Events
Family Outings: FREE Downtown Greenville Activities (Weekly)
We live in an area with a beautiful downtown and plenty of fun free family activities. Below are some weekly free family activities you can enjoy.
Free Wednesday Night Activity
Last week I introduced the Moonlight Movie series they are doing downtown Greenville throughout the month of May. If you are looking for a fun family activity tonight and you live near Greenville, SC? The “Moonlight Movies” Series is at The Peace Center Amphitheater on Wednesday nights sponsored by Fidelity Investments!
Event Details:- When – 8:00 PM (at sundown) on Wednesday, May 11, 2011
- Where – The Peace Center Amphitheater & Wyche Pavilion (300 North Main St., Greenville, SC 29601)
- What’s Showing – “Batman”
- Cost – FREE
- Who – All Ages / Family Friendly Activity (movies will be rated G or PG or family friendly Not Rated)
- Food / Drink – Bring Your Own Beverage and Food or you can buy a wristband
- What to Bring – Your Family, Lawn Chairs, Blanket, Picnic, Drinks, and Snacks
- For More Information – Greenville Moonlight Movies / Phone: 864-467-5741
If you cannot make it out to the movie tonight there will be more “Moonlight Movies” events coming!
Future “Moonlight Movies”:
- Wednesday, May 18, 2011 at 8:00 PM – “Winchester”
- Wednesday, May 25, 2011 at 8:00 PM – Viewer’s Choice
Even if you do not live in the Greenville area I encourage you to check out events in your local city. Many towns offer free events that your family can enjoy.
Free Wednesday Night Activity
Bring your family and a picnic while listening to music on the Reedy River on Wednesday nights starting June 1st through August 31, 2011.
Event Details:- When – 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM starting Wednesday, June 1st to August 31st
- Where – The Peace Center Amphitheater (300 North Main St., Greenville, SC 29601)
- What Type of Music – A Variety (Jazz, Country, Patriotic, Rock & Roll, Blues, Reggae)
- Cost – FREE
- Who – All Ages / Family Friendly Activity
- Food / Drink – Bring Your Own Beverage and Food
- What to Bring – Your Family, Lawn Chairs, Blanket, Picnic, Drinks, and Snacks
- For More Information – about the event or the musicians go to Reedy River Concerts / Phone: 864-467-5741
Free Thursday Night Activity
On Thursday nights starting in March through August Greenville has Downtown Alive featuring live music.Event Details:- When – starting Thursday, March 17 to August 25
- Where – Downtown Main Street
- What Type of Music – A Variety (Rock & Roll, Blues, Funk and Cover Bands) Local, Regional and National Bands
- Cost – FREE
- Who – All Ages / Family Friendly Activity
- Food / Drink – Bring Your Own Beverage and Food or Buy a Wrist Band
- What to Bring – Your Family, Lawn Chairs, Blanket, Picnic, Drinks, and Snacks
- For More Information – about the event or the musicians go to Downtown Alive / Phone: 864-467-5741
Free Friday Night Activity
Bring your family to Downtown Greenville for Main Street Fridays featuring music, children’s activities and other special activities throughout the season. Main Street Fridays start in March and goes through September. Enjoy a meal at one of Greenville’s downtown restaurants, take a walk and enjoy the entertainment.
Event Details:- When – 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM starting Friday, March 18 to September 30, 2011
- Where – Downtown Main Street
- What Type of Music – A Variety (Jazz, Blues, Oldies, and Soul)
- Cost – FREE
- Who – All Ages / Family Friendly Activity
- Food / Drink – Bring Your Own Beverage and Food or Buy a Wrist Band
- What to Bring – Your Family
- For More Information – about the event or the musicians go to Main Street Fridays / Phone: 864-467-5741
Free Week Day & Weekend Activity
Shakespeare in the Park
Upstate Shakespeare Festival Events
Bring your family and a picnic to Shakespeare in the Park at The Carolina First Amphitheater starting in May. The plays are presented by Warehouse Theatre and Greenville City Parks & Recreation.
