Greenville, SC Events: Don’t Miss a Thing

Bring your kids out to meet the sheep at Whispering Pines Farm in Seneca. This Little Shepherds morning is for homeschool families, with a hands-on visit with the sheep for kids while parents stay and enjoy it right alongside them. It’s $10 per child, and adults are free. Wear closed-toe shoes and clothes you don’t mind getting a little dirty, and bring water. Tickets are on Eventbrite.

Looking for Halloween activities in Spartanburg that are not limited to one crowded weekend?

Gather your favorite ghouls for glow-in-the-dark mini golf, arcade games and monstrous indoor fun in an immersive setting made for the season. Add a Halloween date night, family night out, October birthday celebration or something fun to do with friends this season! Monster Mini Golf offers a friendly fright for all ages, any day of the week.

Monster Mini Golf Spartanburg welcomes guests from Greer, Boiling Springs, Duncan, and throughout the greater Upstate South Carolina. Stop by the nearest location today!

Afternoon Explorations- September 17, 2026 – May 7, 2027

Begin your visit in the Environmental Science and Sustainability Building, where you’ll find The Water Story and Sustainable Future exhibits as well as the highly popular Nature Exchange

Explore Harrison Hall of Natural Science, where you’ll discover a wide variety of plants, animals, and invertebrates in the Indoor Rain Forest and Rainforest Classroom, have the chance to pet stingrays, sea stars, and horseshoe crabs in the Marine Lab, and learn about South Carolina’s major ecosystems in the Ecology Lab

• Step back in time on the Living History Farm and discover what it was like to live in the Backcountry of 19th-century South Carolina.
• Have a larger-than-life adventure as you search for young and adult dinosaurs on our ever-popular Dinosaur Adventure Trail
• Tap into the power of imagination through creative play at the Pirate Adventure and Dinosaur Playgrounds
• Immerse yourself in the beauty of nature as you stroll through the Butterfly Garden

👉PURCHASE TICKETS HERE> Afternoon Explorations

And don’t miss our themed Special Event Days held throughout the year that include:

• October 16 – Science Magic
• November 20 – Fall on the Farm
• December 11 – Grinchy Christmas
• January 15 – Winterfest
• February 19 – Future Engineers
• March 12 – Dinosaur Adventure
• April 23 – A Pirate’s Life for Me

Click Here to Learn more about Roper Mountain Science Center and all of its fantastic programming!

Elementary-age students can explore Conestee Nature Preserve as young naturalists in this twice-monthly, drop-off after-school program! Through nature hikes, hands-on investigation, and playful discovery, kids will dig into a new nature topic each session. Join for one session or come throughout the semester to build on each adventure.

Time: 3–4:30 pm, 1st & 3rd Thursdays

Fall 2026 Dates & Themes
Sept. 3 – Don’t Bug Me! (Ants & Insects)
Sept. 17 – Rolling Down the Reedy (The Reedy River)
Oct. 1 – Bye, Bye Blackbird! (Birds & Migration)
Oct. 15 – Treerific! (Trees & the Environment)
Nov. 5 – Doe, a Deer… (Deer & State Animals)
Nov. 19 – Freezing, Frigid, Frosty (Animals in Winter)

Cost: $10 per session or $50 for all 6 sessions.

Location: Meeting locations vary throughout Conestee Nature Preserve. Registered participants will receive location details by email before each session.

Registration Deadline: Midnight on the Tuesday before class. If a class is full or you miss the deadline, contact the Preserve to ask about availability or a waitlist.

Bring: A water bottle and weather-appropriate clothing. Apply sunscreen and bug spray before class as needed. Sessions are entirely outdoors.

Ages 9-12 are invited to explore conservation and the history of the National Parks.
🎟️ Cost: Free.
📍 Location: 25 Heritage Green Place, Greenville, SC 29601
👉 Read more
🧒 Ages: Ages 9-12

If your child has read A Long Walk to Water, this is a remarkable opportunity to meet the man whose true story is at the heart of the book.

Salva Dut is coming to South Carolina for the first time, and Prince of Peace Catholic Church & School is opening his evening visit to the entire Upstate community.

For the past three years, Prince of Peace middle school students have read Salva’s story and turned what they learned into action, raising money for clean-water projects in South Sudan through Water for South Sudan’s Iron Giraffe Challenge. Their efforts earned Prince of Peace the Grand Prize—a visit from Salva himself.

Families, students, teachers, homeschoolers and readers of A Long Walk to Water are warmly invited to join us on Thursday, October 15, 2026.

