20+ Things To Do in Greenville in Spring

St Patrick’s Day Parade & Celebration

March 14, 2020: 11am-8pm

This is Greenville’s St. Paddy’s Day party. It starts off with a parade and then ends with a celebration complete with music, food, dancing, and, of course, green beer. The main party happens in Noma Square and they block off the whole block.

Downtown Alive & Main Street Fridays

Downtown Alive: Thursday, Mid-March-August: 5:30pm-8:30pm
Main Street Fridays: Fridays, Mid-March-September: 5:30pm-9:30pm

These two staples of Downtown Greenville kick off in March (19th & 20th). Expect live music, food vendors, and drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic). And remember that even though it’s free to attend these events, you’ll need money to purchase any beverages and munchies.

The parties are centered around Noma Square on the northern end of downtown.

SC Comicon

March 28-29

Want to get your geek on? Then head to Greenville’s Comicon at the TD Convention Center. You’ll find some amazing artists, cartoonists, writers, celebrity guests, collectibles, and cosplayers.

And after Day 1, head to Brewery 85 for the annual SC Comicon Drink and Draw (March 28th; 6:30 PM – 11:30 PM). Donated pieces are put up for purchase to raise money for charity.

Renaissance Faire

April 3, 2020: 5 PM – 11 pm
April 4, 2020: 10am – 6pm

This festival used to be hosted during the fall, but you can now attend The Enchanted Chalice Renaissance Faire in the spring! This is a smaller fair but you can still find tons of vendors and watch some awesome entertainers. In fact if you go on Friday night, you’ll be able to catch their fire performance!

Spring Flea at Swamp Rabbit Cafe

April 6, 2020: 11am – 3pm
April 13, 2020: 11am – 3pm

Each spring and fall, Swamp Rabbit Cafe & Grocery hosts a small arts & crafts fair in their back lot. Tons of artisans from around the region come to the flea market. Peruse among painters, jewelry makers, florists, sculptors, designers, craft dog biscuit makers, and more! And then afterward, kickback with a some craft pizza or a pint in their outdoor patio.

Albino Skunk Festival

April 16-18, 2020

With a description like “the best music festival in South Carolina” you know right off the bat what you’ll find here. This tri-annual event features some of the best Americana, Folk, Roots, and Bluegrass artists, plus a whole lot more. And you can camp there for just $35. Ticket prices are a lot more (~$50-~$150), but I love that you can stay there all weekend for a very low price.

Artisphere

Friday, May 8, 2020: 12pm-8pm
Saturday, May 9, 2020: 10am-8pm
Sunday, May 10, 2020: 11am-6pm

This is Greenville’s best art festival all year. And it’s one of my favorite events. Artists from around the region come to showcase their work. And while you can buy, it’s perfectly ok to just look and admire. I’m always drawn to the photographers, painters, and sketch artists. And they’re usually open to any conversations you may want to have.

Toasty Farmer

Saturdays in March: 11am-2pm

Through the winter and March, Brewery 85 hosts a winter farmer’s market featuring up to 50 vendors bringing in everything from artisan cheeses to baked goods to jewelry. And of course there’s the beer at Brewery 85 to enjoy as well. (Food trucks in attendance as well!)

Watch a Movie in the Park

Wednesdays in May 2020

Every Wednesday evening in May the city hosts a free movie right in Falls Park. They bring out a huge screen and then start the movie once it gets dark out. The range of movies also varies quite a bit from more modern-ish flicks to classics. You’ll want to bring your own chairs and it’s BYOB (if you buy a $1 wristband).

Catch a Comedy Show

Okay so the spring isn’t all about the outdoor lifestyle. Sometimes it’s rainy. And one of the best things to do in town when it’s pouring outside is to hit up a comedy show. Luckily we have several places around town to get your fix.

• Coffee Underground has improv shows on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings
• The Comedy Zone also has acts almost every weekend night as well.
• Cafe and Then Some is a comedy + dinner theatre and though I’ve never been, people I’ve talked to have loved it.
• Adam Sandler’s 100% Fresher Tour – Buy your tickets early for this show at Bon Secours on March 17th

Tacos ‘n Tequila Fiesta

​April 5, 2020: 4PM -7 PM

If you love tacos (who doesn’t??), especially creative ones and you have a hankering for some craft cocktails, do I have the festival for you! Hosted in the beautiful Old Cigar Warehouse, this event always sells out early. Book asap for one of the best food + drink festivals all year.

Greenville Craft Beer Week

April 23 – May 3, 2020

Just one event not enough for you you beer lovin’ fiend? Well how about a whole week of events? If you’re not aware, the craft beer scene in the Upstate has exploded over the past 10 years and now there are so many things that make the beer brewed here great. And this week will help showcase that. There are food pairings, releases, dinners, and competitions spread throughout the week.

VIBE

May 9, 2020: 2pm-5pm

Or the Very Independent Beer Event brought to you by Community Tap. Before you scroll on, realize that this isn’t your normal beer festival. With limited tickets, this is an exclusive event. It’ll feature world class, rare pours that are paired with some chef-inspired nibbles.

If rare craft beer is your thing, then this festival might just be yours.

Greek Festival

May 14-17, 2020

One thing I love about Greenville is how diverse the town is. We have a Greek community and once a year in the spring, they put on one of the best festivals in town. There’s food and dancing and music, but I go for the food. All the food. (The pastry room inside is where it’s at!)

And many people I know around town will go through their “drive-thru” during the festival. It’s that good.

