Community News

What’s Happening in our Area.. Greenwood South Carolina News

Activities & Attractions

Screen Shot 2015-08-19 at 3.05.54 PMSundance Gallery

146 Maxwell Avenue, Greenwood

864-227-1188

Home of jon holloway photography, jon’s photographs have been nationally/internationally exhibited

and collected by museums, private and corporate collections. jon has also renovated 2 of the historic

buildings in the Emerald Triangle. Each spring and fall, the Music on Maxwell concert series is held at Sundance Gallery, providing a unique listening room experience.
The upcoming line up:
August 25, 2016  Melodime with Special Guest Clarence Bucaro,
September 15, 2016 Underhill Rose with Trey Ward Band,  
November 10, 2016 The Honeycutters with Cicada Rhythm
December 1, 2016 Star & MIcey

 

Elephant topiarySC Festival of Flowers

Greenwood Area Chamber of Commerce

Held throughout the month of June

Phone: (864) 223-8411

Recognized as one of the Southeast Tourism Society’s Top 20 events and one of the American Bus

Association’s top 100 events, the SC Festival of Flowers is held each June across Greenwood County

and features over 20 events for adults, children, and of course, the avid gardener. The Signature Safari

Topiary display has become the Festival’s premier attraction. Over 40 live topiaries, including safari

animals, college mascots and local industry icons such as the FujiFilm camera, are displayed

throughout beautiful Uptown Greenwood.

The Festival provides much more than just flowers. FujiFilm Manufacturing U.S.A., Inc., holds a

photography competition for beginners and professionals. There is also a fair for crafters and artists

of all types to showcase and sell their creations.

The Aviation Expo is a fly-in for general aviation and R/C airplanes and an air show, allowing the

general public to enjoy all aspects of aviation. The Greenwood Festival Chorale performance along

with the Bluegrass Festival in Uptown Greenwood provides a diverse selection for the music

enthusiast.

 

Festival of DiscoverySC Festival of Discovery

Held the second weekend in July annually

Uptown Greenwood

Phone: (864) 942-8448

The SC Festival of Discovery is an award winning event held each July in Uptown Greenwood,

featuring a “Blues Cruise” that takes revelers to numerous venues in the Uptown area for the uniquely

Southern music. Under the artistic direction of Shrimp City Slim, the “Blues Cruise” features a wide

variety of Blues performers well known across the Southeast. All musical performances are free.

The weekend features food, fun, music, amusement rides and much more. Experience and learn about

the history, traditions, folklore, arts and crafts, music and dance, and vernacular culture of

Greenwood, the South Carolina Upstate area, and the entire state. The Festival of Discovery also hosts

a Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS), sanctioned Carolina Barbecue, and Black Kettle Hash

competition and South Carolina State Championship cook-off, featuring some of the best BBQ teams

in the country.

 

Screen Shot 2015-08-26 at 12.34.25 PMCatfish Feastival

Ware Shoals

Friday and Saturday of Memorial Day weekend

Phone: (864) 456-7664

Ware Shoals plays host to over 20,000 visitors each year to enjoy the large catfish feast during

Memorial Day weekend at the annual Catfish Feastival. The event began in 1981 to harvest more than

a ton of catfish from the shallows during the annual draining of the Riegel Textile Company pool and

dam site. In addition to the catfish feast, the “feastival” also hosts a carnival, booths for arts and

crafts, and the streets are roped off at night for dancing.

 

Screen Shot 2015-08-26 at 12.35.00 PMNinety Six Festival of Stars

Held annually each weekend closest to July 4th

Ninety Six, SC

(864) 543-3396

Begun in 2009 as a Fireworks Extravaganza, the Festival of Stars has quickly grown into much more,

featuring its own beauty pageant, street dance, Star Spangled Community Parade, activities, games,

and the final event, a major Fireworks Display.

