The Danish Festival City

Greenville proudly calls itself “The Danish Festival City.” Danish immigrants began settling here in the 1850s. They were fleeing hard times in Denmark, drawn by glowing letters home from those who’d arrived first. They shaped the town’s character for generations.

That heritage gets its party every summer at the Danish Festival. It has run downtown on the third full weekend of August since 1965. It’s a genuine community event, run by volunteers and deliberately non-commercial. It draws tens of thousands for parades, music, arts and crafts, a 5K, and real Danish food. That includes æbleskiver — the round Danish pancakes. Each year’s theme comes from a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale. The town is also home to a Danish Cultural Center that keeps the traditions alive year-round.