Are you looking for Labor Day events? Greenville, SC, and the surrounding area have a few special events to enjoy for the weekend. Labor Day is usually seen as the unofficial end of the summer, so make it count!
This weekend is the last chance to relax for many families before the busy school year gets underway in earnest. Check out these Labor Day events near Greenville, SC, including special events, festivals, and day trip ideas!
Have you visited the NC Arboretum? If you’re looking for the perfect place to spend the day outdoors in Asheville, the arboretum might be just what you’re looking for!
The North Carolina Arboretum is much more than a beautiful garden. In addition to gorgeous flower beds bursting with color, you’ll also find hiking trails, an outdoor miniature train display, a cafe, a greenhouse, water features, and even rotating art exhibits. There’s something for everyone in the family at the arboretum and since it’s located in nearby Asheville, you’ve got a great day trip in the making.
Looking to make a day trip out of your trip to the North Carolina Arboretum? Check out our list of Western North Carolina Day Trip ideas to have a fun-filled day!
Visiting the North Carolina Arboretum
The North Carolina Arboretum is located just south of Asheville, NC. Their website provides directions, and they indicate that GPS should not be trusted. I have to admit not reading that little tidbit, and our GPS directions have always worked just fine. Do be aware however that the cell signal is not strong in this area.
When you arrive at the arboretum you’ll pay for parking. The parking fee is$20 per car. There is no further admission or per-person cost, which makes this a pretty affordable family day trip. Pack some snacks or a lunch and you won’t have to spend another dime.
But if you’d rather go out for lunch, there’s a cafe at the arboretum. Asheville is also just about 20 minutes away with virtually limitless dining options.
Baker Exhibit Center
The main parking lot for the North Carolina Arboretum is at the Baker Exhibit Center. This will be where you start the day. I recommend bringing any snacks, drinks, and necessary items like diaper bags with you. Depending on where you end up exploring, it can be a long walk back to the car to get a drink.
As you enter the building, you’ll find maps to the right of the door. Grab a map. They’ll show everything the arboretum offers and how to find it.
Inside this visitors center you’ll find clean restrooms and an information desk. To access the gardens you’ll climb the stairs and head to the back of the building. On your way, you’ll pass a fantastic gift shop, a greenhouse, and an art exhibit space. Often there are small plants for sale in the greenhouse and artwork on display in the exhibit space.
Quilt Garden at North Carolina Arboretum
The Gardens at the NC Arboretum
Throughout the grounds of the arboretum, you’ll find beautiful flowers and leafy plants full of color. There are gorgeous arbors and gazebos to rest under, fountains to watch, and paved pathways to wander.
One of our favorite sections of the garden is a quilt garden, named because when you climb the stone stairs beside it and look down, it does indeed look like a quilt. The flowers in this quilt pattern change. Each time we have visited the quilt garden has been different.
Bonsai Garden
Bonsai Exhibit
Another section of the garden we love to explore is the Bonsai Garden. You might not think looking at Bonsai trees would be interesting to children, but my kids really like these. Each one looks different, some are themed and a lot of them have descriptive and sometimes humorous names.
The perfectly pruned miniature trees are truly works of art. The Bonsai section of the arboretum is open from 9 am to 5 pm daily, with additional hours for special guided tours with the Curator.
Rocky Cove Railroad
The Rocky Cove Railroad runs Saturdays, and Sundays from noon to 4 pm. It’s a G-Scale model train that runs through this outdoor garden depicting Western North Carolina at the turn of the 20th century when trains first arrived.
Two different trains run through the display. One of them is a Thomas train. If you have young children who love Thomas, you definitely don’t want to miss Thomas running through this little town display.
My favorite thing about this display is that all the trees throughout the display are perfectly pruned, live trees cut to fit the size of the display.
Rocky Cove Railroad
Trails to Hike
The Arboretum has many trails available for hiking and biking if you prefer your gardens to be a bit wilder. In the spring, don’t miss the hike down to the woodland garden that contains the National Native Azalea Collection where you’ll find almost every native azalea species in the United States blooming side by side.
The nature trail is another great trail any time of the year and this one doesn’t allow biking so you won’t have to watch out for riders on this trail. The nature trail is TRACK trail, part of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation’s Kids in Parks program where kids earn prizes for completing different trails and activities. You can grab a TRACK Trail Guide at the Baker Exhibit Center.
