SCVB Blog

The Spartanburg Convention and Visitors Bureau (SCVB) proudly announces Spartanburg as host of the Teach Them Diligently Convention on March 15-17, 2012. The convention will be held at the Spartanburg Expo & Event Center off I-26 at New Cut Road.

 According to the event’s organizer, David Nunnery, this will be the first year the convention has been held. The Teach Them Diligently Convention came from a recognized need for more events celebrating the focus of Christian home school families.  The convention will focus on missions, discipleship, and parenting, as well as the normal home school focus on teaching techniques and use of curriculum.

 “Our company has an international platform and voice, and we chose Spartanburg for several reasons:  a nice concentration of homeschooling families in the area, plus ideal weather in March, and also because Spartanburg has really opened their arms to our convention.  Spartanburg has made it known that they want us here,” said Nunnery.  He said they are expecting over 2,000 homeschooling families from all over the country to attend.

 The convention will bring noted speakers such as Ken Ham of Answer in Genesis, Voddie Baucham, Jr., of Voddie Baucham Ministries, Doug Phillips of Vision Forum, Stephen Kendrick, writer and producer of such films as Fireproof, Facing the Giants, and Courageous, as well as notable legislative leaders on the local, state, and federal level.

 “We are excited to have the opportunity to host this inaugural convention here in Spartanburg,” said Patricia Byrd, Sales Manager for the SCVB.  “We expect more than 900 room nights from this convention, and we look forward to welcoming people from across the country to our community.”

 If you are interested in attending the event, becoming a vendor, or for more information, visit www.teachthemdiligently.net.

Whether you’re a longtime local, recent transplant or just in town for a few days, The Underground Guide reveals a side of Spartanburg you probably didn’t know existed. The new 100-page guidebook, compiled by Hub City Press, will be released in late February, revealing “the authentic, gritty, strange, exhilarating and soulful side of Spartanburg.”

 From jam nights to bike trails, from obscure eateries to dive bars, this little book has the lowdown on the Hub City’s often-overlooked attractions.

 More than two dozen writers and photographers, led by editor Joe C. Mullinax, helped created the guidebook, funded by the Spartanburg Convention and Visitors Bureau as part of the County Tourism Action Plan. The $6.95 book will be for sale at the Hub City Bookshop, online, and retailers around the county. An E-book also will be available in late February.

 If you’re looking for late-night music, anti-gravity yoga, international groceries, oddball yard art, funky coffeehouses or flea markets, this guidebook is for you. The book tells you where to find your music gear, get a tattoo, rent a kayak, and chow down after midnight.

 You haven’t experienced all that Spartanburg has to offer until you’ve gone underground!

Spartanburg is often known for its rich history and its thriving arts scene; however, it is about to add something else to that list-sports tournaments. In March, Spartanburg’s first major regional park opens. Tyger River Park features 12 youth baseball/softball fields arranged in four-field clusters, along with a championship stadium with seating for up to 600 people. The fields can accommodate baseball for ages 4-15 and fastpitch softball for any age.

 With a top notch clubhouse, concession areas, meeting rooms, umpire changing rooms and lounge and a VIP suite, wireless internet and ample parking, this park is already on the radar screen for tournament directors. The Spartanburg Parks staff has already secured tournaments for every weekend thru December 2012. Some of these tournaments will fill up hotels throughout the county and overflow into surrounding cities.

 Over the weekend of March 17-18, the first major tournament will be played at Tyger River Park. The USSSA Spring Kickoff Tournament will bring in fifty teams to the park. In July, the NSA Girls Fastpitch World Series will be held at Tyger River Park and an expected 3,000 people will flock to Spartanburg. The community is working hard to make sure that not only do these girls and their families have a successful tournament, but also enjoy all the other things there are to do in Spartanburg.

 For more information on the Tyger River Park, visit their website.

The wait is over! The Official 2012 Spartanburg Visitor Guide is now available.

 This book is full of useful information to help you plan the perfect vacation to Spartanburg County. We have divided the guide into categories ranging from arts and culture to history, agri-tourism, recreation, accommodations and more.

 You will learn everything from what airport you need to fly into, what events you don’t want to miss, where to rest your head and where the locals suggest you should eat. If you or someone you know is planning a trip to Spartanburg, this book will help make the job easy.

 You can pick up a guide at all of the South Carolina Welcome Centers, AAA travel agencies throughout the state of South Carolina, or by requesting a copy by phone or online via our website. The book will also be available online as a downloadable PDF and e-book on the website. We hope you enjoy!

The Spartanburg Convention and Visitors Bureau (SCVB) proudly announces Spartanburg as host of the North American Ethnic Ministries Summit on April 19-21, 2012. The summit will be held at Evangel Cathedral.

 “Ethnic America Network (EAN) has sponsored the annual summit since 2001, but the conference has always been held in much bigger cities, with major league sports teams,” according to Dr. Jim Goodroe, co-chair of the 2012 summit. The 2010 summit was held in Boston and the summit will be held in Chicago in 2013.

  EAN, headquartered in Wheaton, IL at the Billy Graham Center, promotes cross-cultural advancement of the gospel and intercultural unity in Jesus Christ. Summit attendance is typically two-thirds from the local region and a third from across the nation. This is the first summit which has had three years to prepare, and a large multi-ethnic, interdenominational coalition staffs its twenty task forces. Conference organizers expect over a thousand registrations and over 3,000 in the evening services.

 “We are excited to have the opportunity to host this event and be able to showcase Spartanburg to people from around the nation,” says Chris Jennings, Executive Director of the SCVB.  