 

Screen Shot 2015-08-28 at 11.24.40 AM“A Connie Maxwell Christmas”

First weekend in December annually

Connie Maxwell Children’s Home

Greenwood

Phone: 1 (800) 868-CMCH

Take a moment with family and friends to visit the campus of Connie Maxwell Children’s Home in

Greenwood, SC. The night will be filled with lights of the holiday as each cottage along with other

beautiful buildings will be brightly lit with images of Christmas. Music will also fill the air with a wide

variety of sounds of the season. Children of all ages will have the opportunity to ride in horse drawn

wagons and sip on hot cups of cocoa. Everyone will enjoy a walk through Bethlehem as a guide leads

you back to the nativity of the Christ child. Each evening’s activities begin at 6:00 p.m. and conclude

by 8:30 p.m.

 

Screen Shot 2015-08-28 at 11.27.31 AMHodges Town Festival

2nd Saturday of September

(864) 374-7413

Held each September, the town of Hodges holds its annual celebration and festival with crafters, food,

music, and dancing.

 

 

 

Screen Shot 2015-08-28 at 11.29.00 AMHeritage Trail Pottery Tour and Sale

1st weekend of May

(864) 554-0336

Visit 5 pottery studios (over 20 potters) in Edgefield and Greenwood counties and the Groundhog

kiln opening in Edgefield.

 

 


Screen Shot 2015-08-28 at 11.35.30 AMSC National Heritage Corridor

The South Carolina National Heritage Corridor

PO Box 477

Belton, SC 29627

info(at)scnhc(dotted)com

 

The South Carolina National Heritage Corridor, established by the U.S. Congress in 1996, extends

240 miles across South Carolina, stretching from the mountains of Oconee County, along the

Savannah River, to the port city of Charleston. The 14 counties of the corridor offer a crosssection

of the state’s history, culture, and natural landscapes. The area describes the evolution of

upcountry and lowcountry life, from grand plantations and simple farms to mill villages and urban

centers, and how their history affected South Carolina as a state and America as a nation.

Greenwood, Abbeville, and Edgefield Counties comprise Region 2 of the Heritage Corridor, known as

the Freshwater Coast region. The politics of Freshwater Coast has profoundly influenced the state and

nation, beginning with Ninety-Six, the original courthouse village of the backcountry and strategic

outpost during the Revolution. The fort and battle site are now the Ninety-Six National Historic Site.

Edgefield, home of ten governors, has a rich political heritage from Vice-President John C. Calhoun to

Senator Strom Thurmond. Abbeville, Edgefield, and McCormick are all classic courthouse towns,

serving rich agricultural lands extending out in all directions. Folk art and cultural traditions are

strong within this region, as represented by the Mennonite food and Edgefield pottery. Along the

western edge of this region are lakes Russell and Thurmond — the Freshwater Coast — which provides

a setting for state parks and lakeside resorts. Discovery sites from Greenwood’s region are noted with

the Heritage Corridor logo, and the Discovery Center in Edgefield is open to visitors year round.

 

11Ninety Six National Historic Site

SC Hwy 248

Ninety Six

(864) 543-4068

Just south of Greenwood, the Ninety Six National Historic Site is the location of one of the first land

battles of the Revolutionary War and a national historic park. Under the leadership of Gen. Nathaniel

Greene, Star Fort survived a crucial 28-day siege in 1781, which is reenacted each April. Each October,

a candlelight tour of the park is held showcasing the park and its beautiful autumn foliage.

 

Screen Shot 2015-08-26 at 12.36.06 PMCokesbury College

SC Hwy 246

Cokesbury

(864) 229-0854

Located close to the town of Hodges, The Masonic Female Collegiate Institute, a female school

established by members of a local Masonic lodge, was built in the Cokesbury community in 1854. The

school later became Cokesbury College and has undergone restorations, making it a beautiful site for

weddings and other gatherings throughout the year. This group of antebellum structures is on the

National Register of Historic Places and is open by appointment.

