When I pulled into gregarious Greenville, SC and walked down N. Main Street, I wondered if I’d walked onto a movie set. I found tidy sidewalks under a green canopy, open shop doors, happy people lunching on patios and a feeling of lightness that I’d nearly forgotten existed. And, this month, the city opens its arms to welcome visitors to the 40th annual Fall for Greenville Festival, October 8 - 10, along one of the sweetest (and soon, busiest) Main Streets here in the South.
James Beard-nominated chefs serve up their signature dishes alongside some of the city's most authentic international eateries. There’s also live music, with free performances from more than 70 bands on six stages across downtown Greenville, a walkable and vibrant neighborhoods on the Reedy River.
There, you'll find Falls Park, dipping down from the soaring Liberty Bridge, where it reigns over the picturesque urban riverside park full of picnickers, young families and nappers sprawled out in the early autumn sunshine. The waterfall that commands attention here, once covered and forgotten, has been resurrected thanks to a successful (and rare) partnership between community activists and strong city leadership. This sort of love of community shines through so much of what you’ll discover on your visit.
Australian artist Guido Van Helten spent 704 hours painting an 18,900 square foot mural that is impossible to miss as you enter Greenville. The mural features Pearlie Harris with seven children, including some current students from A.J. Whittenberg Elementary School of Engineering; founded by A.J. Whittenberg, a pioneer for civil rights in Greenville.
This sense of place and respect for history makes me love Greenville even more. FallForGreenville.net
