I grew up in Greenville, SC. It’s where I learned the difference between the salad fork and the dinner fork. Hint: work from outside in. Greenville’s where my taste buds learned to sing. I remember eating at the newly constructed “The Lazy Goat” eleven years ago tasting roasted figs for the first time with my Youth Leadership Greenville class. It was 2006, and at 16 years old, we were being exposed to the new flavors and restaurant concepts that would eventually define Greenville as a food capital of the South. Little did I know as I munched on that fig, was that the owner behind “The Lazy Goat “ and it’s accompanying restaurant group that launched a thousand flavors aptly named Table 301, was in the middle of developing Euphoria.
Euphoria, the food and wine festival of Greenville, SC was created in 2006 by Greenville’s local singer-songwriter legend Edwin McCain, i.e., “I’ll Be,” and Table 301’s Carl Sobocinski to bring awareness to the Upstate’s thriving culinary and arts scene. Now, on its twelfth year, Euphoria tests out new event concepts to build buzz around healthy eating, educational classes and a child-friendly event so that the whole family can fully enjoy the four day festival. Euphoria has spread from its Main Street origins to including nearby venues in neighboring towns where events like “Big Easy Bash” are held in Travelers Rest ( a 7ish mile bike ride away) or a special evening event at Grits & Groceries in Belton, SC. The inclusive nature of Euphoria’s model suggests the growth of the festival in the past decade, and its positive economic impact on the city for years to come.
So, rent your Air BnB or call up your second cousin twice removed who lives in Greenville, SC and tell them to ready the guest beds. Here are the Top Ten Events I’ve got my eyes on…