Brew in the Zoo

May 29, 2020: 6:30pm-9pm

I love our local zoo. And twice a year they put on two adult events. This one is for the beer lovers. Tickets are around ~$50 and they usually sell out early. But trust me, strolling the zoo after hours (when the animals are more active), drinking great craft beer, and listening to some music is pretty wonderful.

Scout Out Some Barbeque

Sometimes it’s food that reminds me of warmer weather. And as it gets hotter, I start to crave some barbecue. And though I can make it myself…I love going to get some barbecue because damn smoking a brisket takes HOURS!

• Smokin’ Pig
• Mike & Jeffs BBQ
• Moe’s Original Bar B Que (a chain but still oh so good)
• Monkey Wrench Smokehouse

And if you want more options, download the Trail Map for lots more options.

St. Paddy’s Day Dash & Bash

March 14, 2020: 8am

Want even more St. Patrick’s Day fun? This 5K run/walk based around Fluor Field would be a great kickoff to your Saturday morning. Besides the 5K itself, there will be a post-race party complete with food, drinks, a silent auction, and a kid’s run and fun zone.

Mutt Strut

April 25, 2020: 8:30am – 11am

Want to stroll down Main Street with your best friend while benefiting the Greenville Humane Society? Welcome to the Mutt Strut, a 2-mile walk/run through downtown with your dog! Afterward, you can find live music, free pizza, and more at the Mutt Market festival. Make sure to grab your tickets early because you can’t register the day of!

Zoom Through the Zoo 5K

May 9, 2020

Ready for another 5K? This race include a loop through the Greenville Zoo. So if you’ve ever wanted to run by a giraffe (and pretend you’re sprinting through the grasslands of Africa), then this is the face for you. Just be aware that the zoo is on a pretty big hill. Prepare yourself!

Bike the Swamp Rabbit Trail

This is one of the things to do in Greenville. And if you haven’t hit it on 2 wheels, you’re missing out. Don’t know what the Swamp Rabbit Trail is? It’s basically a 22 mile, multi-use trail (think rails to trails) that connects Greenville to Travelers Rest.

Every day of the week you can find people out and about on it walking, running, biking, out with their dog, etc. It’s one of my favorite things to do. And there’s amazing restaurants, shops, and breweries right off the trail that make it a great way to spend your day.

Live to the west of Greenville? Then check out the Doodle Trail!

Bendy Birds Yoga

Want to do some yoga in a brewery? And not just any brewery…but one of my favorite breweries? Yep that’s right. Birds Fly South hosts a 1 hour long yoga session every Saturday at noon.

Just $10 covers the class AND a beer.

Mouse Scavenger Hunt

Okay this might seem like something just for the kiddies…and maybe it is. But I’ve seen groups of adults combine beer crawls with this. So what is it? Basically 9 little statues of mice are hidden around Greenville. And with just clues, you’ll have to find them all. Lots of fun for kids and adults (maybe also adults a few drinks in).

Pick Some Strawberries

Spring = the growing season for me. It’s when I want to go to the farmer’s market, plant some herbs, and eat all the fresh produce I’ve been dreaming of all winter.

So if you are a strawberry fiend (like me), you can pick your own strawberries at a couple of places from mid-April through June.

• Sandy Flat Berry Patch
• Beechwood Farms

White Water Rafting

There are quite a few places around the upstate and in nearby North Carolina to go white water rafting. And the spring (as the winter waters are released) is one of the best times to head out. I’ve been out rafting on the Chattooga River with Natahala Outdoor Center. They offer several trips on different rivers and have some runs with rapids up to class IV/V.

NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Regional

March 27 – 29, 2020

In recent years, our Bon Secours Wellness Arena has hosted a few of the NCAA March Madness basketball games. This year you can watch the College Division 1 Women’s regionals right downtown. And if you want more basketball, the SEC Women’s Championship is hosted there in early March (March 4-8).

Reedy River Duck Derby

May 2, 2020: 10am-4pm
Race Time: 2:30pm

Want to see 10,000 rubber duckies race through Falls Park and down the waterfall? Yea, I thought you would. The Reedy River Duck Derby is an all-day event centered around the race. All proceeds go to helping local charities. Adopting a duck is only $10 and allows you to have stake in the race.

Greenville Scottish Games

Saturday, May 23, 2019
Events: 8:30am-4pm; Award Ceremony: 5pm; Happy Hour: 5:30pm!

Need a Memorial Day Weekend activity? Then head on over to Furman for the Scottish Games. There will be loads of events and competitions (think men hurling huge things), food, drinks, music and more. And if parades are your thing, you can catch their Scottish parade the night before (Friday night) in downtown Greenville!

Chimney Rock Day Trip

I sometimes forget how many amazing things are within driving distance of Greenville. Chimney Rock State Park is one of these beauties. Located just about 1 hour and 15 minutes north of us in North Carolina, this is definitely worth the drive.

The main draw of course is the view. But you’ll need to work for it! The climb up to the rock is intense (so…many…stairs) and though there is an elevator, it was out of order when we went. But that view is worth it!

Visit the Smoky Mountains

Did you know that the Great Smoky Mountains, the most visited national park in America, is reachable in just 2-3 hours from Greenville? Okay so this may not be a day trip, but weekend getaway anyone?

There’s lots of different campgrounds around the park that could bring the cost of a weekend trip way down. (Remember that the park is huge so make sure to look up the location of the campground first before you go.)

And with lots of different hikes, viewpoints, and auto-tours, there’s no reason not to take advantage of this national park. Plus going in the spring will help you avoid the summer (high) season and lots of crowds.

Don’t know where to start? Here’s one of my favorite hikes and drives!

Did I miss a great thing to do in Greenville in Spring thing? Let me know!