Walters Exterior is giving away a chance to turn the exterior of your home into a holiday home of your dreams! One Kidding Around reader will win FREE Christmas light installation & maintenance for this December 2023 holiday season! Terms & conditions apply.
Thank you to Walters Exterior for sponsoring this giveaway!
(more…)Five Oaks Academy, an award-winning, innovative Montessori school in Simpsonville, SC, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year with a host of special events, from a new annual golf tournament and a campus-wide World’s Fair, to a year-long Guest Artist-in-Residence program and community speaker events.
Thank you to Five Oaks Academy for sponsoring this article.
Searching for something to do near Greenville this holiday season? There’s no doubt that the holidays are a very special time of year for our families. With so many special ways to celebrate the season, it can be overwhelming. As fellow parents on Kidding Around Greenville, we want you to have as much time for cheer & fun and as little stress as possible so we have put together a MASSIVE list of holiday & Christmas events and things to do in Greenville for you.
Don’t forget to bookmark this page and check back often. We’ll be updating throughout the holiday season and you won’t want to miss a thing!
While we do our best to offer accurate information, please check with these venues and organizations before visiting to be sure that you have the latest information.
Thank you to our sponsors for making this list possible. Sponsored events are marked as “featured.” This list also includes unpaid mentions of sponsors and partners of Kidding Around Greenville. Read more about our advertising policies here.
From curated Christmas tree experiences and holiday markets to theatre and musical showings of Christmas classics, these holiday events throughout Greenville, SC are some of the best the holiday season has to offer! The creators of these events have taken special care to give their guests a truly memorable Christmas experience
Holiday at Peace
Dec 15 – 17, 2023
Gather your family and friends for Greenville’s favorite Christmas spectacular, Holiday at Peace! Greenville Symphony Orchestra features your favorites combined with fresh, new themes. Whether you’re carrying on a yuletide tradition or feeling inspired to start a new one, this concert is the perfect way to get into the spirit of the holidays. Get your tickets today!
If you’re looking for places to see Christmas lights, Santa, parades, or live nativities, check out these other lists dedicated to those popular events. We’ll be updating all these lists as the season continues!
Kringle Holiday Village is back for its 3rd year at Fluor Field and it’s bigger and better than ever! A weekend of holiday fun, this event has something for everyone – visits with Santa, arts and crafts, balloon art, face painting, magic, inflatable games and rides on the field, and new to this year’s event, a carousel! Holiday market shopping, live music and entertainment and delicious food and drink as well! Tickets are just $12 each!
Holiday Happenings in Downtown Greenville, special events, and holiday activities happening all season long. These include:
Holiday Ice Skating at the Pavilion
Public skate: kids under the age of 12 and seniors (age 55+) can skate for $7.50. Everyone else can skate for $9.50. Skate or walker rental is $4.25.
CountyBank Holiday Ice in Carolina Wren Park– Anderson
On select dates from December 1st 2023 – December 31st, 2023, Enjoy ice skating in the park! Admission is $5 per person ages 7 and older (skates included). Kids 6 and under skate free on the kiddie rink.
Santa’s Sleigh Rides in Downtown Greenville. Booking in advance is highly recommended.
2023 Festival of Trees
Come see the holiday trees on display from November 17th through December 25th, 2023 at the Hyatt Regency Downtown and the Courtyard Greenville Downtown.
Fountain Inn’s Christmas Inn Our Town
Be sure to reserve your carriage ride times early as they often book up. in Fountain Inn (Starts December 7th, 2023)
You’ll be brimming with holiday cheer with Greenville Symphony Orchestra’s annual seasonal celebration, Holiday at Peace Dec 15-17, 2023! Gather your family and friends for Greenville’s favorite Christmas spectacular, which always features your favorites combined with fresh, new themes. Whether you’re carrying on a yuletide tradition or feeling inspired to start a new one, this concert is the perfect way to get into the spirit of the holidays. Get your tickets today!
Night of Lights at Heritage Park
The Night of Lights runs nightly November 20-December 31, 2023. Read our full review for all the details.
Model Train Station
Model Train Station is decked out for Christmas. Visit their Christmas model train display at Taylors Mill, and enjoy several other displays this season. (Closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas.)
