Community News
What’s Happening in our Area.. Greenwood South Carolina News
Activities & Attractions
Sundance 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
SC 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.
SC 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.
Catfish 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.
Ninety 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.
“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.
Hodges 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.
Heritage 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.
SC 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.
Ninety 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.
Cokesbury 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.
Dr. 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.
Emerald 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.
The 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
The 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.
The 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 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
Greenwood 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.
Greenwood Performing Arts
(864) 227-8444
info(at)greenwoodperformingarts(dotted)orgEach 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.
Monsanto 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.