It’s summertime in the South, and if your family was anything like mine, it meant sitting still on Grandmother’s porch, surrounded by newspaper spread out all underneath you as you shucked more ears of freshly picked corn than you could ever imagine eating. And, if you weren’t shucking corn, you were in a rocking chair with Grandmother’s huge mixing bowl in your lap, stringing and snapping green beans. We were happy to do it, because we knew there was a pretty good chance that afterward, she would bring out the old churn, and pretty soon those peaches that we helped pick that morning would be turned into some of the best ice cream you’ve ever tasted.
Or, after playing in the yard with your friends all day, hearing the music of the ice cream truck, which was just enough of a siren call that would send you careening home to find whatever loose change your mom would give you to exchange for a popsicle or snow cone.
These days we don’t take the time to churn our own ice cream, (well, we do here at the B&B – our Blackberry cobbler wouldn’t be the same without our homemade Riesling Ice Cream!) and it’s a rare thing to hear a Good Humor truck coming down your street, but that doesn’t mean you still can’t enjoy some of summer’s favorite frosty treats. Greenville is home to many great places to sit a bit, cool down and collect your thoughts with a homemade milkshake, or shaved ice. Here are a few of our favorites.
Family-owned and operated, Clare’s Creamery offers small-batch ice cream, hand-crafted with quality ingredients sourced from the best local and national suppliers. So many great flavors to choose from, like Honey Vanilla, Banana, Cookies and Cream, Texas Honey Pecan, Dark Chocolate, and Honey Lavender.
Here, they make their own fresh cream daily in small batches with no preservatives, emulsifiers, or stabilizers. You get to pick your ice cream base, and a mix-in, and their ice cream artisans pour that fresh cream right onto a frozen slab, incorporate your mix-in, then as it quickly freezes, roll it into thin rolls of ice-creamy goodness right in front of your eyes! But that’s not all! Then, they top the rolls with up to three more toppings, a cookie crumble, drizzle it with flavored syrups, and top with whipped cream. The show is almost as much fun to watch as it is to eat the ice cream. Almost…
Do you like milkshakes, but would like them more if they also were served in a syrup-swirled mason jar, then topped by a baked treat, drizzled in more chocolate syrup, and topped with your choice of many, many toppings, and whipped cream? Then, the Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar, across from Fluor Field, is the place for you. With an ever-expanding lineup of signature shakes, desserts, and over-the-top treats, you are sure to leave happy. Try one of my favorites, “Berried in Chocolate”; a chocolate raspberry ice cream milkshake, served in a raspberry swirled jar, with vanilla frosting rolled in chocolate shavings, then topped with a slice of cheesecake, whipped icing, more chocolate shavings, then raspberry and chocolate drizzle. It’s great to share, but you don’t have to. There’s plenty more there for your partner to try. And give you a bite of.
Need a little lunch with your sweet treat? Then visit the Pickwick Pharmacy and lunch counter that will take you back to the ’40s and ’50s, serving simple sandwiches heated on a griddle, shakes and malts, root beer floats, fresh-squeezed orangeade and lemonade, hot dogs, 50 flavors of ice cream, and cherry and vanilla cokes all served from a 1949 soda fountain.
Or, Grill Marks, where they have one goal: to set a new standard for burgers and shakes in Greenville. And boy have they. There are two Greenville locations, one down on Main Street, and another at Haywood Mall, and feature incredible gourmet burgers, delicious sides, and hand-spun milkshakes creations, made with their house-made Madagascar vanilla ice cream, and oh so much more (you’ll have to click over to see the pictures to believe me). They are also one of my favorites because they have what they call “Shake-tails”, but my kids call “Mommy Milkshakes”; milkshakes, minus the milk, add the booze. I highly recommend the Coffeetail – Stoli vanilla vodka and flor de cana, with espresso. That one will make that trip to the mall SOOO much more enjoyable.
Those should satisfy your creamy cravings, but what if you want something a little lighter? Then shaved ice might be just what you are looking for. May I recommend The Nomadik Few Gourmet Shaved Ice. Although it’s about a 20-minute drive from the Bed & Breakfast, the shaved ice connoisseurs around here will tell you it’s the best and well worth the little drive. Their ice is shaved on such a fine level that it mimics fresh, powdery snow. Because of this, it allows the flavors of the syrups and toppings to really settle in. The Nomadik Few has so many fun flavors (I counted 71 on their website!) and is the only shaved ice vendor in the upstate to offer a line of organic flavors, such as black cherry, blueberry, and mango, but also unique flavors like buttered popcorn, and Fireball. And, although they have nothing against the basics, they also like to offer the experience of adding toppings and mixing flavors. Try the Caramel Covered Apple, tart green apple smothered in caramel sauce and spritzed with sour spray.
Now you’re full and happy, what else is there to do? Lucky for you, there is always something more happening in Greenville. Below we’ve listed recurring weekly events, as well as a few date-specific events that will help you decide how you want to spend your time in Greenville. Make sure to check out this link to Greenville’s Event Calendar to see what new events are added daily.