Trails in the arboretum connect to the Bent Creek Experimental Forest in Pisgah National Forest. If you’re looking for hiking trails or bike trails in the Bent Creek Experimental Forest, such as Hard Times Road, there is a free parking area at Bent Creek.
Education Center
The second building at the Arboretum is the Education Center. You’ll find scheduled educational programming here as well as a few educational exhibits. This is also where the cafe is located.
There is a lovely porch with a plethora of rocking chairs that overlook the gardens. Purchase a snack or open up the lunch you packed, this is a great spot to sit for a while and relax.
Mom Review: NC Arboretum
The NC Arboretum is a great place for the family to spend some time. We’ve brought our children a few times, including when they were quite young. There is plenty of room for little kids to run off steam, but also a lot of interesting things to see for older kids.
The train has always been a highlight and I usually save that for the end of the trip, otherwise, we’d never see the rest of the garden.
The garden paths are paved, but if you plan to walk any of the woodland trails, know that they are dirt and gravel. You’ll probably appreciate wearing sneakers. Do bring lots to drink, especially if you’re going in the summer.
Special Events
The arboretum runs several special events and exhibits throughout the year. The biggest event is undoubtedly Winter Lights. The holiday light exhibit lights up the gardens into a winter light wonderland. We have a whole Winter Lights review for you.
Have you visited Grandad’s Apples? Fall is just around the corner and your family might be hunting for the perfect apple orchard! We checked out Grandad’s Apples ‘N Such and had so much fun. You’ll find activities for kids at Grandad’s Apples ‘N Such, with beautiful views, and, of course, apples.
U-PICK: U-pick is TBD. Grandad’s asked that you follow their Facebook page for the latest updates.
Hendersonville, North Carolina is known for its delicious apples and it’s easy to see why on the drive up to Grandad’s Apples ‘N Such. There are a handful of orchards within a few-mile radius and several farm stands all selling the delicious fruit. On my quest to find the perfect apple orchard experience, I headed on over to Grandad’s, which I heard was pretty awesome.
Have you visited Givhans Ferry State Park or the surrounding Edisto River area? KAG contributor Liene explored the Lowcountry, including the Edisto River area and Givhans Ferry State Park, as a correspondent to the South Carolina 7 Wonders expedition. What she found is that not only is the Edisto deserving of the title 5th Wonder of South Carolina, but together with the surrounding area makes a unique destination for a family weekend in the Lowcountry!
Would a fun day be an adventure with your family to a farm or petting zoo near Greenville, SC? It’s hard to resist a photo of your child petting or interacting with a cute animal at a farm or petting zoo.
I know what you are thinking, “are there any petting zoos near me?”
Yes! There are quite a few! We’ve pulled together a huge list of petting zoos and farms where you can interact with animals. These farms and petting zoos are located near Greenville, SC, in Western North Carolina, Northern Georgia, as well as in Charlotte, NC, and the Midlands. So wherever you are, find a petting zoo near you, or a farm that makes a great day trip.
Our list includes places open year-round places to pet animals, plus seasonal farms, and mobile and event-based petting zoos. We have tried to make sure these are places that treat their animals kindly and with respect as well. If we missed any, let us know in the comments.
Is There a Petting Zoo Near Me?
If you’re wondering “where are farms with animals near me?” the answer is likely somewhere close by. We’ve visited lots and lots of petting zoos and farms and added them to our lists. So yes, you will probably find a petting zoo on this list near you! Use the links below to navigate this list by location.
Are you trying to fit a couple of day trips in? NC mountains, small towns, hiking trails, and waterfalls should definitely be on your to-do list when creating your itinerary for your upcoming day trips in WNC. Here is our list of popular year-round day-trip destinations in Hendersonville, Asheville, and Brevard for families. This list includes everything from museums for kids to outdoor activities and much more! Plus, it’s just a short drive to all of these destinations from Upstate, South Carolina.
In search of the perfect summer day trip to escape the summer heat? Sierra Nevada Brewery in Asheville is a hot spot to escape the summer heat and perhaps enjoy a cold beverage too. Kristina recently visited this brewery and shares the scoop on why so many locals flock there!
One of the cities with the most breweries per person is Asheville, just an hour from our lovely town of Greenville. So the options are many when it comes to enjoying a cold brew and leisurely hanging out with family and friends at a brewery. I’m here to tell you the Sierra Nevada Brewery, right outside of Asheville, is about to become your new favorite brewery (if it wasn’t already).
