoo? The zoo also offers a Saturday Safari class for kids aged 5-7. This is a 1.5-hour long drop-off class from 10 – 11:30 am on one Saturday each month. Saturday Safari students discover the fascinating world of animals with a themed lesson with crafts, experiments, trips into the zoo, and animal encounters in the classroom.

Zookeeping Kids is for kids ages 8-11 and is a 2-hour drop-off class held one Saturday each month. In this class, students experience what it is like to work at the zoo through games, activities, experiments, chats with zookeepers, and up-close animal encounters

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India Menon

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October 25, 2023
Mom Review: Le Petit Croissant is Picnic Perfect

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There is something romantic and precious about artisan-made desserts, not only do they taste good, but they make the sudden surge of calories quite worthwhile. At Le Petit Croissant, pastry chef and owner Vincent Cardonna can be seen working hard in his kitchen on a daily basis. The croissants are churned out fresh each morning accompanied by beautiful and delectable handmade chocolates and fine petit fours that beg for tea time.

Our visit to Le Petit Crossaint

On our first visit, we went for a classic selection and filled our Eclipse picnic basket with croissants, éclairs, raspberry tarts and quiches. Needless to say the pastries didn’t last the 2:30 pm show time and were gobbled up by kids and adults alike. We promised ourselves we’d be back.

Le Petit Croissant describes itself as a bakery making European-style pastries with a twist. Recently, after a hearty lunch downtown, we walked over to the bakery to have our dessert. My petit four was called Butterfly Cake with its changing hues, and hubby had the Raspberry dome. Once again, our sweet craving ended on a high note.

And finally, about the chocolates. Have I told you about the chocolates? Cardonna is a master chocolatier. His creations are always infused with a unique combinations of flavor. You can build your own box, pick from their seasonal choices or purchase a chocolate or raspberry syringe for that quick boost! Le Petit Croissant is also fast becoming known for its Chocolate and Macaron Workshops that are often sold out. You can sign up or form your own group of six at $65 per person. Also in the works are chocolate workshops for kids.

We are well aware that Greenville has no shortage of fabulous bakeries that make flakey croissants and unforgettable homemade pies. What makes Le Petit Croissant stand out is the purveyor’s willingness to offer something new, delightful fine desserts minus the stuffiness. It’s not a place to buy good ol’ birthday cakes in a flash. But it’s still a mom-and-pop shop, where the same baker who wakes up to churn fresh pastries is the same one who fashions whimsical chocolates for your little ones, and just might be the same person serving you. Whether it’s a craving for something sweet or savory, this little shop has given us something to look forward to on our strolls downtown at the Historic West End.

Visit Le Petit Croissant for yourself

As in any bakery, expect items to run out. Best to go there for breakfast or lunch. They open at 8 am every day except Mondays; they are closed on Mondays.

Le Petit Croissant
640 South Main Street, Greenville, SC 29601
864.520.1555
Have you visited Le Petit Croissant yet?

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Anna Arzt

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October 23, 2023

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