Big Events and Festivals in Greenville, SC

Greenville’s festivals and events attract vast numbers of people all year round. Whether you’re a local or just visiting, you’ll find the city streets, parks, and entertainment venues often packed with revelers enjoying a variety of parades and celebrations. These events serve an important purpose—they mark history and sense of pride, plus they showcase talent, creativity and culture, delicious foods and beverages, and more.

Restaurant Week – Restaurant Week celebration gives food lovers the opportunity to enjoy amazing values at almost 50 restaurants in Greenville alone. From trendy newcomers to some of the best fine-dining restaurants in the city, the 11-day gastronomic event draws food lovers to try out and enjoy different culinary experiences for a cheaper price. No tickets are required, but reservations are recommended as restaurants tend to fill up quickly. Restaurant Week’s goal is to position South Carolina as one of the top culinary destinations in the nation by increasing awareness of the many dining opportunities available in the state. You can also enjoy other participating restaurants in other key cities in South Carolina including Charleston, Hilton Head, and Myrtle Beach.

Greenville Half Marathon and 5K – The fastest half marathon in the South. It is a great pre-spring Half Marathon starting in Travelers Rest, SC and finishing downtown Greenville, SC. It features a net elevation loss course and cash prizes. There’s also a 5k that weaves in and around downtown Greenville.

Upstate Heart Ball – A premier annual gala event in the Upstate region. The Heart Ball is an elegant, black-tie celebration of the life-saving work of the American Heart Association. The event brings together more than 950 of the region’s most prominent medical, corporate, and community leaders. The Upstate community has contributed over $7 million through the local heart ball campaign to support the mission of the American Heart Association.

St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Festival – This event draws thousands to downtown Greenville each year to celebrate the holiday. Spectators of the parade enjoy the full Irish treatment: bagpipes, horse-drawn carriages, and floats.

Piedmont Natural Gas Downtown Alive & Greenville Heritage Main Street Fridays (March – September) – Love live music? There’s nothing better to cap off a busy work week than listening to music outdoors. This weekly music series on Main Street at NOMA Square opens every Thursdays and Fridays from March to September.

Greer Goes Global: An International Festival – Enjoy the sights, sounds, and tastes of multiple cultures at Greer City Park. The festival will feature international country tents, entertainment, sports, crafts, food, native performances, kid’s activities, and much more.

Artisphere – Artisphere is a Greenville festival featuring hundreds of artists who show up to sell various pieces of arts and to interact with local communities. It is also the time when various art schools showcase their talents, and they have a platform for young artists to start getting exposure for their works. As usual, the festival will not be short of local food, beer, and other activities to keep visitors engaged.

Fair at Heritage Park – Happening every May in Simpsonville, the Fair at Heritage Park features carnival staples, local delicacies and a number of shows from different performers. It’s a fun-filled fair great for families. The event lasts for several days, each day features a daily special deal for fairgoers to cash in on more fun.

TD Saturday Market – Every year, on Saturday mornings from the beginning of May until the end of October, two blocks of downtown Greenville’s Main Street are transformed into a bustling farmers’ market. Each week thousands of people flock to the TD Saturday Market for locally-sourced products (all food must be grown or produced within 100 miles of Greenville and crafters are highly-encouraged to use locally-sourced supplies). Most come for the fresh produce or the handcrafted pastas and cheeses, some make it a summertime ritual-a place to meet friends over a decadent breakfast pastry or a place for the little ones to jig and jive to local musicians in the warm summer air and others come for the opportunity to take in a local chef’s cooking demonstration.

The Greek Festival – The festival hosts three days worth of music, food, rides, and authentic Greek vendors that sell clothes, jewelry, and other fun goods.  The festival is sponsored by the Greek Orthodox Church in downtown Greenville to celebrate Greek culture.

Fidelity Investments Moonlight Movies – Featured every Wednesday in the Summer of May and September, this free outdoor movie showings can be enjoyed in downtown Greenville’s Falls Park. Fidelity Moonlight Movies show some of your favorite classic movies on the big screen. Moviegoers can bring their own lawn chair and get comfortable. Picnics are also welcome. There are food trucks on the scene and people can drink alcohol as long as they purchase the $1 wristband.

The Upstate Shakespeare Festival – An annual summer series where the Warehouse Theatre performs Shakespeare and other classic plays in Falls Park

BMW Charity Pro-Am – The BMW Charity Pro-Am is the only golf tournament on the Korn Ferry Tour where amateurs and celebrities are grouped with Korn Ferry professionals in a three-day better-ball competition held at the Thornblade Club (host course) in Greer and The Cliffs in Travelers Rest.

