greenville news

Prestigious Sporting Event to Take Place in the Upstate in 2022

One of the world’s largest professional bass tournaments is coming back to Greenville.

B.A.S.S recently announced the decision to hold the 2022 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk at Lake Hartwell, a familiar location for the tournament. Since 2008 the tournament has been held in Greenville a total of four times.

Next year’s Bassmaster Classic will take place from March 4th through March 6th. In addition to Lake Hartwell, other tournament events will take place at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena and the Greenville Convention Center.

On the decision to hold the tournament in Greenville, Bruce Akin, CEO of B.A.S.S., said, “Everything about Lake Hartwell and the city of Greenville make them the perfect setting for the Super Bowl of Professional Bass Fishing…Lake Hartwell provides the perfect site for amazing competition, and the city of Greenville provides the hotels, restaurants and other facilities you need for an event the size of the Classic.”

The Bassmaster Classic is a large attraction for the city, providing one of the largest economic impacts for Greenville.

Eat & Drink

Greenville Continues to Expand Their Restaurant Scene

The food scene in Greenville continues to expand. Check out these three new restaurants coming to the Greenville area in 2021.

Juniper

A new rooftop bar is coming to the top of the AC Hotel in downtown Greenville. Juniper will offer craft cocktails and elevated bar food to patrons, as they enjoy the view of downtown. The 16,000 square foot restaurant will also feature a gin bar in their cocktail garden. They are currently hiring and expect to open in the spring.

Paloma

Another addition to the AC Hotel is Paloma, a Mediterranean restaurant. Paloma recently opened their doors to patrons. They are located on the ground floor of the hotel and are serving up a variety of Spanish and American tapas plates for dinner.

Rocky’s Hot Chicken Shack

Hot chicken isn’t just for Nashville. Rocky’s Hot Chicken Shack, which is currently based in Asheville, just opened their doors in Greenville. They are located on Laurens Road and are offering southern staples like pimento cheese grits, fried okra and of course, Nashville-style fried chicken.

News

Popular Arts Festival Returning to Greenville in May

Artisphere, a popular arts festival, is returning to Greenville in the spring of 2021.

This year’s festival will take place from May 7th through May 9th. Artisphere usually attracts thousands of patrons and provides a large economic impact to the city of Greenville.

While last year’s event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, officials are hopeful that, with the addition of new safety measures, this year’s festival will go off without a hitch. In an effort to provide a safe environment for patrons, the event will be gated around the West End area and will require everyone to wear face masks.

Kerry Murphy, Artisphere executive director, highlighted the impact of the pandemic on the arts saying, “The creative industry — artists, musicians, performers alike — their livelihoods came to a crashing halt last spring. And by the time we reconnected with them in the fall for our virtual experience, they had lost upwards of 75 to 80 percent of their annual revenue. While it is our hope that we can help them get back on their feet, it is not without an uncompromising commitment to public safety.”

Click here to purchase your tickets for this year’s festival and to learn more about what you can expect at this year’s event.

News

Greenville Approves $2.55 Million in Funds For Entertainment District

Greenville’s West End district has been approved to continue their extensive development projects to revitalize the area.

The project, “Jackson Way,” recently received $2.55 million in funds from the Greenville City Council to aid in making their concept come to life.

“Jackson Way” is being modeled after the Red Sox’s Fenway Park, the current affiliation of Greenville’s Minor League Baseball team – the Greenville Drive.

Fluor Field, the stadium that houses the Greenville Drive, will be the center of this elevated entertainment district with Field Street becoming a new public roadway and event area. Public restrooms will also be added to the West End district and will be accessible every day. A new apartment complex will also be added to the nearby area.

According to Greenville Mayor Knox White, the funds for this new development “were generated by economic development projects in downtown and in West End” in addition to the baseball stadium itself. White said the city is “using those funds to reinvest in the same neighborhood.”