Ready for a night out with your love this Christmas? Date night this time of year has a little extra magic involved. With Twinkly lights, holiday music, and some unique events to attend, sneaking away for a date night is worth it. We’ve come up with some great ideas to make that special night even more memorable during this time of the year.
For even more holiday fun, don’t miss the Ultimate Holiday Guide to Greenville, SC. It’s packed full of things to do, gift ideas, events, and more!
Need a unique date night idea? How about a great night out with friends? Or maybe you just love good food. Today KAG contributor Kristina Hernandez is telling us about a unique tour you can take in Downtown Greenville, called At the Chef’s Table Culinary Tour. On this tour, you’ll enjoy great food, learn about the food and people who prepare it, and hear unique tidbits of Greenville’s history.
Thank you to John Nolan for providing this tour in order to allow us to share a review with you.
Just. One. More. Bite. My eyes were fighting with my full stomach as I stared down the dark chocolate tart at The Lazy Goat, the last of what amounted to a five-course meal of Table 301 restaurants in downtown Greenville. Over two hours earlier, I had met other excited participants for John Nolan’s At the Chef’s Table Culinary Tour at Soby’s on the Side, ready and willing to experience the highly-rated walking food tour.
I made it this far and just gave in, savoring just one last bite of the delicious dessert.
Are you looking for fall date ideas in the Upstate? If you are hoping for a date that represents the season, you’ve come to the right place. We have tons of date ideas to chose from to help you embrace fall and the ones you love.
Dates are fun and necessary for healthy relationships. Now that the temperatures are dropping, it’s time for some festive, fall-themed dates. These can be family date activities, Daddy and Daughter/Son dates, Mother and Son/Daughter dates, romantic couple dates, or any combination. All will provide memories and fall fun!
If you are hoping for a date night while on vacation, check out The Art Cafe! Hilton Head Island’s art studio is just upstairs from Rockfish, so you can have an awesome night while your kids are also enjoying themselves. Kidding Around’s Kristina reviewed both the Kids Night Out event at The Art Cafe and the Rockfish restaurant, and she was pleasantly surprised!
Date nights are hard to come by for many couples who have kids. I think a date night on vacation would be pretty awesome because you’re already in relaxation mode, away from your daily life at home and work, and have that time to focus on each other. But finding a reliable sitter while away from home? I haven’t mastered that yet – which was why I was thrilled to find The Art Cafe on Hilton Head Island because they offer the perfect solution for couples wanting to get in a date night while on vacation.
Have you visited Magnetic South Brewery before? Better known for their Anderson location, Magnetic South also has a location in Judson Mills in Greenville. This location is the perfect spot for a casual date night out or a place to meet up with friends. It’s also a kid-friendly place where the whole family can have some fun playing pool, pinball, and other arcade games.
The Magnetic South Greenville location is in a bit of an off-the-beaten-path spot, located on the interior corner of Judson Mill beside The Foundry music venue. They have some outside space in front of the brewery for hanging out or playing corn hole. Inside you’ll find a large and open space with lots of seating.
Order both your beverages and your food at the bar. They’ll text you when your food is ready, so you’re free to enjoy the space instead of waiting in line!
Magnetic South Beer and Ciders
You’ll find a rotating draft menu board at Magnetic South. If you’re really particular about your beer choices you can always see what’s on tap today at the Magnetic South beer menu online.
We enjoyed the Red Carpet red ale, the Ale Earndardt rye beer, and a slightly sweet pineapple cider. They were all delicious. My personal favorite was the red ale, as it had a full flavor without being heavy.
Food at Magnetic South
The Greenville menu at Magnetic South offers Cuban-inspired flavors, including rice bowls, burritos, tacos, salads and snacks like nachos, chips & queso, and even street corn. We found the menu to be quite affordable, with menu items ranging from $6 to $13.
Food portions are not huge, but they are the perfect companion to a beverage or two where you don’t want to be too full anyway.
