Charleston Real Estate Market

This is it, May has arrived. It’s a month of graduations, special honors and trips to the beach before it gets too hot to enjoy.

Mother’s Day will be on the 8th. Be sure to do something nice for Mom, yours or someone else’s. It falls smack dab in the middle of the big college graduation festivities. Come to think of it, graduating is probably one of the best gifts you could give your mom.

So that you can plan accordingly, The College of Charleston traditional graduation is on the Cistern in front of the main building on George St. The first public college in the country will have 2 ceremonies on the 7th. The first will run from 10am til about 1 and the second from 4 til about 6:30.

The Citadel’s festivities will begin on the 5th with special events throughout the day. On the 6th the Long Gray Line Parade will be at 3pm and the commencement will be at 9am -noon on Saturday the 7th. Graduate School’s will be at 5pm.

TTC will hold ceremonies on the 6th and CSU will graduate its seniors on the 7th at the N. Chas Coliseum. The town will be full this weekend!

Charleston got some great PR this month. Every Day with Rachel Ray magazine sent food critic, John Kessler, to the Holy City to check us out. The headline reads “Charleston has a moment”, Rachel, honey, our “moment” is 300 years long!

Travel+Leisure asked brothers, chefs and authors, Ted and Matt Lee, about Charleston and how they view it from their unique perspective. The article ranged from Wild Horses at the Pour House to Bowen’s Island to the much-touted Husk, Sean Brock’s new venture downtown, to the Glass Onion on Savannah Highway.

James Island, Brett McKee is back with the latest in his line of Roadside Kitchens, opening soon, we hope!

Still on the subject of food, Southern Living announced they are teaming up with the Charleston Restaurant Association for the Taste of Charleston to be held October 8 & 9th at Boone Hall.

The BB&T Charleston Food+Wine Festival really packed a wallop this year. According to the Office of Tourism, the event, in its sixth year, made a $7.3 million contribution to the local economy up more than $2 million from 2010.

Good a sweet tooth? Carolina Green Fair Events will sponsor a Chocolate Cook Off between locals and professionals at Founders Hall at Charles Towne landing on the 19th.

Magnolia Plantation is hosting its photography contest. Photos must be shot on the grounds before May 31st.

Summerville is looking for a few good photographs, 13 to be exact. Shots of the historic residential or business districts will be accepted by the 5th and the 13 chosen will grace the next calendar. They’re also hunting prospects until June 13th for the Summerville’s Got Talent Show.

The weather is beginning to warm up so you’ll be happy to hear that the local water parks are opening on the weekends in May. James Island, Palmetto Islands and Wannamaker County Parks will open their Splash Zones full time at the beginning of June.

It’s a dog’s life…. The 8th Annual Charleston Dog Show is free on the 7th. Judging style, form, personality and showmanship, the 14 different classes will strut their stuff at Marion Square. The Blessing of the Dogs will be at 9am. Later in the month, Yappy Hour is back at the James Island County Park. Bring your best friend to the park after work on the 19th from 4-7 for some live music and relaxation.

Harborfest Festival takes over the waterfront the 15th-19th.Mixing Tall Ships with the sleek new Velux 5 Oceans vessels; you can cheer on our own skipper in the Ultimate Solo Ocean championship. The round the world solo race will begin its last leg of 3600 nautical miles at 3pm on the 14th at the festival.

On the 15th it’s the First Flush Festival. Bigelow’s Charleston Tea Plantation, the only one in the U.S., celebrates the first growth of the year with a day of music and lots of iced tea to drink. Located on Wadmalaw Island, the fest will feature Grace Potter and the Nocturnals.

If you want more music and dancing, the first of the Moonlight Mixers, Shagging on the Pier, is on the 13th at Folly Beach. The Music of Miles Davis is showcased by the Charleston Jazz Orchestra at the Charleston Music Hall on the 21st. The Charleston Community Orchestra will perform twice this month, on the first at the North Chas Arts Fest on the PAC Stage. Their Memorial Day concert will be on the 30th at Marion Square. Speaking of Marion Square….

Don’t forget! The Farmers Market is on again after a winter hiatus. Meet the folks who grew your dinner, made you new necklace or raised the chicks/beef or caught your shrimp dinner. Saturday mornings.

The 18th-22nd brings us the 4th International Film Festival at the American Theatre on King Street.

This leads up to the major cultural infusion of the year: Spoleto and Piccolo Spoleto Festivals. If there’s a type of music, dance, theatre, art, you name the discipline; you’ll probably have the chance to see a world class performance right here. The schedules are too large to list so here’s the websites: Check out www.piccolospoleto.com or the big one www.spoletousa.org You’ll be amazed.

Now, Around the State this month:

Holidays: Confederate Memorial Day May 9th-state holiday

National Memorial Day May 30th state and federal holiday.

