Showing posts with label Greenville County. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Greenville County. Show all posts

Greenville Scottish Games (A.K.A. Highland Games)


Regular readers of this blog know I love all things Gaelic. (Regular readers of this blog are also non-existent, but what the hey? I'm pretty much just talking to myself here, right?) The Greenville Scottish Games fall into that category. Here's a few pics from this past weekend's event at Furman University.   
Why wouldn't this event be a hit?
There's a bird show, border collie
show, caber tossing, beer, food
and bagpipes.
one want?



Tree Frog Trail

Despite the poor spelling, Tree Frog Trail is a really nice little mountain biking trail off the Swamp Rabbit Trail near Mauldin. You can reach it by parking on Parkins Mill Road near the bridge that goes under I-85 and then hopping on the SRT. Ride down past the treatment plant and you'll come to a split in the trail. To the left is the "Treefrog" Trail.

Cedar Falls Park



Looking for another place to run recently, I decided to check out Cedar Falls Park.  It's a pretty nice little park located on the Reedy River in Fork Shoals. There are plenty of trails to run or walk on and nice waterfalls. It's located on the site of an old saw mill and contains on old damn as well. 



Get Out Greenville at Conestee Park

The next race in the Greenville Dirt Series occurs this Saturday at Conestee Nature Park.  It's a 10K but there is also a 50K, a 25K and 1.5 mile kid's race. 

Get out Greenville





Oktoberfests

The Greenville Oktoberfest kicks off this Wednesday at Noma Square and runs through Saturday. 

Schedule of Events: 


Opening Day Wednesday, Oct. 1st: 5pm-9pm – The ceremonial keg will be tapped! Entertainment by the Foothills Oompah Band.


• Oct. 2nd: 11am-9pm  Holzhackern Tyrolean Band will play from 5-9 p.m. and there will be a brats eating contest & a stein holding competition!

• Oct. 3rd: 11am-9pm  Channellheimmer Oompah Band plays from 5-9 p.m.

Oct. 4th: 11am-10p   Walhallah Bavarian Dancers will entertain from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Channellheimmer Oompah Band from 1:30-5:30 p.m.,  and Steubenville Tootlers from 6-10 p.m.

The Greer Oktoberfest also occurs this Saturday from 12-10 PM.

The Asheville Okbtoberfest runs from 1-4 this Saturday as well. 


The Walhalla Oktoberfest occurs October 17-18.

Conestee Ice Breaker 8K

Date: January 25, 2014

Race Start: 9am

Venue:
Lake Conestee Nature Park
840 Mauldin Rd.
Greenville, SC 29607

Course: 8K Trail Run on mix of dirt, gravel and pavement

Beneficiary: Conestee Foundation

Entry Fee: $20 pre ($25 day of) registration


Description:
The Ice Breaker 8K is the first race of the Greenville Dirt Trail Run Series. The rolling course winds its way through the beautiful Conestee Park and features a mix of dirt, gravel and pavement. Greenville County Rec has been working hard to make Conestee one of the best facilities in the county, and this is a great opportunity to see all the fantastic improvements that have been made to this wonderful outdoor oasis. A portion of the proceeds from this event will be donated to the Conestee Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to developing Lake Conestee Nature Park and contiguous community lands into a nature park and wildlife sanctuary for public recreation.

2014 Greenville Dirt Series

Presented by:  Greenville Rec, Square One Events, and the Greenville Track Club

What is it:    A collection of 6 trail races over 10 months held at 2 different parks crowning one champion.  The races covering distances from 5k to 16k are designed to test your trail running skill and show you 2 of the most beautiful parks in the Upstate of South Carolina.

When:  Below are the 6 races that make up the 2014 Series.
•    Ice Breaker 8k            January 25th        Lake Conestee Nature Park
•    Easter Bunny Trail Hop 5K    April 19th         Lake Conestee Nature Park
•    Paris Mountain 12k        May 31st        Paris Mountain State Park
•    Paris Mountain     7k        August 9th        Paris Mountain State Park
•    Get Out Greenville 10k        October 4th        Lake Conestee Nature Park
•    Paris Mountain 16k        November 1st        Paris Mountain State Park

How it Works:    If you compete in a minimum of 4 races you will be in the running for the Series awards.  At the end of the 6 races we will take your 4 best results and add up the points. The first 8 finishers in each age group qualify for points. Awards will be given out for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd for the entire Series, as well as for each age group winner, male and female for each division. Special recognition will be given to folks who run ALL 6 races!

Signing Up: You can visit www.greenvillerec.com/trailraces for info and registration for each race. If you have questions please contact Joe Lanahan: joe@gcrd.org or 864-288-6470.
10 months, 6 races, 2 parks, 1 Champion!

Register


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Greenville Triathlon and Paris Mountain 7k


Well the Paris Mountain Tri was cancelled at the last minute last weekend due to weather, but two other events of a similar nature are occurring this weekend. 

Saturday the Paris Mountain 7K takes place at 7 AM.