Find a place to stay in Asheville, NC. This article contains Stay22 affiliate links.
About Sierra Nevada Brewery
On a gorgeous summer day, after a morning of hiking, a beer was in order. Sierra Nevada has been a favorite brewery of mine for awhile (hello, Kellerweiss and Porter.!) because they not only make excellent beer, but it’s totally affordable as well. I had heard the rumors that the brewery was incredible and I needed to see it for myself.
To say I was floored would be an understatement. This place is stunning. From the pavers in the ample parking lot to the aesthetics of the taproom and brewery to the garden full of sunflowers, tomatoes, and basil, Sierra Nevada Brewery is gorgeous – and fun!
Since we didn’t have a reservation for a tour (more on that in a bit), we headed right for the taproom, a cavernous space of tables with bar stools and high tops. Of course, a bar offering all of the brewery’s signature beers on tap was at the center.
We opted to head outside, where there awaited us were welcoming tables, rocking chairs, adirondack chairs, a large green space, gardens, cornhole games, and an outdoor beer bar.
Yes, please!
Dining at Sierra Nevada
You have a few options when it comes to dining or enjoying a beer at the Sierra Nevada Brewery. First, you can be seated at the dining room for table service. This is where the majority of the food is available. But, its also where on a busy Saturday you will wait awhile for a table.
As you enter the taproom, if you do not want to dine-in, bypass this line and head to the right. You’ll see a sign for the beer line. Here’s my tip- skip this one. Upstairs there is another bar with the same offerings. We found there was no line up there!
You can also purchase your favorite beer or hard kombucha at the Back Porch, which is also another place where you can order some food. The Back Porch offers some snacks like nachos, and a few other items like hot dogs and salads.
Sierra Nevada Brewery is Kid-Friendly
On the way to grab a Southern Summer Saison, I noticed an enclosed playground with sand tables, a sandbox, chalkboard, picnic table, and umbrella stand. This place thought of it all. Even though I wasn’t there with my kids that day, I was already planning to come back with them. There is also a huge green space by the stage, where lots of kids where running and playing.
Sierra Nevada offers a full menu of delectable items inside their tap room dining room and a smaller menu for their outdoor bar. Think huge bar pretzels with mustard, bison hog dogs with pale ale chili, smoked pork tacos, and even a nutella + strawberry jam sandwich for the kids (I actually really wanted to taste this one).
Games + Music at Sierra Nevada Brewery
My family and I grabbed our beers and strolled through the garden, admiring the gorgeous flowers and vegetable garden. We took up a game of cornhole for a while, which was awesome. It’s really fun to play the game while drinking good beer in the garden of Sierra Nevada Brewery.
By the time we were done, the band was about to take the stage so we hung out in the shade and relaxed to the tunes of great music. Before we left for the day, we had to check out the “high gravity” beer section upstairs, which had even more tables and rocking chairs, and indoor cornhole games. It was a work of art and overlooked the entire outdoor area, main stage, and gardens.
What a view. I think I’d go hang out there if I went with my husband.
Sierra Nevada Brewery Tours
So apparently these tours are crazy popular. We weren’t able to get a reservation for when we wanted to go so I have to go back. Obviously.
The 45-minute tour is for persons 12+ years and includes a tour of the brewery and a few samples. This one costs $9 per person.
Other tours are more extensive like the three-hour Beer Geek Tour ($75/pp, ages 21+), Hop Head tour ($35/pp, ages 21+), and the Beyond the Pale Tour ($25/pp, ages 12+)
Sierra Nevada is an ideal destination for a family outing, a day date, or a place to go chill after hiking or a trip near Asheville. As the brewery will remind you, please drink responsibly.
Are you thinking about a trip to Carowinds? There is so much family fun waiting for you at this amusement park near Charlotte, NC, but there’s also a lot to know. We’re telling you here how to save money on tickets and food, plus our tips on rides, visiting with small children, special events, and even what to pack. If you are wondering how much is parking at Carowinds, we know that too! Enjoy a day trip to Carowinds with the family any time of year at the Carolina’s best theme park.
Local mom Bethany Winston reviews the Reedy Creek Park, Nature Center, and Preserves in Charlotte, North Carolina. This free day-trip destination includes a treehouse-themed playground, hiking, and an indoor nature center.
