charleston events

How to Celebrate Cinco de Mayo Around Charleston

Let’s taco ‘bout Cinco de Mayo, which is coming up on Wednesday, May 5th! Here’s how you can celebrate the upcoming holiday with a fiesta of your own.

Cinco de Mayo at 3 Matadors

Cinco de Mayo wouldn’t be complete without tacos and margaritas – both of which the 3 Matadors prides themselves on. On Cinco de Mayo, 3 Matadors is having a special celebration for the holiday with live music, food and drinks!

Cinco de Mayo at Mex 1

Mex 1 is bringing out all the stops for Cinco de Mayo this year. The West Ashley location is hosting a Cinco Block Party with live music from Yellowknife and Friends. The Park West and Sullivan’s Island locations will also feature live music. In addition, each location will have $5 margaritas all day long on Cinco de Mayo.

Cinco de Mayo Day Sip n’ Paint

Sip and Paint at this Cinco de Mayo themed painting class. Enjoy a variety of assorted tequilas while exploring your creative side. The event will take place on Wednesday, May 5th at the East Cooper Disco. Tickets are only $35 and include a complimentary drink, apron and painting supplies.

Events

Highly Anticipated Blessing of the Fleet This Weekend

The Annual Blessing of the Fleet and Seafood Festival is coming up this weekend in Mount Pleasant.

The event takes place every year and is a celebration of Mount Pleasant’s local shrimping and fishing industry. This year’s Blessing of the Fleet will take place on April 25th from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm at the Memorial Waterfront Park.

According to their website, “participants are treated to a boat parade and ceremonial blessing of the shrimp/fishing fleet, savory seafood samplings sold by some of Mount Pleasant’s best restaurants, live music, a craft show, Shag and shrimp-eating contests, and family-friendly activities.”

Admission to the festival is free for festival-goers. In addition to free admission, there will also be free shuttle buses running all day from various locations in Mount Pleasant to Memorial Waterfront Park.

Officials are encouraging attendees to engage in social distancing and wear face masks during the event.

Events

Country Star to Headline Upcoming Outdoor Concert

Mark your calendars! On May 20th, country artist Jimmie Allen will be performing live in Charleston.

As a “platinum-selling recording artist and songwriter Jimmie Allen has already made history as the first Black artist to launch a career with two consecutive No. 1 hits on country radio – the first being his debut single ‘Best Shot’ – which claimed the No. 1 spot for three weeks – and second being his latest single ‘Make Me Want To.’”

Jimmie Allen also received the Country Music Awards nomination for New Artist of the Year at the 54th annual CMA Awards last year.

Allen will be headlining one of Firefly Distillery’s Safe Sounds outdoor concerts, which will also include a performance from Chase Martin.

The concert will begin at 7:00 pm and take place at Firefly Distillery (4201 Spruill Avenue in North Charleston). Tickets are $41.25 per person for general admission tickets or you can purchase a 10’x10’ square for you and three friends for only $165.

Click here to purchase your tickets before they sell out!

Events

Charleston Farmers Market Starting Back Up in “Essentials Only” Format

Marion Square is welcoming back the Charleston Farmers Market on Saturday, April 10, 2021. However, it will be following the “essentials-only” format, only allowing certain vendors to take part in the event.

The Charleston Farmers Market first began in 1989 and is a weekly showcase of local crafts and goods.

The “Charleston Essentials Market” will only include goods from farmers and growers as well as crafters and artisans. Both vendors and individuals who wish to attend must follow CDC guidelines including wearing a mask and social distancing.

The farmers market will be open every Saturday from 8:00 am – 1:00 pm until November 27, 2021. The market is not currently accepting applications for new vendors to participate but hopes to open up to allow more businesses soon.

Charleston officials are continuing to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and determine if and when it is appropriate to open the farmers market to run at full capacity.

Events

International Arts Festival Returning to Charleston in May

The 45th annual Spoleto Festival USA is returning to Charleston in May.The festival will take place from May 28 through June 13, 2021. For those seventeen days, artists, performers and musicians will be showcasing their skills in a variety of shows and performances.

