Looking for things to do this summer in Spartanburg, SC? The sun is shining and the kids are ready to play. No need to fear! We have compiled all you need to enjoy summer from start to finish.
Looking for summer-only events? We’ve got them! Want to find ways to entertain your kids outdoors or indoors? We’ve got them! Need ideas for day trips or summer vacations? We’ve got them! Want to save money while having fun? We have tons of ideas!
Here’s your guide to summer in Spartanburg! Wear sunscreen! Stay safe! And, have fun!
If you prefer to do your swimming in a natural setting, check out our Guide to Swimming Holes in the Upstate! You’ll find lakes, creeks, and waterfall pools that are great for wading and swimming!
Also, kids bowl free through theKids Bowl Freeprogram at participating bowling alleys. Don’t miss the free fun!
Summer Camps in Spartanburg
Kids can learn about almost any topic in Spartanburg area summer camps. For great free fun, check out the VBS programs offered by local Spartanburg churches.
The Ultimate Upstate Summer Camp Guide – Here’s a huge list of summer camps in Spartanburg. Sort them by topic, age and more to find the perfect camp for your kiddos!
VBS programs– Area churches open their doors for Vacation Bible School Programs to local children for free (or really cheap). We’ll be updating our list of VBS programs soon!
Summer Events
In addition to Memorial Day and 4th of July, there are plenty of exciting events that only happen during the summer. The following are things you can only enjoy while school is out for summer:
Watch free Outdoor Movies in Greer City Park this summer!
Embrace the sunshine by heading outdoors this summer! We are so lucky to live in such a beautiful location that makes exploring outdoors a reality. To help you get started on your outdoor ventures, here are some ideas:
Summer is also a great time to visit new parks! By checking out the following reviews from our team, you will find out which parks offer shade (or splash pads) from the blistering heat and which ones to avoid in the middle of a hot summer day.
Discover all of Spartanburg’s Parks in our Upstate, SC Park Guide. Use the guide to sort parks by location and features to find the perfect place to play!
If you need even more ideas for summer fun, we’ve got you covered! These last ideas are sure to fill up the days and keep you and your kids busy between May and September.
Are you ready for one of the summer’s best annual events? Park Hop, Greenville, SC, and Spartanburg, SC’s scavenger hunt for clues through Upstate parks, is the summer-long scavenger hunt event that’s perfect for your family. The Park Hop is free, you can enjoy the event on your own schedule and your kids can earn fabulous prizes. Plus, you participate by exploring Upstate parks (isn’t that exactly what you already wanted to do this summer?).
Go to The Park Hop website to sign up and get more information about downloading the Park Hop app.
Kidding Around Greenville is an official partner of the 2024 Park Hop. Watch Kidding Around Greenville for an exciting Park Hop series this summer. We are going to hop right along with you and give you the inside track on what you can expect when visiting this year.
Are you looking for VBS near Greenville, SC? There are dozens of Vacation Bible Schools to choose from in Greenville and Spartanburg. Maybe you’re looking for the VBS closest to home, or maybe you’re looking to visit a VBS that fits your vacation schedule! Either way, we’ve got the list of the 2024 VBS Greenville, SC, and Spartanburg, SC programs from June through August. All of these have a link to the church so you can get all of their contact information, directions, and information.
NOTE: This list is currently being updated for 2024.
For accuracy and to ensure that the programs were open to the public, we only listed VBS programs that were publicly listed online or submitted by the coordinator of the event. If you would like your church’s VBS program added or modified, please email bethany@kiddingaroundgreenville.com.
While we try our best to provide accurate information, we always encourage our readers to check original sources before making plans. Inclusion on this list is not an endorsement.
Did you know you can watch free movies outdoors near Greenville, SC? Are you wondering, “Where are all the free outdoor movies near me?” You are in luck because there are several parks and towns that offer free outdoor movies during the warmer months, including Greer, Spartanburg, Travelers Rest, and Downtown Greenville. Here’s your full schedule of free outdoor movies in Upstate, SC as well as what titles will be available.
Remember that these events are subject to weather, so check the Facebook page of the venue close to the movie date. Also, especially for extremely popular choices, you will want to be sure to arrive early.
