(Photo courtesy of High Spirits Hospitality)
An Upstate event company opened its latest venue with more than 700 guests and an array of entertainment and food offered by the region’s hospitality industry.
Located at 701 Easley Bridge Road in Greenville, Events at Judson Mill features more than 8,000 square feet of space for any kind of event from weddings to benefit galas to corporate parties.
It’s the latest venture from High Spirits Hospitality, a woman-owned event and catering business whose brands also include Liquid Catering, Bravo1 Protection, High Spirits Events, The 405, and the management of Topside Pool Club.
“This has been months of hard work by our team, and we are glad to finally be showing off the site to all of the Upstate,” said Tammy Johnson, High Spirits Hospitality president and CEO.
Events at Judson Mill is part of the $75 million redevelopment project to revitalize the historic Judson textile mill.
Opened in 1912, Judson Mill was once the largest textile mill in Greenville County and served as more than a workplace. The mill was a thriving community of neighbors, friends, and family. In 1933, the Deering-Milliken company purchased the mill and operated it until it closed in 2015.
Belmont Sayre Holdings purchased the 819,000-square-foot set of buildings and 36-acre campus in 2017, joined later by equity partner Taft Family Ventures.
The development team, specializing in urban transformation, began reimagining Judson Mill District as a community hub that aims to provide affordable places to live, work, and play, as well as opportunities to enjoy green spaces, recreation, and a diverse mix of communal activities and amenities.
Events at Judson Mill features three separate spaces: The Annex, The Smokestack, and the South Courtyard.
The Annex features 5,600 square feet of event space, all in the same room. Clients who book their weddings in the Annex may draw ivory theatrical curtains to divide the space in two.
Tall mill windows fill the room with natural light, from the refinished maple floors to the 16-foot ceilings. Historic features like original timber beams and exposed brick masonry complement the venue’s more modern touches.
The space includes everything a client might need, including a dressing room, a family-style restroom, and a full catering kitchen. It will comfortably seat up to 350 guests.
The Smokestack offers 3,200 square feet of event space, suitable for celebrations of up to 200 guests. The venue's industrial feel stems from its exposed brick architecture, finished concrete floors, tall windows, and the painted ironwork rafters that span the 30-foot-high ceilings.
Guests will note the soaring smokestack that gives the venue its name, as well as the vintage water tower that distinguishes the building’s exterior.
Grand double doors open to the South Courtyard, an outdoor event area for after-work fetes, wedding ceremonies, social mixers, and more.
Sponsors for the April 6, 2023, grand opening included Alpha-Lit Marquee Letters, Bravo1 Protection, Cakes to Dye For, CHEF360 Catering, Clare’s Creamery, Collective Music Solutions, Complete PR, Cotton Rouge & Company, Couture Cakes, FamZing Studios, The Fun Box Photo Booth Company, Good Life Catering, Holly’s Cakes, Holmes Catering, Ice Age Ice Sculptures, Laurenda’s Family Restaurant & Catering, Nard’s Backyard BBQ, The Phoenix Coalition, Renee Burroughs Design, Southern Way Catering, Synergy Coffee, Table 301 Catering, Tri-County Rentals, and Uptown Entertainment.