Abbeville is where you want to be during the third weekend in October. Since its kickoff in 2013, the Hogs and Hens BBQ Festival has drawn thousands to our charming town! The Festival features craft vendors, live music, a kidz zone, and some of the best BBQ this side of the Mississippi!

The City is proud to announce this year's entertainment lineup!

Poiz'n Whiskey - Friday from 6pm-8pm
The Mighty Kicks - Friday from 8:30pm-10:30pm
Bad Weather States - Saturday from 12pm-2pm
Jeff Gates Band - Saturday from 2:30pm-4:30pm
Roots and Dore - Saturday from 5pm-7pm

Lizalynn's Petting Zoo and Pony Rides formerly Willow Creek Petting Zoo will be on the Square from 11AM-5PM Saturday.

More updates to follow as we get closer to the event!

Beyond Recruiting Talent: Elevating Professionalism

Ten at the Top is celebrating 10 years of connecting the Upstate in 2019. As part of the 10th anniversary, TATT is holding community workshops in each of the 10 Upstate counties with each one focused on an issue of interest within that county. The program will include communities, businesses or organizations that are successfully working on that issue in other parts of the Upstate sharing insights and ideas with those interested in that specific issue within the focus county.

The Spartanburg County Workshop will take place on October 29th with the topic being Beyond Recruiting Talent: Elevating Professionalism.

Speakers and panelists will address the challenges faced by professionals in Spartanburg who want to advance in their career and discuss ingredients needed to retain talent and elevate professionalism. Milliken's Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Craig Haydamack, will talk about career pathways both generally and within Milliken, and participants will have time for table discussion that will lead to next steps for the community.

The Spartanburg County Workshop is free and open to the public, but advance registration is requested. Lunch will be provided.

Uptown Live is a FREE concert in Uptown Greenwood. Food, Pepsi products and Adult Beverages available for purchase.

Uptown Live celebrates Oktoberfest with The Tams. German Food and beer will be available for purchase. We close Oregon Avenue for a huge block party! #meetmeuptwon

Uptown Greenwood and Cornerstone, partner to encourage kids to say "boo to drugs" at our this annual event that occurs every October. This event offers plenty of games and candy for the kiddos and a costume contest for every age! Hayrides and Dance performances

The 2019 Pickens SC Pumpkin Festival is a yearly event held on the 2nd Saturday in Oct. 2019's event will be held on Oct. 12th from 9am until 5pm. Held at the Oolenoy Community Building, 5301 Dacusville Hwy, Pickens, SC 29671. There will be plenty of great music and dance teams performing. Lots of great food, and a 150 hand craft vendors showing off their wares. And don't forget the parade!

Come to our 3rd annual Neighborhood Toy Store Day, and as usual, we are making it a FUNdraiser!! Have fun at the toy store, and also help out 2 great non profit groups who assist kids in need every day right here in Spartanburg. Hope Center for Children and the Childrens Advocacy Center will be sharing in 30% of the day of sales, so the more you buy, the more they will receive! We will have door prizes, and some fun and free kids activities! Rock Painting, Make your own Thinking Putty, Experience Mad Mattr hands on!, and more. Time schedule will be published later once we get all the activities lined up, but they will be changed every hour from 11 a.m.–4 p.m.

The sidewalks of downtown Spartanburg are energized with people on foot. This is great news, as vibrancy is tied to walkability and walkability is essential in creating successful cities. But how can we improve that walkability—and build walkability beyond downtown? Come learn from renowned expert Jeff Speck as he speaks on walkability in city neighborhoods, unincorporated suburban areas, and highlights from his recent books "Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time" and "Walkable City Rules: 101 Steps to Making Better Places" at this FREE event. Register now!

Sponsored by: Upstate Forever, Piedmont Natural Gas, Mary Black Foundation, OneSpartanburg, Spartanburg Area Transportation Study (SPATS), City of Spartanburg, Partners for Active Living

This event is designed for your child to have an engaging activity during School District 50 early release day. Students will practice basic drawing and painting techniques while producing an original work of art.

Admission: $40 (per child)

Contact: Taylor McCrae Dublin | artscenterprograms@gmail.com | 864.388.7800

Opening Reception: Friday, October 11 @ 5 - 7 pm
Artist Talk @ 5:00 pm - Main Gallery | 120 Main Street
The Arts Center will host a joint reception to celebrate exhibits on view in both the main gallery and the art education gallery during the month of October! Heavy hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar will be provided. Come enjoy art, creativity and community with us!

*Note: This forum is for Chamber members only.

Owning a small business has many challenges. Connect with fellow business owners to discuss solutions to these challenges at the Small Business Owner's Forum on Nov. 7.