 

Screen Shot 2015-08-26 at 12.36.13 PMDr. Benjamin E. Mays Historic Preservation Site

N. Hospital Street, located at GLEAMNS, Greenwood

(864) 223-8434

The Benjamin E. Mays Historic Site in Greenwood, SC is now open to the public and is THE

destination for individuals and groups to learn about the remarkable life of the legendary President of

Morehouse College. The site, which showcases Dr. Mays birth home and an original one-room

African-American 1800’s school, has been developed to represent an authentic sharecropper’s

homestead circa 1900. It is complete with a cotton field, vegetable garden, outhouse, cedar post

clothesline, old well, and a washpot with accompanying rinsing tubs. A museum adjoining the birth

home showcases an extraordinary collection of photos of Dr. Mays life from the 1920s to the 1980s as

well as a collection of his books and articles. His films and speeches, to include his eulogy to Dr.

Martin Luther King, Jr., can be viewed/heard in the museum’s theater containing a large screen HD

TV and DVD system. The theater seats up to 45 people. In addition to his Presidency of Morehouse

College from 1940-1967, Dr. Mays was a mentor and great influence upon Martin Luther King, Jr. He

was an advisor to Presidents Kennedy, Johnson and Carter. Dr. Mays, born in Greenwood on August

1st, 1894, rose to become a monumental figure in the field of education and civil rights. He has been

referred to as the Founder of the Civil Rights Movement. Please call 864-223-8434 for further

information and notification of your visit.

 

Screen Shot 2015-08-28 at 11.38.54 AMEmerald Farm

409 Emerald Farm Rd.

Greenwood, SC

(864) 223-2247

Located on the edge of the city of Greenwood, South Carolina, Emerald Farm is situated on about 75

acres of beautiful rolling pastures dotted with large sheltering oak trees and surrounded by forest

land. Get hands-on experience at the working dairy farms, or take an educational walk through the

herb garden. Visit their Soap Factory and Gift Shop where all natural Saanen goat milksoap and body

products are made. The Natural Food Store offers healthy snacks, and stroll through the Train and

Hobby Shop, bound to stimulate interests of all ages, especially with the trains running in the Model

Railroad clubhouse.

Guided Tours are welcome by appointment. Call (864) 223-2247 to make arrangements.

 

Screen Shot 2015-08-26 at 12.36.20 PMThe Mighty Auto Theatre

3109 Hwy. 25 South

Greenwood, SC

(864) 942-9871

The 25 Drive In.com is now under new management. The Screen first opened in

March of 1945 and played through the mid 1980’s. The last picture played was “King Kong.”

The screen was dark until the summer of 1999. The Big Screen has been dark since.

Then came Tommy and Carolyn McCutcheon, the new owners/managers of 25 Drive In. They offer

box office hits such as Star Trek and Gran Torino and also offer quality food through their on-site

restaurant, the Club House Grill.

For more information, contact the Auto Theatre at 864-942-9871 or email them at

Auto(at)25Drivein(dotted)com

 

Arts & Culture

Theatre 2The Greenwood Community Theatre

110 Main Street, Greenwood

(864) 229-5704

The newly renovated 300-seat Greenwood Community Theatre offers year-round entertainment

for the entire family. Located in the historic State Theater building, which originally opened to the

public as a movie house in 1934, the Theatre stages top notch shows that compete largely with those

of large regional theater companies.

 

Screen Shot 2015-08-26 at 12.36.30 PMThe Museum

106 Main Street, Greenwood

(864) 229-7093

The Museum on Main Street in Uptown Greenwood, a major area attraction, offers a turn-of-thecentury

main street with peeks into shops and rooms as they appeared in 1900. The Museum also has

a fascinating collection of artifacts of Greenwood’s cultural history, natural history, technology, and

the arts. The museum’s lower level showcases machinery key to the county’s development and buggies

used before the automobile came to town. The upper level houses a collection of artifacts from all

around the world. Twice recognized as the South Carolina Tourist Attraction of the Year in its

category, The Museum hosts a wide variety of exhibits. Open Wednesday – Saturday.

