The new stage in Paris Mountain State Park's amphitheater makes and stores its own power. According to the park's manager, that opens the door to programs the old stage couldn't host.
The amphitheater dates to 1939 and was built as part of a New Deal program. Hurricane Helene hit in September 2024, and the water rose high enough that the stage floated off its spot. A tree then came down through the roof, the Post and Courier reported. Music in the Woods was canceled in 2025. The replacement stage cost $25,000. It is four times the size of the one it replaced and runs on solar panels with battery storage.
Three Saturdays are left in this year's series: October 17, 24 and 31. They are the first season on a stage that gives the park options the old one never did.
What Washed Out, and What Replaced It
The Post and Courier describes the stage Helene destroyed as one built about 20 years ago, so it went up around the time the concert series began. The Greenville News counts this season as the series' 19th year. For close to two decades, the series fit itself to a modest platform in the woods.
The rebuild was paid for by fundraising, donated labor and a grant from the Metropolitan Arts Council. The organizers' own site credits Ranger Shawn, the Friends group, volunteers and park staff with bringing the stage back. Park manager Emily Nicholson told the Post and Courier that the solar and battery system opens up programming that wasn't possible before, and she named movie nights as one example. That is a possibility. No movie night is on the calendar, and no amphitheater event has been announced after October 31.
Nicholson also described how much work the park needed after the storm:
"We were closed for a whole month. The first week after Helene hit, we had to cover everything on foot because we couldn't even get vehicles past our admissions booth at the entrance of the park."
She said that to the Post and Courier. Two years after the storm, the trails tell a similar recovery story. The park's official trail page lists every trail as open except Fire Tower Little Spur.
The Last Three Saturdays
The organizers' schedule at pmspmusic.com lists the rest of the season. Every show runs from 2 to 4 p.m.
| Date | Performer | Same-day or same-week park program |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, Oct. 17 | Wilder Things Than Us | None listed |
| Saturday, Oct. 24 | Benny Hagerty | All About Bats, 6 to 8 p.m. |
| Saturday, Oct. 31 | Darby & Friends | Autumn's Colors stroll earlier that week, Tuesday, Oct. 27 |
The concerts are free once you've paid park admission. Admission is $6 for adults, $3.75 for South Carolina seniors and $3.50 for children 6 to 15. Children 5 and under get in free. The October 31 show closes the season with Darby Wilcox, the same performer who opened it on September 5.
October 24 is the day to plan around if you want the most out of one admission. Benny Hagerty plays until 4 p.m. Two hours later, the ranger-led All About Bats program begins. It costs $8 per person, includes a 0.75-mile walk and requires registration. That puts an afternoon concert and an evening ranger program at the same park on the same Saturday.
Sam Morris, fundraising chair with the nonprofit Friends of Paris Mountain, told the Post and Courier that state parks are meant for everyone. "Music in the Woods is an extension of that," he said. "It's just come one, come all, and I think it's a very welcoming environment."
Getting From the Car to the Bench
You can't drive to the stage. That rule shapes the whole afternoon. The organizers say public vehicles may not drive to or park at the amphitheater, and there is no public parking there.
- Park in the large lot by the Park Center. This is the only parking the organizers point to.
- Walk the Mountain Creek Trail. The Greenville Symphony's event page says the signed trail from the Park Center passes the amphitheater and puts the walk at about three to five minutes.
- Ask at the Park Center if anyone in your group needs a ride. Staff can contact the ranger on duty to see whether transportation to the amphitheater can be arranged.
- Pack light. There is bench seating, and you're welcome to bring something more comfortable. Snacks and non-alcoholic drinks are allowed. Restrooms are near the Park Center, and there is a portable restroom at the amphitheater during shows.
- Leash the dog. Pets are welcome on a leash no longer than six feet. Owners may be asked to remove pets that are noisy, dangerous or bothering wildlife.
- Check the weather before you leave. The organizers post weather delays and cancellations on social media. The Greenville Symphony's page for its October 3 set said rain cancels the outdoor concert.
The 1939 Stonework Along the Same Walk
The short walk to the amphitheater passes through a historic district. The South Carolina National Register listing for the park's historic district dates to April 30, 1998. Its inventory includes the Lake Placid bathhouse and swimming area, the amphitheater, administrative buildings, picnic sites, a stone restroom, a footbridge, picnic shelters, dams, and the lodge and cabins at Camp Buckhorn. The Civilian Conservation Corps built these structures from local rubble stone and rough-hewn logs. The lakes and dams are older. The Paris Mountain water company built them in the late 1800s.
The state park's history page says the city donated the land in 1935, that CCC-era buildings are still in use, and that the Park Center has interactive exhibits on the park's history and watershed. You'll pass the Park Center on the way in, before the walk to the stage. At Lake Placid there is a self-serve kayak rental kiosk, open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Calendar Into November
In the weeks around the final concert and after it, the park's calendar fills with ranger programs and a trail race.
- Autumn's Colors, Tuesday, Oct. 27, 9 to 11 a.m. A 1.5-mile Seasonal Stroll. Register by 5 p.m. the day before.
- Who's Hiding the Acorns?, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. For children 5 to 12 with an adult. Registration required.
- GTC Paris Mountain Trails 16K and USATF-SC MUT Championship, Saturday, Nov. 7, starts at 8 a.m. The course runs through Sulphur Springs and North Lake. Details are on the race listing.
- Campfire Talks with Ranger Madison: Become a Junior Ranger, Friday, Nov. 13, 5 to 6 p.m. Free with park admission.
- Reading the Woods, Tuesday, Nov. 17, 9 to 11 a.m. A Seasonal Stroll along part of the Mountain Creek Trail, the same path that leads to the stage.
If you're camping, the park says the CS2 campground bathhouse is temporarily closed for renovations and the CS1 bathhouse remains open. No completion date has been posted.
Food on the Drive Home
Poinsett Highway is the usual way back toward town, and it offers two recently confirmed stops. HeyDay Sandwiches & Cocktails is at 2510 Poinsett Highway. It was on the Greenville Journal's list of participating restaurants for Restaurant Week, January 8 to 18, 2026. Closer to downtown, Canal Coffee Co. opened this summer at 113 Poinsett Highway, near the Rutherford Road intersection. It soft-opened July 16 and held its grand opening July 25, the Greenville Journal reported. It's a drive-through serving coffee, house-made energy drinks and breakfast all day.
At The Gallo Company, we keep up with what's changing around Paris Mountain, from the rebuilt stage to the trails that have reopened since the storm. If living close to the park is part of your plans for next year, our team can show you how homes near State Park Road and Poinsett Highway connect to it. Search Properties to start.