The Small Business Owner's Forum will take place every other month and will feature discussion about finding and keeping employees, marketing your business, staying up to date on laws and regulations, and more

The Greenville Zoo is excited to have Prisma Health as the 2019 title sponsor of Boo in the Zoo, the Greenville Zoo’s signature Halloween event. Prisma Health Boo in the Zoo takes place October 18-20 & 25-27 and will feature 20 trick-or-treat stations; character photo opportunities, including princesses; an extinct species graveyard, Dragon Alley and Alice's Fun House! Event hours are 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Friday and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Admission is FREE for Greenville Zoo Member Adults, $8 for Member Trick-or-Treaters, $6 for Non-member Adults and $9 for Non-member Trick-or-Treaters. Admission for Boo Babies (age 0-2) is free, and they are not considered Trick-or-Treaters. If you want your baby (age 0-2) to be able to trick-or-treat, please purchase a trick-or-treat ticket. Corporate group rates are also available. Please call the zoo office at 864-467-4300 for details.

Swamp Rabbits Home Game Let's Go!

You're invited to take just a few minutes to drop by and see this vibrant, outdoor installation acknowledging Nobel Prize winner & Greenville native, Charles Townes. The on-going experience runs every 5 minutes from 7pm to 9pm, this Friday October 11th.  Staged on the former Travelers Rest High School football field in Gateway Park.

Bullet Journaling can be a key component for getting—and staying—organized. In this workshop, Edie Melson will help you layout your journal for next year. She'll share specific tips and tricks including how to include a yearly calendar, what types of monthly layouts work best, and how to utilize a weekly spread that works for you. She'll have instructions on how to do specific layouts, how to find new ones, and how to use your bullet journal to bring joy—as well as order—into your planning life. This workshop will include some lecture time and a lot of time to practice what you learned.

Supplies:
Bullet Journal
Pencil
Pens
eraser
Ruler

Optional Additional Supplies:
Markers
Colored pencils
Stencils
Stickers
Washi tape

*Tickets for this class are $25 and include a $20 voucher to spend in-store the day of the event.

Furman Professor of Music Marina Alexandra will present a recital of guitar music Wednesday, Oct. 16, at 7:30 p.m. in Daniel Recital Hall on campus.

The concert, which is free and open to the public, is presented by the Furman Department of Music.

For her recital, Alexandra will perform works by Francisco Tárrega, Issac Albeniz, Nikita Koshkin, Carlo Domeniconi, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Jorge Morel.

Alexandra has established herself as a dynamic performer with a powerful stage presence. Fingerstyle Guitar Magazine described her as an “amazing player that commands the guitar with world-class technique and musicianship that is uncommon.”

She has received awards in multiple national guitar competitions. Her performances have been heard on public radio stations and have been featured at national and international music festivals throughout the United States.

Alexandra released a joint CD with flutist Teri Forscher-Milter titled, “Americas from North to South.” Alexandra’s CDs have received high praise from prestigious music magazines such as Soundboard, Classical Guitar (UK), Fingerstyle Guitar Magazine, and the American Record Guide.

Before joining Furman, she served on the faculty at University of South Carolina in Aiken, Wingate University and Columbia College. Alexandra is founding director of the Southern Guitar Festival and Competition.

Spend the night with Mozart & Brahms! We are proud to feature world-renowned performers, and Friday, November 8 at 7:30pm we present Fabio Parrini and Jennifer John—world-class musicians who are based right here in Greenville! Steinway Artist, Fabio Parrini, Chair of the Piano Department at NGU, a Fulbright Scholar & Kahn Award winner from Boston University joins violinist Jennifer John, former first violinist of the Ceruti Quartet—the resident quartet at the University of Memphis. Jennifer also served as head of the chamber program at the Governor’s School and now holds the same position at The Fine Arts Center. This evening’s program will feature favorites from Brahms, Mozart, Sarasate… and a couple of surprises, all in the intimate setting that is the Carolina Music Museum. With only 80 seats available, please make your reservations early by calling 864-520-8807 ($15 for adults, $5 for students).

Swamp Rabbits Home Game Let's Go!

Swamp Rabbits Home Game Let's Go!

GJC Big Band special concert at Centre Stage Theatre on Tuesday October 29th, 7pm!

History of the Big Band featuring works by Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Thad Jones, and more! Vocalist Tish Oney will join the band for this show!

Tickets are $30, $25 students and seniors, special group rates available!

