Five on Friday: the August edition

It’s hot. With temperatures in the mid-90s for the past week, I don’t think I’m the only Upstate mom that has been spending more time indoors. While we’ve been enjoying our time at the library, The Children’s Museum of the Upstate, Summer Movie Express $1 movies and on the couch at home watching TV (shhh, don’t tell!), we’ll be making the effort to get out to cross some last things off the summer bucket list before school starts this month. Now if only we could get temperatures to drop under 90 for a week or so, that would be great.

1. The Carolina Panthers return to Spartanburg! The Panthers kicked off their training camp at Wofford College Wednesday with a kickoff party, and practice will continue through mid-August here in the Upstate. For more on what to expect, check out last year’s post, Carolina Panthers training camp. For a training camp practice schedule, please visit the official team page.

2.  Every Friday night the Roper Mountain Science Center hosts two showings of their feature show Eclipse: The Sun Revealed in the newly renovated T.C. Hooper Planetarium. Learn about the historical and cultural view of eclipses, the geometry behind them, and how to safely view one in preparation for the total solar eclipse that will take place on August 21^st. Starry Nights at RMSC have never been more exciting! For more information and for tickets please visit the RMSC Starry Night website, and for a review of the show please see my post on Starry Nights. Bonus: Hooper Planetarium is air conditioned…

3. The Indie Craft Parade is coming back to Greenville for the 8^th year this September, and tickets go on sale August 1^st! The three-day festival celebrates handmade art, and has become one of the premier Southern craft events showcasing quality southern-made goods. Read about it here, buy tickets here.

4. This next event requires a bit more of a commitment, but it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore one of the two Frank Lloyd Wright properties in South Carolina, and his only plantation – Auldbrass. The estate is only opened to the public every other year on one weekend in November, and online ticket reservations are opening August 1st. Warning - the tickets sell out quickly! For a picture tour of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Auldbrass please visit my post on the subject, and for ticket reservations visit the Open Land Trust website.

5. A public service announcement: The $10 lifetime National Park Service senior pass for U.S. citizens age 62 or over will increase to $80 on August 28, 2017. Although still a good deal in my opinion, if you’re not already a lifetime pass holder, you might want to take advantage of the lower rate by visiting a federal recreation site before the end of the month. If you would prefer to buy online from the USGS store, or by USPS, there is an additional charge of $10 for processing the application. The passes are valid at more than 2,000 Federal recreation sites where entrance fees are charged. The National Parks centennial has passed, but our public lands need our support now more than ever!

Stay cool,

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