An Introduction to Fountain Inn: A City with Southern Charm

Experience the charm of Fountain Inn, SC, where Southern hospitality meets small-town fun. Enjoy outdoor concerts, local markets, and scenic trails, or savor delicious BBQ and craft brews year-round. Celebrate the holidays with the Christmas “Inn” Our Town festivities and Hidden Pasture Unicorn Farm. Fountain Inn is the perfect spot for your next getaway!

Fun in Fountain Inn

Follow Simpsonville’s Main Street south for a few minutes, and you’ll soon find yourself in the charming city of Fountain Inn, a name drawn from an old inn with a fountain (in actuality, a gushing spring) that provided a much-needed rest stop on the stagecoach route between Greenville and Laurens. Today, Fountain Inn still has a fountain that welcomes travelers to its downtown and is the site of numerous outdoor concerts and festivals. When the weather is warm, you can cool off at the Fountain Inn Splash Pad or head to the Fountain Inn Farmers Market for some local goods you won’t want to leave town without. Be sure to check and see what’s on the schedule at the Younts Center for Performing Arts, where you can sit back and enjoy a play, concert, or comedy show.

FIND

With 2.2 miles of paved and natural trails for walking and mountain biking, and a picnic shelter and playground, Cedar Falls Park is the perfect place to enjoy the great outdoors. Just 10 miles from downtown Fountain Inn, this historically significant park has a 200-foot-wide waterfall where the Reedy River tumbles down a series of rocks and boulders to create a beautiful natural vista.

FLAVOR

Octavius “Tay” Nelson grew up in Fountain Inn and always had a passion for good Central Texas barbecue. He turned to YouTube to gain skills in the kitchen and then launched a line of all-natural seasonings inspired by his father’s recipes. Next, he started a catering business, and in 2018, he finally made his dream of opening his own restaurant come true. Now he’s the owner of Bobby’s BBQ, and he’s serving up flavors you’ve got to taste to believe.

FROLIC

When it's time for the temperature to dip and for us to pull out our sweaters and scarves, take a horse-drawn carriage ride through town and see homes dating back to the Victorian era, decked out with lights during Christmas “Inn” Our Town, an almost month-long celebration every December. The fun continues at nearby Hidden Pasture Unicorn Farm's annual Yuletide Unicorn Festival, held most weekends from late November through late December. Feed unicorns, pet donkeys and goats, hold bunnies, roast marshmallows, meet Santa, and ride ponies in this Hallmark-esque farm setting!

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Stop by Pennsylvania-based Voodoo Brewing Co.’s first location in the South for a cold one. This European-style beer hall serves barrel-aged cocktails, wine, cider, and food, in addition to craft beer. Another option is The Mill at Fountain Inn, which houses Fountain Inn Brewing Co. in addition to Bistro 44, Bingbi Sushi & Poké, and Birria Boy in its Food Hall. Step outside to relax in their Adirondack chairs, have the kids play in a fenced-in area, and watch sporting events and movies on the largest outdoor screen in Upstate South Carolina. If you're in the mood for something hot, check out Steam Coffee & Cream to perk yourself right up. Finish off the evening with ice cream, gelato, or a Stuffed Shake (also known as a Freakshake) from The Chill Factory. Need a place to stay? WYLDSTAY at Serenity Lake Farm will more than meet the bill! Stay in one of their expansive canvas tents, picnic lakeside with charcuterie, and enjoy the sunset views along with the farm's Highland cows.