May through August
The Carolina First Amphitheater in Falls Park
The Upstate Shakespeare Festival (USF) celebrates its eleventh summer of presenting free productions of Shakespeare’s classic plays in beautiful Falls Park. These imaginative stagings exhibit the best of regional talent in productions that entertain the entire family. Bring a picnic, blankets, and lawn chairs to enjoy exciting theater under the stars. USF is presented by the Warehouse Theatre and Greenville City Parks and RecreationEvent Details:- When – 7:00 PM Thursday – Sunday
- Where – Falls Park at The Carolina First Amphitheater
- What Type Plays – Shakespeare Plays
- Cost – FREE
- Who – All Ages / Family Friendly Activity
- Food / Drink – Bring Your Own Beverage and Food
- What to Bring – Your Family, a Picnic, Lawn Chair, Food, Drinks & Snacks
- For More Information – about the event or the musicians go to Upstate Shakespeare Festivals / Phone: 864-467-5741
Upcoming Events:
- May 26 – 29: “The Taming of the Shrew” by William Shakespeare directed by John Fagan
- June 2 – 5: “The Taming of the Shrew” by William Shakespeare directed by John Fagan
- June 9 – 12: “The Taming of the Shrew” by William Shakespeare directed by John Fagan
- June 16, 18, 19: “The Taming of the Shrew” by William Shakespeare directed by John Fagan (NOTE: no performance on June 17th)
- July 14 – 17: “Cymbeline” by William Shakespeare directed by John Fagan
- July 21 – 24: “Cymbeline” by William Shakespeare directed by John Fagan
- July 28 – 31: “Cymbeline” by William Shakespeare directed by John Fagan
- August 4 – 7: “Cymbeline” by William Shakespeare directed by John Fagan
Downtown Greenville has a lot of other great activities going on throughout the week and weekend. If you are looking for a fresh produce and homemade goods you should check out their Saturday Farmers Market.
Celebrating with a Friend!
Our pedicures!!! A great friend, Ashley with Reflecting on the Simple Things in Life, is expecting her first baby soon so we decided to celebrate and spend some girl time together before life gets even busier for her. We enjoyed a fun Girls Morning Out getting a Pedicure / Manicure, talking, and eating a late brunch!
Our morning Activities:
- Pedicure / Manicure at Nguyen Hands & Feet on Woodruff Road. We got a great deal on a Pedicure / Manicure through Living Social (we paid $16 plus tip to have both our hands and feet done). If you are looking to do something special with a friend or date night with your man I highly recommend you check out Living Social in your area. Ashley got a pretty pink color on her toe nails and clear on her finger nails. I got blue & green on my toe nails and light pink on my finger nails.
- Late Brunch at Panera Bread – we each got a bagel and Panera’s and a amazing Frozen Mocha, one of the best Chocolate Mocha’s! Thanks Ash for introducing me to something delicious and addicting!
I am thankful for friends and the many blessings that come along with having them in my life! I look forward to meeting Mike and Ashley’s new little boy in just a few weeks. I know Baby G will be well loved by his great parents.
Side Story: When the girls came home from school it didn’t take them long to figure out that I had gotten a pedicure / manicure (the last time was in 2010).
- Brina’s first comment was “Do I get to go next time?”
- Karlie’s first comment was “Silly Mommy, you picked a color pattern with sparkles!”
Both comments fit their personalities to perfectly.
Family Celebrations: Happy Mother’s Day
Relaxing in the Hammock with my girls! Jake got me a hammock for Mother’s Day. The girls and I enjoyed some time relaxing, laughing, talking and reading stories together in the hammock on Sunday.
Karlie told me “Mom, I think you’ll have a lot of fun relaxing in your hammock, you can read a book or read the Bible and talk to God outside now!”
Brina caught a couple little ladybugs to take on the hammock with us “They like to relax and swing too Mom!”
I am blessed with two beautiful thoughtful girls and a sweet husband. This year the girls planned Mothers Day from Breakfast in Bed to the gifts and activities. It was a fun, memorable and relaxing day with the family. My cup truly runeth over….there was a time in my life when I wondered if I would ever have kids and a family of my own. Thankful that God chose to bless me with these two wonderful daughters. Being a Mom brings so many precious rewards, fun, and laughter.
- Breakfast in Bed – Brina and Karlie brought me Cinnamon Raisin Toast, Fresh Fruit (Strawberries, Pineapple, Cantelope, Honeydew, Mango, & Grapes) and a Strawberry Lemonade Fruit Slushy, delicious! (sorry no pictures of the breakfast in bed)
Sweet Mother's Day Cards the girls made at school! The girls had fun “surprising” me with their goodies! Their cards were so cute!
Mother's Day Picture Frames Brina and Karlie made in Sunday School! The girls were so excited to make these special picture frames in Sunday School.
Brina and Karlie having fun relaxing on the wooden swing Jake made me several years ago! Thanks Handsome! After church we came home and spent time relaxing together. We enjoyed the beautiful day outside in the yard!
Freshly picked bouquet of dandelions "lions" and clover compliments of Karlie! After lunch Karlie went outside to get a special Mother’s Day surprise for me. She came back in with a handful of freshly picked dandelions and clover.
Mother's Day gift from the girls! It is the gifts from the heart – the hug, kind word, and thoughtfulness that mean the world to me! At the same time as I celebrate this amazing day with my family my heart and prayers go out to those who have lost their Moms or who are unable to have children. Every life is a gift and every day is a treasure from above. I am thankful for the many blessings (both family and friends) in my life.
