🧡 Quick Look: Over 20 things to do during Thanksgiving break in Greenville, SC, with your family, including special events, holiday markets, light displays, our recommendations, and more!
Are you looking for things to do during Thanksgiving in Greenville, SC? Local mom Kristina Hernandez shares her list of things to do as a family over Thanksgiving break, including volunteer opportunities, events, and even local hiking spots.
Whether you’re on your own or have family visiting for Thanksgiving, this is the list you need for a great holiday weekend.
That week of Thanksgiving is often very busy for families as they get ready for the big day, do the necessary shopping, and try to stay sane. Then they have the added pressure of finding entertaining things to do with the kids and extended family and friends who may be visiting. We usually have family that come here to Greenville for the holidays so it’s necessary to find things to do that appeal to everyone.
Luckily, there is no shortage of things to do during the break! Make sure to call ahead to places to make sure they are open. Places like the Greenville Zoo are closed on Thanksgiving Day.
Celebrate Thanksgiving in Greenville! Find things to do, restaurants, pies, and more in our Greenville Thanksgiving Guide.
Fun Ways to Spend Your Thanksgiving Break
Volunteer in the Community
I feel like volunteering during Thanksgiving is a good way to physically show children how to be compassionate, caring, and grateful. There are many people in our area who have no one to celebrate the holidays with or who need a little extra help to get that Thanksgiving meal on the table. I want to be the one to make that happen.
We volunteer through our church on Thanksgiving morning to deliver meals to area residents, but there are other opportunities as well:
- Harvest Hope Food Bank regularly accepts donations to provide holiday meals.
Learn more about donating to Harvest Hope.
- Greer Soup Kitchen
Accepts volunteers all week. Call 864-968-0323 to volunteer and for specific times.
- Check out this list for more volunteer opportunities near Greenville, SC
Go See Disney on Ice
This is easily one of my favorite things to do over Thanksgiving Break. Disney on Ice always comes to Greenville, and my daughters and I have the best date night. Disney on Ice runs November 25 and 27–29, 2026 at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Get tickets at the box office to save on all the fees.
Go Hiking
November is a beautiful time to get outside and hike around the area. It’s good for the kids to burn off energy, and it’s fun to show visitors our beautiful state.
On November 27, 2026 (Black Friday), admission and historic tours at ALL South Carolina State Parks are free. Some of the most popular parks are right here in the Upstate, including Paris Mountain, Devils Fork, Table Rock, and Jones Gap.
Here’s just a sample of trails in the Upstate and Western North Carolina to explore: Hiking Guide for Families, Big Kids, & Little Kids. Just be sure to research ahead of time to ensure a trail is appropriate for family members going hiking.
Run a Turkey Day Race
This is a brilliant idea. Run a race the morning of Thanksgiving and eat whatever you want at Thanksgiving dinner! You can choose to run the TreesUpstate Turkey Day 5K in Greenville or the Electric City 5K in Anderson. Both races start on Thanksgiving morning.
Runners can also take to the streets of downtown Spartanburg for the Annual United Community Bank Turkey Day 8K.
Most of these races benefit local charities. Runners and walkers also earn cool swag like race t-shirts, finisher medals, and giveaways. In most cases, strollers are welcome.
Enjoy The Children’s Museum of the Upstate
If you have extended family with kids staying at your place, send them over to The Children’s Museum of the Upstate, a gem in the city offering hours of fun and entertainment for children. They typically have Thanksgiving-themed crafts that week. They are closed on Mondays and on Thanksgiving Day.
Go Hiking With a Llama
Hike with llamas in DuPont State Forest, just an hour from Greenville. This is a total bucket list item that will have you smiling the entire time! Llama hikes are offered Monday, November 23, and Wednesday, November 25, at 9:30 am. They are offering reduced pricing for kids ages 5-12 these dates only. The cost is $50 (normally $75). Reserve now!
Try an Escape Room
Escape Artist Greenville offers a Christmas-themed escape room called “A Magical Winter Adventure.” And it’s for the whole family, which is unusual since most escape rooms are for adults and older kids/teens.
Trapped in the Upstate offers a year-round Christmas-themed escape room called “Saving Santa” at their Greer location. Guests are part of the Elf SEAL team, hired to find Santa before Christmas is ruined. This experience is great for all ages.
Go to a Zoo
The Greenville Zoo is perfect for a trip with family if you want to stay local. And the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia is awesome for a day trip.
Do a Jocassee Lake Tour
Jocassee Lake Tours have cooler-weather lake tours in November. Seeing the lake by boat with one of their guides is always such a treat.
Go Get Your Christmas Tree
Some families get their Christmas tree after Thanksgiving. Searching for a tree and decorating it together is a fun thing for kids to do. Here are several Christmas tree farms and lots in the area that open before or at Thanksgiving.
