12 free things to do in Greenville

Ever spend a weekend dining, shopping, and exploring all of GVL’s pastimes – only to look at your bank account on Monday and think maybe it’s time to chill out a little? We asked in our newsletter, Instagram stories, and on Facebook for our readers’ favorite free activities, and here are your answers. A bookmarkable list of $0 fun? Priceless.

“Moonlight movies, downtown Alive, first fridays” – @zowo_wes17

• Fidelity Investments Moonlight Movies start up in Falls Park in May (and again in September) – pack a blanket and some snacks for a free evening of entertainment. You can enjoy free outdoor music at Piedmont Natural Gas Downtown Alive + Greenville Heritage Main Street Fridays starting this month (March 21 + 22, respectively), and First Fridays every month are the perfect time to explore local artist studios and galleries.

“Mice on Main!” – @mobryso

• DYK the Mice on Main were created by a local Christ Church Episcopal School student? 🐭 Sculptor Zan Wells brought the bronze mice to life, and you can use this list of hints to track down each one. The ideal activity for kids (or a creative date).

“Library events 📚 Currently Return to Hogwarts: A Harry Potter Book Club” – @amsnelgrove

• The Greenville County Library System hosts tons of events, from DIY bath bomb classes to film club to calming coloring sessions. View the full calendar or search by branch here.

“Spend the day walking Main Street after riding from Swamp Rabbit Cafe on trail” – @parmejon213

“Walking around downtown falls park and swamp rabbit trail” – @kcred01

“Swamp rabbit trail!” – @kbuckless91

“Walk or bike swamp rabbit, downtown, falls park – always love it” – @juliawcunningham

• The Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail is the perfect free activity for a sunny day – check out our guide for where to park, what to bring, and food + drink stops along the way.

“Browse the downtown farmers market” – @mjnesmith

“Saturday Market!” – @kellercb

“Love to people watch at Saturday farmers market!” – @ooosnapitsmel

• The TD Saturday Market starts on May 4 this year, with vendors ranging from Coffee Underground and Bossy Baker to Blue Ridge Creamery and Reedy River Farms. Find an interactive map of the vendors here – but you’ll have just as good a time simply strolling through the crowds + enjoying the excitement of summer. 🥕

“Love walking from swamp rabbit cafe to the children’s garden with my littles” – @sgmackintosh

“Walk through the parks” – @marcelacmo

“Walking around Reedy River and downtown. And finding new parks” – @coachchrista23

• Greenville has plenty of parks to explore. Whether you want to check out the colorful, tucked away Linky Stone Park or spend a day wandering Cleveland Park’s 122 acres, here’s an interactive map to get you started. 🌳

“Walk around downtown! I love to see all the new buildings.” – @sara.youngblood

• Turn back time to our most anticipated 2019 openings if you need proof that a ton of development is happening downtown, from pizza at Markley Station to Gather food hall in the West End. Take a Saturday stroll to see what’s new in the city.

“Run Up Paris Mountain 🏃 it’s beautiful and a challenge” – @leora18

• Even if you’re not the running type, Paris Mountain offers plenty of free ways to spend a sunny day. Pack a picnic, walk one of the mountain’s trails, complete the Wayside Wanderer scavenger hunt to learn more about the park’s history, or go swimming in the summer.

“The Greenville County Museum of Art (GCMA) is a great free thing to do for an hour or so (depending on how long you like to gaze at art). They frequently have live music, sketchings, and private tours.” – Heidi M.

“The Greenville County Art Museum is always an excellent choice. Sundays at 2 is an excellent way to spectate or participate in events, from drawing classes to free music.” – Ed W.

• There’s more to do at the Greenville County Museum of Art after you’ve finished wandering the galleries (which are stocked with everything from classical Southern portraits to modern abstract art). 🎨 The Sundays at 2 series features a free activity every weekend – try the St. Patrick’s Day family painting session on March 17.

“Hiking! I mean, some of the parks have a very small entry fee but there are free ones too.” – @cookiepbear

“Mountain bike pleasant ridge” – @pawhitmire

• One of the best things about Greenville is our proximity to some amazing hiking spots. We worked with Girls Who Hike SC to share this ultimate hiking guide, from easy day hikes to strenuous paths that span the state. 👟 If you want to step things up a little, here are some camping protips.

“Noma square music” – @winters_summer_home

“Yoga in Noma Square and in the green space beside Courtyard Marriott in spring/summer” – @becca_j_fowler

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  In addition to the free live music at NOMA Square during Piedmont Natural Gas Downtown Alive + Greenville Heritage Main Street Fridays (which both start next month), NOMA also hosts free yoga for all fitness levels. Get your mat ready – the next session is March 27.

“Geocaching - download the Geocaching app & get started on the adventure… pack a lunch to stop for a picnic” – Tammy H.

• The Geocaching app on the App Store + Google Play is a good entryway into the treasure-hunting hobby – it’ll show you the coordinates of hidden containers called geocaches in your area, which often have cool tokens or items inside as a surprise for those who track them down. You can also join the Upstate S.C. Geocachers Association Facebook group or participate in the S.C. State Parks Geocache Challenge.