Greenville prepares to celebrate Father’s Day 2023

The City of Greenville has many events and activities planned for Father’s Day on June 18, including a comedy show and Free Boating at River Park North.

Event Designer and Coordinator Niesha Ansley said she has planned a large Father’s Day stand-up comedy show to be held at Creative Designz Events Center at 7 p.m. on June 18. Several comedians will be performing at the event, two of which have been on the Black Entertainment Television stand-up comedy show, ComicView, Ansley said.

“I went to a comedy show of one of the comedians that will be at my event, Redbone from ComicView,” Ansley said. “He was amazing. I mean, awesome. I got contact information while I was there.”

Ansley said she has a husband and a son who is also a father. She said she wanted to appreciate both of them this Father’s Day

This is the first event of the sort that Ansley has planned, she said, and she is hoping that families will purchase tickets and enjoy the event. The show will have food for all who attend, Ansley said.

“I’m nervous,” Ansley said. “I want it to be a great success. I’m trying to believe that God will make it to be just that.”

Parks Program Assistant Andrew Wimsatt said River Park North off of Mumford Road will be hosting Free Boating for Father’s Day, allowing anyone to rent pedal boats and kayaks for free from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on June 18.

River Park North has held this event on Father’s Day for the past few years, Wimsatt said. The park also has free boating on Mother’s Day, Wimsatt said.

“We want to provide an opportunity for families to get a different perspective of the environment and exploring nature,” Wimsatt said. “They can look around and observe the wildlife that is typically only on the water or in the water.”

Some safety restrictions apply for young children under seven years old, and all children under 18 must provide their parent’s signature in addition to their own, Wimsatt said.

Kayaks may be rented for three hours on the water, and pedal boats are for 30 minutes at a time, Wimsatt said. The busiest time for the free boating events has usually been around the beginning, near 1 p.m., Wimsatt said.

“We welcome everybody to come out and enjoy the day,” Wimsatt said. “We hope people have fun learning a new skill or just experiencing something new as a family.”

Lead Pastor Jonathan Altman said Saint Paul Church will be having a Men’s Breakfast event at 8:30 a.m. on June 17.

Anyone may attend the event for free, Altman said, and there is no need to RSVP. The church also has hosted a Women’s Brunch event for Mother’s Day, Altman said.

“It’s (the event) really a kickoff to Father’s Day weekend,” Altman said. “It’s a way to offer the guys in our church and in our community to enjoy a meal and each other's company,” Altman said.

The event will not last very long, Altman said. The main point of the breakfast is to let fathers and other men from the Greenville community connect with each other, Altman said.

This is the first year Saint Paul Church is having the Father’s Day event, Altman said, and he hopes that it will be a success for the members of the church and other Greenville residents.

“We’d love more people to come to this event,” Altman said. “We have worship Sunday morning, and we’re here for the community.”