What to Do and Where to Be in 2023
Tuesday, December 20, 2022
As the calendar turns from 2022 to 2023, there’s no shortage of options to experience, or reexperience, everything new Spartanburg County has to offer.
Use this guide throughout the new year as encouragement to taste and try new things, whether it’s a new local restaurant, an untested outdoor adventure, or a chance to get creative.
EAT A LOCAL BURGER, WIN A LOCAL PRIZE
Something you can do to ring in the new year, especially if New Year’s Eve festivities got the better of you, is check off a stop or two along the SpartanBURGER Trail.
Featuring some of the best restaurants in Spartanburg County, the SpartanBURGER Trail rewards you for eating local. Just get your pass, check-in to a restaurant when you visit, eat a delicious burger, and you’ll win prizes. It’s really that easy.
TREAT YOUR TASTEBUDS TO SOMETHING NEW
Opened just before the end of 2022, the Blue Moon Bodega, the second location of the popular local spot, Blue Moon Specialty Foods, coincides with growth downtown. The Bodega, styled after a local grocery store found in bigger cities, offers a convenient spot for unique, local groceries and other regional specialty products.
Make sure to try their make-your-own charcuterie board and their delicious sandwiches and salads.
El Paso Tacos and Tequila opened its first SC restaurant in October in Downtown Spartanburg. Diners can find much more than tacos and tequila, though. The menu features an array of enchiladas, soups and salads, burritos, and combination platters with heavy portion sizes (so come hungry).
Expected to open in spring 2023 is a unique collaboration between Spartanburg County favorites Holliday Brewing Co. and Burgers & Bakery. Coming to the heart of Inman, the new facility will be the manufacturing hub for Holliday Brewing, complete with a full-service restaurant run by Burgers & Bakery.
The new space will include more than 1,000 square feet of mezzanine space overlooking the brewery, a taproom, and a large outdoor area available for events, dining, live performances, and more.
Konnichiwa brought a new sushi option to Downtown Spartanburg, along with its roster of expertly-cooked meats available hibachi-style. Located just across the street from Cribbs Kitchen, this new restaurant is sure to develop a big following in the year ahead.
Along with these new restaurants comes a longtime Spartanburg favorite expanding their scope. At their roasting headquarters at Fretwell, Little River Roasting will open a new café serving breakfast and lunch.
CHECK OUT THE SPARTANBURG’S NEWEST GATHERING SPACE
Speaking of Fretwell, make sure you visit the newest trailside addition to the Mary Black Rail Trail. (We do understand if you wait until warmer weather to make the trek.)
Redeveloped by a group of Spartanburg entrepreneurs, this former industrial area and cotton gin site is capitalizing on growth along the Rail Trail, inspired by popular trailside developments across the Southeast.
In addition to Little River’s roasting operation and café, Fretwell is home to a permanent concessions trailer selling sandwiches, specialty drinks, beer and wine, and snacks.
Fretwell is also home to a stage overlooking the trail and a large grassy area for games, activities and more for the whole family.
WALK, RUN, OR BIKE THE HUB CITY HOPPER
The Rail Trail now connects to Downtown Spartanburg, opening a world of possibilities for outdoor enthusiasts, and adding new possible stops after a run, walk, or ride.
Named the Hub City Hopper, this downtown-centric trail extension is a new, 0.6-mile portion of the trail that runs through the heart of Spartanburg.
It features lanes for pedestrians and cyclists, each protected from vehicular traffic by a raised concrete divider – the first of its kind on a South Carolina trail.
FIND SERENITY IN THE OUTDOORS
Whether you’re taking on a First Day Hike (a statewide initiative encouraging people to get out and explore on Jan. 1) or thinking ahead for spring and fall activities, Spartanburg County’s outdoor offerings are tremendous.
Croft State Park sprawls 7,054 acres, making it one of South Carolina’s largest state parks. Once a World War II Army training base, it’s just five miles from downtown Spartanburg, and offers explorers wooded rolling hillsides to be trekked on foot, bike or horseback.
Hikers are welcome on any trail, though one 2.5-mile trail is exclusive to foot traffic. There are more than 20 miles of mountain biking trails, including the park’s longest trail.
Essentially the Hub City’s official garden, Hatcher Garden & Preserve offers 10 acres bustling with flowers, shrubs and trees. The free, public garden, founded in 1969, is also a respite for birds and bird-watchers. Open during daylight hours, Hatcher Garden features trails and paved quarter-and half-mile paths that are wheelchair accessible, so everyone can enjoy nature’s beauty on a visit. There are picnic spaces and seating areas around the trails, too.
Your full guide to Spartanburg’s outdoor adventures can be found here.
BE CHARMED BY A SMALL TOWN
Spartanburg County is home to an abundance of small-town charm, with locals fueling creative visions for historic downtowns, bringing new business opportunities and reasons to visit.
Landrum in the northern part of the county showcases Blue Ridge Mountain views, unique shopping and a thriving food scene. Not far away, Inman offers visitors the chance to get outside and explore.
And in the southern part of the county, Woodruff is growing with new life, especially downtown as restaurants, a biergarten and more are kickstarting the town’s historic center.
CREATE SOMETHING COOL
We like to say you can’t spell Spartanburg without ART, and there’s good reason for that.
This year, explore your own artistic skills with a class or session at The Spartanburg Art Museum or Mayfair Art Studios
The Spartanburg Art Museum, inside the Chapman Cultural Center, showcases rotating exhibits and a permanent collection, and hosts a variety of programs, art classes and more for all ages.
Mayfair Art Studios brings artists together and hosts performances, exhibitions and classes, like pottery-making, throughout the year.
If you’re looking to appreciate art instead of making your own, you can visit any of Spartanburg’s art galleries during the new year.
STOP BY SOMETHING BIG
As the year picks up steam, so too does Spartanburg’s event calendar.
Music on Main and live music at the FR8yard restarts in the spring, with Music on Main running every Thursday from 5:30-8:30 PM through July.
The biggest annual festival in Spartanburg, Spring Fling returns to the calendar at the end of April. The Friday of Spring Fling features the biggest tailgate party in Spartanburg as The CRIT brings thousands of cyclists to downtown to tackle the streets in the “Fastest Night in Spartanburg.”
During the festival, streets will be lined with dozens of food and drink vendors, rides and games for all ages and musical performances.
Hub City Hog Fest will return to Spartanburg in 2023, inviting barbecue teams from across the region to compete for best wings, pulled pork, and more.
The annual Independence Day celebration, Red, White & Boom!, will occur July 4 featuring a spectacular fireworks show and lots of music and food.
In October, there’s the International Festival, celebrating Spartanburg’s international population with food, music, shopping, art and more.
And in December comes Dickens of a Christmas, the he family-friendly, holiday-themed street festival with something for everyone, from window performances dotting downtown businesses, live musicians and carolers performing in the streets.
STAY SOMEWHERE SPECIAL
Take a break without breaking the bank on your trip to Spartanburg.
Along with modern, welcoming hotels, Spartanburg is home to some truly unique stays that showcase the community’s history and add a little extra fun to your visit.
There’s the incredible art collection at the AC Hotel Spartanburg, and the all-in-one experience of staying at the Hilton Garden Inn Spartanburg which shares space with Heirloom: A Milltown Eatery.
Spartanburg’s hotels have your next luxurious, relaxing stay at the ready.