10 Ways to Experience All Things Fall in Greenville, SC
It's fall, y'all! 🍂 And with that, fall’s cooler temperatures usher in a season filled with family-friendly festivals and outings, college football, farmers markets, and more exciting (or relaxing) things to do in our greater Greenville area. From apple picking and pumpkin patches to hockey games and haunted houses, here are the 10 best ways to create new memories with your loved ones here in Greenville this fall.
1. A is for Autumn...and Apples
Tucked in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains, less than an hour from the bustling of Greenville, is a perfect weekend adventure waiting for fall enthusiasts. Now's the time to go apple picking—or at the very least, savor some apple butter, apple pies, or caramel apples! Pick your favorite and wash it down with an apple cider slushie from Grandad’s Apples 'N Such, a 100-acre family farm and apple orchard in Hendersonville, NC, that features a country store and bakery. Make the drive to Sky Top Orchard in Flat Rock, NC, to discover why the Travel Channel called it one of the "Top 5 Apple Picking Farms in the U.S." At Justus Orchard, also in Hendersonville, NC, you can pick your own apples and then warm up (if needed) with some hot apple cider—better yet, try out their apple cannon where you can knock out a bear, deer, or the infamous Big Foot!
Jeter Mountain Farm has been an active farm in Hendersonville, NC for more than 150 years, and to pick apples here, you must first embark on a tractor ride! Follow it up with pulled pork (and apple cider BBQ, of course) from their 1813 Smokehouse BBQ Food Truck, wash it down with fresh ciders from their Hard Cider Barn Taproom or handcrafted specialty coffee, and enjoy live bluegrass music on the weekends. Another option is Stepp's Hillcrest Orchard, a 4th-generation farm that lets you pick from 26 apple varieties in their 100-acre orchard, pick your own sunflowers and zinnias, and on weekends, take wagon rides, shoot apple cannons, and play on the jump pad.
Tip: Try hot apple cider DOUGHNUTS (yes, you read that right) at any of these orchards; remember, they're best served warm! 🍎🍩
2. Wind Your Way Through Some of the Southeast's Largest Corn Mazes
Denver Downs was just ranked one of the "Top 10 Best Corn Mazes in the U.S. to Visit This Fall" (USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice). The 2023 corn maze features the one and only Reba McEntire, song title "Fancy Don't Let Me Down", musical icons, and cowboy boots. At night, bring your flashlights and glow sticks, but know this corn maze stays family-friendly and is never haunted. The farm is actually listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been owned and operated by the Garrison Family since 1869. It started as a cotton farm, switched to dairy, and is now devoted to agritourism and entertainment. And, if you've ever been to Denver Downs you know that the corn maze is just the beginning of the fun. Enjoy tons of other attractions and activities while you're there, such as live music, s'mores and bonfires, a petting zoo, a pumpkin patch, the PigTucky Derby 🐷, swings, slides, ziplines, gem mining, a cow train, food, and special weekend events.
1515 Denver Rd., Anderson
Open thru November 12 (Thursday - Sunday)
Want more? Look no further than Stewart Farms, which has spooky and not-so-spooky options at their Reba McEntire-inspired corn MAiZE. "The Big Boo" (their haunted MAiZE) is not recommended for children under 6, so if you've got young ones, get through the corn maze before dark. When it is dark outside, Stewart Farms offers nighttime wagon rides with a lit-up wagon trail where you can see fall and Halloween scenes, as well as jack-o-lanterns. If you're interested in making your own jack-o-lantern, they have a 10-acre UPIK pumpkin patch featuring over 70 varieties of pumpkins! While you're there, you can also visit the farmyard animals and see the Bee Barn 🐝 where the bees turn pumpkin pollen into honey! Before you leave, be sure to stop in at their Farm Market for fall décor, fall veggies (think cabbage, broccoli, and collard greens), as well as colorful mums perfect for giving your porch that autumn touch.
6600 Highway 92, Enoree
Open thru October 29 (Friday - Sunday)
The folks at Strawberry Hill USA are having their 13th annual corn maze this year, with 3 corn mazes in 1! 🌽 The theme for 2023 is Bigfoot and the maze design itself has stars, feet, Sasquatch himself, and the words "Bigfoot" for your family to navigate. (Note: No Night Maze offering for 2023.) After making your way out of the maze, be sure to relax on a hayride! The weekends-only hayride takes you to a farm playground where you can jump, slide, and swing, and then visit with farm animals. Enjoy lunch or ice cream across the street at the Strawberry Hill USA Café and before you leave, make sure you shop for pumpkins and other fall essentials before taking some fun family photos with their outdoor backdrops.
