Car Accident Attorney inGreer, SC

By now, everyone should be familiar with the name Mike Sibert, owner of Greer's White Wine & Butter and a 2024 South Carolina Chef Ambassador.

On Tuesday, March 4, Chef Sibert competed on the Food Network television show 'Chopped' and came out victorious, beating out three other culinary experts for a grand prize of $10,000.

If you missed it, the show will re-air at 11 p.m. on Monday, March 10, at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, March 11, and at 3 p.m. on April 22.

"I'm absolutely humbled to have won 'Chopped,'" said Chef Sibert. "It was an incredible experience, and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to showcase my passion for cooking. The competition was fierce, but I stayed focused and trusted my instincts."

"Chopped" pits four chef contestants against one another. They compete against a 30-minute timer and a mystery basket of ingredients. The challenge requires the chefs to prepare an appetizer, entrée, and dessert, and one contestant will be eliminated after each course is served to four established judges.

Chefs are judged on the taste, creativity, and implementation of the mystery ingredients. During Sibert's second-round performance, he created a roasted teres major with coconut yogurt risotto, which earned high praise from Food Network judge Alex Guarnaschelli.

"You ran a billion lights, and from me, you don't get a single ticket," said Guarnaschelli.

Chef Sibert plans to use the $10,000 award to invest in the newly opened White Wine & Butter, which opened on February 20, at 2299 E. Gap Creek Road in Greer. There, he hosts a menu based around freshly made pasta, tableside-prepared foods, prime rib, tapas-style dishes, and a lamb and grits recipe similar to what he made during his Food Network appearance in 2023.

The Greer-based chef will host fellow "Chopped" competitor Soleil Ramirez for a five-course dinner at Sibert's new restaurant in July 2025.

– A.J. Jackson covers business, the food & dining scene and downtown culture for The Greenville News. Contact him by email at [email protected], and follow him on X (formally Twitter) @ajhappened. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers.Sign up today for a digital subscription.

Are you in search for a unique local park with imaginative play spaces? We recommend Century Park’s Kids Planet in Greer. This park has multiple playgrounds with a castle, bridge, zip line and accessible playground.

The Benson Automotive Kid’s Planet playground is one of our favorite places to play. And kids LOVE this fun, thoughtful, and excellently designed playground.

IMPORTANT: The playground closes for maintenance every Wednesday from 7 am – Noon.

If you want to spend the day in Greer, enjoying the new playground and the other things this cute city has to offer; we can help with our Ultimate Visitors and Locals Guide to Greer, SC

What We Love About The Benson Automotive Kid’s Planet

Each of the playgrounds at Century Park’s Kid’s Planet have a perimeter fence and gates which help keep kids safe and within the play area. When you have kids like mine that both like to spontaneously run in opposite directions, this is helpful.

Differently-abled kids want to have fun, just like any other. There are special needs swings for those who need them. There’s even a special needs seat for the zipline… I love that children with special needs can also enjoy the coolest part of the playground! A tandem swing in the small children’s area allows a small child and adult to sit facing each other and swing.

Speaking of ziplines, other Upstate parks have just one, if any at all. That causes long lines and other issues when I’m sure you can imagine that this is one of the most popular spots on a playground! The playground at Kid’s Planet has two separate zipline structures that offer kids a total of four ziplines to enjoy! That means more fun for more kids!

It gets surprisingly hot in the Upstate, so kids (and the occasional adult) will be glad to have a misting area to run through. This isn’t a splash pad, so you don’t have to worry about bathing suits and towels. It’s just a fine mist of H2O to cool off sweaty kids while they have fun!

This is one of my favorite parts of the park! These hillside slides offer a fun and safe way to pick up speed while sliding down the hillside. The slide is embedded in the ground’s natural slope, so there’s nothing to fall off of! It’s as close to rollercoaster stomach-flipping fun as you are going to find in Greer, and it’s even fun to see grownups going down them.

Good news for those hot days – there is plenty of shade at Kid’s Planet playground! Between the picnic shelters and benches with shade umbrellas, you’ll be able to enjoy some cooler shade while still having a good view of your kid’s play area. There are also trees in the playground area with plenty of shade.

The castle isn’t hard to miss, but there are so many subtle features around the playground that tie together the fairytale theme! The rubber ground cover looks like a more, and there are cattails, mushrooms, frogs, and I’ve not confirmed this with Greer, but if you ask me, that trampoline looks like a little tar pit for anyone looking to harm the magical kingdom.

How many fairytale features can you find in the new Kid’s Planet Playground?

The music station was a popular feature from the old playground and one of the first my kids ran to at the new one. The area is large enough that your whole family can get in on the action and have an impromptu show for other guests at the playground!

At first glance, I thought this was a water feature on the playground. I was surprised to learn that it’s a trampoline! One day I might work up the courage to hop on and not care what I look like, bouncing up and down like Tigger!

