Good morning, Simpsonville! ☀️

It’s time for a midweek check-in. Hope the first half of your week has gone well, and you’re excited for the homestretch into the weekend.

Grab your coffee and let’s catch up on what’s happening around town. From new local spots to family-friendly happenings, here’s your easy midweek update to keep you in the know.

👋 Welcome

🌤️ Weather

📆 Upcoming Local Events

⚖️ Upstate Native Rev. Jesse Jackson Remembered

🛒 New Food Lion Grocery Store Coming to Simpsonville This Spring

⚽ Mauldin Approves $2 Ticket Fee for New GE Vernova Park

😁 Just for Fun

📅 Feb 19 - 🎶 Music Bingo @ Dave & Buster’s
Dave & Buster's - Greenville, SC hosts Music BINGO Game Night Thursdays. Join for great music, food, fun, and PRIZES! Free to Play!
🕝 7:30 PM
📍 Dave & Buster's - Greenville
🔗 More Info

📅 Feb 19 - 🎨 Family Craft Night
Creative evening for all ages.
🕝 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
📍 Five Forks Library
🔗 More Info

📅 Feb 21 - 🌿We Hike to Heal - Greenville, SC, FREE Women's Galentines Group Hike
Join SC We Hike to Heal Ambassador, Melissa, for this FREE Women's Group Hike!
🕝 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
📍 Conastee Nature Preserve
🔗 More Info

📅 Feb 24 - 🏃‍♀️‍➡️ Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting with ATI Physical Therapy
This is the new date after being postponed from 1/26/26 & 2/3/26 due to weather.
🕝 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
📍 32 Magnolia Cove Drive, STE A, B & C,Simpsonville, SC 29680
🔗 More Info

📅 Feb 24 - 🎨 Painting Party Every Tuesday - Create a Masterpiece!
Unleash your inner artist to create your own masterpiece! MINIMUM ATTENDANCE = 6.
🕝 6:00 PM
📍 Simpsonville Fine Art Gallery
🔗 More Info

📅 Feb 25 - 🌟 Fountain Inn 25 Under 40
Celebrating Fountain Inn’s brightest young leaders making big waves before 40.
🕝 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
📍 Fountain Inn Activities Center, 610 Fairview Street, Fountain Inn, SC 29644
🔗 More Info

The Upstate is reflecting this week on the life and legacy of Jesse Jackson. The longtime civil rights leader and former presidential candidate has died at 84. His family confirmed his passing, though a cause of death has not been released.

Jackson, founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and two-time U.S. presidential candidate, became one of the most recognizable voices of the modern civil rights movement. A protégé of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Jackson spent decades advocating for social justice, voting rights, economic equality, and education reform.

Though his work took him around the globe, his roots remained firmly planted in his hometown of Greenville. Many local residents remember his early years and the powerful impact his national leadership had on putting Greenville on the historical map.

Jackson’s passing marks the end of an era in American civil rights history. Flags will be lowered in honor of Rev. Jackson, and tributes across the state are expected as South Carolina honors one of its most influential native sons.

More details about memorial services and official statements are expected in the coming days.

Great news for Simpsonville residents! National grocery chain Food Lion has announced plans to open a brand-new store in Simpsonville this March 2026, part of a broader expansion across the Carolinas.

Founded in 1957 and now operating over 1,000 locations across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, Food Lion continues to invest in communities like ours by bringing fresh, affordable grocery options closer to home. The Simpsonville store is one of four new Carolina locations opening in early 2026 — alongside new stores in Pontiac, S.C., Statesville, N.C., and Greensboro, N.C.

According to company leadership, each new store is designed with customers in mind, featuring:

Food Lion also partners with local food banks and community organizations through its Food Lion Feeds initiative, which has donated more than 1.5 billion meals to date and aims to reach 3 billion meals by 2032 — underscoring the company’s commitment to fighting hunger in the communities it serves.

The new Simpsonville location will bring more convenience and grocery choices to our area — with a planned opening in March 2026. Stay tuned for details on the official grand opening date and how the store plans to serve our community!

At its February 16 meeting, Mauldin City Council gave final approval to a new $2 per ticket stadium facility fee for the multipurpose entertainment venue currently under construction at BridgeWay Station.

The new venue, known as GE Vernova Park, is expected to be semi-operational by May and fully operational in 2027.

Once complete, the stadium will host soccer matches for the Greenville Triumph SC and Greenville Liberty SC, along with concerts and other community events.

The project’s initial phase is expected to cost more than $28 million, with the City of Mauldin contributing approximately $4.5 million toward infrastructure improvements and premium seating.

City leaders say the $2 facility fee will help offset stadium-related expenses and support future capital improvements and infrastructure needs tied to the venue.

As construction continues, GE Vernova Park is poised to become a major entertainment and sports hub for Mauldin and the broader Golden Strip area.

Today’s Trivia:
What TV family lived at Southfork Ranch?

(Answer at bottom — no peeking!)

Support local when you can, wave to your neighbors, and enjoy another beautiful day in our growing community.

Thanks for hanging out with us this morning!

Let’s chat again on Friday!

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