December is packed full of holiday fun in Greenville

Café & Then Some has been bringing comedic performances to the stage since 1978 and they are still going strong. Through December you have the chance to see their latest creation, "Some Assembly Required", to help "take the edge" off the holiday season. The show features elves, generic couples, a Pinterest freak, and the entire cast of a megachurch's Christmas pageant all trying to prepare for the holidays, and what is not to love about every bit of that? All of this comes with a full dinner service as Café & Then Some is the Upstate's only dinner theater, making it the perfect date night destination or holiday adventure with friends.

Now in its 34th year, The Festival of Trees invites local businesses and other Upstate groups to put their touch on classic Christmas tree decorating. The official kickoff party "Martinis & Mistletoe" at The Hyatt Regency signals the start of the event, followed by a Teddy Bear Luncheon invites guests to bring a stuffed animal to donate for kids in need. Then, all month long, guests are invited to visit Downtown Greenville's Courtyard Marriott, Embassy Suites, Hampton Inn & Suites, and The Hyatt Regency for a tour of the trees decorated for the event in each hotel's lobby.

Usually, to get a car on the track at the Greenville-Pickens Speedway, you need to be a part of a race. During the holidays, however, Upstate families are invited to drive around the track as they enjoy the Upstate's largest display of Christmas lights. This is an interactive event where the lights are synced with the Christmas music on your car's radio and there is no limit to how many times you can drive around the track (no racing, of course). After you have taken your last lap, feel free to park and enjoy the petting zoo, ice skating rink, and Santa Land. Christmas at the Speedway has never been so much fun for the entire family.

If you want to experience a winter wonderland unlike anything else the Upstate has to offer, you will want to pay a visit to the Greenville Convention Center's Holiday Fair. More than 350 artists, craftsmen, and other vendors from 15 states will set up shop for all of the gifts you will need to get you through the holidays. Now in its 49th year and at one of the Southeast's largest event spaces, the Holiday Fair at the Greenville Convention Center is great family fun that is sure to get you ready for the holidays like nothing you have ever experienced.

The best seasonal performance arts are taking place at the Peace Center all holiday season long. The fun starts with a visit from Robert Earl Keen on his special "Countdown to Christmas" tour and follows with performances of the Christmas Classic The Nutcracker, both from the International Ballet and Carolina Ballet Theatre. The Greenville Symphony Orchestra will perform three days of "Holidays At Peace" later in the month and, over at the smaller Gunter Theatre next door, families will enjoy "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and a special winter dance performance courtesy of the immensely talented students from Greenville's Governors School. It all amounts to a ton of holiday fun in the spirit of the season.

Greenville's premier arena and event space, the Bon Secours Wellness arena features some great seasonal events, both on stage and ice. The annual visit from the Trans-Siberian Orchestra is a great Christmas tradition and nothing says winter sports like a Swamp Rabbits hockey game which calls the arena home all season long. If strapping on some skates and getting on the ice yourself is more your speed, the arena opens up for their "Skating on the Big Ice" series where you can skate on the pro's ice every afternoon from December 21 through the end of the year (Christmas excluded).

Just because it is cold outside does not mean you should not get out and enjoy it. A wintertime hike is a great way to warm up and burn some of the extra calories we have consumed during our holiday revelry. Plus, with the leaves off the trees and maybe some ice on the lakes, even your most frequented trails can look completely different in colder temperatures. With Paris Mountain State Park only minutes from Downtown Greenville, there are a ton of trails to explore without having to travel too far from home. With all the stress and congestion that the holiday season often brings, escaping into the woods is a perfect respite from December's hustle and bustle.

Swamp Rabbit Café & Grocery celebrates the local food system all year round and that is especially on display during the holidays with an assortment of special events. Their annual "Holiday Flea" events bring together nearly fifty local artisans for a great way to knock out some Christmas shopping without ever stepping foot in a big box retailer. The store also features movie nights which, in December, will no doubt feature some Christmas classics paired with wood-fired pizza, soups, and hot cider to warm your bones on a cold December evening. Finally, December also features Swamp Rabbit Café's masquerade ball featuring pizza, drinks, and a DJ to benefit the non-profit organization Girl Up GVL.

Some celebrate Christmas as soon as decorations go on sale in December. Others start the moment the last bite of turkey is eaten on Thanksgiving. For the City of Greenville, however, the start of Christmas is marked by the annual Poinsettia Christmas Parade and the arrival of Santa Claus to Downtown Greenville. A holiday tradition for more than 75 years, the parade route connects Augusta St. to North St., spanning most of Main St. in the process. Floats, marching bands, dance troupes and other holiday activities are the order of the day with plenty of fun to be had by kids and kids at heart alike.

There are few images more iconic, American, and in the spirit of the season than the outdoor skating rink at New York City's Rockefeller Center. That great American city is far, cold, and expensive so why not have our version right here in the heart of Downtown Greenville? A holiday tradition since 2011, Ice on Main has welcomed over 115,000 skaters to Downtown Greenville to capture the full spirit of the winter season. A true holiday celebration, the rink opens just ahead of Thanksgiving and runs through Christmas and New Years before closing out the season on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in January, offering plenty of opportunities to celebrate winter and life on the ice.