Go Ice Skating
The ice rink in downtown Greenville is open not only the week of Thanksgiving, but also from 9:30 am – 5:30 pm on Thanksgiving Day. This is a fun way to enjoy family time and also a great way to bring visitors to downtown Greenville and show them the sights! Tickets are $10 on weekdays and $12 Friday–Sunday. The normal hours are Monday–Thursday from 2–9 pm, Friday from 2–10 pm, and Saturday–Sunday from 11 am–10 pm. Tickets for specific dates and time slots are available for advance purchase online. Walk-up tickets will only be available when space allows. Here’s everything you need to know about Greenville’s Ice On Main.
Kick Off the Christmas Season at Christmas on the Farm
Christmas at the Farm is more than just a Christmas tree lot. It is an experience for the whole family full of fun holiday activities, all centered around picking a Christmas tree. Trees are imported from the mountains of North Carolina and are brought to Arran Farm for a two-weekend-only Christmas tree festival. They have a hot chocolate bar, food trucks, crafts, trivia, yard games, a bonfire with s’mores, a photo booth, and much more. Additionally, your favorite local vendors will be selling their amazing festive products, perfect for gift-giving and stocking stuffers. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children.
- November 27 – November 29, 2026: 10 am – 3 pm
- December 5 and 6, 2026: 10 am – 3 pm
Play Inside
It can be chilly that week of Thanksgiving, and there are a ton of things to do indoors: trampoline parks, bounce houses, libraries, museums, arcades, paint-your-own-pottery, roller skating, and ice skating rinks. While many are closed on Thanksgiving Day, they are open the other days of the week (just be sure to call in advance before bundling everyone up and heading out to one of them).
Hop on a Train
The Great Smoky Mountain Railroad in Bryson City, NC, runs its super-popular Polar Express train and the Winter Nantahala Gorge Excursion during the week of Thanksgiving (except Thanksgiving Day). This is a great trip to create wonderful memories with your family. See other Christmas trains you can board for holiday fun.
Enjoy the Festival of Trees
The free Festival of Trees in downtown Greenville at the Courtyard Marriott Downtown and the Hyatt Regency kicks off on Friday, November 20, 2026. You can stroll through the hotels and check out all the different decorated Christmas trees.
Support Small Businesses
Check out the local Holiday Markets and shop local artisans, crafters, food vendors, and more. You can also skip the crowds on Black Friday and head out on Saturday to one of these local businesses that offer unique gifts for your family.
Explore the Greenville Christmas Market
Located at the Grand Bohemian downtown, this Christmas market has a HUGE real tree you can literally smell across Liberty Bridge. There are also lots of local vendors, and Santa will be there to take pictures (bring your camera) over Thanksgiving weekend and Black Friday.
Check Out the Upcountry History Museum
If you have in-laws coming to town, this is a good way to let them explore Greenville’s history. The Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown exhibit will be open November 14, 2026–February 7, 2027.
Shop at a Flea Market
Feel like wandering through eBay or Craigslist in real life? Check out the Barnyard Flea Market in Greer, only open on the weekends. It has everything you could possibly need in one place and is just plain fun to walk through. In Anderson, the Jockey Lot is a huge flea market that’s open Saturdays and Sundays.
Go Through a Safari
The Lake Hartwell Safari in Hartwell, GA is open Thanksgiving week. Admission is $12 for adults (ages 13 and above) and $7 for kids (ages two to 12).
Enjoy Christmas Lights
The Upstate Holiday Light Show, the Christmas House in Inman, the Anderson Christmas Lights, and several others are all open Thanksgiving weekend. Check out our list of Places to See Christmas Lights in the Upstate to schedule your trip. Some of these are free while others require an admission fee.
Spend the weekend driving to see all of the best-decorated homes in the Upstate with our Kidding Around Christmas Driving Routes. We will officially update the list for 2026 right after Thanksgiving.
Check Out Things to Do on The Kidding Around Event Calendar
For more fun things to do the week of Thanksgiving, and every day, head to the Kidding Around Event Calendar!
More Things to Do: Visit Columbia, SC!
Our sister site has a list of things to do over Thanksgiving break in Columbia, SC. Enjoy a change of scenery, and check out what Columbia has to offer this Thanksgiving! They have some new events this year, like Fireflies Holiday Lights that you won’t want to miss!
Even More! Head to Charlotte, NC
Check out some really fun things to do over Thanksgiving Break in Charlotte, NC. We highly recommend ice skating at the Whitewater Center!
We always want to have a family hiking trip with the kids. It’s gonna be fun and a great experience for them. Thanks for other suggestions.
You’re welcome. Where does your family like to hike?