3097 Hwy. 11 W., Chesnee
Open thru October 29 (Daily)
3. Dine Alfresco
Whether it’s rooftop views or sidewalk seating, downtown Greenville has plenty of options for outdoor eats to enjoy the perfect fall weather. Nosh at Limoncello 🍋, Cantina 76 🌮, or UP on the Roof 🍹, which is also open for weekend brunch. Try sitting on the steps of 📙 M.Judson Booksellers while devouring a delicious pumpkin-something from their own 🧁 Camilla Kitchen or head to Rise Bakery, grab a fresh artisanal treat, and take a jaunt with your croissant around The Village of West Greenville. From muffins, scones, and cookies to bread and pastries, you won't be disappointed!
Need more recommendations? Dine outside on the patio at one of these downtown establishments...
- CAMP: Modern American Eatery
- Gather GVL
- Grill Marks
- Jasmine Kitchen
- Jianna (Italian)
- The Lazy Goat (Mediterranean)
- NOSE DIVE
- Passerelle Bistro (French)
- Pomegranate on Main (Persian)
- Roost Restaurant
- Smoke on the Water
- Soby's New South Cuisine
- Tupelo Honey
- Urban Wren
4. Pop into the Farmer's Market Where Life is Gourd.
Give 'em pumpkin to talk about! Stock up on fruits, veggies, and other fun treats at the local farmers’ market, the TD Saturday Market, held every Saturday morning, 8am-noon, now through October 28th on Main Street in downtown Greenville. Vendors include organic farmers like Gibson Farms, specialty food vendors like Banana Manna, and handcrafted and artisan goods like Gardner Carpentry's handmade kitchen utensils and cutting boards. Don’t miss the Autumn Harvest on Oct. 28th! It features children's trick-or-treating, family photo opportunities, and a children's Halloween costume contest.
If you're visiting Greenville on a different date, be sure to check out another local favorite: the Greenville State Farmers Market. Open year-round Monday-Saturday from 8am-6pm, you'll find fresh produce, plants, seasonal selections, and a variety of craft vendors (Saturday mornings only).
5. Scream Your Head Off!
Madworld has been voted the "#1 Must-See Haunted Attraction in SC" and one of the top-ranked haunted attractions in America. Experience Haunted Pirates, go through the Clown House (we're sure you can't wait to do that), have your mind bent (or blown) in the Asylum, experience sheer terror in the Chainsaw Massacre, go through the Vortex Tunnel, and check out the Witch Village. It's a self-guided half-mile of self-inflicted horror...
Think you might be bored while waiting in line? Think again. Madworld has a live DJ, fires to warm up by, food and drink, an 18-hole Ghost Town Mini Golf course, brand new axe throwing lanes, carnival games (think Zombie Brain Smash, Crypt toss, Skeleball, etc.), face painting, a gift shop, and more. If you've got scaredy cats 🙀 (aka chickens 🐔) in your group, Madworld offers the option to purchase a No-Scare Medallion for $10 more—meaning you won't be targeted or scared by the professional actors.
147 Country Manor Rd., Piedmont
Open thru Saturday, November 4th ($40+)
Rivaling Madworld, 😱 Nightmare Dungeon is considered the "Scariest Haunted Attraction in South Carolina" and word on the street is that it's like being inside a live horror movie. Take a tour of the two-story farmhouse, which is more than 120 years old and said to really be haunted. This “Cabin In The Woods” is filled with realistic and high-tech special effects, bringing your nightmares and fears to life. New for 2023 is the Hellevator where you'll descend eight floors beneath Nightmare Dungeon into the Nightmare Asylum filled with deranged and horrifying prisoners. With the slogan, "Not all nightmares happen while you sleep"—if you go...good luck.
645 Old Anderson Rd. {Powdersville}
Open thru November 5th ($30+)
Looking for another truly spooky experience? Add Sweet Dreams Scare House for "A Night Out on the Wrong Side of Town" (250 Saco Lowell Rd., Easley; Open thru November 4th; $30+) or the Asylum on Pine Knoll to your itinerary. The Asylum is clown-themed (yay) and full of warnings for the faint of heart. (110 Pine Knoll Dr., Easley; Open thru November 1st $20+)👻
If you're not feeling the haunted houses and trails, why not check out the paranormal? Greenville Ghost Tours offers downtown Greenville paranormal walking tours along with Boos & Booze, which is a spooky and haunted bar crawl. Your experience will be led by certified paranormal investigator Gabe Mathews of Truth Searchers: Paranormal Investigators.