May 6-8 CHARLESTON GREEK FESTIVAL—Dinos cooks the best lamb on a spit at Greek Orthodox Church on Race Street

5/2-6/4Allendale Paleoamerican Expedition (dig the Topper site)

5/5 Cinco de Mayo Chas Visitor Shed 7-11 pm

5/13-22 Myrtle Beach Bike Week in Murrells Inlet

5/13-14 Walterboro Antique Fest

5/14 Charleston Dragon Boat Fest , Bluffton Village Fest

5/15 Blue Crab Fest in Beaufort

5/21 Strawberry Fest in Slater and the Pine Straw Festival in Patrick

5/27-9 Iris Fest in Sumter, Gullah Fest in Beaufort

A few golf matches of interest:

5/22-25 Veterans Gold Classic in Myrtle Beach

5/19-22 BMW Charity Pro Am in Spartanburg

5/14 Golf Fore Life in Greenville

The 30th starts the weekend with the WHES Hawk Trot at Windsor Hill Elementary at 8 am and the 2011 Rice Run starting at the same time at the Old Post Office in Walterboro.

At the same time, the TRYCharleston: swim, bike and run your way through the Low Country event is at the KOA Campground in Mt P. The Half is a 1.2 mi swim, 56 mi bike & 13.1 mi run. The Sprint is a 500m swim, 20K Bike & a 5K run.

Also on the 30th, it’s the rescheduled 12th Annual Folly Beach Sea and Sand Festival 5K. The Skate and Walk leaves the Tides at 8am and the run at 8:30.

The 3rd Annual Drive against Crime, a crime stoppers golf tournament, will begin at 8am on the 6th at Coosaw Creek Golf Club.

If you have some time during the big graduation weekend, you may want to check out the 8th Annual Mom’s Run on the 7th beginning at Blackbaud Stadium at 8am. The Capers Island ECO 5K and 10K will run on the 8th and 22nd. The Bulldog Breakaway Twilight Series , 5K Run #1 and #2 will be at 6:30 pm on the 12th and 26th.

Wannamaker Family Fun 5K Run/Walk will be at the county park on the14th.

Also on that day, the Hazel Williams Gamons Run for your Mother 5K will be at the Sawmill Branch Trail in Summerville and the 3rd Annual Leslie McCravy Memorial 5K will be run at Folly Beach.

The Riverdog’s favorite Run Forrest Run will start at 5 pm on the 21st followed by a Bubba Gump dinner and the Augusta Green Jackets game. The Angel Walk will be earlier that day 9-12 at Hampton Park, and 4000 Miles of Hope Spin Marathon will roll at Select Fitness on Rivers Avenue. The Sprint Marathon Race 1 is on the 22nd at James Island County Park. Last, but not least, the 28th brings us the Lowcountry Splash, an invigorating swim from Hobcaw to Patriots Point, yes that means swimming the harbor with the BIG ships. That’s nerve!

Filed under: Around Town on April 20th, 2011 | No Comments »

April is here, so get ready for a big time. The first weekend is chock full of events, no foolin’. Make careful note, though, these events will cause some traffic disruptions, re-routing and business closings.

Starting on the 1st-3rd is the Flowertown Festival, a free family affair in Summerville. Over 200 vendors, a tennis classic, children’s carnival, historic home and garden tour and plenty of azaleas make it special.

On the 2nd and running til the 10th is the Family Circle Cup. It’s the 39th consecutive year for the tournament and the eleventh in the Daniel Island facility. Some of the biggest names in women’s tennis will compete.

The Cooper River Bridge 10K Run and Walk will be on Saturday the 2nd. This is a major event that will close the bridge and many roads in Mt Pleasant and Downtown. The run is SOLD OUT, amazing; we’re talking over 38,000 participants! The Kid’s Run will be held at Hampton Park on Friday at 5pm, its festival 2-6pm. The Competitive Wheelchair 10K Event starts at 7:30 Saturday morning on the bridge and the Run at 8am. The After Event at Marion Square is huge and there’s even a wedding in the mix.

The 20th Annual Cajun Festival kicks off at the James Island County Park on the 3rd. Non-stop live Zydeco music, cajun and creole food will mark the day from 12-6 pm.

The International Festival of Choirs will have performances throughout the city the 8th-10th.

On the 9th, The Thunderbirds take to the air in close formation. See the show at the Air Base, it’s free and so is the parking. If you’d like to spend some quality time with your pet, take your best friend to the Palmetto Island County Park Pet Fest on the 9th and 10th.

The 14th-17th will be Charleston Wedding Week’s celebration of bridal style. The four day event will showcase all components of the South’s upper-tier wedding industry.

Charleston Race Week kicks off on the 14th with its inshore and offshore regattas.

There’s more water fun on tap. The 21st East Coast Canoe and Kayak Festival cranks up the 15th-17th at James Island County Park. This is one of the premier paddle sport events on the East Coast.

Folly Beach will celebrate the Sea and Sand Festival with a block party. Center Street will become an avenue of good food, art work and dance bands on the 16th and 17th.

Mt Pleasant’s Waterfront Park will be the site of the Blessing of the Fleet this year, celebrating from 11-6 on the 17th.

The 24th is Easter Sunday and that means the 10th Annual Hat Ladies Easter Promenade. Honoring the tradition when ladies would stroll down Main St. showing off their hats or Easter bonnets, the Hat Ladies begin at Broad and Meeting Street at 11am on the 23rd. The parade ends at White Point Gardens.