Southernside Brewing
Opens November 20, 2203. All decked out for Christmas with fun events happening all season, visit Southernside Brewing Co for a unique holiday experience!
Yuletide Unicorn Festival with Santa
Enjoy live holiday music, play in a snow machine, and visit with unicorns! at this holiday festival weekends from November 17th, 2023 through December 23rd, 2023. Tickets are $14 per child, $12 per adult, with ages 2 and under being free.
If you’re looking for Winter Camps for kids, our list of Greenville’s Winter Camps.
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Searching for New Years Things to Do? Here’s our Kidding Around Guide to Celebrating New Years with Kids
Family Fun Over Winter Break: Have fun with the kids this winter break. We have lots of ideas!
Go Skating! We visited and had a blast! So naturally, we have all the information you need plus mom tips for a great day of skating!
What events should we add to our list? Submit your event online for consideration
You are looking at Holiday Events and things to do in Greenville County, for other counties see:
Still looking for Christmas Things to Do? Gifts to give? Ways to give back? You can find all our best Christmas content in our Holiday Guide to Greenville and the Holiday Things to Do in Spartanburg Guide .
Or, make a drive to Charlotte, NC for more Christmas fun!
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.
In this article, top rated real estate agent, Dan Hamilton of Hamilton & Co, takes a break from offering Greenville real estate advice to share his personal experience playing pickleball, where to find the best courts in Greenville and how to get started! Thank you to Hamilton & Co for sponsoring this article.
Pickleball has taken Greenville by storm! Though this popular sport has been around for over 50 years, it really began to gain traction during the pandemic, offering a safe, low-impact social sport for people of all ages. Now, there are courts in almost every town across the Upstate, and you’ll see dozens of avid players out on any given afternoon. I myself have become a huge fan of the sport and enjoy taking my sons out to play.
If you are interested in playing pickleball yourself or want to get your family involved, keep reading! In this article, I’m sharing a few of the many places in Greenville, South Carolina to find pickleball courts, plus a couple coming to the Upstate very soon. I also share a bit of my experience getting into the sport and how you can get started too!
You may find yourself wondering where to even go to play Pickleball. Greenville is full of courts ready for you!
Perhaps the most well-known pickleball courts in the Upstate reside in Timmons Park. The park, located on 121 Oxford Street in Greenville, has 8 hard courts surrounded by a tall fence. These are not modified tennis courts but regulation-size courts and free to play. There are also restrooms and water access for players.
Timmons is a great place to start if you’re new! After my initial pickleball lesson (more on that later), I attended open play here with a friend and loved my experience.
There are always people to play with any time of day, and the environment is open and relaxed. Be warned though, you’ll spend time waiting for a court, especially after work hours. Timmons gets busy!
Another great place to play pickleball is Southside Park. Southside Park is located in Simpsonville on 417 Baldwin Road. The park has 12 hard pickleball courts and are free to play when not reserved for an event or tournament.
Crowds are quite a bit lighter than at Timmons, so much so that you’ll want to bring a friend or two to make sure you can put together a game. This is a great option if you already have friends to play with and don’t want to wait for courts!
Northside Park in Greenville (101 West Darby Road) offers 6 brand new pickleball courts to residents of Travelers Rest and beyond.
As weather got hotter this summer – and Timmons got more and more crowded – I shifted to playing my matches here earlier in the morning before work. The facilities are amazing and the competition is stiff for those looking to up their game!
Similar to Southside Park, you won’t find quite the crowds here that you would at Timmons, so be sure to come with a group.
Cooler temperatures are on their way, but if you’re still looking to beat the heat, you can play pickleball in one of a few indoor courts in town! My favorite is the Pavilion. Their three courts are open 7 days a week, but unlike open play at the outdoor courts, these courts need to be reserved. As a result, you’ll typically need to bring your friends with you to play!
There are only a few indoor courts available in town right now, and I hope more will be built soon!
Greenville is working quickly to accommodate the massive demand for new pickleball courts with a number of exciting projects. Here are just a couple of the businesses coming to the Upstate in the next few years that put a major focus on pickleball:.