Spoleto Festival USA is widely recognized as “America’s premier International Performing Arts Festival.” This year’s festival will have a variety of performances including A New Orleans Jazz Celebration, Ballet Under the Stars, Two Wings: The Music of Black America in Migration and The Wood Brothers.

According to a press release from Spoleto, “the 2021 season features a reduced number of venues and an overall capacity that is 25 percent of a typical season.” In addition, “all in-person performance tickets will be sold in safe seating pods—essentially “bubbles” of two and four seats. All seats within a pod must be purchased at the same time in the same order.”

Click here to view the full performance schedule and to purchase your tickets to this year’s festival.

Events

Eggstravagant Easter Events Around Charleston

Spring has sprung and Easter is coming up on April 4th. To celebrate, there are a variety of socially distant, family-friendly Easter events in and around Charleston.

Easter Egg Hunt at Alhambra Hall

Grab your Easter baskets and head to Alhambra Hall on Wednesday, March 31st for an Easter Egg Hunt. Kids can enjoy a variety of Easter-related activities and can also snag a picture with the Easter bunny.

Easter Egg Drop on Isle of Palms

In place of the annual Easter Egg Hunt, the Isle of Palms Recreation Department, Fire Department and Police Department will be hosting an Easter Egg Drop. Register online and the Easter Bunny will drop off Easter eggs to your home on Saturday, April 3rd.

Easter Egg Hunt & Brunch at Salty Dog Seabrook Island

The Salty Dog Seabrook Island/Charleston is hosting an Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday, April 4th from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. There will be a different egg hunt each hour in order to keep groups small. Enjoy a delicious brunch afterwards at the Salty Dog.

Easter Egg Toss and Parade on Kiawah Island

Start your Easter morning with a parade through Kiawah Island. The parade starts at 10:00 am and will cover the East Beach Village area. Follow the parade with the annual Easter Egg Toss at Night Heron Park from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm.

Events

Sip and Stroll Returning This Spring to Middleton Place

Beginning on Wednesday, March 24, the popular Garden Strolls and Wine Tastings event will be back at Middleton Place.

Middleton Place is a National Historic Landmark and is “home to the oldest landscaped gardens in America and an enduring, vibrant, and essential part of the Charleston and American experience.”

Each Wednesday night, grab your friends and family for a night in one of America’s oldest landscaped gardens. You can sip on a variety of wine while strolling through a different garden each week. Snacks will also be provided.

The event will take place every Wednesday from 5:30pm – 7:30pm. In compliance with CDC guidelines, face masks will be required for parts of the event. Tickets are $20 for members and $25 for non-members. The last night of the sip and stroll will be May 26th so be sure to reserve your spot in advance.

Click here to purchase your tickets.

Events

Annual Festival of Houses and Gardens Reimagined for 2021

2021 marks the 74th Annual Festival of Houses and Gardens. The festival celebrates the history, culture, beauty and architecture that Charleston boasts. Proceeds from the festival will benefit education and preservation efforts for the Historic Charleston Foundation.

In order to keep staff and festival-goers safe, this year’s festival will look a little different. Officials have made the difficult decision to cancel some annual events and have required that tours only feature private gardens and the exteriors of homes.

The festival will begin on March 11th with virtual Food for Thought Luncheon Lectures. In-person luncheon lectures will begin on April 5th at the Captain James Missroon House on East Bay Street.

Traditional events like the annual Sip and Stroll and Garden Splendor have been cancelled for the 2021 season. However, in place of those events, a new program will be held. Festival Fridays will start on April 23rd and take place every Friday through August 27th. Festival Fridays will include Morning History Walks and Food For Thought Lectures.The Glorious Gardens Tours will be also held on April 30th, May 14th, May 17th and May 21st.

Click here to learn more about the lineup of events taking place this year and see how you can celebrate this beautiful city.