     Summit evening sessions at Evangel Cathedral are free & open to the public. Plenary speakers for these multi-ethnic worship services are announced on the summit Website (www.interculturalnetworkcarolina.org). Friday & Saturday daytime sessions, by paid registration, include affinity groups and four seminar periods (choice of fifty topics).

     For more information, email 2012summit@bellsouth.net or call 864-582-2564.

February is Black History Month and Spartanburg, South Carolina has a 3-day event planned to celebrate.

On Thursday, February 16th, Mr. Joseph McGill from the National Preservation Trust will sleep in a slave cabin at the Historic Price House, adding it to his Slave Cabin Project. He will share the as part of an all-day symposium the following day.

On Friday, the symposium, entitled Perseverance and Persistence, will focus on African American History in Spartanburg. The symposium will begin at 8:30 am with refreshments and conclude at 3:30 pm. Panelists from several colleges, universities and school districts in the Upstate will discuss the major issues facing Spartanburg from early settlement to the present. Session topics include:

•    Roots to 1800-- the creation of the African American presence in the Spartanburgh District which officially became Spartanburg County in 1795

•    Antebellum and Civil War Years, 1800-1865-- the shift from yeoman farming to increased dependence on enslaved labor. The discussion also includes the Civil War and its impact on African American families and communities.

•    Community Building, 1865-1940--  information on efforts to build autonomous lives and communities in the aftermath of war, and how African Americans adapted themselves to segregation and maintained pride in the communities they build.

•    1940 to Present-- the transformation of the lives of African Americans beginning with World War II, followed by the Civil Rights Movement

On Saturday, February 18th at 7pm, professional actress Carolyn Evans will appear as Harriet Tubman and Ballet Spartanburg will present a dance performance by Kyle Abraham.  

All events will be held at the Chapman Cultural Center Theater. For ticket information, please call 864-596-3501.

It’s time to dust off those bell bottoms and platform shoes that have been hiding in your attic and get ready to boogie the night away at Retro Fest. What has been called the South’s Largest Disco Party returns for its 15th year Saturday, February 4th.

You will feel as if you have stepped back in time as you enter the door and see hundreds of people decked out in their grooviest attire dancing the night away to disco tunes. Retro Fest benefits the Piedmont Chapter of the American Red Cross and has been a crowd sellout for years.

Retro Fest will be held on Saturday, February 4, 2012 at the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium. Get your tickets now, because they go fast! You can purchase your tickets through the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium (www.crowdpleaser.com) or 864-582-8107 or through Ticketmaster.

If you have been to Spartanburg, you probably have quickly caught on that Spartanburg is nicknamed the Hub City. With signs welcoming you to the Hub City at the gateways to the community and businesses with the name Hub City Coffee, Hub City Coffee Shop, Hub City Farmers’ Market, it’s hard to miss.

If you want to know how the city got its famous nickname, visit the Hub City Railroad Museum (see there it is again…Hub City).

 Spartanburg became the Hub City back in the late 1800s, when seven train lines fanned out from the city like spokes on a wheel. Spartanburg was a major transportation hub; by the early 20th century nearly 20 passenger cars passed through and many more freight trains carried goods, textiles, peaches and other produce to nearly every corner of the country.

 The Railroad Museum which is run by a group of volunteers and train enthusiasts opened in April of 2010. Since its opening, over 4,500 visitors have toured the museum.

The Hub City Railroad Museum is housed inside of the beautifully preserved Magnolia Street Train Station and is open to visitors two days a week.  Visitors to the museum will find memorabilia and artifacts that date as far back as the beginning of the railroad.

The Hub City Railroad Museum is located at 298 Magnolia St. and is open on Wednesdays from 10am to 2 pm and on Saturdays from 9am-3pm. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated. For more information call 864- 596-3501.

Looking for something unique to do with the family this Christmas? Celebrate the holiday season at Live Oak Farms. On Saturday, December 17th from 10 to 2 the farm will host a Christmas Extravaganza, a fun-filled event for the whole family.

 Enjoy a free trolley ride around the farm and then warm up with a cup of hot apple cider and wake up your palate with samples from their farm store.

 And of course, it wouldn’t be an extravaganza without a visit from Old Saint Nick. So bring your camera and pose for a family picture with Santa and Mrs. Claus! You’ll find many other photo opportunities in this picturesque old fashioned farm setting.

 Live Oak Farms is located at 270 Sam Davis Road in Woodruff, SC. For more information, visit www.LiveOakFarmsLLC.com or call 864-991-9839.

Bring in your New Year with style at the Spartanburg Marriott’s New Year’s Eve Celebration! On December 31st, the Marriott’s Heritage Ballroom will be transformed into an elegant fantasy, complete with a band that will lure you to the dance floor, an extravagant menu, open bar, midnight champagne toast, and a twilight continental breakfast.

The fun begins at 7:30pm with a delectable menu including heavy hors d’oeuvres, hand carved tenderloin or beef, lamb lollipops and slow roasted pork sliders.

 At 8:30pm, the band will crank up and keep you rocking through the night. Summerdaze Band is a “variety dance band” that plays the most requested dance hits from the 60’s up to today’s top 40 hits.

Toast the New Year with a glass of champagne and then begin your New Year with a Twilight Continental Breakfast.

 The cost for this event is $85 per adult. If you have a group you would like to ring in the New Year, grab a table for everyone. The cost is $600 for a table of 8 or $750 for a table of 10.

You can also purchase a room package, which includes two tickets to the event with breakfast and accommodations for two. The cost for this package is $279.00.

 For more information or for reservations, call 864-596-1211.