SCVB Blog

It’s time for kickoff! The Carolina Panthers return to Spartanburg and Wofford College for their 18^th annual summer training camp on Saturday, July 28. This is your opportunity to see NFL football up close and personal!

Spartanburg will celebrate with the Panthers Kickoff 2012 Party Saturday, July 28^th from 4:30-6:30 p.m. and 8:30-9:30 p.m. at Gibbs Stadium, taking a break for fans to watch the first practice of the season from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the stadium.

The event will feature the second annual Mayor’s Ball Run, with participation from all 14 of Spartanburg’s municipalities; performances by the Panthers’ TopCat cheerleaders and mascot Sir Purr; live music from the popular Back Nine band; along with face painting, door prizes and much more. Spartanburg Mayor Junie White will kick off training camp officially at 6:30 p.m. from the stage. Admission is free!

Young fans between the age of six and 13 will have the special opportunity to register to be selected as a Panther Pal. This allows them to watch part of practices from field level and then spend time with a player or small group of players after practice. Each day's experience is unique and dependent on player schedules and availability as determined by the Panthers. Children can register for their chance to be a Panther Pal at the Team Spartanburg tent. This opportunity will be available at practices Monday-Friday.

On Sunday, July 29, the Panthers will host Play 60 Day for youngsters, featuring eight youth football stations, three inflatables, TopCats, Sir Purr and more. The free event will be from 5 to 7 p.m.

“T-Shirt Tuesdays” – with free T-shirts thrown out to fans by players – will be held on July 31 and Aug. 7 and 14.

All training camp practices are free and open to the public and parking is free as well. Unless otherwise noted, practices will be held on the practice fields.  The following is the training camp schedule for 2012: (Please note practices are subject to change in time, date and location without notice)

Saturday, July 29 – 6:30-8:20 p.m. (Gibbs Stadium)

Sunday, July 29 – 6-8:20 p.m.

Monday, July 30 – 6-8:30 p.m.

Tuesday, July 31 – 10:30 a.m-12:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Aug. 1 – 6-8:30 p.m.

Thursday, Aug. 2 – 6-8:30 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 3 – 6-8:30 p.m.

Monday, Aug. 6 – 6-8:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Aug. 7 – 6-8:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Aug. 8 – 6-8:30 p.m.

Thursday, Aug. 9 – 6-8:30 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 10 – 2:45-5 p.m.

Monday, Aug. 13 – 6-8:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Aug. 14 – 6-8:30 p.m.

 Fans of all ages will not want to miss this rare opportunity to witness NFL football up close!

A colorful fireworks show will light up the night sky on Wednesday, July 4 at Spartanburg’s annual Independence Day celebration – Red, White, and Boom. The event will be held at Barnet Park beginning at 6 pm (Gates open at 5 pm).

 “We are pleased to be able to bring this family-friendly celebration to the Spartanburg community and the entire Upstate,” said City Special Events Manager Mandy Merck. “There will be lots of patriotic music, food, kid’s activities, and of course, a huge fireworks finale at the end of the celebration. We are very excited to be having this event for the second year actually on July 4th.”

Patriotic music will be provided by the Spartanburg Jazz Ensemble and the Spartanburg Community Band. Then put on your dancing shoes for music by The Half Dozen Brass Band, an exciting New Orleans style jazz group from Athens, GA.

Kids can also enjoy unlimited climbing, jumping, and sliding fun on inflatables from Will and Kris Amusements. (There will be a $10 charge for a wristband to enjoy the inflatables.)

Food and drinks will be sold inside the park. Visitors can enjoy Coca Cola and Budweiser products, refreshing lemonade, Bruster’s Real Ice Cream, Papa John’s Pizza, Carolina Italian Ice, BBQ sandwiches, sweet roasted corn on the cob, PhillySteak sandwiches, chicken or beef pita, chicken on a stick, hamburgers, hotdogs, French fries, funnel cakes, deep fried Oreos, fried chocolate chip cookie dough and more.

General admission for Red, White and Boom is $5 per person – with children ages 6 and under being Free. Advance tickets can be purchased at any Bruster’s Real Ice Cream location in Spartanburg (3 locations) Carolina Alliance Bank (downtown Spartanburg) and Spartan Federal Credit Union (Charisma Drive). Tickets will also be available starting at 5 pm on July 4 from the Barnet Park box office adjacent to Converse Street.