As part of The Museum, the Railroad Historical Center exhibits an old steam locomotive and

other railroad rolling stock dating back to the 18th century. The center is located at 908 South Main

Street and opens during the South Carolina Festival of Flowers as well as seasonally April – October.

Reservations are required for groups of 25 or more. For more information or to make reservations,

please call The Museum at 864-229-7093.

 

Arts CenterArts Center at the Federal Building

120 Main Street, Greenwood

(864) 388-7800

After an 18-month renovation process, Greenwood’s 100 year old Federal Building reopened to the

public as a community arts center in 2006. The center includes classrooms, conference and meeting

rooms, artist studios and office space for the Arts Council of Greenwood County, Self Family

Foundation, the Greenwood Regional Tourism and Visitors Bureau and Uptown Greenwood

Development Corporation. The Countybank Gallery within the Arts Center hosts local and regional art

exhibits throughout the year, and the Mays Reception hall is available as a unique venue for events.

More information about these three cultural organizations can be found at www.emeraldtriangle.us

 

Screen Shot 2015-08-28 at 11.42.08 AMGreenwood Festival Chorale

The Greenwood Festival Chorale s a non-auditioned community chorale. Chorale members are from

Greenwood and surrounding areas who enjoy rehearsing on Tuesday evenings at Greenwood First

Presbyterian Church. The Chorale presents 2-3 concerts per year – during the Christmas season, in

June as a SC Festival of Flowers event, and frequently as part of the FESTIVA arts series of First

Presbyterian Church. December and June concerts are held at Lander University in the Josephine B.

Abney Cultural Auditorium and often feature orchestral accompaniment.

 

Festiva!

Sponsored by First Presbyterian Church, Festiva musical concert series features a variety of both

choral and instrumental performances. Held during the fall, winter, and spring seasons, the concerts

offer visitors and local citizens a great Sunday afternoon activity.

 

Screen Shot 2015-08-28 at 11.49.20 AMGreenwood Performing Arts

(864) 227-8444

info(at)greenwoodperformingarts(dotted)org

Each year, Greenwood Performing Arts brings some of the world’s most talented musicians, dancers,

singers and actors, to the stage in local Greenwood venues. Visiting artists have included the Harlem

Boys Choir, pianist Misha Dichter, soprano Sandi Patty, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, the Moscow

Festival Ballet, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and many others. In addition to its subscription

concert series, Greenwood Outreach Works, affiliated with Greenwood Performing Arts, sponsors

cultural outreach programs as a way to introduce local young people to the diverse world of

performing arts.

 

Screen Shot 2015-08-28 at 11.51.24 AMMonsanto Art Gallery

Lander University Cultural Center

320 Stanley Ave., Greenwood

(864) 388-8810

Lander’s Monsanto Art Gallery receives more than 500 visitors each month to view exhibits of

Southeastern artists. Exhibits change monthly. The Art Gallery is located inside the Lander University

Cultural Center on the university’s campus.

 

Solutia Gallery

Piedmont Technical College, John S. Coleman Administration Building and the James C. Self

Conference Center, Greenwood

(864) 941-8351

The Solutia Gallery, located in the John S. Coleman Administration Building of Piedmont Technical

College, showcases artwork from the colleges seven-county area. Also included is the James C. Self

Collection, housed in the college’s conference center.

 

 

Military Museum at the Greenwood County Veterans Center

106 Main Street North

Greenwood, SC

The Greenwood County Veterans Center Hall of Heroes Military Museum serves as a public display of

United States military memorabilia associated with the experiences of local veterans. Open

Wednesdays from 1:00-5:00 pm, Third weekend of each month (Saturday and Sunday) from 1:00-

5:00 pm.

 

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