The worst thing writers do is censor themselves. It takes courage to put words on paper. It’s time to lose your writing inhibitions. As you enjoy a cup of Waller’s coffee, we will discuss what it takes to tell a good story. The class will focus on ways to get started, stay motivated, and be true to your creative voice. We’ll have tips and writing prompts for fiction, essays, and poetry. The class will be facilitated by local author Nicki Salcedo.

Nicki Salcedo is a novelist and freelance writer. She is a regular contributor to Decaturish.com. She has judged the annual Creative Loafing Fiction Contest. Nicki has been on stage in Write Club Atlanta and Bleux Stocking Society. Her book “All Beautiful Things” is a romantic suspense set in Atlanta. She is also the author three collections of essays about life in the South, through grief, and while creating goodness.

What is self-publishing? How does one self-publish a book? This three hour course will serve as an overview of the different methods of self-publishing, updated for the 2019 publishing landscape. It will be facilitated by Meg Reid, director of Hub City Press.

It will cover the process and costs of hiring a designer and editor, printing the actual books and getting them into stores, and how to avoid the many scams and predatory printers that are present in the marketplace. A Q&A period will close out the seminar.

Please reserve your seat early as attendance is capped at 30.

Coming up with creative ideas is one thing, but the ability to pitch your concept in a captivating way is another. That’s why Denny’s partnered with the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce to offer an EmpowerPitch SPEECHCRAFT program (presented by experienced members of Spartanburg Toastmasters) to all underrepresented entrepreneurs and small business owners in Spartanburg County including graduates of the City of Spartanburg’s Amplify program and the Northside Development Group’s StartME initiative.

The EmpowerPitch SPEECHCRAFT program teaches the art of storytelling to capture an audience during six bi-weekly, two-hour sessions. Nine entrepreneurs are graduating from the program after learning public speaking fundamentals through the Toastmasters curriculum, and we’d like to celebrate them.

We are unique in that we have our beautiful local folks and also those who come to us as a destination to enjoy the mountains that cradle us.

We have great vendors both local foods, plants & crafts but we always need more growers. People who want to grow clean, local food and sell their extras with the community.

Join us for the documentary screening on Sunday, August 25th. Enjoy an evening filled with sweet & savory Jewish delights, music by Greenville County Youth Orchestra as well as Bandana Klezmer, and our guest speaker Dr. Jim Dant, Senior Minister at First Baptist Greenville, who will highlight the diverse impact of this film.

An evening of traditional Irish music, Americana and contemporary songs. Admission is free.

Have you defined your personal brand?   Are you consistently living your personal brand every day? Most people would answer no to those questions, but personal branding is the means by which people remember you. It's more than a business card; it is how you present yourself online and offline to potential clients, customers and future employers. Your personal brand can build your business, but it still centers around you as an individual. This presentation will offer useful tips and stories on how personal branding can be a key part of your success, in leadership and in life.

Which Home Cook has got what it takes to bake? Plate 108 and I are partnering to raise money for Make A Wish charity. On September 21st, teams of two will compete head to head to see who can make the best cupcake. Bring the kids, cheer on your favorite team, and be taste testers of the cupcakes. Judges will pick the winner and you will be crowned The Greatest Greer Baker.
Team fee $45
Audience fee $10 purchase at the door or through eventbrite

A charity concert event at the Younts Center for Performing Arts in Fountain Inn, SC to benefit Prisma Health Children’s Hospital Upstate. Be a part of a great night of fun and music and help support the everyday miracles occurring at Prisma Health Children’s Hospital Upstate. Your tax deductible sponsorship will go directly to our local Hospital. Checks payable to Prisma Health Children’s Hospital Upstate – tax information available.

A culinary tour of Turkey, right here in the Upstate! Check back to the Facebook event page as details will be added.

Bring a friend, daughter, or niece and join us for a delicious brunch and a program guaranteed to inspire and unite!

Thanks to the generosity of Denny’s Corporation this event is free! Pre-registration via Eventbrite is required for admission**. Meet on the ground floor for check in. The event will be held on Denny’s beautiful 17th floor with a soaring view of the upstate.

Attendees MUST register through the Eventbrite link provided.

Join author Marie Benedict as she discusses her acclaimed new novel, The Only Woman in the Room. She will also explore the common theme throughout all her books – women who play pivotal roles in history but go unnoticed. A reception and book-signing will immediately follow the event.

In her most recent work of historical fiction, Benedict looks at the remarkable life of Austrian-born American film actress and inventor Hedy Lamarr. The New York Times raves, “ a novelist who’s made a career writing about ‘the only woman in the room’… In Benedict’s telling, the story is a ready-made thriller as well as a feminist parable.”

The Greenville Zoo will be here for the August Family Fun Day as we explore the animals of Wonderland! Meet the "Mock Turtle" and "Frog Footman" from 10am - Noon. Throughout Family Fun Day enjoy games, craft stations, story times, and play time in our other summer exhibit, "Thomas & Friends: Explore the Rails."