Unity Park is getting an upgrade with “PKL Park!” Set to be completed next summer, the park’s new facilities will have 8 professional-grade pickleball courts. But that’s not all! The complex will also include four small restaurants, a full bar, a stage for live music, a 20-foot television wall, and a huge green space for outdoor activities.
Facilities like this will make pickleball a great day-long social activity for the whole family!
Downtown Greenville isn’t the only area investing in new pickleball facilities. Much like PKL Park, Mauldin’s “The Pickle Yard” will feature pickleball courts, 3-4 food concepts, a beer garden, a stage for live entertainment, and outdoor seating.
The sport and social facility is part of a larger entertainment initiative called “Maverick Yards.” The impressive development also includes over 40 new townhomes for rent and is being considered by many to be Mauldin’s new city center.
This facility is anticipated to open next year!
One of my favorite things about pickleball is how simple it is to get started. Pickleball enthusiasts are friendly and extremely inviting to beginners. I’ve seen new players show up to the court with nothing and been given everything they need right on the court (though I don’t suggest doing this!).
Before you arrive to open play for the first time, I suggest purchasing a good pair of shoes (plain running shoes are fine to begin with), a paddle, and a set of pickleball balls (they look like wiffle balls). That’s it!
I think it’s fairly easy to get up to speed quickly and have competitive matches, but the rules of the game are a little different than you might think. What I did – and what I suggest to others – is started out by taking a two hour lesson, just to learn the basics of the game and how to keep score.
Upstate Pickleball, led in part by my friend John Moore, is a great place to invest in an introductory lesson! From there, you can continue to hone your skills with clinics or jump into open play at Timmons or another court around town.
The Upstate’s amazing communities are full of family-friendly activities. As Greenville’s top-rated real estate team, it’s our job to understand how each community compares and offer our clients up-to-date information that will lead to informed real estate decisions.
Give me a call at 864-527-7685. I’d love to answer your real estate questions and set you up with the tools you need to call Greenville home. – Dan
Learn more about Kidding Around Greenville partner, Dan Hamilton!
If you adore fall, you may be planning a visit to a local farm with activities your whole family will love. One of our favorite farms is Denver Downs Farm, which offers a huge corn maze, a jumping pillow, a zip line, and much more. We’ll give you the details of all the activities they will offer this season!
This article includes:
The Corn Maze at Denver Downs
Things to Do at Denver Downs
Plan Your Visit to Denver Downs
Fall Weekend Themes at Denver Downs
Are you currently buying or selling a home in the Greenville, SC area? Local REALTOR®, Elizabeth Faulkner and mortgage lender, Andrew Evans, are here to demystify common real estate selling and buying myths. Thank you to Elizabeth Faulkner for sponsoring this article!
Starting the process by “just browsing” could be setting yourself up for heartbreak. Before you go looking for (and falling in love with) a home you need to:
I can help you with that last one, I’m that great Realtor! I also have great local lender connections. Making those connections is the real first step of buying a home.
There are a wide variety of home loan options available to home buyers today. While some loans do indeed require a 20% down payment, others require very little money down. A good lender can explain the different types of loans to you and help you choose the one that will best fit your needs.
A few loan highlights from Andrew Evans, a local lender who has helped many of my previous clients:
Keep in mind that the lowest interest rate isn’t always the best for your particular needs. Yes, a higher interest rate means a larger monthly payment. But it’s not that simple. What kind of loan you should consider depends on many factors.
How long do you plan to stay in the home? How much cash do you have to put down? Where is the home that you’re considering buying located?
The point is, when you’re considering buying a home, a mortgage lender should be one of the first calls you make. They will provide you with all the mortgage options available so you, as a buyer, are able to make an informed decision. And when you’re ready to speak with a mortgage lender, I know who to connect you with to help you get the right answers. Working with me means: my connections are your connections!
Unless you know with 100% certainty that you are buying your forever home, you should always take the quality of the schools into consideration. A house with good schools close by will have a greater resell value because, for many homebuyers, great schools are high on their priorities list. But good schools is far from being the ONLY important criteria when you’re shopping for a home.