Walgreens – FREE Photo Collage (8×10)
Get a FREE 8×10 Photo Collage from Walgreens just in time for Mother’s Day!!!
- Log in to Walgreens Photo Store
- Upload a Few Favorite Pictures
- Create Your Collage
- At Check Out Enter Promo Code – FREECOLLAGE
- A Second Promo Code You Can Use Is (you may have to do separate transactions) – FORMOM
- Select to Pick up your Collage at your local Walgreens Store.
- Coupon Code Expires May 7, 2011
Great gift for Mother’s Day that is personal and within the budget!
Family Outings: Teaching About Gun Safety & Target Practice
Daddy with his two little girls following him! We have been teaching the girls about gun safety because we have a lot of family members who hunt, fish, and target practice. Recently we took the girls to the Shooting Range to teach them a little more about gun safety and to target practice. We think it’s important to demonstrate to the kids safety with the serious items such as guns. It was quite the fun adventure for the family. Daddy was patient and good with showing the girls the basics. Karlie was ready to put up a target in the house for practicing with her nerf gun. They both wanted to know if Daddy would take them back to the range again. Glad they had fun. The range was a busy place and great opportunity to spend quality time with the family. It was pretty cute seeing Jake in hot pink ear plugs too.
Here are a few pictures from our Family Outing to the Shooting Range:
Remember to bring your ear plugs! 
Daddy and the Girls! 
Daddy getting set up! 
Targets are Ready! 
Going over all the gun details and steps with Karlie! 
Daddy helping Brina reload the gun. 
Karlie getting into target practice! 
Brina getting her practice at target shooting. Fresh & Healthy: Downtown Farmer’s Market (Saturdays) Fresh Produce & More!
It is the beginning of produce harvest for a lot of local farmers which means the Farmer’s Market is opening. Many local communities will host Downtown Farmer’s Markets to help connect the farmers with the local people who want to purchase fresh fruits and veggies for their family.
Families in the Greenville area who are looking for some fresh in-season vegetables, fruit, local honey, gourmet foods, seafood, fresh flowers, diary products, coffee, nuts, baked goods, handmade crafts, woodworking and a wide variety of other goodies from more than 50 vendors can come to downtown Greenville on Saturday mornings starting May 7th through October 29th.
Downtown Greenville Farmer’s Market Details:- What / Where – Downtown Greenville’s Saturday Market (Main Street at McBee Avenue, Greenville, SC 29601 )
- When – Saturdays from 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM ( May 7 to October 29)
- Cost – Free Admission (the only cost is for the items you purchase from the local farmers / vendors)
- For More Information / Activities – Saturday Market Live / 864-467-4494
Downtown Greenville has music and special events during the Saturday Farmer’s Market. Please go to their events section for more information on upcoming musicians, cooking demonstrations, and special events.
Easley just started a Downtown Farmer’s Market a few years ago. It is smaller than the one in Downtown Greenville but for a small community it has a lot of amazing produce to offer. Each year it has grown bigger with more vendors offering their fresh produce and goods to the local community.
Downtown Easley Farmer’s Market Details:
- What / Where – Downtown Easley Farmer’s Market (205 North 1st Street, Easley, SC 29640)
- When – Saturdays from 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM (April 9th to End of Season)
- Cost – Free Admission (the only cost is for the items you purchase from the local farmers / vendors)
- For More Information / Activities – Easley Farmers Market / 864-855-7900
2011 Special Calendar of Events – Easley’s Farmers Market:
- May 7 – Smoke House & Sparky
- May 14 – Parent Magazine & Fun Kid Activities
- May 21 – SunLit Moon Entertainment
- June 11 – Parent Magazine & Fun Kid Activities
- July 2 – 2nd Annual Pie Baking Contest & July 4th Celebration.
- July 23 – Square Root Entertainment
- More activities being scheduled check back often
Photo by Natalie Maynor & Swami Stream
Family Outings: “Moonlight Movies” Series starts Tonight at The Peace Center Amphitheater
Looking for a fun family activity tonight and you live near Greenville, SC? The “Moonlight Movies” Series Starts TONIGHT at The Peace Center Amphitheater sponsored by Fidelity Investments!Event Details:- When – 8:00 PM (at sundown) on Wednesday, May 4, 2011
- Where – The Peace Center Amphitheater & Wyche Pavilion (300 North Main St., Greenville, SC 29601)
- What’s Showing – “Father of the Bride”
- Cost – FREE
- Who – All Ages / Family Friendly Activity (movies will be rated G or PG or family friendly Not Rated)
- Food / Drink – Bring Your Own Beverage and Food or you can buy a wristband
- What to Bring – Your Family, Lawn Chairs, Blanket, Picnic, Drinks, and Snacks
- Not Allowed at the Event – No Pets / No Smoking
- For More Information – Greenville Moonlight Movies / Phone: 864-467-5741
If you cannot make it out to the movie tonight there will be more “Moonlight Movies” events coming!