Our French Huguenot Church, the only remaining independent one in America, will open to the public beginning on the 14th. It is located across from the Dock Street Theatre.

How about houses and gardens open this spring? Kiawah has a House and Art Tour scheduled for the 8th.

The 64th Annual Spring Festival of Houses and Gardens runs til the 16th. This is the major fundraiser for Historic Charleston.

The 2011 Designer Showhouse will be open til the 17th. The circa 1815 home is located at 89 Beaufain St.

The Red Cross House, Garden and Art Tour through the Old Village is on the 17th, a great chance to see homes that don’t tour often.

Plantasia, the 10th Annual Green Market for Plant Lovers, has a new home this year. Wragg Square at 342 Meeting will host the 2 day affair on the 29th and 30th. Unique, cutting edge plantings, a Members Favorites section and a true yard sale highlight the free event. A guided walking tour of private gardens is available at a charge. The Heyward Washington House will offer garden tours each Thursday in April.

The North Charleston Arts Festival draws thousands of visitors during its nine day run from the 29th– May 7th.

If dancing is your art there are two events this month. On the 21st is the Water Ball and the 29th is the Oxygen Ball.

The North Charleston Arts Festival draws thousands of visitors during its nine day run from the 29th– May 7th.

If dancing is your art there are two events this month. On the 21st is the Water Ball and the 29th is the Oxygen Ball.

Date to Remember: The 27th is Administrative Assistant Day. If you have one, be sure to do something nice for them.

Around the State in April

Carolina Cup Steeplechase, the 2nd in Camden; 8th-10th World Grits Festival in St George; 10th The Big Nosh Jewish Cultural Festival in Columbia; 11th Monday after the Masters celebrity pro-am in North Myrtle Beach hosted by Hootie and the Blowfish;13th Indie Grits Film Festival in Columbia; The Heritage Golf Championship in HHI begins on the 18th; The Soft Shell Crab Festival in Port Royal on the 23rd; the SPINX Charity Golf Event in Greenville on the 25th and the Manning Striped Bass Festival starts on the 28th.

Gotta Run!

Of course the Bridge Run is on April 2nd. Then the After the Bridge Ride on the 3rd leaves the Battery Stadium on DI at 8am for the 100 and 73 mile rides and 8:30 for the 50 and 30 mile rides.

April 9th, here at Station 16 on Sullivan’s Island is the Run for Adela. The SPEED Ride to Benefit Special Ed at Wando High will take place at the Awendaw Green (Sewee Outpost). Three distance challenges 10/25/62.5 (metric century) on the Francis Marion National Forest’s well-paved roads.

Also on the 9th at 8am will be the sanctioned Eagle Endurance Almost 9 Miler Trail Run at Buck Hall National Recreation Area in Awendaw. Start and finish is at the Awendaw Passage section of the Palmetto Trail. Running with the Alligators sounds a little different, also on the 9th at Old Santee Canal Park in Moncks Corner.

The 10th brings two refreshingly different events. Benefitting the Wounded Warrior Project, it’s the Patriot Challenge Kayak Race and Charity Paddle at Brittlebank Park. Kayak, canoes and stand up paddleboards hit the water at 1 pm. 

If this just flat wears you out, there’s the 2nd Annual Bed Race at Hampton Park, helping Camp Happy Days, starting at 3pm on the 10th.

It’s a pretty daunting to swim past freighters and aircraft carriers in an open harbor. Anyone wishing to tune up for the 10th Annual Lowcountry Splash Bridge Swim can attend camp at the Martin Luther Pool at 155 Jackson St, evenings from 4/7-5/26.

Pivotal Low Country Race Weekend combines the I’On Smackdown at 8am on the 16th and the SC Criterium Championships at Hampton Park on the 17th.

The Capers Island ECO Run and Walk will literally take you away. A ferry will depart IOP Marina at 1 pm for a Capers Island 5K/10K Run/Walk through the incredible scenery of a barrier island including Bone Yard beach and tidal pool areas on the 16th

The Krispy Kreme Donut Run will have the runners take the Greenway to the Savannah Hwy store, pause to eat a dozen donuts and return to the St Andrews School for Math and Science. Drive carefully in that area on the 16th at 9am. Scary pictures in my head!

It is 5 kilometers through 300 years of history: The Charleston Digital Corridors 5th Annual Innovator’s 5K. The iFive:K will be on the 21st at 6:30pm starting at the Maritime Center.

The 23rd is the date for the Bohickett Marina 5K and 10K at Seabrook Island. Also that day is the Santee Endurance Adventure Race covering around 40 miles of challenging landscapes stating at 7:30am.

The 30th wraps up with the WHES Hawk Trot at Windsor Hill Elementary at 8 am and the 2011 Rice Run starting at the same time at the Old Post Office in Walterboro. The TRYCharleston swim, bike and run your way through the Low Country event is at the KOA Campground in Mt P. The Half is a 1.2 mi swim, 56 mi bike and 13.1 mi run. The Sprint is a 500m swim, 20K Bike and a 5K run.

Whew!

Filed under: Around Town on March 28th, 2011 | No Comments »