The last Jazz on the Alley of 2026 is Thursday, October 29, on Ram Cat Alley. Two days later, on October 31, Halloween on the Green takes place at the Daniel W. Alexander Amphitheater at 300 Main Street, a stage downtown Seneca did not have last October.
Those two nights show what changed this year. For the first time, the city's fall and holiday calendar has a permanent outdoor stage in Norton Thompson Park, and a 710-seat indoor theater a few blocks away is close to finished. The rest of 2026 moves from the alley to the park to the Lunney Museum lawn and back again. By early 2027 the calendar should have a fourth home on North 1st Street.
A Stage That Arrived Just in Time for Juneteenth
The amphitheater opened on the Friday evening of Seneca's Juneteenth celebration. Xperience Soul and The Drifters gave the first performances. The venue is named for Dan Alexander, the longest-serving mayor in Seneca's history, who held the office for 38 years from 1988 until 2026.
As Upstate Today reported, City Administrator Scott Moulder was candid about the schedule that night:
"This project has been under construction for longer than we anticipated, and to now see the completion of the facility, it's just a relief that we're going to make it in time to celebrate Juneteenth with a concert."
The summer showed the range of events the city has in mind for the stage. The recreation department planned an outdoor movie night there for June 26. Spittoono and Sammy Price with Stone Echo booked an independent concert for July 10. So the stage serves city events, outside promoters, and free family nights alike.
Halloween on the Green is the amphitheater's first Halloween, and the setup takes advantage of the new structure. The event runs from 5:15 to 8 p.m. on October 31, with trick-or-treating for children 12 and under and a costume contest for children under 12. The city's flyer says it goes on rain or shine, under the awning. A downtown Halloween that a cold shower can't cancel is new for Seneca.
Four Thursdays Left on Ram Cat Alley
Jazz on the Alley has run every Thursday night since April. As of today, October 5, four Thursdays remain:
- October 8
- October 15
- October 22
- October 29
Each night starts with a Happy Hour Showcase on the Alley from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. The main set follows from 7 to 9 p.m. on Ram Cat Alley. The series features Americas Touring Musicians. September's lineup gives a sense of the range: Alamo & 11 North on September 3, Nathan Angelo on September 10, Jamie Wright on September 17, and SONG on September 24. The city posted the October performers on its Jazz on the Alley October schedule page on September 29. The flyer also notes that pets are not permitted.
Saturdays run on a parallel schedule in the park. Cruzin' on Main fills Norton Thompson Park every Saturday through October, according to the city's September calendar. The alley's weekly series and the park's car show both end in the same week that the amphitheater hosts its first Halloween. That's when the fall calendar shifts to its holiday sequence.
The Lunney Museum Lawn Fills the Gaps
The third downtown venue is the oldest. The Lunney Museum at 211 W. South 1st Street hosts the smaller, quieter events, organized by the City of Seneca's Arts, History, and Culture office.
- Fireside Social at the Museums, October 9, 6 to 9 p.m., on the museum's back lawn. Sign-up is required and there is a fee.
- BookEnds, October 17 from 11 a.m. to noon, then again on November 21. It's a free children's reading program.
- A Lunney Christmas, December 5.
- Lunney Candlelight Tours, December 8 through 10. Sign-up is required and there is a fee.
- 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, December 12. It's free, with no sign-up.
The Fireside Social falls on Friday, October 9, the night after a Jazz on the Alley Thursday, so the two make back-to-back evenings downtown. Current listings are on the Arts, History, and Culture events page.
November 30 Puts the Pieces on One Route
The holiday season shows how the venues connect. The "Magic of Christmas" Parade steps off at 6 p.m. on November 30. The city's 2026 parade application lays out a route along East North 1st Street, Fairplay Street, Ram Cat Alley, Main Street, Walnut Street, and Railroad Street. That loop passes North 1st Street, where the arts center sits, runs through the alley, and reaches Main Street near Norton Thompson Park. The same night, the Lighting of the Green takes place in Norton Thompson Park.
Here's how the November and December calendar lines up by venue, from the city's September 2026 newsletter:
| Date | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 5, 5 to 9 p.m. | Taste of Oconee, with a Nov. 12 rain date | Downtown Seneca |
| Nov. 20 to Dec. 31 | Magical Musical Holiday Light Show | Downtown Seneca |
| Nov. 21 | BookEnds | Lunney Museum |
| Nov. 30, 6 p.m. | "Magic of Christmas" Parade | Downtown route |
| Nov. 30 | Lighting of the Green | Norton Thompson Park |
| Dec. 5 | A Lunney Christmas | Lunney Museum |
| Dec. 8 to 10 | Lunney Candlelight Tours | Lunney Museum |
| Dec. 10 | A Jazzy Christmas | Ram Cat Alley area |
| Dec. 12 | 'Twas the Night Before Christmas | Lunney Museum |
Vyve is the presenting sponsor for Taste of Oconee. A Jazzy Christmas on December 10 brings the alley's Thursday-night music tradition back for one holiday evening, six weeks after the regular season ends. For exact times on events the newsletter lists without them, the city points readers to senecascevents.com and its Seneca SC Events Facebook page.
What "December" Means for the Seneca Center for the Arts
The arts center is going up on North 1st Street, across from City Hall, on the former Kimbrell's site. On September 24, WSNW reported that the building remained on schedule for a December opening, after Moulder gave the station a tour starting in what will be the public lobby.
December refers to the building, though, and shows come later. The Journal has reported that construction is on track to finish by the end of the year and that programming is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2027. The city is considering a soft opening by the end of 2026 if construction and other factors allow. No first shows have been announced.
What's known about the building itself:
- Seats: 710, with accessible orchestra and balcony seating.
- Backstage: a green room and full backstage support. Moulder describes it as a full production venue capable of performances similar to those at the Peace Center or the Brooks Center for the Performing Arts.
- Lobby: built to hold displays of visual art.
- Funding: construction was paid for with $22 million in grants from the South Carolina General Assembly.
- Operations: the city hired Marathon Live, a Nashville-based facility management company, as a consultant on ticketing, staffing, the initial budget, food and beverage service, and 2027 scheduling.
The venue's official site describes plans for theater, music, dance, visual arts, workshops, and educational programs. The project also affects the streets around it. The city is upgrading gas lines, removing overhead power lines, and improving sidewalks around the center ahead of the expected repaving of North 1st Street. That stretch of North 1st Street is also the first leg of this year's parade route.
At the amphitheater opening in June, Moulder explained why the city is building both venues:
"Cultural arts is an extremely important part of downtown development, and we recognize that entertainment is a big draw and driver for tourism and economic development."
The amphitheater has already finished its first summer. The arts center building should be finished by year's end, with its first scheduled season expected in early 2027.
Having a stage in Norton Thompson Park and a theater on North 1st Street changes what living near downtown Seneca looks like. If you want to talk through how these venues might shape the streets around them, Philip Kalchthaler follows these projects closely and is glad to share what he's watching. Reach Out Today.