5:30 pm — Book Signing
Bring your copy of A Long Walk to Water and have it signed by Salva Dut.

6:00 pm — Presentation + Q&A
Hear Salva share his extraordinary story and the work it inspired through Water for South Sudan.

The event is free and open to the community.

Family night just got better! Kids eat free after 5pm with participating vendors and a kid’s movie on the big screen starting at 6pm. Showing tonight is Coco.

Spooky night of video games, a costume contest, crafts, and music in the Teen Hub. Ages 12-18 / grades 7-12 only.

Grab a blanket and settle in for a free outdoor screening of Coco at the Moonlight Movies series in Falls Park! Showings run Thursday evenings through September and October, with Poppington’s Gourmet Popcorn available each week.

Starts at DUSK

📍 Location: Falls Park on the Reedy, 301 South Main Street, Greenville, SC
👉 Read more

During select school holidays, The Children’s Museum of the Upstate offers Kid’s Day Out, a drop-off day camp with a completely play-based experience. Space is extremely limited and no refunds are issued, so families should register in advance.

During select school holidays, TCMU is offering Kid’s Day Out! From 9am-4pm, kids will enjoy a completely play-based experience that includes team games, museum exploration, snack time, and more. Space is extremely limited.

Mom and Dad don’t get a break even though school does? Come play at South Carolina Children’s Theatre! This Workday Workshop is full of games and activities exploring group problem solving, character development and performing in front of an audience, and may include craft time.

Calling all American Girl fans, history lovers, and bookworms of all ages! Greater Greenville is about to welcome a literal literary legend. 

Whether you grew up reading about Felicity’s revolutionary adventures, Samantha’s Victorian escapades, Molly’s wartime resilience, or Josefina’s southwestern heritage, you know the magic these characters brought into our lives. Now is your chance to meet the brilliant mind who brought them to life: beloved American Girl author Valerie Tripp is coming to The Logos Theatre for a special community meet-and-greet! Bring your favorite childhood book or doll, snap a photo, and share your favorite American Girl memories with the author who shaped a generation of readers.

But the magic doesn’t stop at nostalgia. This very special event is hosted by a remarkable organization you need to know about: Joy Doll Hospital.

Founded in 2019 by an inspiring 12-year-old girl, Joy Doll Hospital is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit that takes pre-loved, American Girl dolls and meticulously restores them to look brand new. These “Joy Dolls” are gifted to comfort children facing trauma and crisis both nationally and internationally, and this specific event is focused on giving back right here at home in the Upstate.

To celebrate Valerie’s visit, Joy Doll Hospital is launching an epic 24-Hour Joy Doll Restoration Challenge right at the theater! Starting the day before the event, an amazing team of community volunteers will be working around the clock with a massive goal: completely restoring 24 dolls in 24 hours to be gifted to 24 children in crisis throughout the surrounding Greenville area, distributed via local partner organizations.

Joy Doll Hospital hopes it is a truly inspiring experience. To ensure Valerie has dedicated time to chat, sign books, and take photos with every single guest, space is limited. A suggested donation of $15 secures your reservation and directly funds the restoration of dolls for children in crisis. Come witness the transformation live, cheer on our local volunteers, support a spectacular cause, and meet the author who proved that every doll—and every child—has a powerful story to tell.

Highlights include:

• • Meet & Greet with Valerie Tripp: Book signing and photo op following a brief talk 1030-11am.
  • Live Restoration Viewing: See the community volunteers in action at The Logos Theatre during the final hours of their 24-hour marathon challenge.

**Whether you are 8 or 80, dust off your favorite doll and join us for a day of pure nostalgia, craftsmanship, and community joy! 

• Meet & Greet with Valerie Tripp: Book signing and photo opportunities with dedicated time for each guest.
• Live Restoration Viewing: See the community volunteers in action at The Logos Theatre during the final hours of their 24-hour marathon challenge.
• Give Back: Learn how you can donate pre-loved dolls or support this youth-founded mission to bring hope & joy to children in crisis.

Join Spartanburg County Historical Association (SCHA) for a Lunch & Learn on the 4th Friday of every month, January-September (except May & October, when it is planned for the 3rd Friday). Bring your own lunch, and plan to meet in the Chapman Cultural Center Conference Room.

Advance registration is required, and refunds are not offered.

• $5/person
• FREE for SCHA members

This event is recommended for ages 13 & older, not for young children.

Confirm details and register on the Lunch & Learn event page.

