A Girlfriend Getaway for the Holidays

Jingle & Mingle in Greenwood

Shopping, sipping, spas and holiday treasure hunts. Cookies, comedy and Santa on parade. Magical lights and holiday treats. It all adds up to the perfect way to spend a weekend with friends—and check off your Christmas list at the same time. 

Gather your road trip crew and make Greenwood your holiday headquarters. We’re decking the halls—and trees and streets and buildings all over Greenwood—to get ready for a big, beautiful, festive celebration.

Stroll, Shop, and Savor the Holiday

Be sure to bring your holiday shopping list—nothing says girlfriend getaway like a shopping excursion. And while you’re shopping for others, be sure to get in on the Jingle & Mingle Holiday Hunt for a chance to win a prize basket valued at $1,000 or more. Just download the Holiday Hunt list of participating businesses and get a stamp at each one you visit.  

Get started on your holiday hunt at the Uptown Open House on Nov. 17. Stroll through Uptown for a look at the lights and decorations. Collect your stamps from any participating business until Dec. 20. Collect at least 10 stamps to complete your card (no purchase required), and turn in your completed card at any participating business or at the Discover Greenwood Visitor Center, 120 Main Street, by Dec. 20 to enter the drawing on Dec. 21.

Start shopping in Uptown, a walkable wonderland of charming Christmas displays and one-of-a-kind boutiques like Fig, Thayers and David Lindsey. Find fabulous style for your feet at Blossom, or head-to-toe trends at Sugar.

Greenwood’s shops are the perfect place to start when you’re looking for a unique gift or something for the hard-to-shop-for person in your life. Take in the beautiful home furnishings and accessories at Bonhomie, and find perfect looks for the kids at Sweet Tea’s Children’s Boutique.

Main & Maxwell is the home of countless handmade pieces of art by more than 60 area artists. You’ll find everything from paintings and pottery to jewelry and unique Christmas ornaments; you may even find time for a DIY class. 

Holiday open houses, special sales and holiday gatherings are planned for the shops of Uptown and throughout the county. 

Visit the Uptown Market on November 4 and December 2 to find unique holiday gifts, baked goods and handmade items. The annual Uptown Sip & Shop shifts the fun into high gear on Dec. 14, when stores stay open late for holiday shopping. There are special sales, treats for snacking and cocktails for sipping! You can even create a wish list at your favorite shops.

Outside of Uptown, there’s even more shopping: Rainbo Antiques has been a go-to spot for antiques and home goods for 60 years. The Alcoves offer everything from a cafe and spa to fun finds at more than 30 shops, all for a good cause. Tilley’s Vintage Market in Hodges has vintage treasures and farmhouse trends. The Uptown Shoppers Market is 12,000 square feet of shopping fun, with everything from jewelry to sport memorabilia.

Get an outdoor vibe at idyllic Emerald Farm, with herb gardens and shops. Or find the perfect plants and garden accessories at magical Wyatt Farms. While you’re there, explore the grounds that include beautifully landscaped areas for picnics and photo sessions.

Treat Yourself

Take a break from shopping and sightseeing for a relaxing facial, mani-pedi or massage. The Spa on Maxwell along with Young Wellness, has a full range of spa services including light therapy, medical aesthetics, massage and body treatments. Also Uptown, Allure Salon and Spa provides hair, skin and nail care and day spa services. 

Outside of Uptown, you can find relaxation, skin and facial treatments, massage, waxing and other health services at the Purple Door Wellness Spa. Another spot for makeup, skin and nail care and massages is Merle Norman Cosmetics of Greenwood | Facebook. You can even schedule a group session. 

The Art of the Holidays

If you want to indulge your artistic side, Greenwood has some creative options. As you  shop for handmade gifts and art, be sure to visit The Arts Center of Greenwood for special exhibitions and even classes to make your own art at the holiday tree art workshop.

The hilarious antics of first grader Junie B. Jones will remind you why the holidays mean so much—when you see Junie B. Jones: Jingle Bells, Batman Smells at the Greenwood Community Theatre. Performances are set for Friday, December 8, and Sunday, December 10.

If you have little ones along for the trip, be sure to party with Santa and the elves at the North Pole Express, Dec. 16, at the Railroad Historical Center. Local theater students present the play, while the dancing elves serve up cocoa and cookies. Kids can make ornaments and go home with a goodie bag from Santa. Tickets are $25.

Eat, Drink and Stay a While

With all the holiday magic of Greenwood, you’ll want to stay a while and sample the great food and hometown feeling. Greenwood delivers big flavors at its many locally owned restaurants, with flavors from down home to around the globe. 

Try a wine tasting at Flynn’s on Maxwell, and be sure to check their Facebook page for special events and live music. South Bend Winery offers a variety of traditional and flavored fruit wines, and there are music and events throughout the year. Check out the craft beers and good food at Good Times Brewing and Mill House Pizza, where there’s always something going on, from live music and trivia nights to yoga classes.

Live music, Southern flavors and international cuisine are great ways to end your evenings in Greenwood. 

If Uptown is your thing, the Inn on the Square is the place to be. This historic boutique hotel has everything to make your stay perfect: Cambridge Chophouse offers full-service restaurant with classic Southern flavors. The Nook on the Square is the Inn’s newly renovated casual lounge and bar.

Several historic homes offer accommodations, including the antique-filled Marshall House of 1895, with porches, gardens, pergolas and Adirondack chairs for relaxing. The Headley Downs Manor is an 1899 Queen Anne mansion with an acre of gardens containing many original plantings. Believed to be the first house in Greenwood with electric lights, the home has modern amenities with an Old Charleston feel. 

For those who want to get closer to nature on their Greenwood trip, experience a getaway on beautiful Lake Greenwood in a new Waterloo home with a private dock where you can watch the wildlife along the waterfront or at this newly constructed Old Soul Treehouse which is an ideal couple’s retreat.

Capture Every Sparkling Moment

Uptown Greenwood is transformed for the holidays into an enchanted village of lights, trees and Christmas characters. Tour the lights by car or or take a stroll through the charming streets of Uptown, shopping as you go.

The first weekend of December kicks off the season in style. Santa appears on Uptown’s Main Street Dec. 1-3, culminating with the big parade at 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 3. Other parades are on tap in the towns of Ninety Six (December 2 at 6:00 p.m.), Ware Shoals (December 9 at 5:30 p.m.) and Dec. 17 in the town of Troy.

Take a drive through the campus of Connie Maxwell Children’s Home throughout the month of December to see each cottage and campus building shining brightly with images of Christmas. December 7-9, experience a living nativity scene, hot chocolate, and special musical performances during this special weekend.

The Uptown Cookie Crawl is a sweet delight, set for 11 a.m. Dec. 9. Pick up your Cookie Crawl map and treat boxes for the kids at the Arts Center. Then visit all of the Cookie Stops in Uptown shops from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to fill your treat boxes with yummy holiday treats—and do some holiday shopping along the way.

A girlfriend getaway this holiday season is the perfect way to explore Greenwood’s charm. You may never want to leave.