Sunday, the last tri event of the season in the Greenville area takes place at the Westside Aquatic Center with the Greenville Triathlon

Rick Erwin's Nantucket Seafood Grill

I've been dying to try Nantucket Seafood ever since it opened.  My wife and I finally had a chance to try it out recently. It was amazing. And by amazing, I don't mean amazing the way some say people use amazing about everything they find slightly better than average, I mean it really was actually amazing.  (I generally despise hyperbole and exaggeration so much I want to tear my hair out, so rest assured that every part of the following review is meant quite literally.)


Our waiter, David, wasn't amazing but he was very good. If he had serenaded us and comped our meal, then I would elevate him to the level of amazing as well, but since he did not I'll simply say he was awesome.  


I entered the restaurant definitely in the mood for seafood, but David mentioned how good the pork loin was. He was right. It was outstanding. Moist, succulent...amazing. A few days later I replicated the dish at home complete with bourbon reduction. Mine was so-so. My wife was complimentary and mentioned that it was a good effort. 


My wife ordered the Mahi Mahi special. She also reported that it was amazing. Actually I think she said it was fantastic. Even the salad that was topped with some sort of bacon vinaigrette was amazing. Epic even. 


In all seriousness, one thing I really enjoyed about the experience, is that the restaurant is very quiet even when all the tables were full. That isn't true with several other of our local upscale restaurants (and no I'm not talking about Sobys, The Lazy Goat or Nose Dive - yes I am). 


Distance from downtown Greenville: 0 miles.

Paris Mountain Trail Service

Want to give back? Here's a chance.
Greenville REI — Winter Trails Day Service Project
  • Time: 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. (EST)
  • Partner Organization: FPMSP and Upstate SORBA
Description: Join REI and our partners at Upstate SORBA and Friends of Paris Mountain State Park for this Winter Trails Day Servcie Project. We will meet in the main parking area, across the street from the park office and make our way to the trail. Food and a giveaway will be provided to volunteers. Please bring water, sturdy shoes, long pants, work gloves and a warm jacket. Tools will be provided by the park. PLEASE PRE-REGISTER so we can make sure to have enough food for everyone.











Distance from downtown Greenville: 11 miles

What if Greenville?


This is a really cool website. If you have an idea that would make Greenville better, submit an idea. Let's see what happens.

Click here: What if Greenville?



Top Micro City

Greenville has just been named top micro city in North America by FDI magazine. 

"Greenville nabbed the top micro city of the future distinction with its targeting of advanced industries such as biosciences, R&D, and advanced materials. The work of local organizations is helping propel the city into the future. Clemson University sponsors an International Center for Automotive Research; NEXT supports a burgeoning entrepreneur population; and Greenville Works combines the assets of local, state, and federal organizations to support business."

Source

And in addition Greenville has also been named 5th most affordable city by Business Week:

"Dining in Greenville ranges from local cuisine to popular national chains, according to the city'swebsite. After downtown, the Haywood Road area has the most restaurant activity and generates the most retail sales in the city."

More Accolades for Greenville

Greenville is in the national spotlight again. First we were just ranked as the 6th best place to live in the country by Relocate America. Link

In addition Greenville was just featured in Garden and Gun Magazine where American Grocery Restaurant was called the best restaurant in the world.

Rick Erwin's and Nantucket's Seafood Grill were just honored by Wine Spectator Magazine.

NPR also recently featured the city and Mayor Knox White in a six part series. Link

And Forbes Magazine just listed Greenville as one of the top 15 places for young professionals. Link

Local Live FREE Outdoor Music Opportunities

There's a lot of live local FREE outdoor music available over the summer.





Great New Pubs In Town

There are some great new pubs in town.  Here's a quick run down.

1. The Velo Fello a Publick House, located under the Mellow Mushroom is an English style pub that has an extensive bottle selection, 5-6 things on tap and interesting food options such as Chicken Pot Pie, Fried Green Tomato BLT Po Boys, Bratwurst, Falafels, etc. They also sell absinthe.

2. Nose Dive, A Gastropub, located in the old "O" space next to the Poinsett Hotel.  They have a great menu and six rotating taps. Everything I've eaten there has been good.

3. The Art Bar, is located on Main Street between Washington and McBee. I can't vouch for this one because they don't seem to be open very often, but I've been inside and it looks promising. Hopefully the food is better than their website.

4. And my favorite new place is the Trappe Door, a Belgian Bar that looks like a monastery. Located in the basement of Barley's, they offer 6-8 rotating taps of Belgian style beer plus countless bottled Belgians. They also have an extensive wine list, great upscale menu, and they serve absinthe as well.

Distance from downtown Greenville: 0 miles

Greater Greenville Scottish Games is back

The Greater Greenville Scottish Games, will begin Friday evening at 6:00 PM with a parade down Main Street, followed by a Ceilidh at the Peace Center amphitheater, then will continue the following day at Furman University.

Location: 34°54'12.56"N 82°25'6.61"W
Distance from downtown Greenville: 5 miles


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The Slow Food Market at McDunn Gallery


This looks like a great new addition to Greenville. Starting tomorrow, every third Thursday the Michael McDunn Gallery on Rutherford Rd. will host an organic farmers market with produce provided by local farmers.  It's located just up the street from the SC Farmers Market. 