Here are a few of the factors to keep in mind when hunting for a home:
Even now, with mortgage interest rates on the rise, the housing market is still hot. We are seeing low levels of inventory and lots of buyers. Which means, fewer homes for buyers to choose from and more buyers to compete with. Given the market we are in, you may find your dream home and be tempted to skip inspections. Because, yes, that dream home could potentially be sold to another buyer who was indeed willing to skip the home inspection. But I urge you not to waive the home inspection, even if it means you lose out on what you thought was the perfect home. Do you really want to find out two weeks after closing on a home that the roof is leaking or there is a structural issue in the crawlspace? Take the time and spend the money for a thorough home inspection, your future self will thank you.
Selling a home is no easy task. It takes expertise, skills, and so much time. I’m not saying it’s impossible to sell a home on your own, and while upfront it may sound appealing to save some cash on real estate fees, but there is a lot to consider.
Here are a few factors to think about before trying to sell a home on your own:
There are so many reasons to not sell a home FSBO; too many to mention here! Bottom line, buying or selling a home is most likely the biggest transaction you’ll ever make. Why would you do that without professional representation?
There is no shortage of online tools that will help you calculate the value of your home. But it’s important to keep in mind that pricing your home is more complicated than an online tool can calculate. Consider the pricing you see online as a ballpark based on other homes nearby. There are a whole host of things an online valuation cannot take into account. What upgrades did you just put into your home? Buyers place a lot of value on certain upgrades, like kitchens and bathrooms, but your zestimate won’t necessarily reflect that. Online home valuations are often calculated using inaccurate or outdated comps, which can also throw off the home value amount you receive.
Bottom line, online home values are just estimates. Before deciding what your house may actually sell for in today’s market, you need to speak with a real estate professional. If you’re looking for the hard facts, I am happy to determine the true value of your home.
Unfortunately, this is the myth I run into the most. Many homebuyers in the Upstate of South Carolina are moving here from other parts of the country. And though they may have bought or sold a home in another state, the process of buying a home in SC is often very different from their past experiences.
For example, while in South Carolina due diligence fees are only paid if a buyer backs out of a contract, in other states these fees are paid up front and non-refundable. Did you know that some states require real estate purchases to be closed by an attorney while in other states, real estate can be closed by an escrow agent or lender?
My point? Before you dive headfirst into the real estate market, get your local team of experts in place. Be sure you enlist the help of qualified professionals who are well versed in their field of expertise and can guide you through your real estate purchase in South Carolina!
Elizabeth Faulkner, local realtor, takes great pride in working hard and providing top-notch service to her clients. Her goal is to make the buying and selling process a smooth one for each and every client she serves!
Elizabeth Faulkner
REALTOR®
864.414.2434
elizabethgfaulkner@gmail.com
Andrew Evans
Branch Manager, Princeton Mortgage
864.313.0602
aevans@princetonmortgage.com
The budding young musician in your family is sure to fall in love with music at Piano Central Studios in Greenville, SC. For over 40 years, Piano Central Studios has been teaching music to students of all ages in the Upstate, working to instill a lifelong love and understanding of music into their students’ hearts and minds. In fact, it’s their stated mission to nourish hearts and minds with music-making for life!
Thank you to our sponsor Theresa Case, Owner at Piano Central Studios, for writing this article alongside us!
Piano Central Studios takes a fun and engaging approach to music-making. With classes and lessons for all ages, from babies to school-aged and even adults, it’s never too late in life to learn to sing or play an instrument. Plus, there are many positive benefits to taking music lessons. Learn more about Piano Central Studios and how owner Theresa Case’s vision is fostering a love of music-making for life.
Shake, jingle, and rattle! Young babies and children love making music. In fact, music-making comes very naturally and easily to them. They instinctively respond to music, making sounds and dancing around. The way they light up when they engage in music-making is magical.
That’s why Piano Central Studios offers Kindermusik classes for young children. Kindermusik is an interactive music and movement program for children ages newborn to age 7 which leans into this precious, innate love of music and makes it come alive for both kids and their grown-ups.
Kindermusik is a delightfully playful way for kids to make music while exploring various instruments and learning to use their voices. During class, you and your child will sing songs, dance, rhyme, and play instruments, all while you grow closer together through the bond of a happy, shared musical experience.
