What better way to spend the day with the kids than at a local festival? Here’s a list of Spartanburg’s favorite kid-friendly festivals to check out with the family this year.
Check out the Kidding Around Event Calendar for all the dates and details for these festivals in 2021, and other family-friendly things happening in the Upstate!
Spring
Spring Fling
Canceled for 2021 due to Covid
No best-fest list would be complete without Spring Fling! Spring Fling is the upstate’s largest street festival all year. Taking over several city blocks for three days, Spring Fling features a wide variety of carnival rides for kids, dozens of live musical performances, food trucks, fair food, adult beverages, and several blocks worth of vendors. It’s a popular event, so parking can be challenging. Make sure to bring a stroller for little legs.
Summer
Red, White & Boom
Celebrate the 4th of July Spartanburg-style with Red, White & Boom. Located in Barnet Park, Red, White & Boom features a live band, food vendors, and when the sun sets, one of the best fireworks shows in the upstate. Bring your own lawn chairs and blankets and an appetite. Food options include barbecue, funnel cakes, burgers, and hot dogs, cheesesteaks and ice cream, and more. The Zambelli fireworks show is not to be missed!
Fall
Fall is a beautiful time of year in the upstate of South Carolina. We have just enough altitude to experience leaf change, but temperatures still tend to be mild. It’s a great time to be outdoors.
The Spartanburg Greek Festival
The Spartanburg Greek Festival, located at St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, has been going strong for over 20 years. The church itself is situated on Asheville Highway, across the street from Cleveland Park, and every September the festival features the best in Greek food and culture. Kids get in free with a paying adult, so it’s the perfect way to spend the day or the entire weekend! You can order food at the formal sit-down lunch or eat from one of the various food vendors open throughout the day. The kids’ area features games, bounce houses, and slides. Stay to check out Greek dancing and songs and take a tour of the church. And don’t forget to sample the yummy baklava.
Soaring International Kite Festival
October 9, 2021
Spring is in the air and Spartanburg Soaring International Kite Festival is the way to celebrate it! Hosted by the Chapman Cultural Center on and around their grounds, local and international kite flyers gather to enjoy the outdoors and fill the sky with kites! The entrance is free and you can bring your own kite or purchase one there. Food trucks and arts and crafts vendors are also on-site, so you can feed the family and do a little shopping in the sunshine.
Spartoberfest – Spartanburg’s Octoberfest
One of the newcomers on the festival scene, but fast becoming a favorite, is the Spartoberfest. The event is sponsored by Jesus Our Risen Savior Catholic Church and is located on church grounds on Reidville Road. Coordinated to start with the first day of Octoberfest in Munich, this three-day festival usually falls in the middle of September. (Yes, Octoberfest traditionally ends on October 1st… go figure!) The Spartoberfest features live Oopmah music and dancing, a beer garden, an AuBenkuche Grill with traditional German favorites, and a special Kinder Corner. The Kinder Corner has bounce houses and slides, face painting, balloon art, and a magic show. German pretzels, strudel, and other sweet treats are for sale as well, and you can even start your early Christmas shopping in the Christmas Market. Check out the website to learn more about this gut time!
The Spartanburg International Festival
2021 EVENT CANCELLED
Spartanburg is also home to the International Festival. Hosted by the city and located in beautiful downtown Barnet Park, the International Festival is one of Spartanburg’s most enduring and popular festivals. Designed to showcase the home cultures of the international residents and businesses that Spartanburg hosts, entrance is free, but you must purchase tickets to buy food and drinks. Music and performances in the amphitheater go on throughout the day, but the highlight of the event is all the delicious food choices! Lines can be long but are well worth it.
Winter
Dickens of a Christmas
Beat the winter blues and get in the Christmas spirit by visiting Spartanburg’s Dickens of a Christmas. Located on the quaint Main Street of Spartanburg, this event features carriage rides, living windows and nativity, Christmas vendors, traditional carolers, and best of all, the lighting of the Big Christmas tree downtown. It’s a special experience for kids and adults alike.
What’s your family’s favorite festival for the whole family?
