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10 Things To Do In Charleston This Fall

Featured Image Credit: Charleston CVB

Today is the first day of fall and that means we have a list of the top 10 things to do this autumn in Charleston! Here in the Lowcountry, fall isn’t just about bonfires, apple cider, and pumpkin spice lattes. It’s about perfect beach days, festivals, carriage rides, soaking in some history, fright nights, and sunset cruises.

1.Legare Pumpkin Patches

What says fall better than pumpkins? Legare Farms pumpkin patch is one of the oldest working farms in the nation (since 1725!) They pride themselves in keeping their old traditions while bringing some new age to the farm. They not only have an awesome pumpkin patch but a haunted house, a trail of terror, and a haunted hayride. This a perfect place to spend an autumn day or night!

  1. MOJA Arts Festival

2017 marks the 34th annual MOJA festival. This festival celebrates African-American and Caribbean arts. It has been ranked Top 20 for the Southeast Tourism Society for many years. More than half the events are FREE and the others are modestly priced. MOJA is a great way to kick off fall with a variety of visual arts, music, dance, crafts, children activities and much more!

  1. Fright Nights @ Boone Hall

If you love all things scary, spooky, and creepy – Boone Hall is the place to be. With 4 different attractions (Cemetery of Lost Souls, The Crypt, Wicked Woods Haunted Hayride, and The Gateway) you will be guaranteed to be put in the Halloween spirit!

  1. Museum Mile

Take a stroll on a nice fall day down Charleston’s Museum Mile. Throughout the mile, there are six museums, five historic houses, and four scenic parks. The excursion focuses on the history of Charleston and allows you to take as much time as you would like at each stop.

  1. Ghost Tours

With a long history, comes a long line of ghosts in Charleston. Bulldog Tours offers the largest selection of ghost tours. Most tours introduce the history of famous buildings and neighborhoods. The tours aren’t meant to terrify people but show them the darker history along with maybe a little bit of fright!

  1. Carriage Horse Rides

Carriage rides are one of the most popular attractions in Charleston and there is nothing better than taking one on a nice fall day. Palmetto Carriage Company is Charleston’s oldest tour company. They offer public and private carriage tours and is an easy way to relax and enjoy the changing of seasons!

  1. Oktoberfest

Taking place on October 1st at the MUSC Health Stadium, Charleston celebrates their very own Oktoberfest. This Oktoberfest offers beer, German band, and food. There will be a viewing party for the Carolina Panthers vs. New England Patriots and the Charleston Battery viewing party at 2 p.m. A Jump Castle Kid Zone will also be there, it’s a great place to kick back, drink and watch some sports.

  1. Old City Jail Tours

The Haunted Charleston Jail tour takes you to all the places where criminals lived and died. The Jail was home to some of the worst criminals, pirates, and Civil War prisoners. The Jail was open from 1802-1939. It is a very scary place and people have seen and heard ghosts inside.

  1. Sunset Cruise

Sunset Cruises are always great in Charleston. Fall is perfect because it isn’t too hot. Some charters such as Ahoy Charleston, have offers that pair with ghost tours and sunset cruises if you’re in the mood for a little bit of relaxation after your eerie adventure!

  1. Second Sunday

Enjoy your Sunday Funday on King Street as half of it opens up for people to enjoy food, music, and shopping. It takes place on the Second Sunday of each month from 1-5p.m. Grabbing a PSL, browsing each storefront with music playing and eating some great food isn’t the worst way to spend a Charleston Fall day!

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Top 20 Reasons To Love Living In The Number One City In The Country

Featured Image Credit: Charleston CVB

With Charleston taking the crown for Travel and Leisure’s Top City in the United States (five years running) and coming in at #2 for the World’s Top 15 Cities, we decided to take a closer look at what makes our city so deserving of these gllooorrriioooouuusssss titles.

Trust us, it wasn’t hard, like, at all. Sure, it’s the abundance of yummy restaurants, the southern hospitality, easy access to beaches and a slower-paced way of living, but it’s also so much more than that, and we want to show them some love. So here are our top 20 reasons (not in order whatsoever) to fall in love with our southern charm all over again.

  1. Rainbow Row– because who doesn’t enjoy walking down the street looking like it’s owned by Roy G Biv?
rainbow row

Image Credit: Charleston CVB

2. Cobblestone – You’re able to walk around on the same ground as some major historical figures. 

3. Horse Carriages – Because a carriage ride takes us back in time to when our city was full of dirt roads, horses and buggy’s.

4. Historic Downtown – Elegant homes, antique shops, cobblestone roads, confederate jasmine, gas lanterns…what more could you ask for?

fort sumter

Image Credit: Charleston CVB

5. Fort Sumter – Being able to see where the start of one of the biggest wars in history went down is definitely something to treasure.

6. Food – It’s quite overwhelming how many choices we have when it comes to places to eat. But no matter where we decide, there is always somewhere fabulous with excellent service to stuff our faces with homemade meals and local produce.

7. Walk Everywhere – It’s so easy to explore Charleston on foot, and not many major cities can say that. There are plenty of beautiful walking paths and sleepy streets to stroll along.

food

Image Credit: Charleston CVB

9. The Weather – It’s always sunny in Philadelphia?? Nahhh, try again… it’s always sunny in Charleston.

10. History – Our history is one of the longest and most diverse of any community in the United States, spanning hundreds of years of physical settlement beginning in 1670 through modern times. It was also the leading city in the South from the colonial era down to the Civil War.

11. The Ravenel Bridge – Whether you’re driving, walking, biking or running, crossing the bridge gives you a sense of calmness as you look over the beautiful city.

12. Folly Beach, Sullivan’s Island and IOP – Because with everything there is to do in Charleston, you even have the chance to get sand in between your toes.

folly beach

Image Credit: Charleston CVB

13. Hootie and the Blowfish – Darius Rucker is like our MVP, next to Bill Murray. Let Her Cry, Hold My Hand and Only Wanna Be With You are always jam worthy. Always.

14. The People – A beautiful city made even more beautiful by its kind-hearted people.

15. Sunsets – Like, seriously, no matter where you are in Charleston they are always perfect.

16. Craft Beer Scene – Breweries are blowing up all over the Lowcountry. Whether you’re in West Ashley, North Charleston or downtown, there is always a hoppy experience that awaits nearby.

17. Shem Creek – Grab a drink with friends on the water, rent a paddle board, take a ride on the Palmetto Breeze Catamaran…there’s so much to do on this little slice of paradise.

Image Credit: Charleston CVB

18. Riverdogs Baseball – In the south, we don’t only take our college football seriously, we also take our baseball seriously too (with serious hopes that Bill Murray makes an appearance at a game!)

19. North Charleston Coliseum – Everyone from KISS, Taylor Swift, Jay-Z, Prince and Ed Sheeran has played there.

20. Events – Every year, people flock to Charleston from near and far for annual events like The Charleston Wine and Food Festival, SEWE, Spoleto/Piccolo, the Volvo Car Open, Southern Ground Music Festival and so much more.