PAL: Play Advocate Live Well

07/28/2025

Hub City Farmers Market Eat Local Launch Party! 🌾🎉

Join us on Saturday, August 9th, from 8AM–12PM at Hub City Farmers Market for a fun filled morning the whole family can enjoy!

Enjoy a morning full of:
💦 Water play and outdoor fun for the kids to keep them cool
🎁 Special prize giveaways
🍹 Adult cocktails to enjoy while you shop
🛍 Local vendors with fresh produce, crafts, and more

Bring your family and friends and help us kick off the market season in Spartanburg!

📍 498 Howard St, Spartanburg, SC 29303
🗓 Saturday, August 9th | 8AM–12PM

CLICK THE LINK BELOW FOR FREE SIGN UP AND MORE INFORMATION 🔗👇

https://activeliving.networkforgood.com/events/89808-eat-local-launch-party-the-hcfm

07/25/2025

After six years of dedicated service (2019–2025), Martin L. Livingston, Jr. is rolling off the PAL Board. During his time with us, Martin served as Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee, helping guide PAL’s long-term vision and growth. We are deeply grateful for the leadership, time, and expertise he has shared over the years.

Reflecting on his time with PAL, Martin shared:

“Serving on the PAL Board has been a truly rewarding experience. The dedication and professionalism of both the Board and staff made it a pleasure to contribute. I’m incredibly proud of PAL’s work—both locally and across the state—as a champion of trails, active living, and healthier communities.
It’s inspiring to see the impact PAL has made, and I look forward to continuing to support its mission. I hope to see fellow Board members out on the trails and at the annual CRIT, continuing to lead by example.”

Thank you, Martin, for helping shape PAL’s future. We’ll see you on the trail! 🚲🌿

07/24/2025

Join PAL and Conserving Carolina on Thursday, July 31, at the historic Tryon Depot (22 Depot St.) for a community celebration marking the next big step toward the Saluda Grade Trail!

🕠 5:30–6:15 PM – Public Remarks & Ceremony
Gather on the Depot porch as we mark this exciting milestone with brief remarks and a ceremonial spike removal.

🎶 6:15–7:30 PM – Community Celebration
Stick around for live music, light snacks, trail displays, and a toast to what’s ahead! Tryon is a designated social district — grab a drink from a nearby bar or restaurant and enjoy the festivities. Make it a night out with dinner at one of Tryon’s great downtown spots, just steps away.

📍 Wherever you live along the rail line or in the Saluda Grade region, we’d love to celebrate with you. This trail is for all of us — and this is just the beginning.

07/21/2025

Huge thanks to everyone who came out to the Three Creeks Trail clean-up this past Saturday! 💪🌿 With support from Keep OneSpartanburg Beautiful and in collaboration with PalmettoPride, our amazing volunteers cleared invasive species and picked up litter to help keep this trail clean and thriving. We’re so grateful for the community spirit that makes these Trail Stewardship days possible! 🙌💚

07/15/2025

🌿 Meet Ben Lea! Our Newest PAL Team Member! 🌿

We’re so excited to welcome Ben Lea to the PAL family as our new Trails Outreach Coordinator. Ben brings more than 30 years of experience working with trails, outdoor spaces, and community outreach. What he loves most is how trails invite us to slow down and connect with each other, and with the world around us.

Originally from South Florida, Ben grew up spending his summers in the mountains of Western North Carolina as a camp kid; those summers sparked a love for the outdoors that’s stayed with him ever since. After college, he worked as a mountain biking instructor and with a land surveyor, then spent some time working his way up in the summer camp world, eventually becoming Director of Camp Pinnacle in Flat Rock, NC.

Before joining PAL, many folks in Spartanburg knew Ben as “Farmer Ben.” During his time as Hub City Roots’ Director of Agricultural Outreach, he managed the Urban Farm, helped run the Fresh Stop Fridge program, led the Youth Crew development program, and led agriculture education programs at The Franklin School and The Cleveland Academy of Leadership.

He met his wife Samantha while working as a summer camp director, and though they planned to head north, Spartanburg won them over. They fell in love with this community’s diversity, big heart, and the way neighbors look out for one another. Together, they’ve had plenty of adventures, including getting married beachside by a Mayan shaman in Belize! They share their adventures with their dog Lulu, who’s always ready to hop on a trail or a paddleboard.

When he’s not out building connections through trails, you’ll probably find Ben in the great outdoors mountain-biking, hiking, or fly fishing. (or indoors, tying his own flies and painting watercolors) He loves that Spartanburg is working to protect green spaces and add new trails as we grow. He’s especially excited about what the Saluda Grade Trail will mean for our region: more recreation, more connection, and more opportunities for everyone to get outside together.

Please join us in giving Ben a warm welcome. We’re so grateful to have his experience, care, and love for the outdoors guiding our trails forward!