And, at those prices, you can definitely order a couple of items if you’re extra hungry. If you’re bringing the family, you could definitely order a few snacks to share to accompany your meal choice so everyone gets to try a few things.
I enjoyed the Mojo bowl, which was Cuban rice with marinated pork, black beans, corn, and tomatoes. It came with my choice of sauce and the curry mustard that I picked was so delicious. I would order it again in a heartbeat.
There are other bowl choices including one with grilled chicken and one where you can build your own by selecting a protein and toppings.
My husband enjoyed the Cuban Pork Burrito which was actually quite similar to my bowl, except in burrito form.
We are pretty terrible at pool. Like 97.5% of the balls I actually got in the pockets were accidental. But that’s ok. We had a great time doing it!
The two pool tables at Magnetic South, as well as the arcade games, are coin-operated. There is an ATM machine and a coin machine beside the games, and that worked perfectly for us.
A game of pool is just $1.25. I had a $5 bill on me, we turned it into quarters at the change machine and played several games of pool.
The other games like skee ball and pinball were both a dollar, also taking quarters. Another $5 bill had me losing a couple of games of skee ball to my husband. You know, these things happen. But it was really fun.
I loved that while there were several game options, the overall atmosphere wasn’t the loud, flashing lights, chiming bells, and sometimes overwhelming environment you might think of when you imagine an arcade. Magnetic South is not an arcade, they have just one corner of the space with games and they aren’t exceptionally loud. It’s really the perfect blend.
At the end of the day, it was a really affordable date night, with good food in a super fun place. We definitely will be back, and I wouldn’t hesitate to bring the kids sometimes, either.
Did you know that you could take free Salsa dancing lessons in Greenville, SC. Local mom Kristina shares her favorite places to Salsa dance in Greenville, the perfect romantic date night. You can even dance under the stars!
Salsa dancing is quite close to my heart and it’s pretty awesome we can do it in Greenville, SC! Despite my current last name, I have zero Latin blood in me but rather I’m the typical American mix of European ancestry, ones that arguably aren’t known for their superb dancing styles.
So when I had the chance to take salsa dancing lessons back when I lived near Washington, DC, I jumped at opportunity. I had seen a beautiful couple at the bar/restaurant where the lessons occurred twirling, laughing, and swaying their hips with the Latin beats. I wanted to be that girl and I wanted to learn how to dance like that.
And I did.
This was before marriage and kids so I had time to go several times a week to lessons and dancing. But I got more out of it than I ever expected. I met my husband during one of those early classes. He had been taking lessons for a few months and easily impressed me. We went dancing together for nearly three years before we started dating and then got married.
We don’t go as often as we’d like to now but when I heard about dancing salsa in the plaza at the Peace Center last summer, I got a babysitter and made plans to go. After all, when does the chance come up to dance under the stars? Not often enough.
Salsa at Sunset
On Fridays June 16, July 28, and August 25, 2023, Upstate International hosts the amazing Salsa at Sunset event at Camperdown Plaza in downtown Greenville. It’s a free outdoor event that features free group salsa lessons, a live band that plays salsa, merengue, and bachata (other Latin dance styles) and a beer and wine cash bar.
The event is family-friendly as well. We saw lots of kids there getting their groove on. There were dancers of every age and ability.
All of the events are from 6 p.m. – 10 p.m. and include free dance lessons and lots of dancing.
In my experience of Latin dancing, it really doesn’t matter your age or ability or anything else you’re nervous about and that may be holding you back. Everyone just wants to have fun.
Dancing is a great equalizer. Most dancers are patient and eager to teach and learn. Dancing is a wonderful activity to let your body take over and move with the music and give your brain a break from doing any thinking. It’s relaxing and a great date activity.
Other places to go dancing
Greenville has an active little salsa dancing community.
Every Thursday night at Brass on Congaree Road plays host to Pasion Thursdays. The DJ plays a mix of Salsa, Merengue, and Bachata.
Lessons start at 8:30 p.m. and run for an hour. It’s a $7/person cover per person (nights with live bands are $10/person) and you must be 21.
