Charleston Real Estate Market

Spring is here in all its glory and all we can think of in the Lowcountry is getting outside and enjoying it. The early Easter threw some for a loop, but it’s great to see an egg hunt with the landscape beginning to green.

It seems that planners have risen to the occasion and found lots to pack into the month. It’s all about festivals, runs, walks and gearing up for the warm weather ahead.

Two major efforts are holding over from March. The Charleston Symphony’s Designer House is a pretty way to spend an afternoon. Stop by the home on the tip of the Battery across from the Coast Guard Base, have a snack in the café then tour the home. The 61stFestival of Homes is still going strong too, showing six decades of beautifully restored domiciles.

The 36th Summerville Flowertown Festival will be held the 4th-6th. This annual event is a great way to kick off the spring season. The award wining festival is family oriented and benefits the YMCA.

Save some room for crawfish! It’s a zydeco day at the James Island County Park’s 17th Cajun Festival on the 6th. Lots of music, etouffe, gator and a crawfish eating contest!

Three more tours going on this month will give your spring-time guests something to talk about. The 8th Kiawah Island House and Art Tour on the afternoon of the 11th will open five exceptional homes with water views showcasing their private art collections. Ashley Hall offers a rare glimpse of some architecturally unique downtown homes on the 12th.

Twelve homes in the Old Village of Mt Pleasant open their doors and gardens for a self-paced walking tour on the afternoon of the 20th. The tour includes the little blue schoolhouse and the historic Methodist Church, now private residences.

Charles Towne Landing will host Founder’s Day on the 12th. Re-enactors dressed in 17th century costume will present living history programs.

The Battle of Charleston will be relived campside by the 27th SC Volunteer Infantry. They will be camped at Legare Farms on the 18th-20th, showcasing authentic uniforms, crafts and the soldier’s way of life.

Middleton Place will celebrate Sheep and Wool Days on the 26th and 27th. Experience a working sheepdog herding its flock, sheep bathing and shearing. Artisans will be on hand dyeing, spinning weaving and knitting with the wool. There’s a wine and sheep cheese tasting for adults.

The Golden Age of Summerville will explore its historic past during the weekend of the 25th-27th. Once the winter White House for Presidents Taft and Roosevelt, the Flower Town in the Pines became a mecca for wealthy Northern visitors looking for a healthy climate and good hunting.

Speaking of our past, the Circular Congregation Church in downtown Charleston is the subject of a fascination new history. The church, which was an integral part of daily life for centuries, gives us a rare look into what life was like in those days.

Congratulations to Kings Inn B & B in Summerville. The luxurious green getaway was saluted as one of the Top Ten Eco-Friendly Inns.

The Charleston Horticultural Society’s Green Market for Plant Lovers will be held on the 26th rain or shine on the lawn of the Gaillard Auditorium. A great way to learn about plants and take home some new ones to try. It’s the ultimate yard sale.

This year’s Annual FamJam will be at the Charleston Children’s Museum on the 12th. Focusing on active, healthy living, the festival will include high energy fun for the whole family.

It’s a Broadway musical for children. “Sometimes the Best Friends Are All Wet” brings the enchanting Frog and Toad books to life. Follow the adventures of two great friends, the cheerful Frog and grumpy Toad through four fun-filled seasons on the 11th and 12th at the C of C.

Walking with Dinosaurs: The Live Experience comes to the Coliseum the 9th through the 13th. Based on the award winning BBC TV series, the dinosaurs return to the earth in a live theatrical arena show. The show is on a two year North American tour.

Is your mind straying to those running shoes in the closet? You’re in luck, the 31st Cooper River Bridge Run, our home grown-very well known 10K race is set for the 5th. Race Director Julian Smith says if you’re not running or watching the race from the sidelines or on Channel Five, come on down and volunteer.

The 4th East Cooper Coastal Triathlon on the 20th will cover a 0.6 mile swim, a 16 mile bike ride and a 4 mile run.

Run Forrest Run 5K debuts something different at the Joe on the 26th. The race starts at 5:15 pm before the game.

Now this is another kind of challenge: 55 stories, 1,210 steps, and yes, I mean steps, and one sweet elevator ride down! Join the Charleston Stairclimb Travel Team on their quest to conquer the Wachovia Financial Center in Miami, FL April 10-13th.

If that’s a little too much, try the Multiple Sclerosis Walk on the 12th at Hampton Park starting at the Citadel entrance gate. The 3K walk starts at 9 am and not only is the event free but the parking is too.

The first ever Charleston Dragon Boat Races will be held with a fun festival on May 3rd. Teams are still assembling, no prior experience is necessary. Don’t miss the traditional Lion Dance and the doting of the dragon’s eye to awaken the water beast’s energy. It’s all in good fun to aid the Hollings Cancer Center.

It’s back! One of the ten Tier 1 events on the Sony Ericsson Women’s Tennis Tour, the Family Circle Cup hits Daniel Island the 12th through the 20th. It’s an action packed nine days of activities for family members of all ages with high-level tennis by a roster of champions thrown in.

Charleston In-Water Boat Show will have all our boaters dreaming. Power and sail boats 13-80 feet will be on display at Brittlebank Park and Bristol Marina. The festival runs the 17th through the 20th. It will run concurrent with our traditional Race Week.

Charleston Race Week is a premier one-Design PHRF and IRC regatta for racing sailboats over 24 feet in length. We’ll have racing on and off shore. Enter the race or join the spectators on a hospitality yacht and don’t forget the post-race beach parties.

The 21st Blessing of the Fleet and Seafood Festival will take place at Alhambra Hall on Mt Pleasant on the afternoon of the 27th. Overlooking the harbor, it’s a perfect location to spend the day celebrating the shrimping industry. Watch the fleet receive their traditional blessing and a prayer for a bountiful harvest. And it’s free!

The 1,462 passenger ship Norwegian Majesty will sail a new 7 day Bahamas and Florida itinerary beginning this Fall through April of 2009. The route will depart Charleston on Saturdays and head to Grand Bahamas Island, the port of Nassau, Great Stirrup Cay, a private NCL island and Canaveral, FL. If you already have tickets for the fall, you will move to this itinerary or have the option to cancel.

Filed under: Around Town on March 30th, 2008