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Where does Santa go to catch a little break before his big delivery night? Our vote is on Greenville, South Carolina. The city goes all out in December with ice skating, parades, one-of-a-kind shopping and decadent merry foods you won’t find anywhere else.
Do we really think Santa Claus works the entire month of December leading up to Christmas Eve? I’m not buying it. There’s no way he could get through all he does without a little R and R.
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I have an idea where he may head. Maybe with a drink in one hand and some local chocolate in the other. He can enjoy the festivities of the season and even dine in an igloo. Where is this winter wonderland? None other than Greenville, South Carolina.
Greenville is an ideal destination in the south of the United States. You can get the complete holiday spirit without some of the winter stresses (harsh weather, crowds). There’s an ice skating rink, parades, festive breweries, and plenty of holly jolly foods. Santa is sure to be ready to fill out his big red suit come December 24th after a visit to Greenville.
Smooth Arrival via Airplane (or Sleigh) to Greenville
After a safe landing of his sleigh at Greenville–Spartanburg International Airport, Santa is ready to check into the Westin Poinsett.
The striking 12-floor building dates back to 1824 and is one of Greenville’s oldest skyscrapers. Once inside, a massive Christmas tree adorned with ornaments greets guests. The sight is magical as is the aroma.
The Westin Poinsett is centrally located to take advantage of downtown Greenville. Since Santa wants to stroll sans reindeer, it’s a great location to walk or even bike. He feels right at home in a traditional room. With a cozy king bed, a snooze is tempting.
He doesn’t dream of sugarplums but rather a plate of tagliatelle. Once awake, he promptly heads to Indaco, an inviting Italian restaurant and bar. Indaco is known for hand-made pasta, wood-fired pizzas and cocktails. He can sip and savor while watching folks skate and frolic at Ice on Main, Greenville’s ice skating rink.
After pasta and a sausage pizza (and maybe Italian red wine), Santa decides to see what a “pop-up” is. At Up on the Roof, a Greenville favorite for roof-top dining, it means Elf’d UP. Santa immediately envisions his staff of elves heading here after a long day at the toy shop.
Elf’d UP is a holiday tradition that transforms the contemporary restaurant and bar into a rooftop abundance of kitsch, neon lights and a galore of giddy Instagram photo ops. Not only that but there’s a limited-engagement menu of Fa La La Libations and Mistletoe Munchies.
Santa takes a close look at the Cups of Cheer (tipsy hot chocolates). He decides on Rebel Without a Claus (Disaronno velvet cream and toasted marshmallow) as his nightcap to end an appetizing first night in Greenville.
Sweet Treats Galore
Photo by Mary Farah
Following a fantastic night’s sleep, Santa wakes with breakfast on his mind. He heads to Main Street and discovers Old Europe Coffee and Desserts. A smorgasbord of freshly made desserts welcome him.
There are cakes like German chocolate, opera and lemon Bavarian, macarons in every color, and even better? A good half of the bakery case is gluten-free or vegan. Santa loves when shops include a variety of choices for everyone on his list.
After mingling with locals over a latte and a few slices of said cakes, it’s time for Santa to do some shopping. He can’t return to the North Pole empty-handed and he knows the reindeer are expecting treats.
He begins at some beloved Greenville boutiques. Vintage Now Modern is the shop to stop at for eclectic home decor, antiques, jewelry, and locally crafted baubles. While over at Mast General Store, there’s Greenville licensed apparel, necessities, and an impressive candy barrel collection.
Santa grabs some souvenirs (and saltwater taffy) and is fascinated to learn Mast was once the sole store in downtown Greenville.
Thinking about how perfect popcorn is for a stocking stuffer, he heads to Poppington’s Gourmet Popcorn. Holiday flavors like toffee and Winter Love (cotton candy and marshmallow) jump off the shelves and after a sample, he can understand why. The cinema snack staple bursts with true-to-its-name flavor. None of them taste artificial but rather a subtle seasoning of holiday essence.
Next up he heads to River Street Sweets. The Savannah, Georgia-based company is celebrating 50 years in business so Santa knows they’re doing something right. The sweet shop prepares its world-famous pralines in-house every day. If that’s not enough to entice, the boutique is filled with beautifully arranged candy baskets.
