Mortgage Broker in Simpsonville, SC

Dance is for everyone, regardless of age, shape, size, or ability at Dance Without Limits. Dance classes are offered for students ages 18 months to 18 years old.

Offerings include the Twinkle Toes preschool program (ballet, tap, and hip hop/tumbling combo) and elementary through high school classes in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, acrobatics, and hip hop. A special Limitless Friends class is also offered for students with disabilities. All classes are inclusive, and Dance Without Limits enjoys offering a family-friendly, non-competitive dance program.

Class Listings:

Twinkle Toes Preschool Dance Program

Twinkle Baby and Me: (ages 18-24 months) A 30-minute introductory class containing ballet, tap, and creative movement. Young dancers will learn the basics in a positive environment. Engaging age-appropriate music is used to get these little ones inspired to dance. An adult is required to participate in this class.

Twinkle Babies: (ages 2-3) A 45-minute introductory dance class containing ballet, tap, and creative movement. Young dancers will learn the basic steps while learning how to follow directions and imitate movement in a positive environment. Engaging music is used to get these little ones inspired to dance. The use of props, like Twinkle Bears, hula hoops, and bubbles, enables the young dancers to use their imagination and creativity, but mostly to have fun!

Twinkle Stars: (ages 3-4 and 4-5) An age-specific 45-minute class containing tap, ballet, and jazz/creative movement. The purpose of the class is to introduce young dancers to the three styles of dance and inspire movement and creativity within a positive environment. Dancers will also learn basic steps and terminology in all three styles. The use of fun age-appropriate music engages the young dancers’ minds and bodies. Plus, hula hoops, scarves, and bubbles for free dance makes the end of class so much fun!

Tot Hop & Tumble: (ages 3-5) This upbeat 45-minute class introduces our young dancers to basic elements of hip hop, creative movement, and beginner-level tumbling. We incorporate obstacle courses and fun props, such as our mini trampoline and hula hoops! The perfect way to release the wiggles while learning hip hop fundamentals.

Twinkle Ballet: (ages 3-5) This 30-minute class for our young dancers incorporates all the ballet elements from our regular Twinkle Stars class, without the tap portion. The perfect class for little ones who enjoy a bit of a quieter setting.

Elementary, Middle, and High School Classes

Tap: (ages K5-18) A percussive style of dance which gets its name from the sound made when the metal plates on the dancer’s shoes contact the floor. Emphasis on rhythm and clarity of sounds from the feet.

Ballet: (ages K5-18) A class which progresses from beginning ballet steps to advanced technique and placement. Each class will begin at the barre, then move to center floor work and across the floor. Ballet is the building block of all other forms of dance and necessary to excel in all other forms. For this reason, we strongly encourage all students to take a ballet class.

Jazz: (ages K5-18) Jazz builds on the fundamentals learned in ballet and is very structured in technique. The class progresses from a center warm-up with emphasis on strength and flexibility, then moves to across the floor combinations, finishing with a fun combo in center floor. Jazz takes many forms, and is often performed to upbeat, popular music.

Lyrical/Contemporary: (ages K5-18) Lyrical/Contemporary is a fusion of jazz and ballet which uses movement to interpret a song’s lyrics. The class progresses from a center warm-up with emphasis on strength and flexibility, then moves to across the floor combinations, finishing with a combo in center floor. Typically, lyrical is very fluid and quite beautiful!

Hip Hop: (ages K5-18) Also known as street dance, hip hop is an upbeat dance style that has become hugely popular with fun and exciting choreography and engaging music. All music and dance moves are age appropriate. All-boys hip hop class also available.

Acrobatics: (ages K5-18) This class teaches the basics of floor tumbling (such as forward and backward rolls, backbends, cartwheels, etc.) and progresses to advanced tumbling (such as handsprings and aerial work). Teachers work with students on their individual level.

Limitless Friends: This is a movement class for students ages 6 and up with disabilities. Elements of jazz, hip hop, and acrobatics are incorporated in this fun class, along with games and free dance.

Find out more at Dance Without Limits.

Simpsonville City Park is now the brand-new Gracely Park! The park opened over Thanksgiving break in 2024 and is a wonderful upgrade to the former park. Find out what all we explored and loved, and what is to come in 2025.