Many of the local outdoor movie venues have not announced their 2024 schedules yet. We will update this story as events are announced. Bookmark this list and check back soon!
Find more great things to do this summer with our Greenville Summer Guide. You’ll find more FREE things to do, places to cool off, parks to visit, and more!
Do you have a family adventure to Six Flags Over Georgia in Atlanta, GA planned for this summer? We checked it out to create this Six Flags Over Georgia review, and we have all the information you need to have a fun day there with your family. Complimentary tickets were provided for this review.
Six Flags Over Georgia is one of the few theme parks not far from Greenville, SC that provides thrilling rides with heart-pounding excitement mixed with more gentle rides for smaller kids, concessions, events, and shows. Here’s what you need to know when planning a trip there with your family. This review is a compilation of two trips to Six Flags Over Georgia.
Use the map below to find great lodging near Six Flags Over Georgia. Through an affiliate relationship with Stay22, Kidding Around earns when you book through this map.
Watch! The sights & sounds of Six Flags Over Georgia
About Six Flags Over Georgia
The theme park is located a little less than three hours from the Upstate, depending on traffic, in the Atlanta metro area. It’s a massive park with 40+ rides. Hurricane Harbor is the water park inside of Six Flags Over Georgia that opens Memorial Day weekend.
Like other theme parks, Six Flags Over Georgia offers a Flash Pass, a way to get to do more rides without waiting in lines. These are add-ons to your one-day ticket and start at $60.
Getting to Six Flags Over Georgia
The first thing to remember about Six Flags Over Georgia is that it is basically in Atlanta, which means traffic. We suggest getting there a little before the park opens so you have enough time to get on the rides on you want. If you’re doing this as a day trip, you need to allow around 3-3.5 hours to get there.
We followed the directions from the Six Flags site; and they recommend taking 85S to 285W, then 20W, which takes you right to the park. Make use of your GSP though in case of backups and look at alternate routes. And bring your patience.
Parking at Six Flag Over Georgia
Parking was a breeze. There are multiple ticket booths where you can have your parking pass scanned or purchase parking. We recommend purchasing parking beforehand just to save time. They do offer Speedy Parking and Preferred Parking for an extra fee. The lot is large but there is zero shade so be sure to bring one of those reflector things for your car if you don’t want to open an oven when you get back. And pay attention to where you park so you can find your car after a long day of coasters.
Sky Screamer at Six Flags Over Georgia
There are also three tram pick-up locations in the parking lots that will shuttle you to the front entrance. We walked from Lot 1 and were to the entrance before people that we saw waiting for the tram. De[ending on where you park, it’s not a long walk.
Be sure to have your tickets ready to be scanned for easy entrance. It is a thousand times easier to buy tickets beforehand and have them on your phone than it is to wait in the Will Call/Ticket line. We went in the early afternoon and the line took a really long time, almost 30 minutes.
Plan of Attack for Rides at Six Flags Over Georgia
We recommend downloading the Six Flags Over Georgia app because it’s awesome. You can easily pull up locations of rides, shopping, and dining options. You can see how tall you must be to ride the rides and the wait times for each ride. There’s also a really handy map, which had a blue dot so you can see where you are in relation to where you want to be.
If you have more than a few people in your family, look at the app before you go or the Six Flags website to figure out what rides you want to ride on and height requirements and make a list of the ones you really want to do and go to those first. We found that the longer we were at Six Flags, the longer the wait times were. There are also screens around the park to check the wait times.
Great American Scream Machine
Also, look at a map beforehand because you’ll need it when you try to figure out which rides to go on and where they are in relation to the other rides you don’t want to miss. Also, check out the app to see if any rides are closed.
The Food at Six Flags Over Georgia
Six Flags offers different Dining Passes that you can add onto your tickets, which I honestly love. I think these are just good options when it comes to planning out your day if its in your budget. The 2024 Dining Pass options are: One Meal/One Snack/One Beverage is $20.99/person and the Unlimited All Day Dining Deal where you get one meal of your choice every 90 minutes and get an All Day Drink Bottle is $44.99/person.