Time For a Festive Lunch
Since he’s still got a few pounds to put on for that suit, he decides to grab lunch and drinks at Southernside Brewing Co. Santa keeps hearing that their winter wonderland magic can get even the Grinch in the mood. Holiday cheer mood, that is.
He will check it out for himself. And maybe grab a themed cocktail in a Santa cup. Apparently, they’re known for putting on the kitsch this time of year with ugly fun mugs and festive takes on booze-y drinks.
Their menu of American classics like burgers and fries is just what the Merry Man is craving, too.
As soon as he enters the parking lot, it’s clear they love Christmas. Decorations, lights, life-size Santa and reindeer mannequins, and anything else Christmas you can think of, Southernside has it displayed. Santa is going to keep this brewery in mind for the New Year’s party since it’s family-friendly and fun for everybody who visits.
Yuletide Magic at Escape Artist Greenville South Carolina
Have you ever done an escape room? Santa is very confused at this concept but after some drinks and grub, decides to give it a whirl. He heads to Escape Artist Greenville.
The local experience has been named the #1 Fun Thing to do in Greenville and a Top 10 in the USA Today’s Reader Choice Awards among many other accolades. They offer 10 “escapes” for parties to select from. One of the most popular is Yuletide Magic which is available year-round and, of course, what Santa picks.
Once “locked” inside the escape room, participants learn their story. For Yuletide Magic, it’s Christmas Eve and a snowstorm has wrecked your plans and delayed your guests. It’s up to you to work some “magic” at the escape room or Christmas just won’t happen this year.
Since Santa has been in so many stories with similar plot lines, he loves the chance to test out his quick thinking and attempt to save the day. After such hard work, he looks forward to his dinner reservation in an igloo.
Dinner in an Igloo
Santa keeps hearing that no visit to Greenville, South Carolina is complete until you dine at Juniper. During the holidays, the cosmopolitan restaurant offers igloo rentals to enhance your holiday dining.
Each private igloo has chairs, heating and blankets. With an incredible view of the skyline from the rooftop to boot.
Santa makes himself cozy and zeros in on the enticing menu. Wagyu strip, crab cakes, and corzetti with duck ragu all catch his eye.
Juniper is known for their exquisite farm-to-table plates and Santa cannot think of a better place to end his evening. He decides to truly ring in the season and order both some dessert wines and a pavlova.
He hates to admit it, but he thinks Mrs. Claus could take some pointers from Juniper’s decadent desserts.
One More Stroll Through Greenville
Santa awakes after that merry evening in a festive haze. He’s still dreaming of food, candy, wine and anything that goes in the belly. It’s been excellent in Greenville.
Mrs. Claus is texting that it’s time to fly home. He knows it’s inevitable and is looking forward to his big night of toy deliveries. But he needs just one more stroll in this magical city.
He heads to the Grand Bohemian Lodge. The breathtaking resort is situated in the heart of Falls Park and offers a unique experience for its visitors. The lodge is home to the annual Greenville Christmas Market and Santa manages to find room in his bag to grab a few more gifts.
The market features local artisans selling goods like honey, candles, olive oils, coffee and more through the holiday season.
While browsing, Santa hears of Greenville’s Festival of Trees. Celebrating its 39th year, the Festival of Trees brings together local florists, schools and organizations to sponsor and decorate over 50 trees.
They all are put on display at the Hyatt Regency and Courtyard by Marriott. Funds raised support the Graduate Medical Education program which ensures much-needed medical staff are available locally should a national shortage strike. The entries are beautiful and even give him some ideas for the North Pole.
Until Next Time, Greenville
As Santa flies his sleigh home to the North Pole, he turns back to give Greenville one more look. He’s so thankful to have found such a jolly city in the United States. He might even contemplate how to make a quick pit stop during his big work night coming up.
If you make your way to Greenville for the holiday season, keep a lookout as he may just be hanging around.
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Author Bio: Mary Farah is a Los Angeles-based freelance travel writer. She’s written on her blog, Along Comes Mary, since 2012. Her work can be found in various online outlets including FWT Magazine, Palm Springs Preferred Small Hotels, Ventura County Mom Collective, and GoWorld Travel.
Mary is a proud member of IFWTWA, the International Food, Wine, and Travel Writers Association. A former executive board member, she currently serves on their conference and editorial committees. When she’s not writing or traveling, her favorite place to be is with her husband, daughter, and their two dogs.
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What a festive article, Mary! I love your creativity!