More: There’s more to do in Simpsonville!

Find more parks to explore in our Kidding Around® Guide to Parks in the Upstate!

Gracely Park in Simpsonville, SC

The brand-new park currently offers a great shade/sun playground that features woodland themes throughout. You’ll have a blast exploring and finding hidden forest creatures built into the play structures.

After checking out the zip line, which features two tracks (one of which has a seat-style chair), we headed straight to the park’s most popular feature, the hillside slide. But this isn’t just any slide, it is a slide that is made up of rotating cylinder tubes that gently move your kids down the hillside, giving them a little jiggle as they go. My toddler and five-year-old loved it, and there was a consistent stream of kids going down it throughout our visit.

At the park, there are two play structures, one for toddler ages and one for big kids. The structures have some pretty unique features, including an interactive rotating sand toy (hourglass style) in the toddler section that my toddler couldn’t get enough of. The big kid play area had a couple of fantastic additions, including a periscope that works, and a rope bridge that is the perfect balance of challenging for the kid and not too scary for the parents watching.

You’ll also find swings, a hillside made of turf for climbing and sliding, and additional play equipment to explore during your visit.

Though the playground, restrooms, and paved walking path were the only things currently open, there is a lot more to look forward to. There will be additional features of the park opening in December 2024.

The playground has a misting station that will be wonderful for cooling off when summer arrives. There are also basketball courts in construction, several quality picnic shelters to choose from, and large green spaces that will be perfect for relaxing when Spring comes along.

Want to go?

Gracely Park403 E Curtis Street, Simpsonville, SCCan be accessed from East Curtis Street between the South Greenville Summary Court and Simpsonville Fire Department.

The Nights of Lights is an amazing walk-through Christmas light display open now at Heritage Park in Simpsonville, SC. We spent a night there and have all the details on how you can enjoy it with your family!

Thank you to the Nights of Lights for providing media tickets for this review.

Nearly a quarter mile of thousands of lights are shining bright at Nights of Lights in the Upstate’s only walk-through holiday light display at Heritage Park in Simpsonville, SC. This is the event’s second year and features beautiful light tunnels, a massive igloo, a petting zoo, lots of fun photo ops, ice skating, food, and carnival rides. You can even ride a camel. Ride. A. Camel.

They also have several different discounts and are open nightly through January 3, 2025. Yes, even on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day.

Read on for why you should put this event on your family’s list of to-do’s for the holiday season.

For more things to do over the holidays, see our giant list of 100+ Things to do Over the Christmas Holiday season.

The Nights of Lights: Heritage Park Christmas Lights

When you enter Heritage Park, keep driving all the way past the playground and train depot to the CCNB Amphitheater. There is free parking and that’s where you enter the display.

The path of lights is all paved and goes for nearly a quarter mile. The Heritage Park Christmas lights have over 200 LED light displays throughout the park. You’ll pass through archways of light where you will see Santa, snowmen, and all kinds of happy Christmas creatures decked out in lights.

There is a giant, life-size inflatable igloo, which is just really cute to walk through and that has lights that sparkle and sync to music. There are places that have lights where you and your kids can poke your heads inside and instantly become lighted holiday people. It’s a lot of fun and you can take as long as you want anywhere.

Ice (Roller) Skating

The Nights of Lights has a decent-sized skating rink for those of you who want to test your coordination and balance skills. The rink is not real ice but rather closely connected panels of synthetic material. As to how fast or slow you’ll go on skates, it will really depend upon your skates and ability to not fall!

This year they’ve added the option to have roller skates, which we highly recommend. My kids said the rink is really smooth and easy to skate on. I had to tear them away with promises of cute animals to pet to leave. It was that much fun. You are able to bring your own roller skates if you want.

Skating is $8/person and if you need a little extra assistance in terms of an ice walker, that is $5. The rink is close to the entrance so you can do that first or do it after you walk through the display.

The Petting Zoo at Nights of Lights

Once you walk through the display, you will come to the petting zoo. The petting zoo is run by Eudora Farms, a wildlife safari based in Salley, SC. Our readers may be familiar with them since we’ve written about this farm in the past.