GREENVILLE ZOO: 10:00 a.m. - NOON

ADMISSION:
$10 - Adults
$9 - Senior Adults & College Students
$8 - Kids (ages 4-18)

Go Over the Edge for Cancer Association of Spartanburg and Cherokee Counties!

What is Over the Edge?
Friday, October 18th join 100 “Edgers” who are brave enough to raise a minimum of $1,000 to rappel over the edge of a 10 story building for the Cancer Association.

Who:

100 participants (men, women, children; 100 to 300 lbs)

What:

Raise a minimum of $1,000 for the chance to rappel down a 10 story building

When:

Friday, October 18, 2019

Where:

AC Hotel and Level 10

Why:

To raise funds to support services for local cancer patients in our area.

Holidays are times to celebrate with friends and family. However, they also bring increased danger to our roads. To show our commitment to preventing DUIs and the resulting accidents, injuries, and deaths, the Peace Law Firm is offering free rides home on specific holidays. The program is simple. All you have to do is make the right choice to take a taxi or use a ride sharing service to get home if you’ve been drinking, pay for it up front, and we’ll reimburse you for it via PayPal.

Details below:

Rides must be in Greenville County.
Rides must be taken between 5PM on a holiday listed above and 10AM the next day.
You must be of legal drinking age to qualify (21 and over).
Valid for one, one-way ride to a safe destination.
Limit one reimbursement per household.
Maximum value of $25.00.
Participation in this promotion is limited to the first 100 submissions per year.
Within 7 days of the end date, a Receipt, Photocopy of Valid Driver’s License, and email address associated with a PayPal account must be sent to:
Sober Rides
1225 South Church Street
Greenville,SC 29605

These two country music legends will give yoi an experience to remember as they bring back some of their chart-topping songs complete with memories of the 1980 hit movie, Urban Cowboy. Gilley and Lee have earned an outstanding 38 chart singles with 20 #1 hits, including Room Full of Roses, Don't the Girls All Get Prettier at Closing Time, and Lookin' for Love.

Sharing 10 years of their musical career together, these two are sure to put on an evening of great music, fun memories, and incredible entertainment!

Come meet your local farmers and buy local farm products, see live farm animals, touch a tractor, drive a combine simulator, and see craft vendors! Eat some ice cream or a snow cone and enjoy the restaurants and stores in downtown West Pelzer!

Grab a beer and learn about local history at Keowee Brewing Company! Oconee History Museum Assistant Curator Jennifer Moss will chronicle the history of the Keowee River Valley, which would eventually become the lake we all know and love!

Program is FREE, but donations to OHM are gladly accepted.

Join us Saturday, September 21st for a demonstration with Amber Shehan from Pixie's Pocket as she guides you through the steps it takes to start a small batch of mead & cider how to know when it is ready to bottle, and the bottling process. This demonstration is great for anyone interested in learning to brew mead, from beginners to advanced.

As we brew a batch of mead together, Amber will go in-depth into the main ingredients to make a simple mead: honey, water, and yeast. We'll also cover yeast nutrients, how to add fruit and herbs to the process, and other things that sound more complex than they are. Don't worry! It's easy. We'll have you brewing in no time!

$25 per person in advance and $30 at the door. Tickets can be purchased at Earth's Elements in Walhalla, SC and at the Oconee History Museum.

There is limited seating available.

AMBER SHEHAN is an herbalist and the creator of Pixie’s Pocket. She lives in the Appalachian Mountains near Asheville, North Carolina, with her husband and daughter, a dog, a cat and a few chickens. Their yard, full of herbs, weeds and wildflowers, gets turned into medicines, meads and other wonderfully weird brews.

Rodney Atkins charted his first single on the Billboard country chart in 1997, but did not release an album until 2003's Honesty, which included the hit "Honesty (Write Me a List)." His second album, If You're Going Through Hell, has been certified platinum, with two #1 songs, "If You're Going Through Hell" and "Watching You." Other albums include It's America and Take a Back Road. Atkins has received 6 nominations from the ACM and two from the CMA, winning Top New Male Vocalist from the former in 2006.

Come out for a sweet afternoon at Oconee History Museum! The museum will be a-buzz with local beekeepers sampling their delicious honey!! Beekeepers will also have their honey available to purchase during this time.

September is National Honey Month! Support local beekeepers just BEE-cause they are so sweet!!

Upstate International offers the chance to learn one of thirteen different languages starting at beginner’s level up to advanced conversational level. Regular classes are 60 minutes and meet once a week for 12 weeks. Intensive classes are 90 minutes long and meet twice a week for 10 weeks. Class fees are $95 for Regular, $310 for intensive. Classes will generally have 3-15 students. To register you must be a member of Upstate International. Register early to guarantee a spot! Please understand, classes are dependent on registrations and we cannot offer refunds.