For women, a shoe with a smooth bottom and a heel not more than two inches is preferable (tennis shows aren’t the best because they stick to the floor but I’ve seen women wear them and do fine). I’ve usually gotten my shoes at this website, which is so fun, but I’ve also danced in regular shoes I’ve bought at some big box discount store. At Salsa at Sunset, I usually just use sneakers and it’s fine.
Dresses are enjoyable to wear but just be sure they either don’t fly all the way up when you spin or wear shorts underneath. Be comfortable because you’ll be moving around a lot.
For men, shoes with smooth bottoms are ideal as well. And just dress comfortably.
You don’t need a partner for lessons. You rotate around and get to dance with everyone there so it’s not necessary to come with anyone.
Thinking about a couples day trip somewhere near Greenville, SC? If you want to plan a dreamy day trip with your significant other this summer, we have a great list of day trip ideas for couples. We have put together a whole list of romantic day trip ideas! Whether you want to do something romantic, visit a new town, or have some adventure our list will help you plan the perfect day trip.
When the temperatures heat up in the summer or drop to freezing in the winter, you can still have a really fun date night indoors in Greenville, SC. We’ve got the best ideas for indoor dates, from axe throwing to seeing a play to dancing and rock climbing.
If the idea of feeling sweat drip down your back while on a date outdoors this summer doesn’t sound romantic, we can sympathize. Summers, while fun in South Carolina, can be brutally hot, and planning a fun date together where you aren’t melting may take some creativity – and that’s where we can help you out. And on cold winter nights, you can stay warm indoors while having fun together, too!
Fortunately, there are lots of fantastic places in the Upstate to have a memorable and cool date night in the AC besides the standard dinner and a movie. No matter your interests, we think you’ll find something on this list where you can plan a great summer or winter date night together.
Best Indoor Date Nights for Playing
Group Therapy Pub & Playground
Located in Camperdown Plaza in downtown Greenville, Group Therapy has an 18-hole mini-golf course, axe throwing, curling, ping pong, and tons more plus an extensive bar and food menu. You must make reservations to play the games.
Throw it back to the 90s with an awesome arcade that has more than a dozen pinball machines but old school games like Nintendo, Paper Boy, and Pac-Man. It’s $10/person for all-day play. Vaughn’s Warehouse is right next door where you can grab dinner together.
Double Stamp Brewery
Play Nintendo together at the bar while enjoying delicious craft beer or sodas made right in house at Double Stamp Brewery in Greenville.
Pinky’s Revenge
Get some 80s square pizza and play lots of fun arcade games together at Pinky’s Revenge.
Best Indoor Date Nights for Busting Stress
Break some stuff
Take a bat to some glass, an old car, or windows at Mad Smash Rage Room in Taylors Mill.
Relax in the planetarium at Roper Mountain Science Center and gaze up at the stars and learn about our magnificent solar system at Friday Starry Nights. They also offer the Laser Days of Summer shows that feature rock music and lasers. You must buy tickets online ahead of time.
If you love to dance – or want to learn – there are some great spots to do so. Check out country line dancing at the Blind Horse Saloon or Cowboy Up Greenville. The Spinning Jenny has swing dancing and sometimes offers dance classes. Landmark Hall in Greer has different dance nights so check their website.
Do you think you can beat the clock at Escape Artist Greenville SC? Several years ago, some friends were visiting from out of town and wanted to meet up. When we asked them what they would like to do, they suggested that we meet up at one of Greenville’s top escape rooms, Escape Artist Greenville. We are very glad that we said yes. In fact, we had such a great time we can’t stop recommending Escape Artist to all of our friends in Greenville.
Upon arriving, we were energized immediately by owners Will and Kim Rutherford’s enthusiasm. It was impossible to not catch the excitement about trying to test our group’s wits against one of their escape rooms.