The animals at the Nights of Lights are so cute. They have a big camel, fluffy sheep, goats, alpacas, a super fluffy baby Highlands Scottish Cow, wallabys, and a bull with massive horns. You can purchase feed cups. They looked very happy and well taken care of.

There is also a large enclosure where you can get inside and feed parakeets with a stick of bird seed. These parakeets are so funny. They will land on your arm, hand, shoulder, phone, you name it. My daughters and I loved interacting with the little birds.

Feeding cups range from $3-$6. Pony rides are $10.

Riding a Camel

New for 2024 is Clyde, a huge camel that gives rides. We just had to do this because where can you actually ride a camel in SC? It was my very first time riding a camel and pretty awesome. Clyde is a good camel and will do pretty much anything for treats.

You ride on one of his humps and go around the enclosure a couple of times. It is so neat and quite the unique experience. Definitely a 10/10 first time camel ride!

Camel rides are $10/person and located next to the petting zoo.

The Rides, Bounce Houses, and Santa

Nights of Lights also has several rides you can enjoy during your time there. A Ferris Wheel, carousel, and green dragon spinning thing are located in front of the stage, where the 65-foot tall Christmas tree stands, and next to the petting zoo.

There are also two big bounce houses, including a giant snowman. My youngest daughter did these and loved the obstacle course one the best.

The three of us did the Ferris wheel and it was a blast. I hadn’t been on one of these old-school ones in forever and it felt secure plus you get a great view of all the lights at the top of the wheel. All the rides have to be regularly inspected so you can feel good knowing they are safe and secure.

Each ride, plus the bouncy house, costs 1 ticket. One ticket = $3, or buy in bulk and get 12 tickets = $30.

Santa is also scheduled to be at Nights of Lights on November 23 & 24, November 29-December 1, and December 6-8, 13-15, and 20-22 from 5:30-8:30 pm. Photos are $5 using your own phone or camera.

There are multiple character appearances – think Elsa, Harry Potter, Moana, the Grinch – which you can see the schedule for here.

Food & S’Mores

Nights of Lights offers lots of yummy food options. We got a funnel cake, which was utterly amazing. They also have delicious hot chocolate.

Other food options are elephant ears, friend oreos, nachos, fries, onion rings, and chicken tenders – all the tasty fair foods.

Honest Mom Review

The Nights of Lights was a really fun experience. My kids, ages 12 and 9, and I all really enjoyed it. I’ve covered all the major light displays in our area and I really liked this one specifically for the walk-through aspect. You can take your time and enjoy all of the neat displays, take as many photos as you like, and make those special memories with your family.

I also enjoyed the petting zoo. I love animals and I feel that it’s usually easy to see if they are well taken care of and happy. These animals definitely were. The enclosures were clean and they seemed to be groomed well and happy. And the parakeet experience was so fun. Those little birds are cute and mischievous. The camel ride was amazing!

And, lastly, getting to speak with the management and learn all the behind-the-scenes things they are doing to make it a great experience for families was fantastic. They set out to make a great event for the Christmas season but also create ways for it to be doable for as many families as possible. Everything was clean and accessible as well, which I thought spoke volumes on the effort put into the event.

Tickets, Hours, and Special Promotions

Nights of Lights is open every day from November 22, 2024 – January 3, 2025. Hours are Sunday-Thursday 5-9 pm and Friday-Saturday from 5-10 pm. You have to pay admission to the entire light display, which includes the display, igloo, and access to Santa’s Village, rides, and the petting zoo. Extras are the cups of food in the petting zoo, pony rides, ice skating, photos with Santa, and rides.

Ticket prices are $15/age 16+ and $12/ages 5-15. Kids age 4 and under are free. No pets allowed; service dogs welcome.

Nights of Lights has promotional pricing nightly. Here’s the schedule:

Tickets are only sold at the gate. Nights of Lights is accessible and wheelchair-friendly. You can easily take a stroller. Be sure to follow Nights of Lights on Facebook for up-to-date hours and closure due to weather.

For more holiday light displays, see our big Guide to the Best Holiday Light Displays in the Upstate.

Night of Lights at the CCNB Amphitheatre at Heritage Park861 SE Main Street, SimpsonvilleWebsite | Facebook