As they make music with others, these young musicians are also benefiting from a joyful, stimulating environment enriched with a variety of creative multi-sensory music activities. Plus, everything your child learns at Kindermusik can be applied and enjoyed at home throughout the week!
This rich musical introduction in the early years expands as children move up through the levels of Kindermusik, until in the last levels of the program, they are actually reading and composing music, along with learning to play the glockenspiel (pre-piano), the ukulele, the dulcimer, and the recorder.
Kindermusik classes are divided into age-specific, developmentally appropriate levels, from Level 1 to Kindermusik Musicians Years 1 and 2. These classes are low-pressure and intentionally designed to spark your child’s interest in music while giving the foundational understanding and immersive experience needed to successfully transition to music lessons and instrument mastery.
Not only will your child love it, but music holds such an important place in your child’s development. Music has been shown to enhance cognitive development, which is critical in the years before age 5. This age range is when 90% of brain development occurs!
There are also wonderful social-emotional benefits that come along with making music with peers and parents. Your young children will make new friends as they bang on drums and shake tambourines, all while building a strong bond with you!
So, if you want to instill a deep, lifelong love of music in your young child, then the Kindermusik program at Piano Central Studios is the perfect place to start.
Piano Central Studios offers a wide range of options in music instruction, including lessons in piano, voice, band instruments, string instruments, guitar, and ukulele. Group lessons are available for beginners ages 6 to 9, or there is the option of private lessons for ages 6 and up.
You’ll find convenient locations and a variety of scheduling options for music lessons at PCS. Add to that great teachers, a motivating reward program, awards to earn in the Practice Space app, recitals, Performance Parties, and more, and you’ve got the kind of winning combination at PCS that’s sure to keep your child loving their lessons for years to come.
As your children get older, they need a creative outlet that allows them to be creative and to express themselves. What better way than through music? Music is a unique and fulfilling outlet for self-expression, being able to sing or play an instrument is truly a gift you can give your child.
In their music lessons at PCS, your child will develop a skill that is all their own, something special to them that will help mold the image of their “self”. They will then be able to share this piece of themselves with their peers through recitals, their school band or orchestra, and choir, if they choose. Best of all, the music skills and life skills they learn during their lessons will be something they carry with them for the rest of their lives.
There’s nothing more heart-warming than watching your child thrive and their confidence blossom as they make progress each week, grow in their ability to sing or play their instrument, or shine on stage at their recital.
In their music lessons, your child will develop self-discipline and time management skills that extend to other areas of their life, including academics and extracurricular activities. Music lessons are also a kind of therapeutic outlet, giving your child a means to express themselves in ways words cannot.
And since mastering the skill of singing or playing an instrument takes time and perseverance, your child will also learn the value of patience and resilience, developing a positive growth mindset along the way. The skills your child learns and the memories they make will become a cherished part of who they are and who they can become.
It’s never too early or too late to fall in love with music – for the first time or all over again. You don’t have to live with the regret of quitting lessons when you were younger or always wishing you had learned to sing or play an instrument.
And if you’re worried about how you’ll feel as an adult student, be assured that the teachers at PCS are as good with their adult students as they are with their younger students. They’ll help you progress at your own pace, learning the music that will give the most joy and fulfillment and helping you achieve your musical goals.
As you venture into the world of scales and melodies as an adult student, you’ll find a sense of rejuvenation that only music can provide. Your music lessons become a journey of self-discovery, an exploration of your own capacities, and a reminder that growth knows no age.
Not only is music an excellent hobby, but singing or playing an instrument also keeps your mind sharp, reduces stress, and enhances productivity. As we age, we naturally tend to see a decline in cognition and variations in cortisol, but science tells us that a hobby like music can keep us healthy, happy, and sharp.
In addition, singing or playing an instrument is a great way to unwind, relieve stress, and enjoy a creative outlet you might not have in other areas of your life or work. If your child is in Kindermusik or taking music lessons themselves, you now have a different way to empathize, encourage, and bond with them over music.
PCS loves helping adult students reclaim their love for music by taking music lessons and enjoying a life-changing hobby like singing or playing an instrument.