6. Pull a Charlie Brown and Look for the Great Pumpkin
Oh, my gourd! It's time to grab a bunch of pumpkins 🎃 at a local pumpkin patch! For U-PICK pumpkins, visit Stewart Farms in Enoree, Little Cane Creek Farm in West Union, or Thompson Family Farms in Campobello. Stewart Farms has a 10-acre pumpkin patch with over 70 varieties of pumpkins in all shapes, sizes, and colors. They also have their corn maze (mentioned above), wagon rides, fall garden mums, fall veggies, and fall décor for sale. At Little Cane Creek, you can pick your own or purchase pre-picked pumpkins, enjoy a hayride through their working organic vegetable farm, get lost in the 5-acre corn maze, and play to your heart's content in the straw bale maze and pyramid, spider web challenge, slide, tunnel, and more! New on the scene is Thompson Family Farms in Campobello. Open Thursday-Saturday, 10am-7pm, pick your own pumpkins and flowers and go through their sunflower maze. The farm is the idyllic backdrop for any and all autumn photos! Remember to get your pumpkins where the pickin's good.
Want more? For pre-picked pumpkins and other fall fun, be sure to visit:
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Denver Downs (Anderson)
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Open Thurs: 1-5pm; Fri: 4-10p, Sat: 10a-10p; Sun: 10a-6p
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Strawberry Hill U.S.A. (Chesnee)
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Open Daily: 8am-7pm
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Happy Cow Creamery (Pelzer)
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Open M-F: 9am-7pm; Sat: 9a-5p
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St. Matthew United Methodist Church Pumpkin Patch (Greenville)
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Open Daily: 11am-7pm
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Disciples United Methodist Church (Greenville)
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Open Daily: M-Sat: 9a-7p; Sunday 12-7p
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St. Giles Presbyterian Church Pumpkin Patch (Greenville)
7. Take a Hike to See Beautiful Fall Leaves and Waterfalls
Lace-up those hiking boots and experience the colorful fall leaves and gorgeous waterfalls at three state parks near Greenville. At Caesars Head State Park in Cleveland, SC, make the 4.4-mile round-trip hike to a scenic overlook of the 420-foot Raven Cliff Falls (the tallest waterfall in South Carolina). For those that are more adventurous, add in the Dismal Trail Loop, a 6.6-mile round-trip strenuous hike that brings you to Wilderness Bridge, a unique suspension bridge that crosses over the very top of Raven Cliff Falls. In nearby Marietta, Jones Gap State Park features more than 60 miles of hiking trails. A popular hike is the Rainbow Falls Trail, which is a 5-mile, round-trip hike worth every step. Plunging over a high granite cliff, this 140-foot ribbon-like waterfall will make you feel closer to the size of an ant. Close to downtown Greenville, Paris Mountain State Park has outdoor fun for the whole family with hiking trails, swimming areas, campsites, and picnic shelters. 🥾🌊
Tip: Based on fall foliage prediction models, our autumn foliage is expected to peak in Greenville County in late October. By early November, fall foliage should be seen in downtown Greenville. Leaves will change color first in the northern part of the county near Caesars Head and Jones Gap State Parks. 🍁
8. Find a Fall Festival
With crisp, cooler weather, 🍂 the smell of fall in the air, and Halloween on the horizon, there's nothing better to do than mark your calendar for an upcoming fall festival! (Or two, or three, or four...) Here are some options to consider when you're in town:
- Oktoberfest | Fri, Oct. 6 - Sat, Oct. 7 | 11am-9:30pm | NOMA Square
Live music, a bratwurst-eating contest, live music, a stein-holding competition, and German beer
- The Cook’s Station Fall Festival | Sat, Oct. 7 | 9am-5pm | The Cook's Station
Tent sales, live music, bottomless mimosas, wine sampling, food sampling, and more!
- Kroc Fest 2023 | Sat, Oct. 7 | 11am-2pm | Kroc Center
Petting zoo, showing of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, free fitness classes, trick-or-treating, photo booth, floating pumpkin patch
- Greenville Fall Wine Festival | Sat, Oct. 7 | 1-5 pm | Fluor Field at the West End
Celebrating wine with 50+ wine options, mimosas, beer, and seltzer, live music, and DJ
- City Scape Winery's Annual Food & Wine Fall Festival | Sat, Oct. 7 - Sun Oct. 8 | City Scape Winery
Live music, food trucks, dessert trucks, wine, vendors, and more!