Lynn Beach Smith will be presenting a special "Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald" concert in the Newton Hobson Chapel and Auditorium on October 18, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. Ms. Smith, originally from Mississippi, has recently moved to the Asheville area. She has been singing jazz professionally for decades. She is a riveting performer and has the voice of an angel. She will be joined by Dr. Jason DeCristofaro, Bill Berg, Dr. Harry Jacobson, and Dr. Bob Strain, all professional jazz instrumentalists from North Carolina. It is a night of music you will not want to miss!

SWU students free with ID at the door.

Back for the second year are The Ball Brothers. The Ball Brothers travel world-wide singing their distinctive brand of Christian music. This up-beat Christmas concert is enhanced by special effects, holiday lighting, and world-class arrangements. The concert is both soul stirring and entertaining, sprinkled with humor and laughs, and guaranteed to get you in the Christmas spirit from amazing renditions of favorite Christmas carols and songs. Their hit song, “It’s About the Cross” hit #1 on the iTunes Christian Chart and has been seen over 40 million times online. Truly a family event, suitable for all ages from “one to ninety-two”.

• Adults: $15 per ticket
• SWU Students and Children under 12: $10
• Group Discount: Buy 10 adult tickets and get $5 discount per ticket (must purchase tickets in the same online order - adult tickets only)

Swamp Rabbits Home Game Let's Go!

#TwentyOnePilotsGVL

Twenty One Pilots announce a concert date in Greenville, SC with special guest Misterwives! The duo is best known for the singles "Stressed Out", "Ride", and "Heathens". The group received a Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards.

#MonsterJamGVL

Monster Jam Triple Threat Series® offers the ultimate mix of action and excitement in six different competitions. World-class athletes tear up the dirt in Monster Jam trucks, speedsters and ATVs. They compete head-to-head for points in challenging Racing and Freestyle events testing their agility, speed and versatility. This is the big leagues of motorsports competition where the Series Champion receives an automatic bid to the prestigious Monster Jam World Finals® to compete for the title of World Champion. From unbelievable action to unexpected thrills, this is fast-paced family fun. This. Is. Monster Jam Triple Threat Series^TM

*Trucks subject to change

Click HERE for our standard arena policies and our most frequently asked questions. Ticket prices are always subject to change without notice. Additional fees apply.

#AXELCirqueGVL

Cirque du Soleil is back on the ice with AXEL, a new electrifying experience fusing world-class ice skating with breathtaking acrobatics. Follow AXEL and his dynamic group of friends whose passion for live music and graphic arts come to life in an exhilarating adventure that reminds us that our dreams are within reach.

Discover this young artist as he falls for the fascinating Lei in a high-speed chase for love and self-realization. Sparks fly as they set out on a fast-moving quest through fun colorful fantastical worlds. Will he fulfill his destiny and find his voice?

Click HERE for our standard arena policies and our most frequently asked questions. Ticket prices are always subject to change without notice. Additional fees apply.

Calling all expats and other potential business owners!
Were you a business owner in your home country? Wondering how to build a business here? This morning session will provide you with the tools you need to start your own business and become an ExPat Entrepreneur. Learn about the Legal, Accounting, Immigration and Marketing issues from local experts in their fields.

Join us Sunday, November 10th, at Fluor Field at the West End, to show support of our Nation’s Veterans with a free, family-friendly event featuring Fireworks, Aerial Flyovers, Paratroopers, and a special concert by Darryl Worley.

Gates open at 3:00 pm.
The concert will begin at 5:30 p.m. but come early for our special military program starting at 4:00 p.m.

Follow us on Facebook to stay up to date on the latest news and announcements concerning the 2019 Upstate Salute.

“An Evening of Stories and Songs with Marshall Chapman, Lee Smith, Jill McCorkle, and Matraca Berg,” will serve as a fundraiser for Chapman Cultural Center’s operating endowment and take place inside the Chapman Cultural Center Theater on October 30, at 7:00 p.m.

Tickets for the benefit concert are $40. The hour-long performance will be followed by a book and CD signing.

Since 1998, Smith and McCorkle, both New York Times best-selling authors, have performed with Nashville-based songwriters Chapman and Berg on the rare occasions their schedules permit. The collaboration began when their musical Good Ol’ Girls premiered in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The New York Times called it “a feminist literary country music review.” Adapted from the fiction of Smith and McCorkle and featuring 14 songs by Berg and Chapman, Good Ol’ Girls opened off-Broadway in 2010.

The benefit concert is designed to raise funds for the operating endowment that supports Chapman Cultural Center’s long-term sustainability and is part of the Spartanburg County Foundation’s Endowment Challenge.