This is one of the first things I look for when considering a park for my own personal preferences. When the bathrooms are clear across the park, and your children can’t time their needs to be synchronized, it’s a hassle to be running back and forth to the restroom. The facilities at Kid’s Planet are positioned right in the middle of the two playgrounds. This makes it so convenient!.

No pets are allowed on or inside the playground.

Bonus Things We Love About Century Park in Greer

The concession stand will is occupied by the popular Greer shaved ice purveyors, Sno Hut. They’ve been keeping kids and grownups cooled off since 1987.

We are excited to be part of this great park!

Amanda Grainger / Sno Hut

The picnic shelters make a perfect place to plan a party right next to the built-in entertainment of the playgrounds. You can reserve a shelter for your special event through the City of Greer. The rentals start at $20 for a two-hour slot.

If you are training for that 5k, or just trying to shed some lbs, the playground is a perfect spot to close the circles on your apple watch!

Find even more parks on our Parks in Greenville page

What’s your family’s favorite thing about Kids Planet in Greer?

Greer chef Michael Sibert won Food Network’s “Chopped” competition in an episode that aired March 4.

The long-running show, hosted by Ted Allen, pits four chefs against each other over three rounds of dishes.

Sibert — owner and chef of White Wine & Butter and Anonymous Burgers — created crab rangoon cake with cherry gastrique, teres major with risotto and “pancake tacos” with chocolate mousse, tamarind candied mango, pineapple, strawberries, watermelon, cucumbers and fresh blackberries.

He felt the second dish earned him his victory, and it ironically arose from a mishap. Sibert first tried to hard sear the steak in an oven and it came out underdone. He was able to correct it and said his biggest strength was utilizing the remaining ingredients for risotto and gravy.

“The best feedback I got from it was when the chef said, ‘tasting your food is like a hug from grandma,’” he said.

The comment touched his heart because he grew up watching the show with his grandmother. The comment speaks to the legacy he hopes to leave behind.

“No matter what, my boys can always cut the TV on — any kids that I’ve mentored up to this point — friends and family can cut the TV on and they can see me, and they can see me be successful and actually get that win,” Sibert said.

Sibert recalled being “fussed at” on the show for his relaxed attitude but retained his composure even with high stakes.

“On the show, they really build suspense,” he said. “It’s a long day, especially if you make it like all the way to the finals. It’s a very long day.”

It wasn’t Sibert’s first TV appearance. In July 2023, he appeared on “Guy’s Grocery Games” hosted by Guy Fieri. He knew then he’d be back on the Food Network and hoped for “Chopped” or “Hell’s Kitchen.”

When he was asked to be on “Chopped,” Sibert had just sent his family to New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. He considered for a moment whether to accept the invitation. With only 24 hours to respond, he consulted his close friends and family. They agreed the opportunity was too good to pass up.

“It sucked to leave everything behind in the shape that everything was left (in) when I left town,” he said. “But I was going to perform on ‘Chopped’ with the thoughts of South Carolina, North Carolina, and everybody else affected by the hurricane.”

The City will add nearly five acres that are part of a planned housing development.

GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - Greer is growing by about five acres after members of the city council voted to approve an annexation request.

The property is at 770 Brockman McClimon Road. It’s the same place where council members say that three years ago they did not allow warehouses to be built. The newly annexed land will join with five other properties that have already been rezoned for a proposed development. Officials say the development would have about 163 units and this property would primarily feature amenities for the development.

City staff told council members that while South Carolina Department of Transportation officials and the City Engineer agree that there is not a traffic signal needed, they believe there will be a roundabout needed at some point in the future.

City staff also say that the developer agreed to complete a 30% design for the roundabout. They explained, “They would get the groundwork laid, so they would understand what amount of right of way they need for, to install it.”

They continued saying that because the developer wouldn’t be contributing most of the traffic to the intersection, it’s not fair for them to take on the full cost of the roundabout, but the question of who will be left footing the bill raised concerns from council members.

Council Member for District 2, Karuiam Booker said, “We don’t own either one of those roads, so I don’t see why the right of way aspect benefits us. It benefits the projects, but 30-percent plans, they could come back in five years and say roundabout is not the idea we need. We need a traffic signal.”

Council Member for District 3, Mark Hopper said, “We need a traffic signal there, so that, it is very concerning, and I am, again I’m certainly not a traffic engineer, but I’m, it’s beside me that somehow we’re not at the point to merit that.”

On the other side, Mayor Rick Danner said, “We’ve known since we started annexing in this area that, that intersection was going to be a choke-point.”

Council members Hopper and Albert voted against the annexation, but it passed. Council members Arrowood, Booker and Dumas, along with Mayor Danner voted in favor of approving the measure. One council member was not present and did not vote.

City staff say that construction for the development is expected to take about two years.

Copyright 2025 WHNS. All rights reserved.

