Where to Be in 2024
Spartanburg hosts a wide variety of events throughout the year, with the action really kicking up a notch as spring sweeps across the area.
Keep up with the entirety of our community’s Events Calendar and keep reading to save the dates for some of Spartanburg’s most-popular happenings and festivals during 2024.
This blog will be updated as event dates are finalized throughout the year, with ticket and RSVP links added.
March 16: Delaney’s Shenanigans on the Square (12-9 PM)
Delaney’s Irish Pub’s celebration of all things St. Patrick’s Day will kick off on March 16 on Morgan Square with live music, drink and food specials, and other special attractions.
April 12-13: Hub City Hog Fest
In early-April, everyone’s favorite barbecue-focused event returns to Downtown Spartanburg benefiting Mobile Meals of Spartanburg. Dozens of teams will participate in the wings, pulled pork, and side dish-fueled competition that’s an officially-licensed South Carolina BBQ event.
April 26-28: The CRIT and Spring Fling
Downtown Spartanburg’s biggest event returns at the end of April with the ever-popular Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System CRIT, the annual Friday-night kickoff of Spring Fling weekend.
Spring Fling will again feature dozens of food and drink vendors, rides and games for all ages, and live musical performances at stages positioned throughout the heart of the city.
May 4: Cribbs Kitchen Burger Cook-Off (12-6 PM)
The Cribbs Burger Cook-Off returns on Saturday, April 22. The event will feature some creative burger creations crafted by local teams aiming to win a spot on Cribbs Kitchen’s menu. Best of all, there will be samples.
May 4: Mezcal’s Fiesta Festival at Barnet Park (12-10:30 PM)
Mezcal is bringing their Cinco de Mayo Fiesta Festival back to Barnet Park complete with local and international talent, DJs and dancing, food and drinks, and a kids zone to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.
June 1: Sparkle City Rhythm & Ribs in Barnet Park (1-11 PM)
Sparkle City Rhythm & Ribs will bring plenty of barbecue and good music to Barnet Park to kick off June. The event is a daylong celebration of all things barbecue with live music and a local makers’ market.
June 6-7: The BMW Charity Pro-Am at the Carolina Country Club
The popular golf tournament will return to Spartanburg County again in 2024, with play at the Carolina Country Club on June 6-7. The tournament’s field has not yet been announced.
Juneteenth Weekend:
14: City of Spartanburg’s Juneteenth Block Party on Spring (6-10 PM)
15: Juneteenth Freedom Walk/Miles with the Mayor on the Mary H Wright Greenway (7:30-9:30 AM) and the City of Spartanburg’s Juneteenth Celebration in Downtown (4-10 PM)
The City of Spartanburg’s Juneteenth Celebration will celebrate African-American freedom and achievement across the U.S. and in Spartanburg, which has a majority-African American population.
July 4: Red, White & Boom in Barnet Park (5:30- 10 PM)
Pack a lawn chair, an appetite, and some sunglasses for Spartanburg’s annual Independence Day celebration, complete with massive fireworks show.
Oct. 5: Spartanburg International Festival
On Oct. 5, Spartanburg’s popular International Festival will showcase the community’s international presence in food, dance, art, business and much more.
Dec. 3: Dickens of a Christmas
The annual event calendar is capped off with Dickens of a Christmas, as downtown is transformed into a Victorian-era holiday playland with live performances, food and drink vendors, the popular Christmas market and more.
RECURRING EVENTS
Music on Main: Thursdays, April through July (5:30-8:30 PM)
The City’s longtime live music series, brings the energy at Morgan Square every Thursday from April through July. The series features a host of talented musical acts performing genres varying from rock to bluegrass to funk to R&B.
EAT A LOCAL BURGER, WIN A LOCAL PRIZE
Something you can do to ring in the new year, especially if New Year’s Eve festivities got the better of you, is check off a stop or two along the SpartanBURGER Trail.
Featuring some of the best restaurants in Spartanburg County, the SpartanBURGER Trail rewards you for eating local. Just get your pass, check-in to a restaurant when you visit, eat a delicious burger, and you’ll win prizes. It’s really that easy.
SERENITY IN THE OUTDOORS
Whether you’re taking on a First Day Hike (a statewide initiative encouraging people to get out and explore on Jan. 1) or thinking ahead for spring and fall activities, Spartanburg County’s outdoor offerings are tremendous.
Croft State Park sprawls 7,054 acres, making it one of South Carolina’s largest state parks. Once a World War II Army training base, it’s just five miles from downtown Spartanburg, and offers explorers wooded rolling hillsides to be trekked on foot, bike or horseback.
Hikers are welcome on any trail, though one 2.5-mile trail is exclusive to foot traffic. There are more than 20 miles of mountain biking trails, including the park’s longest trail.
Essentially the Hub City’s official garden, Hatcher Garden & Preserve offers 10 acres bustling with flowers, shrubs and trees. The free, public garden, founded in 1969, is also a respite for birds and bird-watchers. Open during daylight hours, Hatcher Garden features trails and paved quarter-and half-mile paths that are wheelchair accessible, so everyone can enjoy nature’s beauty on a visit. There are picnic spaces and seating areas around the trails, too.
Your full guide to Spartanburg’s outdoor adventures can be found here.
BE CHARMED BY A SMALL TOWN
Spartanburg County is home to an abundance of small-town charm, with locals fueling creative visions for historic downtowns, bringing new business opportunities and reasons to visit.
Landrum in the northern part of the county showcases Blue Ridge Mountain views, unique shopping and a thriving food scene. Not far away, Inman offers visitors the chance to get outside and explore.
And in the southern part of the county, Woodruff is growing with new life, especially downtown as restaurants, a biergarten and more are kickstarting the town’s historic center.
CREATE SOMETHING COOL
We like to say you can’t spell Spartanburg without ART, and there’s good reason for that.
This year, explore your own artistic skills with a class or session at The Spartanburg Art Museum or Mayfair Art Studios
The Spartanburg Art Museum, inside the Chapman Cultural Center, showcases rotating exhibits and a permanent collection, and hosts a variety of programs, art classes and more for all ages.
Mayfair Art Studios brings artists together and hosts performances, exhibitions and classes, like pottery-making, throughout the year.
If you’re looking to appreciate art instead of making your own, you can visit any of Spartanburg’s art galleries during the new year.
STOP BY SOMETHING BIG
As the year picks up steam, so too does Spartanburg’s event calendar.
Music on Main and live music at the FR8yard restarts in the spring, with Music on Main running every Thursday from 5:30-8:30 PM through July.
The biggest annual festival in Spartanburg, Spring Fling returns to the calendar at the end of April. The Friday of Spring Fling features the biggest tailgate party in Spartanburg as The CRIT brings thousands of cyclists to downtown to tackle the streets in the “Fastest Night in Spartanburg.”
Take a break without breaking the bank on your trip to Spartanburg.
Along with modern, welcoming hotels, Spartanburg is home to some truly unique stays that showcase the community’s history and add a little extra fun to your visit.
There’s the incredible art collection at the AC Hotel Spartanburg, and the all-in-one experience of staying at the Hilton Garden Inn Spartanburg which shares space with Heirloom: A Milltown Eatery.
Spartanburg’s hotels have your next luxurious, relaxing stay at the ready.