Spartanburg City News Podcast

Today on the podcast, we're talking with Spartanburg Little Theatre Executive Artistic Director, Jay Coffman about their upcoming season, the local theater scene, and the organization's place in our city's creative community.

One of the City's primary stated goals is to address our community's longtime racial and class disparities, and while the strategies we use are as varied and complex as the problems themselves, one important approach is to help strengthen our local minority business community. What's our newest tool to tackle that problem? The EMERGE Business Accelerator for African Americans.

As Spartanburg gets ready to construct the seventh courthouse in our 229-year history, we're sitting down with Spartanburg County Public Library Assistant Director of Local History, Brad Steinecke to talk about the previous six.

Ever wondered what the City's two percent hospitality tax is used for? We've got answers for you on today's podcast

The Rail Yard, a seven-acre multi-use park fronting the trail, is starting to take shape, and the latest amenity is a first for South Carolina: the Panthers Play 60 obstacle course. Today on the podcast, we're talking with Partners for Active Living Executive Director, Laura Ringo about the new Play 60 course, what's next for the Rail Yard, and about some planned extensions that will take the MBF Rail Trail all the way to Spartanburg's Northside.

Through a merger last year with Chapman Cultural Center, the former HUB-BUB Artists-in-Residence program is back. The retooled 11-month residency is set to bring two artists to live and work in Spartanburg this September, but before that happens, we're talking with Chapman Cultural Center Creative Placemaking and HUB-BUB Director, Eric Kocher about the revived program.

Today on the podcast, we're talking with author and Spartanburg resident, Tessa Fontaine about her fantastic memoir, The Electric Woman and about her experience finding a supportive creative community in Spartanburg.

Details on the fiscal year 2018-2019 City budget with Assistant City Manager, Chris Story

A conversation with Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce Talent and Economic Inclusion Coordinator and Northside native and Terrance Hawes

Scrappy Shakespeare, which returns to Downtown Spartanburg this summer for its third year, performing the crowd-pleaser to end all crowd-pleasers...Romeo and Juliet! This week on the podcast, Tim Giles and Anna Abhau Elliott give us the details.

Today on the podcast, we're talking with a couple of folks responsible for creating SMC's new “education, collaboration and creation space" on E Main Street, Jennifer Dillenger, Vice President for Institutional Advancement and Kris Neely, Professor of Art and Director of Interdisciplinary Studies.

It's been one of the most highly anticipated new Downtown Spartanburg developments since its announcement last year, and starting May 19, preschool-aged children from throughout our community will have a new space to call their own as The Children's Museum of the Upstate opens their new space at 130 Magnolia Street. Today on the podcast, we're talking with The Children's Museum of the Upstate President & CEO Nancy Halverson about this fantastic new addition to Downtown Spartanburg

Smith's Drugs, a fixture in Downtown Spartanburg for nearly a century, is set to see a major upgrade as plans were recently revealed to demolish the business's current one-story storefront at 142 E Main St and replace it with a new multi-story mixed-use building.

It's the culmination of a process that started back in 2012, and now finally, the Butterfly Creek Park is here. Check out today's podcast to learn more.

A look at systemic, intergenerational poverty and what City Staff's principles are in tackling the problem.