August Spencer
(Shown: Kevin Holliday, chair of the Fall for Greenville Board of Directors. Photo and story by August M. Spencer.)
Bank of America Fall for Greenville presented by Pepsi returns to downtown Greenville Oct. 10-12, 2025, once again opening with a Thursday Night Kick-Off Concert presented by Papa Bear Car Wash on Oct. 9. Festival officials hosted a first look Aug. 20 to announce this year's restaurant and entertainment lineup, which includes participation of 47 restaurants, 13 food trucks and trailers, and 85 musical performances. Festival officials also announced a new ticketless point of sale system. Festival goers will now use credit cards or festival-issued gift cards directly at all food vendors, beverage locations, and festival specific merchandise locations. Cash will be accepted at cash conversion locations throughout the event site and will be transferred onto festival-issued cards.
"Bank of America Fall for Greenville brings together our neighbors and visitors to celebrate the best of the people, culture, and food that make Greenville and the Upstate special," said Stacy Brandon, president, Bank of America Upstate SC. Brandon added, "Bank of America's longstanding partnership with the city of Greenville and Fall for Greenville Board continues to help deliver an engaging experience for families, nonprofits, and small businesses alike, as we uplift impactful community programs and boost our local economy. We are excited to see everyone at this year's festival."
Over the course of the three-day festival, guests will have the opportunity to experience over 340 unique menu offerings from 60 local and regional food vendors, 10 of which are new to the event. Restaurant participants will be located along nearly a mile stretch of Main Street, and a variety of food trucks and trailers will line US Foods Food Truck Row located on West McBee Street. Guests are invited to grab a bite and find a seat in one of the festival's six bistro areas sponsored by GBS Building Supply and Leaf Filter.The Festival's Thursday Night Kick-Off Concert presented by Papa Bear Car Wash will return to the CPI Security West End Stage, located at the intersection of Main Street and Augusta Street. The free pre-event concert will feature the musical talents of blues guitarist Matthew Curry at 5 p.m., Costa Rican rock band The Saint Cecilia at 6:30 p.m. and the Atlanta, GA based, soulful rock act Penelope Road from 8:30 to 10:00 p.m. Food options from participating festival vendors will be available for purchase on-site.
Continuing throughout the weekend, festival-goers can enjoy free concerts across seven stages from 85 national, regional, and local entertainers, with over half of these performers representing the Upstate. Performances include the Grammy-nominated blues rock band from Los Angeles The Record Company and multi-instrumentalist indie rock violin virtuoso, Kishi Bashi on the RJ Law Main Stage; Latin Grammy-nominated international Latin rock band Making Movies to perform on the Duke Energy Stage on The River; Country/Soul singer-songwriter Leon Timbo performing on the SPI Security West End Stage; "Appalachian Space Fund" blues act Jeremy Short on the Wicked Weed Stage; and local favorites Jamie Wright, Trey Francis, Luke Deuce, Hurt & Skip, and Mac Arnold performing throughout the weekend. The festival will also feature a variety of DJ sets at the Beats on the Street presented by Clemson MBA on Coffee Street, live salsa music and dance lessons on the Duke Energy Stage on the River and a special performance from the Carolina Ballet Theatre.Additional highlights of the weekend will include:
The GSP International Airport Wine Garden, located in Village Green, and the Spinx Beer Garden, located on E. McBee Street, featuring a variety of offerings designed to satisfy all taste palates. Souvenier sample cups will be available in each location for guests to purchase samples of the many wine and beer varietals. New this year, both locations will open with the festival, beginning at noon on Friday, October 10.
The T-Mobile Kids' Area, which will feature an entire block filled with children's rides and activities on E. Broad Street.
A Silent Disco presented by Aloft Hotel, which will take place at the Live at Aloft Stage in One City Plaza on Friday evening, October 10.
National Journalists who will judge participating restaurants on their best dish and award the top entree and dessert dishes the Silver Spoon and Sugary Spoon Awards.
"This year, we're not just celebrating the best of local food and music, we're dedicating ourselves to making the festival experience better than ever," says Kevin Holliday, Fall for Greenville Board chair. "Thanks to the incredible support and involvement of our community and sponsors, we're bringing new energy and improvements to create an event that truly showcases the heart and soul of Greenville. Get ready to reconnect, enjoy delicious food and incredible talent, and make unforgettable memories."Festival gift cards can be pre-purchased online now through Oct. 8 and will be available for pick-up at Will Call festival weekend. The festival will once again offer a promotion for purchases made leading up to festival weekend. Those who pre-purchase a festival gift card for $50 will automatically receive an additional $5. The promotion ends Oct. 8. No refunds will be given for pre-purchased sales.Throughout the weekend, parking will be available at all city of Greenville garages. For those who would like to bike into downtown Greenville for the festival, a bike valet sponsored by Bike Walk Greenville will be available on Saturday, Oct. 11 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 12 from noon to 7 p.m. The bike valet will be located on the Swamp Rabbit Trail under the Main Street Bridge.
Since 2005, the festival has donated over $1 million to local charities through the Greenville Technical College Volunteer Program and the Fall for Giving Grant Program. Bank of America Fall for Greenville continues to support the local community by partnering with 14 local nonprofits, pledging to fill over 800 volunteer positions, to serve as this year's festival beneficiaries. Earlier this year, festival officials awarded the Fall for Giving grant to three local nonprofit organizations for projects dedicated to the enhancement of culinary and food programs, cultural diversity, family, and music. In addition, the festival is proud to provide annual scholarships to students majoring in the culinary and hospitality fields at Greenville Technical College through the Chef Judy Balsizer Legacy Endowment Fund.Bank of America Fall for Greenville relies on more than 1,800 volunteers to support the festival weekend. Registration for volunteer positions is now open to the public. All volunteers will receive an official Bank of America Fall for Greenville volunteer t-shirt, along with a festival-issued gift card pre-loaded with $10 per shift. Volunteers who work four or more shifts will receive free parking and a $25 festival-issued gift card. To sign up for a volunteer shift, visit: fallforgreenville.net/volunteer.
The public is encouraged to follow along on the festival's social feeds on Instagram at @fallforgville and facebook.com/fallforgreenville for additional festival announcements. Go to fallforgreenville.net for a complete festival overview and to plan a visit. For a listing of frequently asked festival questions, visit fallforgreenville.net/FAQ. Use the hashtag "#FallforGreenville" festival weekend to join in the Bank of America Fall for Greenville conversation on social media.
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