Visitors are reminded that there is nearby parking in the St. John Street Parking garage – next to the Chapman Cultural Center.  There are also other parking facilities (Dunbar Street, Magnolia Street and Kennedy Street) within a short walk to Barnet Park.  All parking is free in city-owned facilities.

For more information, please visit the City of Spartanburg's website.

If you are an antique motorcycle fan, we have just the perfect event for you in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The 8th Annual Antique Bikes on Main motorcycle rally will be held on July 28 & 29, 2012 in downtown Chesnee.

Join thousands of motorcycles and enthusiasts at the Free Swap Meet all weekend. The 2nd Annual Prayer Ride leaves Chesnee United Methodist Church at 1:00 PM Saturday to visit area churches before returning to Downtown Chesnee for music and fellowship into the evening. Sunday is the official Antique Bikes on Main rally. Motorcycles of all makes and models will fill the city, with priority parking along Main Street by decade for all older machines. Gasoline Alley will also be held on Sunday in front of Chesnee Classic Cycle, displaying various race bikes.

Come see restored show bikes, everyday riders and unrestored favorites. There are no fees or time requirements to participate. Bring your bike, in any condition, and be part of the festivities. This has never been an All Harley event. All bikes are welcome, new and old. Antique Bikes on Main is family friendly, open to all and free to the public.

For general information, vendor registration and lodging discounts being offered by local Spartanburg hotels, visit www.AntiqueBikesOnMain.com or call (864) 590-2141.

Did you know that at one time Spartanburg County alone produced more peaches than the entire state of Georgia? In 1948, South Carolina out-produced California to lead all states in peach production. Spartanburg County, alone had over three million peach trees and more than 240 peach sheds in 1951. Peach trees can still be found all over Spartanburg County and July is the perfect time of the year to get your own basket of sweet, ripe and juicy peaches. To celebrate peach season, Strawberry Hill USA is holding its very own Southern Peach Festival – an entire weekend of down-home Southern fun!

The fun begins on Thursday, July 19^th with the Miss Strawberry Hill USA Pageant. On Saturday, July 21^st the festivities kick off at 9am. Spend the day on the farm enjoying live music, BBQ, fresh churned ice cream, hot dogs, carnival rides, games and arts and crafts. There will also be a peach eating contest for the peach lovers and a peach bake-off. At 5pm you will be able to unwind and relax to live Gospel music. On Sunday, the fun continues at noon with a car show, more live Gospel music and of course the day wouldn’t be complete without some fresh churned ice cream!

Strawberry Hill USA is located at 3097 Highway 11 West in Chesnee. For more details call 864-461-7225 or visit www.strawberryhillusa.com.

Looking to increase business from travelers and major events held in the Upstate? The Spartanburg Convention & Visitors Bureau (SCVB) has the answer: The Official Spartanburg Visitors Guide.

It has become one of the region’s most successful tools for reaching the traveling public, and advertising sales for the 2013 edition of the Visitors Guide are underway.

The SCVB expects to print 40,000 copies of the new guide, which highlights Spartanburg County’s hotels, attractions, and other traveler services.  The publication is distributed at state welcome centers, regional AAA travel agencies, GSP International Airport, local hotels, attractions, and tourism businesses, and will also be available online.  The Spartanburg Visitors Guide is the primary fulfillment piece for all tourist requests for information generated by the SCVB’s advertising and public relations campaigns.

“We are excited about some improvements to the content and design for the next year,” said Amy Phillips, Marketing and Communications Manager for the SCVB. “We had wonderful feedback from both visitors and advertisers, and hope to make the 2013 edition even more impactful.”

In addition to business listings and information that highlights places to stay and eat, what to see and do, the Spartanburg Visitors Guide will also feature historical information and insider’s tips.

Phillips explained the travel industry and municipalities in Spartanburg County have supported the publication with advertising.  That partnership helps to defray printing costs and allows the SCVB to produce a marketing campaign that drives more visitation to the region.

Launch Something, a full-service ad agency based in Spartanburg, will be responsible for design, layout and printing of the Visitors Guide for the third consecutive year. Phillips will supervise the project for the SCVB as well as handle all advertising sales. If your business is interested in advertising in the 2013 guide, please contact Amy Phillips at 864-594-5050 or aphillips@visitspartanburg.com.