Recently, my family discovered an amazing nature center and preserve about 6 miles northwest of downtown Charlotte: Reedy Creek Nature Center and Preserve located inside the large Reedy Creek Park. This county-owned park was completely free, including parking. While there might not be an admission fee, don’t make the mistake of thinking that means that this nature center is not worth the drive from Greenville.
Find a place to stay near Reedy Creek. This article contains Stay22 affiliate links.
Family-Friendly Things to Do at Reedy Creek Park
Playgrounds
Reedy Creek Park has three playgrounds that we discovered. The first playground was on our left almost immediately after entering the park. It’s a large playground with plenty of slides, ramps, and ladders. The play structures were not particularly high and I think even smaller children would enjoy it as long as they are comfortable climbing short ladders.
There was little shade on this playground and it was hot on the day we visited so my kids chose not to play long, but it was a large, interesting playground and I’m sure would have been a completely different experience if we had visited earlier in the day or during a cooler season of the year.
Adjacent to the playground, we also found basketball courts and picnic shelters. There was also a rather large dog park on our right before we reached the playground.
Just a little bit farther up the road, we found the parking lot for the Reedy Creek Nature Center. This area of the park was wooded (quite a relief due to the heat).
Outside the Reedy Creek Nature Center, we found a second playground that felt like a hidden magical world tucked away in the forest. The playground included natural-themed play structures such as artificial tree stumps and the main focal structure was a treehouse complete with a bridge. My kids played for a good hour on this playground and probably would have been content to spend the day on it.
Later in our day, we drove up to the third playground which was beside a lake. This “playground” only had a couple of swings and a volleyball court, but it was an easy walk down to a beautiful lake with a fishing pier. We saw several families picnicking and fishing in this area.
Reedy Creek Nature Center
The Nature Center was small but it was free and even better air-conditioned. Inside the Nature Center, our children were able to look at animals and small science displays. We also found a quiet area for pretend play where our children could dress up as rangers and play in a pretend campsite.
The room had a couple of rocking chairs for adults too. It was very quiet on the day we visited and we had the spot to ourselves. Our kids had a lot of fun and didn’t want to leave even after a long playtime.
Hiking at Reedy Creek Park
After a long day of fun (we had already spent hours at Discovery Place in downtown Charlotte) our kids were too tired and hot for us to dare attempt sustained hiking, but the map showed several easy hikes on the preserve that we hope to try on another day.
One hike lead to a historic site and was only an hour’s walk. The grounds also had butterfly gardens, bird feeders, streams, vast wooded areas, and lakes. We were able to obtain a free map from the Nature Center so that we could still take a short stroll. The trail system was clearly marked and it was possible to take both short walks along the trails and longer hikes.
Tips for Your Visit
If you visit on a hot day, be sure to pack sunscreen and bug spray. While the preserve does have a lot of shade, there are several open spaces with little shade.
Plan plenty of time if you want to get the full experience. The preserve alone is over 900 acres of woods. Fortunately, the park does have a decent road system and multiple parking lots, so you can drive to the parts of the park in this article if you are short on time or if your children are tired (like us).
Don’t forget your fishing supplies. The park has two fishing lakes. Visitors over 16 must have a fishing license.
The Nature Center has a gift shop for those who would like to purchase souvenirs.
Bikers will find plenty of bike-friendly areas but are limited to the gravel trails and paved roads.
Hummingbird Festival at Reedy Creek Nature Center
Each August, a hummingbird festival is held at the Reedy Creek Nature Center. It includes bird banding, science experiments, bird hikes, art vendors, and storytelling sessions. The events are held throughout the week, and some require pre-registration. The front desk at the Nature Center recommended coming early to see the most hummingbirds.
About the Reedy Creek Nature Center & Preserve
Reedy Creek Park, Nature Center, and Preserve 2900 Rocky River Rd. Charlotte, NC 980.314.1119
Are you wanting to explore the lakes in Greenville, SC? If you have been searching for “lakes near me” and can never figure out the best fit for your day trip, we have you covered! Playing in the lake during the hottest months is a wonderful idea for summer family fun.
This list will give you the low-down on tons of recreational lakes only a short drive away. Whether you want to take the kiddos for a swim, teach them how to fish, pull them along for a thrilling knee-boarding excursion, rent a kayak, or spend the weekend camping lakeside, read on.
We have compiled the best list of recreational lakes in the Upstate for swimming, fishing, boating, or camping. The only thing you’ve got to do is gather your troops and decide which one to try next!