Afternoon Explorations- September 17, 2026 – May 7, 2027

Begin your visit in the Environmental Science and Sustainability Building, where you’ll find The Water Story and Sustainable Future exhibits as well as the highly popular Nature Exchange

Explore Harrison Hall of Natural Science, where you’ll discover a wide variety of plants, animals, and invertebrates in the Indoor Rain Forest and Rainforest Classroom, have the chance to pet stingrays, sea stars, and horseshoe crabs in the Marine Lab, and learn about South Carolina’s major ecosystems in the Ecology Lab

• Step back in time on the Living History Farm and discover what it was like to live in the Backcountry of 19th-century South Carolina.
• Have a larger-than-life adventure as you search for young and adult dinosaurs on our ever-popular Dinosaur Adventure Trail
• Tap into the power of imagination through creative play at the Pirate Adventure and Dinosaur Playgrounds
• Immerse yourself in the beauty of nature as you stroll through the Butterfly Garden

👉PURCHASE TICKETS HERE> Afternoon Explorations

And don’t miss our themed Special Event Days held throughout the year that include:

• October 16 – Science Magic
• November 20 – Fall on the Farm
• December 11 – Grinchy Christmas
• January 15 – Winterfest
• February 19 – Future Engineers
• March 12 – Dinosaur Adventure
• April 23 – A Pirate’s Life for Me

Click Here to Learn more about Roper Mountain Science Center and all of its fantastic programming!

Friday nights are for space exploration at Roper Mountain Science Center. Friday Starry Nights invite families to relax under the stars inside the planetarium and enjoy immersive astronomy shows that change throughout the evening. It’s an easy, engaging way to spark curiosity about the night sky, whether it’s your first visit or a returning favorite. On clear nights, be sure to head over after your show to the Charles E. Daniel Observatory refractor to see through the telescope!

👉Get your tickets here > Roper Mountain Science Center

Friday Nights in August
4:30 PM-  Magic Treehouse
6:00 PM –  Astronut
7:30 PM – James Webb Space Telescope: The Story Unfolds

Friday Nights in September

4:30pm – Starry Nights – Cosmic Adventure
6:00pm – Starry Nights – Solar Superstorms
7:30pm – Starry Nights – A Race Through Space

Friday Nights in October

4:30pm – Starry Nights – Spooky Science
6:00pm – Starry Nights- Solar Superstorm
7:30pm – Starry Nights – A Race Through Space

Location:
T.C. Hooper Planetarium
Roper Mountain Science Center, Greenville, SC

Find out more about Friday Starry Nights and why we LOVE this planetarium in our review of RMSC!

Enjoy a special spooky science Friday Starry Nights at Roper Mountain Science Center during their 4:30 pm showing.

FALL-ELUJAH it’s back for the SIXTH year in a row— the Annual Fall Festival! It’s the perfect setting around Greenville to celebrate everyone’s favorite time of year with food, wine, shopping, and more!

FREE admission & parking
Live music all weekend long
Food & dessert vendors
30+ local vendors each day
Wine by the glass, bottle, and flight available + wine specials
Family & pup friendly

Trunk-or-Treat will kick off at the World of Energy from 6–7:30 p.m. This free, community-sponsored event is a wonderful opportunity for families and friends to enjoy a fun fall tradition together. Kids can look forward to face painting, pumpkin painting, games, and more throughout the evening.

Immediately following Trunk-or-Treat, they’ll be screening a movie under the stars on the World of Energy lawn, starting at 7:30 p.m.

Don’t forget to bring your lawn chairs and blankets! A local food truck will be on-site and available for purchase before the movie begins. Admission, parking, popcorn and water are free.

Opening Night, presented by Bon Secours St. Francis Health System as the Greenville Swamp Rabbits host the Atlanta Gladiators at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
📍 Location: Bon Secours Wellness Arena, 650 North Academy Street, Greenville, SC
👉 Read more

As creators of some of the most intense scares in the Upstate, we invite you to step into the sinister woods of the 1800s.

Located in Simpsonville, South Carolina, Hopkins Haunted Attraction is not your typical fall festival or family farm hayride. This is a fully immersive horror experience where the deeper you venture into the woods, the closer you get to the nightmare.

At Hopkins, you don’t just watch the story unfold—you become part of it.

Make your way through approximately 30 minutes of haunted trails, terrifying scenes, and unexpected encounters lurking deep within the darkness. Stay alert, watch your surroundings, and whatever you do… don’t assume you’re alone.

Want to take the terror to the next level? This year, we’re offering a Touch Pass option for guests who want an even more intense and interactive experience. By choosing the Touch Pass, you’re permitting our creatures to get a little closer, making your journey through the darkness even more terrifying.

Step into the nightmare and experience the terror for yourself.