#LaurenDaigleGVL

Two-time GRAMMY Award winner Lauren Daigle, who has sold out every one of her shows to date, will open 2020 with her first headlining arena tour, the "Lauren Daigle World Tour." On the heels of her GRAMMY Award-winning album, Look Up Child, Daigle is hitting the road, including a stop at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in February. Lauren will be joined by special guest JOHNNYSWIM.

Click HERE for our standard arena policies and our most frequently asked questions. Ticket prices are always subject to change without notice. Additional fees apply.

We’re doing it again. Bringing together food and community in one evening of storytelling.

On Oct. 29 at Greenbrier Farms in Easley, chefs and farmers will team up to tell stories and to create dishes that are inspired by local food. The menu will be a culinary telling of the story.

Date: October 29 from 7 - 9 p.m.
Location: Greenbrier Farms
Cost: $50

Featured chefs and farmers:
Jon Buck of Husk
Craig Weiner of Broken Oak Organics Farm
Shawn Kelly of Fork and Plough
Chad Bishop and Roddy Pick of Greenbrier Farms
David Porras of Oak Hill Café & Farm
Aaron Griffin of Oak Hill Café & Farm

Join us in the Parish and Community Life Center from 6-9 p.m. on Wednesday, October 23 for an evening of delicious food, fantastic auction items, and a whole lot of fun! ALL proceeds from the event go to local nonprofits! Tickets are $50 each for ages 21 and up. Oysters, shrimp, clam chowder, chili (meat and vegetarian), sides, beer, wine, and soft drinks - the best deal in town! You may purchase tickets from the Satterlee Hall receptionist during the week or at the door on the night of the event. Cash, check, and credit are accepted. Follow us on Facebook to learn more!

A taste of the Middle East in the Upstate of South Carolina! Come enjoy the food prepared with love by members of our community.

For the fifth year, the Hub City Brew Fest will attract craft beer enthusiasts to the heart of Downtown Spartanburg to enjoy offerings from the more than 25 North and South Carolina breweries represented at this annual event. The ticket price includes unlimited samples of over 75 beers and ciders, live music, activities and more. There will also be food trucks and vendors on site. Support the Carolinas' emerging beer scene while we raise money for the Bike Park at the Rail Yard, a public, multi-use bike park in Downtown Spartanburg. The event is independently organized by a group of passionate community members, with support from the City of Spartanburg, and it's all for the Love of Carolina Craft Beer (and bicycles)!

EURO is held at The Preserve at Verdae, which provides a user-friendly, picturesque golf course backdrop. The combination of rolling fairways and rolling automotive history is simply breathtaking. Whether you’re a lifelong car junkie or just looking for something to do on a Saturday, EURO will not disappoint.

Throughout the course, you’ll see dozens of makes of cars… some so rare that they only make public appearances a few times a year. Others are familiar makes that bring back memories and inspire new ones. In addition to cars, show-goers can experience European food and culture, as well as automotive-related merchandise and souvenirs.

This year, EURO is celebrating “Bentley: The Centenary”. If you’re an admirer, do what you must to make sure you’re in Greenville on October 19th, 2019.

A two day health and lifestyle festival at Fluor Field on October 19th and 20th in partnership with The Greenville Drive showcasing the BEST the Upstate has to offer when it comes to wellNESS, goodNESS, fitNESS and wholeNESS.

From workout classes, to cooking demonstrations, live music, activities for kids, seminars and SO. MUCH. MORE., you won't want to miss out on the second annual NESS Fest.

Visit www.thenessfest.com to see our full schedule and list of incredible partners. Once you purchase your ticket, you will be able to start signing up for classes and reserve your spot!

A quick look at ticket prices:
General admission tickets start at only $25
Single day all-access tickets are $55
Two day all-access tickets are $85
Teachers and students receive discounted tickets for only $25
Military, first responders and kids 16 and under get in FREE

Join our local merchants and local craft vendors for a great time celebrating our town heritage.

There are two locations for this event:

Main St. on Friday and Saturday, where there will be craft & food vendors as well as the local merchants on Main St celebrating.

Sertoma Field on Friday, Saturday & Sunday, with music, craft and food vendors, and rides.

There is a shuttle available to take you between locations.

Whether you think the concept of an undiscovered primate roaming the mountainside is far-fetched or you and Sasquatch are on a first-name basis (or anywhere in between), we have the place to be this fall.  A first year event, this is a street festival style event with live music, expert speakers, Bigfoot tales, food and craft vendors, Bigfoot themed contests, children's activities, and more.

Please join Ambassador Nikki Haley at Twitchell Auditorium (Converse College) for the South Carolina debut of her book "With All Due Respect", a revealing, dramatic, deeply personal book about the […]