- Bank of America Fall for Greenville | Fri, Oct. 13 - Sun Oct. 15 | Downtown Greenville
This family-friendly three-day smorgasbord of food and entertainment showcases 50+ local restaurants serving some 250-plus dishes with more than 50 beers on tap, wine vendors, and over 75 musical acts.
- Oktoberfest + Fall Fest | Sat, Oct. 14 | 11a-11pm | Southernside Brewing Co.
Live music, face painting, balloon twisting, German-inspired food and drink
- Fall Festival | Sat, Oct. 28 | 1-5pm | Barefoot Acres
Join in on the fun with a trick-or-treat trail, hay rides, food trucks, live music, a bounce house, a vendor market, and more!
9. Dress Up the Kiddos in Their Halloween Costumes
For an unforgettable evening at the Greenville Zoo's Boo in the Zoo 👻 (Oct. 18-22 and Oct. 25-30), you can expect trick-or-treating, friendly (but slightly spooky) decorations, Ghost Town, an extinct species graveyard, Alice's Fun House, and Dragon Alley. Oh, and did we mention the animals?!
Want more? Here are some other great events to venture to with dressed-up kids in tow:
- Halloween Costume Party (Family-Friendly) | Sat., Oct 7 | 11am-8pm | Southernside Brewing Co.
Plenty of exciting events for both kids and adults: visits from Disney princesses, superheroes, and other legendary characters; face painting, photo booth, live music, and drink specials.
- Pumpkins and Costumes | Tues., Oct 17 | 4:30-7:30pm | Greer City Park
Wear your costume and enjoy the Greer Farmers Market while trick-or-treating, listening to live music, noshing on grub from Food Truck Court, and a SPENGA yoga class.
- Halloween Costume Party | Sat., Oct 21 | 11am-8pm | Southernside Brewing Co.
Free family-friendly event with visits from Disney princesses, superheroes, and other legendary characters; face painting, balloon twisting, bounce house, live music, and drink specials.
- Green Monster Mash | Fri., Oct 27 | 4-8pm | Fluor Field at the West End
Trick-or-treat with the Greenville Drive along the Fluor Field concourse and bring the pups along for the fun! Take a hayride and a walk through the Enchanted Forest.
- Trick-or-Treat at TCMU | Sat., Oct 28 | 9am-5pm | The Children's Museum of the Upstate
Halloween-themed programming, an indoor planetarium, a build-a-comet demonstration, SC Children's Theater performance, a costume contest, and more!
- Halloween Costume Party | Sat., Oct 28 | 11am-9pm | Southernside Brewing Co.
Free family-friendly costume party complete with photo booth, face painting, bounce house, live music, drink specials, and lots of candy!
- Halloween at Heritage Park | Sat., Oct 28 | 1-5pm | Heritage Park
One of the largest annual community events in Simpsonville, join kiddos and their parents with bounce houses, face-painting, lots of candy, and touch-a-truck.
- Downtown Trick-or-Treating | Sat., Oct 28 | 3-5pm | Downtown Travelers Rest
Grab the kids for an afternoon outing filled with face painting, games, trick-or-treating, and all the candy you could wish for!
- Nightmare Rides: Creatures, Cars & Candy | Sat., Oct 28 | 5-9pm | Spare Time Entertainment
Have fun at this outdoor family-friendly event featuring a car show and trunk-or-treat.
- Jeepers Creepers Cruise Inn | Sat., Oct 28 | 6-9pm | Downtown Fountain Inn
Trunk-or-treat in style as you wander around spooky Jeeps, listen to ghoulish tunes, and eat Halloween-themed food. Contests, games, pumpkin painting, and more!
10. Hang out with Stomper for Ear-resistible Hockey Fun!
Watch the Greenville Swamp Rabbits thump some pucks and kick some tail (on the ice) during their opening game. This professional ice hockey team (ECHL affiliate of the LA Kings and AHL affiliate of the Ontario Reign) opens its season against the Norfolk Admirals on October 21, 2023, at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena. What better way to enjoy the crisp, cool fall weather than cheering along with the Rabbettes rink-side at a fast-and-furious paced hockey match?! The Swamp Rabbits' season goes through mid-April 2024 and includes 36 home games. Get your tickets today and gear up at the Hop Shop!