Are you looking for the perfect Easter Egg hunt in Greenville, Spartanburg, or Upstate, SC? We have an amazing list of egg hunts, Easter bunny photos, Easter farm events, crafts, and all sorts of kid-friendly 2025 Easter events in the Upstate SC area. Bookmark this list!

Easter Egg Hunts in Greenville, SC

Easter Egg Hunts in Spartanburg, SC

Easter Bunny Photos in the Upstate

Easter Events for Special Needs

Travel: These Easter Events are Worth the Drive

Tips for Surviving the Annual Easter Egg Hunt

Want to know more about Things to Do this Easter in Greenville? Find all our fantastic Easter content on our Guide to Easter in Greenville.

**Egg Hunts will be cancelled or rescheduled due to inclement weather so be sure to check your intended egg hunt’s social media pages before heading out. We will do our best to update our list but we cannot guarantee we get to all of them that are changed if weather hampers the event.***

Greenville, SC Easter Egg Hunts

Searching for an Easter Egg Hunt in Greenville County for your kids? You found the right list! We are adding events to this list as information becomes available, so bookmark this page and check back often.

Heritage Park, 861 South Main Street, SimpsonvilleSaturday, April 5th, 2025 from 2-5 pm, The Great Egg Venture: Egg Hunt at Heritage Park. This is a free community event with inflatables and egg hunts, plus prizes.

Greer City ParkApril 12th, 2025 from 11 am – 1 pm, Eggtastic Easter Event at Greer City Park is back for 2025 with egg hunts, inflatables and more. Limited capacity so register online beforehand. Please bring your own bags. Each child can collect up to 10 eggs during their designated hunt.

Greenville, SCApril 12th, 2025, 2 pm – 4 pm, enjoy Easter egg hunts, food, games, inflateables, and even a petting zoo at this annual event at GFN’s Easter Jam.

Larkin’s Sawmill, Greenville, SCApril 20th, 2025, 10 am – 2 pm, This event fills up quickly, so reserve your brunch and egg hunt time soon. The event features an open buffet, egg hunts at 10:30 am, 12:15 pm, and 1:45 pm. Please bring your own Easter basket!

Spartanburg, SC Easter Egg Hunts

The Easter Bunny will be visiting Bass Pro Shop in Greenville this April 2025! You can visit with him and get a FREE printed photo with the Easter Bunny.

Visit with the Easter Bunny at Haywood Mall, dates TBD for 2025The Caring Bunny (a special opportunity for kids with special needs to get their photo in a sensory-friendly environment) date will be announced in March. Reservations are required for this special event.

The Great Smoky Mountian Railroad in Bryson City, NC is offering their Bunny Hopper Express train again in 2025. On April 18 – 20, 2025 at 11 am, you can ride the Bunny Hopper Express to the Bunny Trail. At this 1-and-a-half-hour layover, you’ll enjoy an Easter Egg hunt, live music, photos, and an Easter treat for kids at the layover.

Tickets are $35 to $132 depending on your choice of car, and complimentary for kids under in designated cars. Purchase Bunny Hopper Express tickets in advance. Many cars will likely sell out.

Top 5 Easter Egg Hunt Tips

What could go wrong at a fun event involving kids, candy, and the outdoors? I hope that I won’t shock any new parents out there, but the public egg hunt is not always all fun and games. It’s lots of fun but it can also result in tears from both kids and parents. Here are some of the top tips to help make the experience safe and enjoyable.

Different egg hunts have different rules and it’s smart to choose a hunt that fits your family’s age children and temperaments. For example, a fast, competitive child might thrive at a free-for-all egg hunt that’s every man for himself, but a shy child might find the same hunt frightening and leave without a single egg.

Find out . . . What are the rules for this egg hunt?

Beware of the hunts that allow parents to “help” kids. It’s not unheard of to watch fellow parents run toddlers over while they help their very capable preschooler fill an overflowing basket of eggs.

Easter is early-April this year which means the day could rapidly go from a cool early morning to a hot late morning or afternoon depending on the weather.

Make sure that you plan time to park. If your egg hunt has an age requirement for a specific time, your child will likely only be allowed to hunt at that time. If the hunt is large, plan at least 30 minutes for parking and registration before the hunt. Also pack snacks, water, extra clothes, and don’t forget the basket! You should always have a backup plan as well, just in case your kid’s basket ends up empty.

Be sure to go over your expectations of behavior before the craziness starts. Let your kids know that pushing, shoving, or taking other people’s eggs are a no-no.

In lieu (or in addition) to the big community hunt, consider planning your own private hunt with just your own kids or with your neighborhood or friends. Smaller hunts can allow for actual hiding (rather than just a bunch of eggs dumped in a field) and a smaller event can also be a fun chance to dye eggs and enjoy Easter games. It’s a simple event that the kids enjoy and it doesn’t involve tons of candy. With friends and family. Have fun!

Did your favorite egg hunt make our list? If we missed it, please share it in the comments below!