Classes begin the week of September 9th and will be completed by December 20th. Please visit our website to view which classes will work best with your schedule.

Join us every Friday in September for a brand new music series in downtown Spartanburg! Live on the Square will be held each Friday in September from 5:30 to 8:00 pm.

September 6: The Shag Doctorz—Carolina Beach/Shag Lessons

September 13: Outshyne—Country/Line Dancing Lessons

September 20: Son del Callao—Latin/Salsa Lessons

September 27th: Reggaeinfinity—Roots/Reggae

Come hear from the American Cancer Society about the importance of vaccination in preventing a variety of cancers.

This is part of a monthly series which is held on the 2nd Thursday of each month from 5:30 to 6:30 PM in the Center for Hope & Healing. Attendance is free and open to the public. Registration is requested.

Family, friends, fans, and cyclists are invited to Gran Fondo Hincapie’s Family Festival. Enjoy free food, drinks, live music, and festivities beneath changing leaves in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Stroll through the vendor garden, and check out products from our favorite cycling companies. Need something for the kids to do? We have children’s bike races and a fully equipped bouncy park.

Items sold at the Market include fresh fruits, vegetables and other produce, as well as other raw agricultural products including Christmas trees, firewood, flowers, honey, potted plants, shrubs, and ornamentals that comply with the guidelines of SCDHEC and/or SCDA- and other handmade or homemade artisan craft items.
Producers and Non-producers must PRE-purchase required permits from the Gaffney Visitors Center and Art Gallery. Day permits are available for $5 per space, per day for Tuesdays and Thursdays, and $10 per space per day for Saturdays. For permit prices, contact the Gaffney Visitors Center & Art Gallery.

Support our local economy by supporting our vendors and growers. Save in fuel demands by purchasing Cherokee County, SC produce rather than creating the demands of having produce shipped in from across the country (or world). Eat FRESH as most produce is picked within hours of Market sales.

Get Into Gaffney by Getting Into the Gaffney Station Farmers Market! If you're a farmer, join us as a vendor. If you're a citizen or visitor, this is a great way to truly shop locally.

Join us at Old Paths Farm for an unforgettable evening of local food and fellowship! Tickets are now available for the Gaffney Station Farmers Market Fall Farm to Table event. Tickets are $20 per person and can be purchased at the Gaffney Visitors Center & Art Gallery.

Join SPACE on Thursday September 19 for an artist reception for Aimee Wise. Additional artworks by Aimee will be on display and available for purchase in the hallway of the Historic Palmetto Building. Live music by Mallory Blackwood. Snacks and beverages will be provided.

Join us at Uptown Market to taste healthy, veggie-filled, recipes prepared by Self Regional Healthcare! Recipe cards are available so you can prepare the dish at home.

Will you join us in bringing healthy food to Spartanburg communities?

Cocktail hour begins at 6:30 p.m., followed by a locally-sourced 5-course meal and wine!

*Food prepared by The Farmers Table, Wine selected by Bond St. Wines, Music performed by Fayssoux McLean with Brandon Turner*

Tickets—

$80/single | $150/couple

Table (6 tickets): $450 Table (8 tickets): $600

Sponsorship Opportunities—

Course Sponsor: $400+ includes 2 tickets

Presenting Sponsor: $750+ includes table for 6 guests

Music Sponsor: $950+ includes table for 6 guests

A Mediterranean food event operated by The Shepherd’s Guild, a 501c3 nonprofit service organization of Eastern Orthodox. Hospitality is an important thing in the Mediterranean culture and in the South; therefore, we are delighted to present the Mediterranean Food Fete, a community event for all. The Fete will take place September 13, 14 & 15 at the Civic Center of Anderson. The Fete proceeds to benefit outreach projects and causes.

Got your tickets for Ireland? Thursday, September 26 at 7:00 PM, at the Carolina Music Museum, will be the next best thing to being there as Pan Harmonia Celtic’s Corner presents The Reel Sisters playing the stirring music of the Irish Baroque on the Celtic harp and small bagpipes. With our two amazing and highly talented guides, Rosalind Buda on the small bagpipe and Kelly Brzozowski on the Celtic harp, they create a rare and intimate musical experience that has become the hallmark of the Carolina Music Museum.  Call 864-520-8807 to reserve your tickets. $20 Adults & $5 Students.

Join Dr. Gary Malvern & Kathryn James Aducci on SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 AT 1:00PM at Carolina Music Museum, presented in conjunction with a Friday performance by S.C. Bach, celebrating the Joe & Joella Utley Historic Trumpet Collection. Free Lecture.

Come hear the Mark Rapp Quartet on Wednesday, October 2 at 7:30! Rapp, a trumpeter, composer, arranger, and didgeridoo player, has performed with Branford Marsalis and Darius Rucker. Rapp was also recently honored as SC Jazz Ambassador. Call 864-520-8807 to reserve your tickets. $15 adults & $5 students.