07/14/2025

We’re so grateful to the Spartanburg County Foundation for their generous grant supporting our Hub City Farmers Market merger! This investment helps us continue to strengthen our local food system, connect neighbors to fresh, healthy food, and uplift local farmers and vendors. Thank you for believing in this work and helping us make it possible! 💚

07/09/2025

The Urban Farm was in desperate need of a little love, and these amazing youth volunteers delivered! HUGE thank you to the First Presbyterian Myrtle Beach youth group for showing up, braving the heat, and putting in the hard work to clear out weeds and prep garden beds 💚

This clean-up is just the first step toward a full revival of the Urban Farm, and we couldn’t be more excited for what’s ahead. Thank you for helping us get the garden ready to grow again! 🌱✨

07/08/2025

Join Keep One Spartanburg Beautiful, in collaboration with PAL and Palmetto Pride for a morning of giving back to our trails!

📍 Where: Three Creek Trailhead (231 Vanderbilt Road)
📅 When: Friday, July 19 | 9–11 AM

We’ll be tackling invasive plants like ivy, privet, and Elaeagnus, picking up litter, and restoring the trail to keep it healthy, clean, and safe for everyone to enjoy.

All supplies will be provided, but feel free to bring your favorite tools. Bring your friends, family, or neighbors - the more helping hands, the better!

Special thanks to for sponsoring this clean-up event and helping us protect our parks and trails!

💚 Sign up here: https://activeliving.networkforgood.com/events/88952-trail-stewardship-keep-one-spartanburg-beautiful

Let’s work together to keep Spartanburg’s trails places we can all be proud of! 🌿✨

07/07/2025

🌱 Meet Jenni Callahan! Our Newest PAL Team Member! 🌱

We’re thrilled to officially welcome Jenni Callahan to the PAL team! Many of you already know Jenni as the friendly, dedicated Farmers Market Manager at the Hub City Farmers’ Market - a role she’s proudly held for nearly four years. Now, as PAL takes on operations of the market, Jenni joins us as part of the PAL family while continuing to lead the market you know and love.

In addition to managing the market, Jenni also serves as Food Access Coordinator, helping neighbors connect with SNAP benefits and healthy, local food.

A child of a Marine, Jenni grew up all over the country before planting roots here in the Upstate. Her passion for local food runs deep. What began as a love for farmers markets led her and her family to start their own farm back in 2013, where they raised veggies, chickens, and goats.

With nearly a decade of farming experience and eight years of vending at Hub City, Jenni is dedicated to supporting local farmers, small businesses, and the community that brings it all together. She calls Saturday mornings at the market the highlight of her week; catching up with vendors, shoppers, and co-workers (and filling her bags with goodies to take home to her five kids!).

When she’s not at the market, you’ll likely find Jenni hiking with her children, exploring other local markets, reading, or making her famous goat milk soap.

Please join us in giving Jenni a warm welcome to the PAL family! We are so grateful to have her experience and care guiding our market forward 💚

07/07/2025

🌿 Invasive Species Spotlight: Chinese & Japanese Privet
Looks can be deceiving! Privet may look harmless, but it’s choking out our native plants!

In this video, learn how to spot and safely remove Chinese and Japanese Privet: two aggressive invaders that threaten local habitats and the health of our trails. Next time you’re out on the trails, test yourself! Can you find any Privet? Your awareness helps us stay ahead of invasives!

📺 Want to see what’s next? Watch the full 5-part series on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsSA_BPir22kzb3PNU3Bj7wmuh_VZ_MD7

📍 Ready to pull some Privet? Check out upcoming volunteer opportunities: https://www.palspartanburg.org/volunteer

👀 Seen Privet on your favorite trail? Let us know in the comments or tag us in a photo!

07/02/2025

🌱 Big news, Spartanburg! 🌱
PAL is excited to announce that it will now lead operations of the Hub City Farmers Market!

This new chapter strengthens our mission to create a healthier, more connected Spartanburg through vibrant local food systems and increased access to fresh, healthy food for all.

To celebrate this strategic alignment - and kick off our broader Eat Local campaign - you’re invited to our Eat Local Launch Party on Saturday, August 9 at the Hub City Farmers Market! 🎉

Come grab your Eat Local Passport, meet local farmers, enjoy live music, fun giveaways, and connect with neighbors, and take part in fun activities celebrating Spartanburg’s food culture.

The Hub City Farmers Market will continue to operate at Harvest Park on Howard Street on
Saturday mornings. The full vendor list and schedule will be posted soon at
palspartanburg.org/hcfm but for now follow on Facebook and Instagram for market updates.

Whether you’re a market regular or just getting started, this is your moment to support local, eat fresh, and build a stronger Spartanburg - together. 💚

Every Saturday morning from April through December, the Hub City Farmers Market brings together local farms, culinary creators, small-batch artisans, and neighbors to celebrate what makes Spartanburg fresh, healthy and fun.