Pride intheburg
Pride Month is celebrated in June, but local pride in Spartanburg’s LGBTQIA+ community is a year-round celebration! Upstate Pride SC’s annual parade is in Greenville this year, but there’s still a myriad of events, cultural hubs, nonprofits and resource centers, local businesses and more to share the love in Spartanburg.
Since welcoming the first Upstate Pride March at Barnet Park in 2009, Spartanburg has flourished with local businesses and community organizations embracing the LGBTQIA+ community. This article is not all-encompassing of Spartanburg’s friendly businesses, but all are inclusive!
Photo via Upstate Pride SC
Check out the Upstate Pride calendar for the most current happenings.
Culture & Colors of the Rainbow
Spartanburg, aka the “Hub City,” is truly a cultural hub, with a vibrant and inclusive network of creative venues, galleries, publishers, and nonprofits.
Blue Spirit Art Studio & Gallery: This new art studio at Fretwell Spartanburg is small in space, but large in its community collaboration impact. In addition to resident artist Nancy O’Dell-Keim’s works in-progress, enjoy pop-up events and performances, ArtWalk on third Thursdays, and collaborative exhibits.
Healistry: Healistry is a new collective of therapists and mental health professionals, artists and musicians, and community builders with the shared goal of healing through art. Interactive events include guided craft sessions with local businesses or farmers markets, a group mural, vinyl listening sessions, artists’ discussions, meditation through creating, and more.
Hub City Writers Project: HCWP is home to both Hub City Press and Hub City Bookshop in Downtown Spartanburg, publishing with a focus on Southern voices, experimental forms, regional nonfiction and folk tales, queer perspectives, and more.
Proud Mary Theatre Company: Proud Mary presents LGBTQIA+ voices and stories at events across Spartanburg and the entire Upstate. The theatre company hosts theatrical plays, dramas and comedies, musicals and local original works that celebrate diversity and acceptance.
Spartanburg Art Museum: Spartanburg’s largest art museum is the only contemporary art museum in the Upstate, located in Chapman Cultural Center. Enjoy free admission, ArtWalk events, and engaging, diverse perspectives featured in show selections.
Spartanburg Little Theatre: From grand musicals and classic tales, to murder mysteries and pulp fiction summer series, Spartanburg Little Theatre’s season selections strive for inclusive casting and dynamic stories. SLT celebrated its 80th Anniversary in 2025!
Speaking Down Barriers: Beginning in 2013 with "poetry and conversations," Speaking Down Barriers expanded to a dialogue-based community for transformation, across differences of race, class, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and national identity. Community gatherings include poetry potlucks, racial affinity groups to engage in race-specific responses, and Reading for Transformation book clubs.
VRTY Arthouse: “Let art do the talking.” VRTY (“verity”) is a creative production house utilizing fashion and media for social commentary, through editorial zines, garments, photocinematic campaigns, and more.
We’re Here (S2, Ep1,) Clevedale Historic Inn & Gardens
Did you know that HBO’s hit unscripted series We’re Here filmed in Spartanburg? Season two’s opening episode in 2021 features the trio of traveling queens training local “drag daughters” for a one-night performance at Clevedale Inn and Historic Gardens.
This inclusive bed and breakfast blends southern charm with modern accommodations; enjoy history, top-notch accommodations, picturesque scenes, and plentiful, peaceful garden space to explore. Looking for an inclusive event or wedding venue? Clevedale also offers intimate or grand scale settings!
Local Businesses, Loving Locals
The Art Lounge: Opened in 2011, The Art Lounge specializes in custom framing, showcasing local art, and Burg Apparel. In addition to a full shop of gifts, art, and decor, the venue doubles as an art gallery and ArtWalk stop on third Thursday nights.
Bond Street Wines: Raise a glass to the finer things in life— community and an appreciation for good wine! Bond Street offers both intimate seating indoors and outdoor tables on Wall Street and Morgan Square.
Ciclops Cyderi & Brewery: The local brewery’s new taproom located on the Mary Black Rail Trail offers craft beer and bites, a welcoming community, and an inclusive venue for queer karaoke, networking, and more.
Cribbs Kitchen: Dinner plans are in the bag (or on the plate,) at one of Spartanburg’s most popular and welcoming restaurants. Enjoy burgers, specialty beverages, and friendly staff at both the Downtown Spartanburg and Tyger River restaurants.
Kava Culture Kava Bar: No booze, no problem! Downtown’s newest botanical beverage hub offers a full slate of creative events, such as craft nights, open mics and trivia, trinket trades, and more, with late night hours.
Hub City Farmers’ Market: PAL and Hub City Farmers’ Market’s weekly Saturday morning market is the longest running market season in the Upstate, with a welcoming, open-air setting. Browse local produce and herbs, handmade treats and baked goods, and functional crafts from local artisans.
Dynamic duo, At Home Apothecary and Two Hawks Leather, specialize in farm-grown herbal remedies and seasonings, tonics and mocktail mixes, produce, and hand-tooled and -crafted leather goods. Mocktail sales at markets benefit a new nonprofit each month, such as SC Equality, women’s shelters, and the Queer Wellness Center.
Pharmacy Coffee: This eclectic, award-winning specialty coffeeshop offers locally-roasted coffee by Little River Roasting, aesthetic drinks, monthly artisan markets and themed drink menus, and an inclusive cafe environment.
Southside Smokehouse & Grille: Southern hospitality, award-winning BBQ and Louisiana cooking, and specialty cocktails in the Blue Ridge Foothills… What more could you want?
Vintage View Adventures: This outdoor recreation company on the Pacolet River offers kayaking, tubing, and river excursion trips for all skill levels, with pride floats and additional themed events.
Even More Resources…
If you’re looking for even more community, events, and connections, head straight to the source! These upstate resource pages, nonprofits and organizations each specialize in unique community groups within the Upstate.
PFLAG Spartanburg(@PFLAGSpartanburg)— Monthly support groups, programming, and community networking
Piedmont Care(@PiedmontCareInc)— Comprehensive HIV care and prevention medical facility
Queers of Greer & All Places Near(@Queers_of_GreerSC)— Queer networking and event sharing
Uplift Outreach Center(@UpliftOutreachCenter)— safe space, empowerment, and support services for LGBTQ+ youth
LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce(@UpstateLGBT)— Supporting the Upstate queer business community, networking, and managing the LGBT Chamber Fund
Upstate Pride SC(@UpstatePrideSC)— Volunteer-driven nonprofit and annual Upstate Pride Festival host, offering peer counseling, advocacy training and education, networking, and more