Music for now and music for life. This is the “why” behind all that Piano Central Studios does and hopes to accomplish for all of its students – from the babies in Kindermusik classes to their adult students in their 80’s to every age in between.
So, whether you’re a parent who wants to kindle your child’s love of music or an adult ready to take music lessons yourself, you’ll find what you’re looking for at Piano Central Studios. The skills acquired, the memories made, and the love for music cultivated all come together to make your music lessons at PCS everything you hoped they would be and mean for you or your child.
Music lessons should be so much more than something to pass the time or check off the list. At PCS, you’ll find that music becomes a lifelong gift that keeps giving the greatest of joy!
Registration for Kindermusik classes or music lessons is available on the Piano Central Studios music lesson registration page. You can get started anytime – even partway through the month!
Piano Central Studios
Greenville, SC
864.232.5010
It’s time to pick your favorites our 2024 KABOOM Contest where our readers will vote on the best family-related organizations in Upstate SC across over 40 categories (October 9-21, 2023). The winners for 2024 will be determined based on number of votes.
If you are an organization that would like a media kit with social media ready graphics or would like information on enhanced listings, please fill out this form. See below for more directions on this year’s contest.
Note: Voting will open on October 9, 2023.
Stage 1: Nominations (September 5-16, 2023)
Our readers can nominate their favorite organizations across categories to determine who will be on the ballot. Once an organization has been nominated and it has been approved they will appear on the ballot where additional nominations can be recorded under their name. The organizations with the most nominations will appear on the official voting ballot to determine the winners.
Stage 2: Voting (October 9-21, 2023)
Winners will be announced mid-January and celebrated through an event and online coverage. Winners will also be eligible for special winner advertising packages.
While you’re waiting for our 2024 Family Favorites Results, find something fun to do in Greenville! Here’s our huge guide of activities and things to do near Greenville, SC.
The Church Street Choral Academy is an entirely free choral and music education program for kids, coming to Greenville, SC this fall! The program at Christ Church Episcopal happens after school and is accepting kids in 3rd through 5th grade. We have all the details on this amazing new opportunity and the people behind it. Plus, we’ll tell you how to register and set up an audition for your kids.
Few things in life are free, and extra educational opportunities rarely are one of them. But, that’s not the case at the Church Street Choral Academy.
“The Church Street Choral Academy (CSCA) was formed with a mission to inspire and positively influence
the lives of young people through arts enrichment and academic support.”
No student or family will pay any tuition or fees to participate in the Choral Street Academy. In fact, students will actually be able to earn money through attendance in rehearsals and performances.
Why? Donald Duncan, Director of Liturgy & Music at Christ Church and CSCA Choirmaster, explains:
“Often the students who would benefit the most from extra support or arts enrichment are the students whose families can’t afford the costly price tag associated with those activities. We don’t want money to get in the way for anybody. We’ve worked hard to eliminate this barrier to participation so that any interested student could join us, not just those who could afford it.”
The Church Street Choral Academy is housed at Christ Church Episcopal on Church Street, and is funded through community support.
What will rehearsal days look like at the Church Street Choral Academy?
Mondays:
Wednesdays:
Performances are the first Sunday of each month at a service of Evensong at Christ Church Episcopal, plus additional performances as announced.
Sundays:
Spaces in the first year’s program are limited to 30 choristers in 3rd through 5th grades. If your family is interested in participating, you should visit Choral Academy Website as soon as possible to schedule an audition. No musical training is necessary to audition. According to the Church Street Choral Academy, the only requirements are that students “should possess a love of music and a commitment to attendance.”
“We will teach children to sing, no doubt, but that may be the least important thing this organization does,” said Duncan. “This program is unlike anything in Greenville and will have a tremendous impact on kids and families in this city.”
The program is currently auditioning 3rd through 5th grade students. The first rehearsal date is on Monday, October 16th, 2023.
For more information or to schedule an audition, visit the Choral Academy Website.
We spoke with owner, Beth Bradley, to get the scoop on how they’re bringing magic fun to dance class! One lucky reader will win ONE FREE MONTH of dance class! For details on how to enter, keep reading. Thanks to Dance Without Limits for sponsoring this giveaway.
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