Opening Thursday May 19, 2011, from 2-6pm on the front lawn of the McDunn Studio & Gallery, North Main Street and Rutherford Road, Greenville SC.
"Food as Art/Art for Food" 
---Greenville SC, USA. McDunn Gallery is working with Slow Food Upstate to establish a Slow Food "Earth Market" on our large front lawn at the intersection of North Main Street and Rutherford Road. Thank you to everyone who turned out for the Slow Food Market presentation. We had a great crowd and enjoyed the conversation. The market will be an ongoing process of discovery and learning, from the farmers to the consumer. Thanks again, to Janette Wesley, Renato Vicario, the Slow Food board, Whole Foods, and so many more who give such extensive effort to make good food available!


Distance from downtown Greenville: 2 miles

Top of the Hops Beer Festival this weekend

Greenville had a small beer festival a few years ago but it fizzled out after a couple years.   Last year Tom Davis of Thomas Creek Brewery brought in back, bigger and better than ever. The 2nd annual Top of the Hops Beerfest is back this weekend.
Top of the Hops Greenville Beer Festival will showcase the growing popularity of craft beers from around the country and the world in a relaxed and friendly environment. Patrons will receive a commemorative sampling mug and have access to unlimited, two-ounce sampling of over 150 craft beers in the Green's Discount Beverages Beer Garden, the Abita Beer Garden, the Yuengling Beer Garden, and the Blue Moon Beer Garden. The festival will also feature the Samuel Adams Brew University Education Area where patrons will enjoy beer seminars such as Cooking with Beer, Food Pairings, How to Brew Beer and other beer education sessions. Come enjoy the mass of craft beers with live music and fun games like cornhole.
Date:  May 21st
Time:  2-6 PM
Location: Carolina First Center


Distance from downtown Greenville:  3 miles

Artisphere

This may be the best Artisphere to date for the following reasons:

  1. Despite the stormy forecast, the weather has been great.
  2. The ratio of real art to kitschy "booth art," is leaning far more towards the real art side.
  3. The live music is better than ever. There are far more artistes with original music as opposed to the old R&B, country and beach music cover bands of the past.  I caught three bands today who were all excellent. (Elonzo, The New Familiars, and Cory Chisel.)
  4. Most importantly, NO MORE STUPID TICKETS! Now you can buy food, beer and wine with cash. And get this...you can now buy wristbands and beer at the same booth at the same time. No more standing in line for a wristband and then a second line for booze.  Wonder if the rest of the downtown events will follow suit? 
Kudos to executive director Kerry Murphy!

Urban Farm Tour

This looks interesting:


Greenville Urban Farm Tour
Saturday May 7, 9 am - 5 pm

Come see fantastic examples of how city residents are practicing sustainability by growing their own food and implementing energy efficiency.
The self-guided tour will showcase urban farms, edible gardens and energy efficiency located within 10 miles from downtown Greenville.
Rain or Shine!
Over 25 sites to visit and learn about:
  • vegetable and herb gardens
  • water catchment
  • backyard chickens
  • beekeeping
  • composting
  • alternative energy
  •  vermiculture
  • community and school gardens
     
Plus Complimentary Workshops 
Interested?
Buy tickets in advance!
Redeem your ticket and tour map, select your route, start and end time and visit as many sites as you wish.
 See you on the tour!

Greenville Development

Now that the economy is picking up, it's nice to see a lot of new things developing around town. New side walks are being installed as part of the city's promise to have a sidewalk on every street. The city has recently added a new foot bridge in Cleveland Park so that it's no longer necessary to cross McDaniel to get from Falls Park to Cleveland. They've widened the walking paths, fortified the river banks and upgraded fences and landscaping.

Downtown there are three lots that have been empty for years that now have major construction occurring. Here, here and here.

The Kroc Center is well underway, here.

A 10 million dollar project has been approved for the Piazzo Bergamo Plaza and adjacent lot.

The Swamp Rabbit Trail continues to expand, the latest proposal being an extension to run through Pleasant Ridge Park, where it has just been announced that a new zip line will be installed. Swamp Rabbit Master Plan

Church Street in the future?
It also appears that the city has finally started construction of the Haynie-Sirrine master plan, which is a long overdue update to one of the entrances to the city.

A couple of new sports bars have opened downtown. One, that I can't remember the name of is located across the street from The Corner Pocket. The other, The Carolina Ale House, located on Main, has a really nice upstairs section with large glass windows and a ceiling that is removed when the whether is nice so the dining area becomes roof top seating. The Nose Dive, a gastropub, has just opened across from The Ale House.

One block north, there is a sign for a new place called The Art Bar which is to open soon. On the back side of that building The Beer Exchange recently opened which offers every beer imaginable for take out. What I'm most excited about though is the opening of The Trappe Door, a Belgian bar and restaurant opening in the basement of the Barley's building, which should be opened any day now.

Next I think Smiley's Acoustic Cafe needs to expand into the empty building beside it and install a large deck out back where they offer live music daily throughout the warmer months. Smiley's if you're reading this, if you build it we will come.