Festivals and Attractions
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 cross-section 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.
S.C. 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 S.C. Festival of Flowers is held each June across Greenwood County and features over 30 events for adults, children, and of course, the avid gardener. During the festival the Park Seed Company opens its famous trial gardens, garden shop and greenhouses to the public. Professional and amateur gardeners alike take advantage of the chance to see and smell more than a thousand varieties of annuals perennials and vegetables. The entire Greenwood area “dresses up” for the occasion and several of the area’s homes and gardens are opened for tours.
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 festival stages other competitions such as a men’s and women’s golf tournament and a junior tennis tournament.
At the local airport, “pilots” fly their model planes while others have the opportunity to experience a ride in a small airplane or helicopter. For the musician, one can hum along or cut the rug at a bluegrass festival, square dance, beach dance, jazz concert and more.
SC Festival of Discovery
Uptown Greenwood
Phone: (864) 942-8448
The SC Festival of Discovery is 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 including Drink Small, Wanda Johnson, the WIYO's, Delta Moon, Bob Margolin, the King Bees, Bryan Lee "The Braille Blues Daddy," MacArnold, and many more. 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.
The S.C. Festival of Discovery was the recipient of the 2008 SCPRT Bundy Award for Tourism and has most recently been selected as a location for the filming of Food Network's Challenge television series in July, 2009.
Catfish Feastival
Ware Shoals
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 
First Weekend of July, annually
Ninety Six, SC
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. To see the schedule of events, click here. For more information, contact the Ninety Six Chamber of Commerce at (864) 543-2047.
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Click 646
Uptown Greenwood
October 16-17, 2009
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Click646 is a photographic collective that will take place Oct. 16 and 17, 2009 at venues throughout Uptown Greenwood. The brainchild of local photographer jon holloway, Click646 gets its name from 29646, one of Greenwood’s zip codes. Jon envisions the event as both a celebration of the photograph and a recognition of the power of the photograph to inspire thought, conversation and action relating to world issues, and will be a weekend of inspiration, imagination and discovery.
“A Connie Maxwell Christmas”
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, December 3, 4, and 5, 2009. 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.
The Fourth Annual Greenwood Music Festival promises to be a celebration of France, from opera to film to chamber music. Our staged production will be André Grétry’s charming operaBeauty and the Beast based on the popular French children’s story, starring Tonna Miller (Metropolitan Opera and the National Tour of The Phantom of the Opera) as “Beauty” and Keith Jameson (Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago), Greenwood native and GMF Founder and Director, as the “Beast”. Lavish costumes and sets, orchestra, and wonderful singers bring this enchanting tale to life. Also, the grand 1938 film Marie Antoinette starring Norma Shearer, Tyrone Power, John Barrymore, and Robert Morley will be shown, co-sponsored with First Friday Film Series at GCT. In addition, pianist Douglas Weeks from Converse College offers a concert at the Arts Center, and soprano Susanna Phillips will present a recital of Grétry, Mozart and others. This rising star in the opera world has been featured in leading roles at the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, The Santa Fe Opera, and Boston Lyric Opera. Plus, Greenwood’s own MLK, Jr. Mass Choir will present a sacred music concert at First Baptist Church of Greenwood. Our Festival Artwork will be by local artist Trina MacNeill-Smith. The 2010 Greenwood Music Festival will be an incredible weekend of music, art, film, and more.
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.
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.
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Cokesbury College
SC Hwy 246
Cokesbury
(864) 374-3237
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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.
The Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Historic Site is the birthplace of one of the nation’s most influential Civil Rights leaders. The completion of the site will be the destination for individuals and groups interested in learning about the life of one of the nation’s most influential Civil Rights leaders and the African American experience in South Carolina. School children, tour groups and individuals, can tour the childhood home of Dr. Mays and understand his monumental rise from a sharecropper’s son to president of Morehouse College.
Park Seed Company, established in the early 1900s, has become a destination for garden enthusiasts from all over the country as home of the Park Seed Garden Center, acres of trial gardens and an entire facility dedicated to a booming catalog and internet seed business. All gardening enthusiasts are invited to visit the Park Garden Center located adjacent to the Park Seed business office on Highway 254 in Greenwood, South Carolina. The Garden Center is open for business from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
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Emerald Farm
409 Emerald Farm Rd.
Greenwood, SC
(864) 223-2247
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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.
Visits are welcome Monday-Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Guided Tours are welcome by appointment. Call (864) 223-2247 to make arrangements.
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@25Drivein.com.