Future “Moonlight Movies”:
- Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 8:00 PM – “Batman”
- Wednesday, May 18, 2011 at 8:00 PM – “Winchester”
- Wednesday, May 25, 2011 at 8:00 PM – Viewer’s Choice
Even if you do not live in the Greenville area I encourage you to check out events in your local city. Many towns offer free events that your family can enjoy.
Photo by Metromix Greenville
Family Outings: Strawberry Picking
We went Strawberry picking this past weekend and had a blast! The entire family was picking so we had our gallon done in no time. We stopped by Hunter’s Farm in Easley, South Carolina. The strawberries were $8.50 a gallon if you pick your own and bring your own container. Here are a few pictures from our adventure Strawberry Picking:
Karlie and Brina picking fresh strawberries at Hunter's Farm! 
Brina with a handful of strawberries! 
Karlie with a handful of strawberries! 
Brina showing off her strawberries! 
Karlie showing off her goodies! 
Brina enjoying her time picking up strawberries! 
Gallon full of fresh strawberries! 
Fresh Strawberries!!! Family Outings: 2011 Reedy River Duck Derby (Greenville, SC)
Are you looking for something fun to do this weekend with your family? If you are near Greenville, South Carolina and want to participate in a fun activity with the family you should check out the 2011 Reedy River Duck Derby.
Specific Date / Time Information:
- Event – 2011 Reedy River Duck Derby
- Date – Saturday, May 7, 2011
- Time – 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
- Location: Falls Park on the Reedy River, Greenville, South Carolina
- Duck Race – 2:30 PM
- Starting Point for Duck Race – Main Street Bridge
- Duck Prices – $5.00 each or 6 for $25.00
What is the Reedy River Duck Derby?
- The Rotary Club of Greenville puts on a great event to benefit local charities such as Mauldin Miracle League, Greenville Area Interfaith Hospitality Network, EarlyAct FirstKnight, and other local charities. You can adopt a duck(s) for your family for $5.00 each or 6 ducks for $25. You can cheer for your duck(s) as it races along with thousands of other ducks down the Reedy River, over the falls and to the finish line. The winning ducks will be awarded prices.
How many ducks can I buy?
- As many as you want. It is $5.00 per duck or $25.00 for 6 ducks.
What are the Prizes for winning?
- Grand Prize – 1 Year Supply of Groceries at Bi-Lo
- 2nd Place Prize – Painting by Kavita Ball sponsored by Urban Peacock
- 3rd Place Prize – Child Care Tuiton Fees sponsored by Park Place Children’s Center
- 4th Place Prize – Greenville Charm Bracelet sponsored by JB Lacher Jewelers
- Plus Over 30 Additional Prizes to be awarded sponsored by local businesses (here are a few)
- Theater Ticket Packages – Camelot Theaters
- Park Passes – Greenville County Recreational District
- Pottery Lessons for 12 – Vitti Tile and Pottery
- Photography Sessions – White Blaze Photography
- Guest Package with golf 2 Guests for 2 Nights and 2 Rounds of Golf – Embassy Suites
- Gift Package – Hampton Inn Riverplace
- Weekend Gift Package with Breakfast – Courtyard by Marriott Downtown
- And Many More Great Prizes!!!!
What other activities are going on downtown Greenville during the Duck Derby Event?
- The Duck Derby Activities begin at 10:00 on Saturday, May 7, 2011
- Games
- Activities for Kids
- Entertainment
- Local Artist Exhibits
- Mauldin Miracle League Game
- Balloon Artists
- Face Painting
- Magicians
- Hoola-Hooping
- Musical Groups
- Demonstrations & Interactive Activities for Kids
The Reedy River Duck Derby is a fun filled day with activities and entertainment for the whole family, plus it benefits many wonderful local charities. For more information about the upcoming 2011 Reedy River Duck Derby please visit the Reedy River Duck Derby website.
Family Outings: Free Home Depot Kid’s Workshop
Home Depot hosts a free kid’s workshop on the first Saturday of the month.
Upcoming Kid’s Workshops:
- Saturday, May 7: Mother’s Day Project – Tulip Flower Vase
- Saturday, June 4: Father’s Day Project – Valet Organizer
The free kids’ workshops take place on Saturday morning (usually from from 9:00 a.m.-noon, but verify with your local store). The kids get to take home their project, an orange apron, and an achievement pin.
