What does a new, unwrapped bicycle get you in Greenville this December? At the Greenville Municipal Auditorium box office, it gets you a second seat at the Greenville Pops Orchestra's Christmas concert for free. A board game does the same.
The City of Greenville announced on Nov. 6 that the auditorium is working with Toys for Tots this season. Through Dec. 15, anyone who donates a new, unwrapped toy or bicycle can get discounted tickets to five holiday performances. Downtown's free holiday events happen on Lee Street, the ticketed shows happen at 2821 Washington Street, and the toy drive makes most of those shows cheaper.
The Offer, Show by Show
Each donated toy covers one buy-one-get-one ticket offer for one eligible performance. Four shows are buy-one-get-one-free. The fifth, A Celtic Christmas, is buy-one-get-one-half-off.
| Date | Performance | Offer with a donated toy |
|---|---|---|
| Fri., Nov. 20 | A Very Bublé Christmas | Buy one, get one free |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Red Dirt Comedy | Buy one, get one free |
| Sun., Dec. 6 | GPO All-Star Christmas | Buy one, get one free |
| Sat., Dec. 12 | A Celtic Christmas | Buy one, get one half off |
| Fri., Dec. 18 | Ballet Frontier's The Nutcracker | Buy one, get one free |
Downtown's Showtime calendar lists the Bublé tribute at $33 to $47 a ticket. It promises big-band brass and the songs from his holiday catalog. The Greenville Pops Orchestra's All Star Christmas is listed at $45. Tatiana LadyMay Mayfield is the featured performer, with a lineup of guest artists and original arrangements. At those prices, a $45 second ticket to the Pops concert is worth more than plenty of toys on a store shelf. The offer is set up so both the donor and Toys for Tots come out ahead.
The Nutcracker needs a little planning. The promotion ends Dec. 15, and Ballet Frontier's performance is Dec. 18. Families hoping to see the ballet with the toy discount should drop off the donation and buy the tickets the week before the curtain goes up.
Donations go to the GMA Box Office at 2821 Washington Street, and every toy has to be new and unwrapped. Show details are at GMALive.org, and the box office phone number is (903) 457-3179.
Lee Street Opens the Season on Nov. 14
The auditorium shows sit inside a calendar that starts on Lee Street this Saturday. On Nov. 14, the free Veterans Day parade gathers at the corner of Lee and Houston Streets. It heads west on Lee to Wright, then turns back east on Washington. The listing promises floats, walking groups, bands, first responders and all kinds of vehicles, including Jeeps and classic cars.
The parade leaves from Lee Street, where the December events take place, and comes back along Washington, where the auditorium stands. The same Saturday morning, the downtown farmers market is open from 9 a.m. to noon. It sells locally grown produce, pasture-raised chicken and meats, local honey, baked goods, jams and jellies, plus crafts by local artists. Because the pavilion is covered, the market runs every Saturday, rain or shine.
The Charity Thread Runs Through Nov. 21, Too
GMA isn't the only holiday event this month built around giving. On Saturday, Nov. 21, the Fest"ELF"al of Trees fills an evening with decorated trees, and the evening is billed as a way to support SCRPT's Meals on Wheels program. Guests can enter raffles for decorated trees of all sizes, and Showtime lists tickets at $30 to $50.
Fest"ELF"al falls the night after A Very Bublé Christmas. That makes the weekend before Thanksgiving the first busy holiday weekend downtown, with a charity tied to each night: Toys for Tots on Friday and SCRPT's Meals on Wheels on Saturday.
The First Weekend of December Stacks Three Nights
The busiest stretch is Dec. 4 through Dec. 6, when a free parade and two discounted shows fall on three nights in a row.
- Friday, Dec. 4: The 2026 Christmas Parade of Lights. The parade runs from 6 to 8 p.m. on Lee Street downtown and is free. The listing promises lighted floats, bands, school and cheer groups, vehicles, horses and local businesses, with Santa at the end. It goes on rain or shine.
- Saturday, Dec. 5: Red Dirt Comedy at GMA. Tickets are buy-one-get-one-free with a donated toy.
- Sunday, Dec. 6: GPO All-Star Christmas at GMA. The Greenville Pops Orchestra and Tatiana LadyMay Mayfield, also buy-one-get-one-free with a donated toy.
The Parade of Lights is also open to anyone who wants to be in it. Community groups, businesses, schools, families and individuals can all enter, and registration closes Tuesday, Dec. 1. The City of Greenville runs the parade, and questions go to (903) 457-3100. For a family with a decorated truck or a business with a float, the decision has to happen before Thanksgiving weekend is over.
Dec. 12 Is the Day Both Streets Line Up
The free events and the paid shows overlap on Saturday, Dec. 12. The City's free Holiday Market runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Market Square, 2203 Lee St., with vendors, food, music and holiday shopping. According to the vendor information, Farmers Market vendors will be under the awning, and the other approved vendors will set up in the Market Square parking lot.
The same day, A Celtic Christmas plays at GMA. It's the one show on the list with the half-off offer. On Dec. 12, you can buy gifts from local vendors on Lee Street, give a new toy at the Washington Street box office, and get a better price on a Celtic Christmas ticket, all on one Saturday.
That leaves three days before the toy offer ends on Dec. 15, and the season wraps up with Ballet Frontier's Nutcracker on Dec. 18.
The Season at a Glance
- Sat., Nov. 14: Farmers market, 9 a.m. to noon, and the free Veterans Day parade from Lee and Houston
- Fri., Nov. 20: A Very Bublé Christmas at GMA
- Sat., Nov. 21: Fest"ELF"al of Trees, benefiting SCRPT's Meals on Wheels
- Tue., Dec. 1: Last day to register a Parade of Lights entry
- Fri., Dec. 4: Christmas Parade of Lights, 6 to 8 p.m., Lee Street
- Sat., Dec. 5 and Sun., Dec. 6: Red Dirt Comedy and GPO All-Star Christmas at GMA
- Sat., Dec. 12: Holiday Market at Market Square, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and A Celtic Christmas at GMA
- Tue., Dec. 15: Last day for the Toys for Tots ticket offer
- Fri., Dec. 18: Ballet Frontier's The Nutcracker at GMA
The Saturday farmers market and downtown's weekly specials keep going around these dates. Landon Distillery, for example, runs Twisted Tuesday with half-price cocktails every week. In its announcement, the City says it hopes the promotion gives the community "another reason to enjoy the performances and entertainment available right here in Greenville." Toy donations are accepted at the GMA Box Office through Dec. 15.
The B.A.R. Group loves seeing a community calendar centered on generosity, and this season Greenville's runs from a veterans' parade to Toys for Tots to Meals on Wheels. If you'd like a neighbor's view of what's happening downtown, or have questions about Greenville when the parades are over, contact The B.A.R. Group. We'd be glad to hear from you.
