York County’s growth momentum shows no signs of slowing in 2026, with new restaurants, entertainment venues, and infrastructure projects opening or breaking ground across Rock Hill and Fort Mill as the Charlotte metro’s southward expansion continues to drive one of South Carolina’s most dynamic development pipelines, according to the Visit York County tourism bureau’s annual What’s New guide.
In Rock Hill’s Old Town district, a new bottleshop has opened in the city’s restored historic powerhouse building near University Center, adding to the walkable retail and dining options along the White Street corridor that has become the anchor of downtown Rock Hill’s revival. JV Rock Hill, a new pizza restaurant, has also opened in Old Town, offering family dining on the city’s historic main street.
A Big Air Trampoline Park is set to open at Rock Hill Galleria Mall in the third quarter of 2026, occupying 30,000 square feet on the north end of the mall. The entertainment center would join the existing recreation options at the Rock Hill Sports and Event Center and Cherry Park, giving families another destination for active leisure.
A second location of York’s popular cookie shop is slated to open in Rock Hill this summer, expanding the local brand’s footprint to the county’s largest city. Raising Cane’s, the Louisiana-based chicken finger chain, is also expected to open at the former Bob Evans location in Rock Hill in early 2026, continuing the stream of national chain arrivals that have accompanied the county’s population growth.
The region’s infrastructure has been matched by public investment. The city of Rock Hill has continued its downtown reinvestment strategy, with the Thread trail system — which won the 2025 CoStar Impact Award — connecting the Riverwalk development on the Catawba River to the broader trail network. The city’s parks system includes Cherry Park, Riverwalk, River Park, Glencairn Garden, and Manchester Meadows.
Rock Hill’s civic programming continues to anchor Old Town’s community identity. The Old Town Market, a farmers market running April through November on Saturday mornings from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., operates along the White Street corridor. First Fridays, a monthly outdoor celebration launched on May 1 as the 2026 season opener, brings live music, local vendors, food, and art to the Main Street corridor on the first Friday of each month through the fall.
The Come-See-Me Festival, Rock Hill’s signature spring celebration, continued its tradition of community programming with its annual barbeque cook-off judged by the South Carolina Barbeque Association, and a touch-a-truck event for children featuring first responder vehicles. The festival is one of the largest civic events in the York County calendar.
York County’s growth trajectory has been fueled by its position as the primary South Carolina market in the Charlotte metro area. With Rock Hill approximately 25 miles south of Uptown Charlotte via I-77, the county offers Charlotte-adjacent living with South Carolina’s income tax, property tax, and housing cost advantages. The county’s five school districts — including Rock Hill Schools (York 3), Fort Mill School District 4, and Clover — continue to manage enrollment growth as new families arrive each year.