They also offer a one day drink bottle with unlimited refills for $19.99/each. If you want to do this option, go right when the park opens or you get there otherwise you could end up waiting in long lines or wandering around for a long time trying to find someplace that isn’t sold out of them. Honestly, this is the clincher because Georgia summers are dreadfully hot and we saw no water fountains. I even brought refillable water bottles in my tiny bag for that purpose but didn’t see anywhere were I could fill them. That refillable day bottle is worth it.
There are a lot of different options for dining like taverns, cheesesteaks, burgers, BBQ, a even a diner. Try to go on off times, like not right at Noon or 1pm for lunch because lines are long. And look at the festivals they offer every year where you can try different food, like Brews & Bites every weekend April 20-May 19, 2024.
Also, try to plan your food adventures around your most thrilling rides. For example, maybe do the more heart-pounding in the morning before you go eat a chili cheese dog for lunch. Just a thought.
If you want to bring a lunch to eat in your car to save money, you can definitely do that. Be sure to get a re-entry wristband on your way out so you can get back in.
Rides at Six Flags Over Georgia
I have one more adventurous daughter and another more timid one when it comes to roller coasters, which certainly made the day challenging. We ended up riding a fun, smaller roller coaster, the Dahlonega Mine Train. It’s a good intro into the faster rides and is perfect for younger kids who are not quite ready to try the big ones, and has a height requirement of 42 inches.
We also rode the country cars, which I let my youngest drive. Of course, driving any car for kids is going to be fun. There are so many fantastic roller coasters that I wanted to really get in on the scream fest but will have to wait for another time!
Six Flags Over Georgia car ride
I’m a complete adrenaline junkie when it comes to roller coasters and have not met a roller coaster I didn’t love. The ones I really wanted to try were: Goliath, Superman, Georgia Scorcher, Batman, and Twisted Cyclone. Most of these had long, long waits – around 60 minutes at minimum – by the afternoon on a Saturday. This is why you need to plan what you want to really want to ride on and go there first unless you can swing a Flash Pass.
There are lots of great kid-focused rides like smaller Ferris Wheel-types, swings, and a beautiful carousel. Monster Mansion is a great one because the dark boat ride is a nice break out of the heat.
Water Park at Six Flags Over Georgia
At Hurricane Harbor, the water park found inside Six Flags Over Georgia, we rented a large locker. There are small, large, and jumbo, with the bigger the locker, the higher the cost. Then we headed for the wave pool to cool off. There are plenty of life jackets for kids that may need them and they have multiple sizes. My son had a great time in the wave pool, but the large Paradise Island structure was calling his name, and we went there to watch him play.
Now, anyone that has lived around this area for a while knows that the weather is very unpredictable in the early evening hours. And while the entire day had been virtually cloudless to this point, all of a sudden a thunderstorm came through. The water park was immediately shut down, so we changed back into our regular clothes.
Unfortunately, in the time, we were changing a severe storm warning was issued, and all of the rides in the park were turned off. We quickly left the water park area and stopped in a t-shirt shop for about 15 minutes. When the weather broke, we took off again, and got ice cream while the rain started again.
Ultimately it was getting rather on into the evening, with no indication that rides would start up again anytime soon. From the time they shut down the water park at 5 pm, and we got back to our car at 6:30 pm, no rides were running. It was a nice cool down, though.
Six Flags Over Georgia’s rain policy according to their website is: “There are still a ton of activities that are amazingly fun in any kind of weather––including indoor shows, restaurants, shops, games, and arcades. If rain, wind, or electrical storms force us to close certain rides for your safety, they will re-open as soon as safe operations can be assured. Refunds or rain checks for inclement weather are not offered.”
So, our day was cut somewhat short. We had a great time prior to the storm, and my son said he really liked Six Flags a lot. I think we will probably wait until he’s a bit older to go again, however, as the biggest attractions at Six Flags Over Georgia are the roller coasters. There are a lot of them.
Parent Tips: Six Flags Over Georgia
While we mentioned many tips in this story, here are a few others:
Bring/ear sun protection. It’s hot and you’ll get sunburned if you don’t have sunscreen or rain protection.
