Main Street decorated for the holidays in 1948. | Photo from the James Wilson Collection, Upcountry History Museum
For us? You shouldn’t have. We think living in GVL is the greatest gift of all, but our city has actually been on the receiving end of quite a few delightful donations. From our quirky mice sculptures on Main Street to inclusive playgrounds, check out these three unique gifts given to Greenville.
Artisphere Public Art | Artisphere dedicated its fifth remarkable sculpture, “Tandem Lovers,” to the City of Greenville during a record-breaking 20th anniversary weekend in 2024. You may already be familiar with the other four iconic sculptures around town: “Spindle,” “Ten Artispheres,” “Paradigm Pathway,” and “Nexus of Light.”
Brook’s Playground | Greenville’s first inclusive playground in Cleveland Park is a gift from Paul and Reagin Foster, dedicated to their daughter Brooks, who has a rare neurological condition. Designed with accessible equipment for all children, the $3.5 million project is funded by $2.3 million from the city and $1.4 million in private donations, including over $800,000 from Brooks’ parents.
Guess what City Editor Danielle was for Halloween this year — it starts with “Mice” and ends with “Main.”
Photo by GVLtoday
Mice on Main | Speaking of public art... in 2000, nine bronze mice scurried onto Greenville’s Main Street as part of a senior project by Jimmy Ryan, a student at Christ Church Episcopal High School. Inspired by the beloved children’s book “Goodnight Moon,” Ryan teamed up with local artist Zan Wells to bring this whimsical idea to life. Each mouse was carefully placed by Ryan and Wells — can you find them all?
These extraordinary gifts not only add character and value to our city, but also show how generosity can have a lasting impact.
Events
Events
It’s not too late to get into the holiday spirit with events around Greenville. Tap the button below for a little bit of everything coming up locally.
Prep for post-holiday cleanup chaos with our go-to organization hacks:
🎁 Tuck leftover wrapping paper into this storage container with handy pockets for ribbons + bows.
🌲 Keep ornaments protected in a durable storage box with drawers that hold up 128 pieces.
🎀 Organize holiday decor in these best-selling containers that are transparent so you can easily see what’s inside.
🚪 Prevent your wreath from getting crushed with a specially designed storage bag that keeps its shape intact.
💡 Say goodbye to tangled wires — this storage solution features three spools for easy holiday light organization.
We’ve made it somewhat of a tradition to spend the first evening our family is here downtown — stopping by the Grand Bohemian’s Christmas Market, taking a picture in front of the Westin’s beautiful tree, and rounding out the night at Soby’s for dinner. It’s been a special start to the holidays, and I hope it’s been the same for you and your family.
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