Recurring Weekly Events this Summer:
Join Pomegranate on Main and enjoy some delicious Persian food and enjoy live music performances by local musicians on their climate-controlled patio each Wednesday evening from 6:30 – 9:30 PM. Artists will vary each week
Come in on Thursdays at 6:30 pm and join The Eighth State Brewing Company at
400 August St. and Not Rocket Science Trivia for a fun night of trivia with friends!
Recurring Thursdays through August 31 – Come to NOMA Square and kick off the beginning of the weekend and celebrate all things music at the PNG Downtown Alive Piedmont Natural Gas Downtown Alive opens on Thursdays at 5:30 pm and closes at 8:30 pm. Bands play two sets at 5:50 pm and 7:20 pm on the Stage at Noma Square. The music varies from country to rock or jazz. Check the calendar for the music “flavor” of the week.
Recurring Fridays: Wind up the work week at Greenville Heritage FCU Main Street Fridays listening and dancing to the best in musical entertainment. This weekly music series on Main Street at NOMA Square opens at 5:30 p.m. and closes at 9:30 p.m., with bands playing two sets at 5:50 p.m. and 7:40 p.m. NOMA Square chairs go fast, so bring a tailgating chair if you are not arriving early. We have folding chairs available at the B&B if you didn’t bring your own..
Tuesday, August 1 – Sunday, August 6
Tuesday, August 1 – The multi-platinum, award-winning band, Goo Goo Dolls will be at CCNB Amphitheater at Heritage Park. Hitting the road with fellow veterans of alt-rock, O.A.R. in tow! Selling more than 12 million albums in their career, the Goo Goo Dolls play their best-loved hits and tracks from their recently released album, Chaos in Bloom.
August 2 – 20: Come Defy Gravity, as the Peace Center brings back the Broadway smash, Wicked, for a multi-week run. If you haven’t seen it already (and even if you have, you should really see it again!) this incredible musical takes us back to Oz, long before Dorothy arrives, and tells the story of Elphaba and Glinda, two girls destined to be best friends, before becoming best enemies as they find their way in the Land of Oz.
Friday, August 4- Saturday, August 5 – Greenville Theatre – Dirty Logic : A Steely Dan Tribute Band. This 11-piece powerhouse delivers the experience that true Steely Dan fans recognize as an authentic passion for the music, skillfully and joyfully recreated.
Friday, August 4 – Greenville’s Metropolitan Arts Council presents First Fridays, a Greenville area art crawl, occurring on the First Friday of each month. Check out the website before you go to see highlights of the night and map out which galleries you want to see.
Monday, August 7 – Sunday, August 13
While there’s no denying the quality and caliber of our galleries and museums, we think that art is something that should be shared and enjoyed by everyone, all the time. That’s why many of the streets and parks of Greenville are home to 125+ pieces of stunning original art. From the whimsical to the “wow,” you’ll encounter pieces that make you smile, make you think, and make you feel. And isn’t that what art is really all about? The City of Greenville has an online map of the public Art Walking Tour to help you plan your own art trail.
Saturday, August 12 – The SC New Play Festival is proud to present a posthumous staged reading of Essential Alice, with music and lyrics by the late Broadway composer Michael Friedman (Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson), and book by Annie Weissman (Physical on Hulu). The musical, which has never had a production, will present its first public performance at the Gunter Theatre at The Peace Center. Essential Alice combines the two books of Alice In Wonderland with Lewis Carroll narrating the story to the Liddell family on a rowboat in 19th century England. It is a beautiful unheard musical.
Monday, August 14 – Sunday, August 20
Wednesdays – Fridays 10 am – 2 am – Tour the historic 1830s Kilgore-Lewis house, headquarters of the Greenville Council of Garden Clubs. This is the only historic home open to the public in Greenville. There are free (although donations are graciously accepted) docent-led tours of the house, Arboretum, and Gardens.
Friday, August 18 – Sunday, August 20: Best known as one of the stars of the hit television show In Living Color, Greenville welcomes Tommy Davidson to The Comedy Zone for what is sure to be a sold-out weekend. Get your tickets soon!
Monday, August 21 – Sunday, August 27
You may have heard of Mice on Main, but what if they ventured off, put on really cool costumes and grabbed a brew? Enter the “Brewmiceter Hops Hunt.” Three Greenvillians — Darcy, Deb, and Jerry — wanted to support local businesses and hid eight themed mice at local breweries for you to find. Once you find the mouse, you’re supposed to enjoy a cold one before moving forward in the hunt (they suggest finishing over several days + encourage drinking responsibly).
Saturdays from 10AM – 2PM – The Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum chronicles the life of one of America’s greatest baseball legends. The museum, located in the house in which Jackson lived and died, follows his humble childhood working in a local textile mill 
through his years playing textile league ball, his extraordinary career in professional baseball, and his later years. The museum displays artifacts, photographs, books, and other items of interest associated with his life. Shoeless Joe Jackson continues to be one of America’s most publicized and beloved baseball players of all time. His lifetime batting average, .356, remains one of the highest in the history of the game.
Monday, August 28 – Sunday, September 3
Monday, August 28 – Centerstage – One Voice: A Black History Narrative
Watch over 180 years of Black American history come alive, one voice at a time. “One Voice: A Black History Narrative” is a performance designed to go beyond a brief historical or political narrative. In this one-man show, JDew uses the real words and works of several significant Black history figures to let the audience experience the full impact of these leaders, covering history from as early as the 1850s to video vignettes of interviews with influential Black people from the 21st century.
Wednesday, August 30 – Mississippi rockers 3 Doors Down return to the stage in 2023 on the Away From The Sun Anniversary Tour with special guests, Seattle’s rock band, Candlebox. CCNB Amphitheater at Heritage Park.
As always you can cool down during your day with cold glass of our peach ice tea! Click below or call if we can help you book a stay with us.
