By: Dylan Evans

For fourteen years, the town of Greenville has held an annual, weeklong festival called Heritage Days. Celebrated on the first week of July, the festival offers chances to explore and experience the history of Greenville by hosting car cruises, local vendor shops, historic war displays, live music and a firework show on the Fourth of July.

Heritage Days gives a significant opportunity for the small hamlet of Greenville to join and celebrate its roots in community and togetherness. The celebration also allows many volunteering opportunities for local clubs and neighborhood groups like the Kiwanis clubs from Greenville and Reynolds schools, as well as the Elk Lodge and other local establishments to sponsor the events.

This year’s car cruise brought many people from Greenville and neighboring towns to show and admire classic cars. Main Street was filled from both sides with cars of varying ages and makes, with music playing and many shops being open for food and drink. The amount of people at the cruise in were plentiful and it did not fail to be a popular event.

Especially after the events of 2020, many people of Greenville and Hermitage who regularly attend car shows were excited to attend a large one after so long. Many times, one could overhear exclamations of people being happy to be outside with friends and doing things they loved.

The fireworks show this year was also as full as ever, bustling with people and shops. The people of Greenville were ready to practice their traditions once more and become connected as a community again, even after a global pandemic.

Heritage Days is not simply a festival in summer for a small town like Greenville to entertain its citizens, it is about the community and unity within the town. By hosting events for all ages and all types of people, no person is excluded from attending the celebration and it gives the week an inclusive feeling for everyone who participates in the festivities.

Though only a recent annual tradition, Heritage Days is an example of how small organizations and communities can band together and create a wholesome and fun experience for all, and anyone can see that it is a bright tradition that should not burn out any time soon.