A new year means new preparations for a calendar full of events in Downtown Spartanburg.

From the three days of fun and food during Spring Fling to everyone’s favorite Dickensian holiday festival – Dickens of a Christmas – to some returning events, use this guide to downtown’s 2023 events to pencil your calendar in and plan for the year ahead!

SPRING

Events season has its first go-round in March, as a few events are set for Saturday, March 18.

Shenanigans on the Square, Delaney’s Irish Pub’s celebration of all things St. Pat’s, will be held again on Morgan Square with live music, drink and food specials, and special attractions for families.

The weekend of March 31 and April 1, the Hub City Hog Fest makes its long-awaited return to Downtown Spartanburg. The barbecue contest, benefitting Mobile Meals of Spartanburg, will set up shop for the weekend with dozens of teams prepping their best wings, pulled pork, side dishes and more during an officially licensed South Carolina barbecue event.

The Cribbs Burger Cook-Off returns on Saturday, April 22. The event will feature some creative burger creations crafted by local teams aiming to win a spot on Cribbs Kitchen’s menu. Best of all, there will be samples.

The biggest annual festival in Spartanburg, Spring Fling returns to the calendar from April 28-30. This includes the hugely-popular Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System CRIT, which will be held the Friday night of Spring Fling from 3:15-10 PM. The street festival will again feature dozens of food and drink vendors, rides and games for all ages and live musical performances throughout downtown.

Get Off The Grid Pre-Event: This music-themed shin-dig will be hosted at FR8yard on April 23 and serves as a preview of the Get Off The Grid Charrettee, a free, music-packed event to be held at The Music Camp (190 Childress Road, Spartanburg, SC) in August.

Music on Main: Spartanburg’s longtime music series returns to Morgan Square starting on Thursdays in April – April 6 to be exact. Music on Main continues from 5:30-8:30 PM through July.

SUMMER

Sparkle City Rhythm & Ribs will bring plenty of barbecue and even more good music to Barnet Park on June 3. The event is a daylong celebration of all things barbecue with live music and a local makers’ market.

The City of Spartanburg’s Juneteenth Celebration will be held June 16-17, celebrating African-American freedom and achievement across the U.S. and in Spartanburg, which has a majority-African American population. Along with the official Juneteenth celebration will be a Block Party set for June 16 involving local artists, musicians, and more.

Spartanburg’s Red White and Boom 2014 in Barnet Park featuring Lindsay Ell. Photos by Mike Bonner

Bring a lawn chair, a healthy appetite, some sunglasses and maybe some sunscreen to Barnet Park on July 4 for Red, White & Boom, a rollicking good time, capped off by Spartanburg’s annual fireworks show.

Set for July 29, the 864 Music Festival will showcase musical acts from around the Upstate representing a variety of genres.

The City’s Sunday Market starts in August and will be held the second Sunday of each month through December.

FALL

On Oct. 7, Spartanburg’s popular International Festival will be held, showcasing the community’s international presence in food, dance, art, business and much more.

Spartanburg Soaring will be held a week later on Oct. 8. The kite-focused event features kite flying, kite crafting, live music and artwork display from talented artists and craftspeople from around the county.

WINTER

The annual event calendar is capped off with Dickens of a Christmas, as downtown is transformed into a Victorian-era holiday playland with live performances, food and drink vendors, the popular Christmas market and more.

The 2023 Dickens celebration is currently scheduled for Dec. 5 and a week later, Dec. 12, the Spartanburg Jaycees will again bring their Christmas Parade to the streets of downtown.

This page will be updated as more events are confirmed and added to the downtown calendar throughout the year.

Whether for an event, for a delicious meal or just for some fun, check out these helpful links for your next exploration in Downtown Spartanburg.

• Downtown parking
• Downtown shopping
• Downtown dining