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“Bank of America Fall for Greenville,” presented by Pepsi, returns to downtown Greenville Oct. 11-13, kicking off the day earlier with a Thursday night concert presented by Papa Bear Car Wash.

Festival officials, including Bank of America Upstate President Stacy Brandon and Board Chair Veera Gaul, hosted an event to announce this year’s dining and entertainment lineup. The festival is seeing record attendance, with 64 restaurants, food trucks and trailers and 85 entertainment acts.

Festival Taste Tickets can be purchased in advance online and include a limited-time promotion where shoppers will receive a sheet of five tickets with the purchase of $50 worth of tickets (10 sheets of five tickets each), a press release states. Tickets can be purchased in advance online now through Oct. 10 and will be available for pickup at Will Call during festival weekend. Beginning Oct. 1, Taste Tickets can be purchased in person at the Bank of America Financial Center in the Falls Tower on Main Street and at Diamonds Direct on Woodruff Road.

“Each year, Bank of America Fall for Greenville provides an exciting opportunity to celebrate the people, food and culture that are all unique to Greenville and Upstate,” said Stacy Brandon, Bank of America president for Upstate South Carolina, in the release. “Bank of America values ​​our long-standing partnership with the City of Greenville and the Fall for Greenville board to continue to grow this unique festival and what it represents for our community. We continue to activate new, creative ways to enhance the experience for families, business owners and nonprofits as thousands come together to support our local economy and impactful community programs. We look forward to seeing everyone there.”

The three-day festival offers the opportunity to experience more than 340 menu offerings from local and regional food vendors, 14 of which are new to the event. Participating restaurants are located along a quarter-mile stretch of Main Street, and a variety of food trucks and trailers line Food Truck Row on West McBee Street. Six bistro areas are sponsored by GBS Building Supply and Leaf Filter.

The festival’s opening concert on Thursday night, presented by Papa Bear Car Wash, will once again take place on the CPI Security West End Stage at the intersection of Main and Augusta Streets. The free pre-concert features Darby Wilcox and The One Hitters at 5 p.m., progressive rock and Sudanese pop sensation Sinkane at 6:30 p.m., and Nashville-based country music acts The Black Opry Revue from 8:30 to 10 p.m. Food will be available for purchase on-site from participating festival vendors.

All weekend long, festival-goers can enjoy free concerts from 85 national, regional and local artists, more than half of whom hail from the Upstate. Performances include the soulful blues stylings of Abraham Alexander and teenage Nashville guitar prodigy Grace Bowers & The Hodge Podge on the RJ Law Main Stage; Brazilian instrumental virtuoso Hamilton de Holanda on the Furman Jazz and Blues Stage; and former cellist of the Grammy-winning Carolina Chocolate Drops, multilingual singer/songwriter Leyla McCalla on the CPI Security West End Stage. The festival will also feature South Carolina’s “First Lady of Song,” Loretta Holloway, on the Duke Energy Stage at the river; Southern rockers The Georgia Thunderbolts on the Wicked Weed Stage; and local favorites Randomonium, Kami Ocean & the Rhythm, The Grateful Brothers, XperienceSoul and Mac Arnold & Plate Full O’ Blues. The festival also features various DJ sets at Beats on the Street, presented by Clemson MBA on Coffee Street.

Other highlights of the weekend include:

• The GSP International Airport Wine Garden in Village Green and the Spinx Beer Garden on E. McBee Street. Each location has souvenir sample cups available so guests can purchase samples of the various wines and beers.
• The Divine Group Kids’ Area encompasses an entire block of rides and activities for children on E. Broad Street.
• A Silent Disco presented by Aloft Hotel taking place on Friday evening, October 11th at the Live at Aloft Stage at One City Plaza.
• National journalists will judge participating restaurants based on their best dish and recognize the best appetizers and desserts with the Silver Spoon and Sugary Spoon Awards presented by Diamonds Direct.

“Bank of America Fall for Greenville is dedicated to celebrating the vibrancy and cultural diversity of the Greenville community and showcasing the best of local cuisine and regional and national entertainment,” said Veera Gaul, board chair of Fall for Greenville, in the press release. “By bringing people together and highlighting the uniqueness of our community, we aim to foster unforgettable experiences and deepen the connection between festival-goers and the charm of Greenville.”

Throughout the weekend, festival-goers can park in participating municipal parking garages for a daily rate of $5. Additionally, Greenville High School will offer free parking beginning at 5 p.m. Friday, October 11, where guests can take the free downtown streetcar that will drop off and pick up guests at the intersection of S. Main and Augusta Streets all weekend long. For those who wish to bike to the festival in downtown Greenville, Bike Valet service sponsored by Bike Walk Greenville will be available from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, October 12, and from noon to 7 p.m. on October 13. Bike Valet service will be located on the Swamp Rabbit Trail under the Main Street Bridge.

Since 2005, the festival has donated more than $900,000 to local charities through the Greenville Technical College Volunteer Program and the Fall for Giving Grant Program. Bank of America Fall for Greenville partners with 14 local nonprofits and has pledged to fill more than 800 volunteer positions to serve as beneficiaries of this year’s festival. Earlier this year, festival officials awarded the Fall for Giving grant to three local nonprofits for projects to enhance culinary and food programs, cultural diversity, family and music. In addition, the festival awards annual scholarships to students studying culinary arts and hospitality at Greenville Technical College through the Chef Judy Balsizer Legacy Endowment Fund.

Bank of America Fall for Greenville is supporting the festival weekend with over 2,000 volunteers. To sign up for a volunteer shift, visit: fallforgeenville.net/volunteer.

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