The Greenway's Late-October Weekends Gather at Its Front Door This Year

Several mature white oaks along the Wild Azalea Trail are still standing, with their trunks and canopies broken. They came through a series of intense storms in late August. The Anne Springs Close Greenway says it is leaving some of that damage in place on purpose. Meanwhile, the lawn, porch and farm around the Lake Haigler Drive entrance carry nearly the whole fall calendar.

For a Fort Mill household, that split shapes the plan for the next two weekends. The trails at the back of the property are still being assessed. The front door is where the music, the barbecue and the Halloween morning are happening.

The Storm Came In From the Highway 21 Side

On September 22, the Greenway posted an explanation of the storm damage. It says several mature white oaks and other trees "remained rooted but experienced substantial breakage along their trunks and canopies." The post includes a description of the storm's path from Josh Patterson, Resource Director at Leroy Springs & Co.:

"The consistent direction of fallen trees and branches provides a visible indication of the storm's path and the force of the winds that moved from the Highway 21 side of the Greenway, across the upper portion of Lake Haigler and through the surrounding trails."

The Greenway's Natural Resources team is not removing every damaged tree. Staff look at each one's condition, ecological value and risk to visitors, trails and infrastructure. Trees that pose a safety concern may need pruning or removal. Others are left to decay in place, where they shelter wildlife, feed insects and fungi, and let sunlight reach younger growth. So if you walk Wild Azalea this month and a broken oak is still there, that is likely a choice by the stewards and not a missed cleanup.

What the Trail Status Says This Week

The storm is one reason the back of the property feels unsettled this fall. The trail status is another. The Greenway's Hours & Fees page currently says hiking and dog park trails are open, horse and bike trails are temporarily closed, and the Mountain Bike Skills Park is temporarily closed. The same page warns about utility work near Blue Star where it approaches the Grist Mill. It doesn't give a cause or a reopening date for the closures.

Other Greenway pages, including the hiking trails page, describe bike and horse trails as open while showing the same utility warning. The interactive trail map is the status to check before loading bikes onto the car.

Closures also happen without any storm. The Greenway's posted rules close bike trails when water pools or the ground is wet enough for tires to damage it. Horse trails close under the same wet conditions, and sustained winds above 20 mph close both. After a rainy week, expect the map to change.

The same trails got a big boost a little over a year ago. In August 2025, two new steel-truss pedestrian bridges replaced the collapsed Steele Street crossing and an old swinging bridge. That reopened access to more than 200 acres of trails for hikers, bikers and riders. The back acreage is open and connected. Day-to-day conditions on it are what vary this fall.

The Calendar Sits on Lake Haigler Drive

Every event on the Greenway's late-October calendar is held at the Lake Haigler entrance or the Children's Farm. None of them depend on how the trails look that day.

The Canteen music series runs Friday and Saturday evenings through November 7. There is no music on October 24 or 31, the two Saturdays taken by the fundraiser and Halloween. There's no separate cover. Members get in free, and nonmembers pay regular admission, currently $17 for adults and $8 for ages 3 to 12, with children 2 and under free. You can bring outside food, lawn chairs and blankets. The tables are for Canteen customers.

The Greenway Canteen is on its later seasonal schedule. It's open Thursday through Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., with the full hot menu from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, it closes at 5:30 p.m. The menu covers sandwiches and a children's menu. Drinks include local craft beer plus seltzer, wine and liquor, all ordered at the counter. On a Friday, an early dinner at the Canteen and the 6 p.m. set make one easy evening.

Barbecue From a Restaurant Down SC-160

The October 24 fundraiser has a neighborhood connection. The all-you-can-eat barbecue and sides at Boil, Brew & 'Que come from Mac's Speed Shop. Amor Artis Brewing pours the beer, and Kris Hitchcock plays live music. VIP guests get in early for a happy hour with hors d'oeuvres and an all-you-can-eat Lowcountry boil made with South Carolina shrimp from Saltwater Markets.

Mac's Speed Shop now has a Fort Mill location on S.C. Highway 160. The Tega Cay Sun reported in June that a ribbon cutting was scheduled there for June 23. The restaurant's Fort Mill page lists hours of 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. If the barbecue at the Gateway goes over well, the restaurant is just down Highway 160.

Ticket prices since the September 7 early-bird deadline:

• VIP: $125
• Adult general admission, 21+: $70
• General admission, 16+: $60
• Youth, ages 5 to 15: $25

The event also has a silent auction, the Schroering Forest Playground, a hay bale maze, lawn games, disc golf and reptile encounters.

The money goes back into the community. Proceeds support the Anne Springs Close Bridge Program, which provides financial assistance so individuals and families can attend Leroy Springs & Co. programs whatever their finances. Since 2018, the program has awarded more than $2.2 million for summer camps, afterschool programs, recreation and outdoor experiences. Leroy Springs & Co. is also the organization whose Natural Resources team is assessing the Wild Azalea damage.

Halloween Starts at the Farm and Ends Downtown

October 31 has two morning options on the same 9-to-noon clock. Family Farm Day: Halloween runs from 9 a.m. to noon at the Crandall Bowles Children's Farm, 1046 Horse Road. Kids can come in costume, collect candy, meet the farm animals and play lawn games. Snacks are for sale, and lead-line rides cost extra. For nonmembers ages 3 and up, regular Greenway admission covers entry. Feed buckets are sold separately, and self-guided farm visits continue until 3 p.m.

The same morning is the last Saturday of the season for the Fort Mill Farmers & Artisans Market, which runs 9 a.m. to noon at Veterans Park, 106 N. White Street. It has run every Saturday since May 9. Both events run 9 to noon. Families who want both can visit the farm early and get downtown before the market closes, or shop first and use the farm's self-guided hours, which run until 3 p.m.

December Already Has Two Dates

The calendar shifts toward the holidays soon after. The Town of Fort Mill's Christmas Village & Tree Lighting is Thursday, December 3, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Fort Mill Amphitheater at Walter Elisha Park, 345 N. White Street. The event centers on a 50-foot tree and includes vendors, food trucks and Santa. Two days later, on Saturday, December 5, the Greenway hosts its Winter Holiday Market at the Greenway Gateway from noon to 5 p.m.

Plan around Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, when all Greenway entrances are closed. On other days they're open from 7 a.m. to sunset, and the Children's Farm keeps its own hours, Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with last entry at 2:30. With shorter days and changing trail conditions, the Gateway, the Canteen and the farm are the parts of the property you can count on through December.

Our team at Your Property People, Inc. follows Fort Mill week to week, from what's open on the Greenway to which restaurants have opened along Highway 160. If you're weighing a move within York County or across the state line, we're glad to share what we're seeing. Work With Us.