After a short explanation of rules such as “don’t tear apart the ceiling” followed by a creepy story intro we handed over our iPhones and headed into “Dr. Fratelli’s cabin”. Inside the mad scientist’s cabin, we quickly got to work looking inside and under the many objects in order to start finding clues. These clues then led to puzzles that had to be solved in order to find the special locked exit and escape the room where Dr. Fratelli had trapped us. Of course, the primary entrance remained unlocked so we weren’t actually physically locked in. It is just a game!
We were given just one hour to escape the room, but we had the ability to ask for three clues during our hour. Will was watching us through his surveillance cameras and was quick to offer the exact help needed for each clue. The puzzles were challenging but still simple enough for a group to solve.
Did We Escape?
Of course, the first question everyone asks is “Did you escape?” Actually, Will told us that only 20-25% of the groups that try the room “get out”. We made it though with only a couple of minutes left to spare and we used all 3 hints.
Will greeted us after we finished and shared his own observations of how we solved the puzzle. We then were allowed to grab our phones again so that Kim could take a victory photo for us showcasing our time.
Photo Credit: Eli Warren, used by permission from Escape Artist Greenville
Is Escape Artist Greenville Worth the Money?
Escape Artist is a little bit more expensive than most of the attractions my husband and I visit, starting at around $30/person. It was worth every penny we spent. We had so much fun working together, laughing at our mistakes, and bragging about what we solved. The room was very well designed, all of the clues were clear and worked correctly, and Will & Kim executed everything wonderfully. It’s no wonder that they have received so many 5 star reviews.
Any hints?
Well, of course, I can’t give any hints on how to solve the puzzle because that would ruin the fun, but here are a couple tips to help you have the best chances of victory:
Don’t be afraid to ask for a clue when you are stuck. It’s better to use them up than not get out!
Get started quickly. Don’t be shy about looking around the room when you enter it. The sooner you find your first clues the better.
Don’t overthink your clues. None of the clues will require knowing weird facts and you won’t mess up your clues by touching or moving objects in the room.
Playing an escape room game on your tablet or phone ahead of time will help give you an idea of the types of puzzles you might encounter.
Have fun! Don’t get too stressed out. This activity is all about having a good time.
What About Kids?
I visited Escape Artist Greenville with 3 other adults and I thought that it was a great adult activity but older children and teens would definitely enjoy it as well. Children under 16 are allowed to attend with an adult, and Will told us that he had even recently hosted a party of 11-year-olds. Will did tell us that he adapts the clues as necessary for children and that the children who have come through really have enjoyed the puzzle. All of the content in the story and inside the room was appropriate for any age audience and there weren’t any thematic elements that would scare a child.
About Escape Artist: Greenville SC
Be sure to book your time ahead of time online. Due to the nature of the event, space is limited and 2 hours advanced reservation is required.
This attraction is completely unique to Greenville. While there are other “escape rooms” in Greenville and in other cities, Will & Kim specifically designed this room and story making it a one-of-a-kind adventure.
The attraction can fit 2-8 people at a time. Your group may get placed with another group if you don’t purchase the entire 8 tickets.
In addition to Dr. Fratelli’s Cabin, there are four other escape rooms including our current favorite Starlight Motel (a spooky, interactive room for adults). You can read about Starlight Motel in our review.
There is a second location of Escape Artist Greenville, located at Hampton Station. The Hampton Station location has fewer rooms (Help Wanted and Dark Lullaby), but the proximity to dining, breweries, and shopping makes it a great activity.
The Escape Artist Greenville: SC Has Two Locations!
Planning a date night and looking for summer date night ideas? Summer in Greenville makes date nights easy. If you are tired of going on the same old dates, use this list to spice things up this summer. Whether you are looking for indoor or outdoor date ideas, we’ve got you covered!
Summer is the perfect time to get back into date night with your significant other. There are so many more options for having fun together over the summer than other times of year because you can get outside. Although you totally don’t have to be outside – sometimes the air conditioning feels divine.
So get planning on that date night, or date day as we have those ideas as well. Can you try for three dates this summer – one for June, July and August? We have plenty of options for you, just pick a few!