Greenville Chautauqua Festival – Chautauqua keeps the history alive with its ten-day – two-weekend festival of non-stop live history and fun for the whole family. Live shows and other events performed by nationally acclaimed historical interpreters. From Thomas Edison to Amelia Earhart, these living history performances provide a passport through time for student and adult audiences. And it’s all FREE.  A different show outdoors each night and more indoors during the day.

Wells Fargo Red, White, and Blue Festival – One of the anticipated Independence Day celebrations in the Upstate, Greenville’s Wells Fargo Red, White & Blue Festival lights up the night sky with incredible firework displays. Apart from the main event, spectators also enjoy live music, fun-filled activities, and a variety of popular food and beverage vendors. The event takes place in downtown Greenville.

Greenville Country Music Fest – Greenville’s first country music festival. This music festival was first inaugurated in August 2019 with great performances from the hottest names in the country music industry both locally and nationally.

Indie Craft Parade – is a festival of handmade art held each September. This event has over 100 participating artists, highlighting their crafts, and encouraging the rise of small, local brands.

Fidelity Investments Moonlight Movies – Free outdoor movie showings every Wednesday in the Summer of May and September in downtown Greenville’s Falls Park.

Euphoria – The perfect excursion for any food, wine, or music lover. All weekend long, food lovers from all over the state can mingle with chefs and indulge in artisanal food, wine, and spirits from vendors at euphoria as it put a spotlight on Greenville’s thriving culinary and music arts communities. It is an annual four-day culinary mid-September event held in the Wyche Pavilion at Larkin’s on the River, Art in the Park, and the Peace Center for the Performing Arts. The four-day event involves a lot of eating, drinking, walking, dancing, talking, and learning. There are demos and classes covering everything from baking, barbecues, wine seminars, oysters, and cocktails. Vendors on hand discussed methods of preparation, training, and tastings.

Reedy River Run – Greenville’s iconic 10-Kilometer (6.21 miles) run. The annual run is held to promote physical fitness and to continue to provide an exciting event to the community of runners in Greenville.

Albino Skunk Music Festival – is a unique music festival held twice annually in Greer. One in spring time (May) and in summer (October). The festival provides a ‘family reunion’ atmosphere where you can enjoy live music like bluegrass, americana, folk and rock music.

Euro Auto Festival – This festival has been around for more than two decades now, and is considered to be one of the most important auto festivals on the East Coast. The exhibit features more than 400 European cars from the entire country and is must place to see for car enthusiasts.

Oktoberfest – There’s lots of reasons to love Oktoberfest in Greenville, the steins of beer, the pretzels, and live music. The four-day street fair celebrating Oktoberfest will bring the festive atmosphere over from Munich to downtown Greenville’s NOMA Square every October.

Fall For Greenville – Greenville’s biggest festival happening every fall. Get ready for free concerts set on different stages, lots of participating restaurants featuring great food items, interactive mobile tours, culinary demonstrations, and competitions. This is a family-friendly event so kids will have a blast with lots of kid activities. Entry is free to the public throughout the weekend. Taste tickets will be available for purchase all weekend at multiple locations throughout the festival.

Greenville Craft Beer Festival – Greenville has become a haven for microbreweries and taprooms that serve up craft beer from around the Upstate. The largest beer event happens every November featuring 40+ craft breweries & lots of handcrafted beers available for sampling, food, live music and more!

Greenville Open Studios – Established in 2002, it is the largest annual art event in Greenville County happening every in November. The art event showcases over 145 emerging and established artists in their studios. Studio locations vary throughout a 15-mile radius of downtown Greenville including Easley, Greer, Travelers Rest, and Simpsonville. The event connects the general public with artists for engaging dialog and a glimpse into the life of the working artist. Greenville Open Studios simultaneously helps artists market their work, gain new admirers, and ultimately sustain a living making art. The Greenville Open Studios event is FREE for visitors.

Greenville Poinsettia Christmas Parade – The parade signals the start of the Christmas season in Greenville. Each year the parade attracts thousands of visitors downtown to view the marching bands, community-group floats, and traditional holiday guests like Santa, Rudolf, and Frosty. It is a staple festival in Greenville for over 75 years.

Ice on Main – The only one of its kind in the Upstate, enjoy ice skating from late November through mid January. Ice on Main is located on Village Green, in front of the Courtyard Marriott in downtown Greenville.

Ice skating in downtown Greenville