Download the Six Flags Over Georgia app for helpful info on rides, wait times, and a map.
The park is huge so plan which rides you want to go on and do them first. If you can afford it, get a FLASH Pass so you can enjoy even more rides.
Get the refillable water bottle. Dehydration is not fun.
While the park does have a lot of kid and family-focused rides, I think it’s best for kids closer to age 10 and up who love adventure and roller coasters. For most of more moderately intense rides, kids need to be at 48 inches for the medium coasters and 54 inches for the bigger ones.
Go early! Plan to spend the day there if it’s a day trip and leave the Upstate early.
If your kid wants to see some Looney Tunes characters, be sure to check the schedule of appearances when you get there.
Get tickets ahead of time online. You’ll save both time and money.
Look at the dress code before you go, especially for the waterpark: “All guests must wear proper attire, such as bathing suits or board shorts. Thongs, G-strings, or transparent swimwear are not permitted.”
You can bring bags and small backpacks into the park but not on the rides. You can either get a locker for a fee or leave them on the platform.
Visit Six Flags Over Georgia
Tickets start at $42 online (or $79.99 at the gate) and change depending on the date you want to go. It’s absolutely better to get the tickets online versus when you go. You can purchase a refillable water bottle, FLASH passes, and parking ($35+) online as well when you purchase your ticket.
Season passes start at $49/person. If you go more than once, a season pass is certainly a good deal, especially if you purchase the Platinum Level ($95/person), which includes parking.
Are you looking for a place to ride bikes as a family in Greenville, SC? Maybe you’re looking for scenic bike trails? We’ve got some great places to ride near Greenville!
Greenville, SC has quickly grown into a bicyclist haven since the creation of the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail. With that, more natural and paved biking trails have emerged. Below, you will find a list of some of the best bike trails Greenville and the surrounding area have to offer. Don’t have your own bike? Don’t worry! You will also find places to rent bikes if you don’t have your own.
Biking can involve the whole family – whether the kids are old enough to ride on their own or ride in a trailer or on a bike seat. Here’s our list of family-friendly bike trails in and near Greenville, SC.
Are you looking for local produce? Greenville, SC and the Upstate have lots of options for the freshest produce around. Whether you are searching for Greenville farmer’s markets, roadside stands, or CSA farms, we’ve got you covered.
It’s that time of year again when our mouths start to water for watermelon and fresh berries and when our dinner table can easily be filled with fresh, local vegetables. We are very fortunate to live in the Upstate where there are so many options for fresh, local produce near Greenville, SC. The definition of local isn’t a concrete one. But most experts say that to be considered local, the item has to be harvested or made within 100 miles. The benefits of eating local produce are many including better flavor, nutrients, and supporting the local farmers.
Are you looking for places to go fishing in Greenville, SC and around the Upstate? Fishing is a super fun activity to do with the kids, and we have a list of great fishing spots for families. So, grab your fishing pole, tackle, and line because we are sharing a list of great places for fishing in Greenville, SC, and the Upstate.
There is something quite magical about the moment when a small child wrestles a tiny fishing rod with a wriggling bream at the end. Their smile can be seen from outer space. No matter if the poor tiny thing will be tossed back or become dinner, everyone remembers their first fish. Read on for some great fishing lakes under an hour’s drive from Greenville where you can take your kids for their next worm-and-hook adventure.
Are you planning to celebrate the berry season with one of the many berry festivals near Greenville, SC? South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia have several berry festivals is spring and summer worth a visit to. What better item to celebrate with a festival than juicy, sweet berries?
Strawberries, Blueberries, and Blackberries are celebrated nationwide; luckily, we have a handful of festivals that are accessible to the Upstate! If you’re a huge fan of these vitamin-packed gems, you can plan your summer vacation to include part of a festival a little further from home!
Are you searching for daytrips from Spartanburg, SC where you can have a fun time exploring somewhere new? You can drive to all these locations in 8 hours or less saving the price of airline tickets. Keep reading to find out which places are less than a day’s drive from Spartanburg.
