GSA Daily Staff Report
Published Oct. 6, 2010

St. Francis Fall for Greenville expects at least 150,000 people to attend this year’s event, and so far the sun is expected to shine on the downtown gathering and festival.

A variety of attractions await festival-goers this year.

The 29th annual taste of Greenville will feature more than 40 different restaurants showcasing almost 200 different menu items, musical entertainment on six stages, culinary demonstrations, restaurant competitions, children’s activities and more.

According to Fall for Greenville Board President Judy Balsizer, the event has quickly become one of the most popular outdoor festivals in the Southeast, attracting more than 150,000 people over the three-day event, which begins Friday and runs through Sunday. “The festival serves as the perfect opportunity for Upstate residents and visitors to discover Greenville’s incredible dining options,” Balsizer said. “Along with a taste of Greenville, we pack the entire weekend with fun-filled activities for the entire family.”

In addition to this year’s restaurant offerings, the festival will feature six musical entertainment stages. New additions include the Michelin on Main Stage at Falls Park featuring rock, blues and country music and The Brown Street Club Stage, located in the Bank of America Wine Garden, highlighting jazz and blues music. The event, which has about three dozen corporate and institutional sponsors, has added two beach bands to the entertainment line-up on The Peace Center Amphitheatre Stage.

Festival-goers looking for a challenge can participate in the jalapeno pepper eating contest scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m. Other event competitions include a chili cook-off scheduled for Saturday with a public tasting at 3:30 p.m.; restaurant back of house race on Saturday at 4 p.m.; waiter’s race on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. and bartender’s mix-wff on Sunday at 3 p.m.

This year, St. Francis Fall for Greenville will also dedicate an entire block to family friendly activities.

The festival also offers the "Feelin’ Good in Greenville" area, an open space geared for families, and the Zaxby’s Kid’s Area, which will include rides and activities.

With the high volume of products used at the event, St. Francis Fall for Greenville has made an effort to reduce its carbon footprint. In partnership with Sysco, all participating restaurants will receive donated compostable and recyclable food service supplies. “Sysco has been instrumental in our efforts to become more environmentally conscious at this year’s festival,” said Balsizer. “We are proving that even in small steps, we can continue to reduce our carbon imprint on the environment.”

St. Francis Fall for Greenville continues to support the local community, partnering with five local nonprofits. Over the past five years, the festival has donated more than $200,000 to local charities.