Annual Events & Festivals - Annual Events
Tradition is of utmost importance to Lowcountry residents, and successful annual events always fall into that category. Events in the Trident area run the gamut from the Lowcountry Oyster Festival—where salty oyster juice stains and face-painting masterpieces serve as souvenirs—to the sophisticated and comprehensive arts festival that is Spoleto Festival USA. Charlestonians and visitors alike turn out in big numbers for all the events listed in this chapter, so we strongly suggest you make your reservations early.
For information about any of the activities, we recommend contacting the Visitor Information Center of the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce (part of the area’s convention and visitors bureau) at (843) 853-8000 or (800) 868-8118, or visit the website at www.charlestoncvb.com. The City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs, 180 Meeting St., Ste. 200, (843) 724-7305, www.charleston-sc.gov, and the automated ticketing service Ticketmaster, at (843) 554-6060, www.ticketmaster.com, are other good sources for information. The following listings will serve as good starting points in your efforts to dive into the traditions of the Trident. Unless otherwise noted, all events take place in Charleston proper.
1. The Citadel Dress Parade
City: Charleston, SC
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (843) 953-5000
Insider Pick:
Description: Almost every Friday during the school year, the nearly 2,000-member Corps of Cadets at The Citadel marches in retreat parade or review on Summerall Field to close out each week. In addition to the family and friends turnout, the Dress Parades are a long-standing local and visitor favorite due to the impressive precision of the Corps. Spectators are welcomed (for free)—just be sure to take your seat before 3:45 p.m. when the action commences. Call or visit the website for a schedule.
City: Charleston, SC
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
City: Charleston, SC
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
City: Charleston, SC
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
City: Charleston, SC
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
City: Charleston, SC
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
City: Charleston, SC
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
City: Charleston, SC
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
9. Kids Fair
City: Charleston, SC
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (843) 571-6565, ext. 304
Description: Since 1988, the Charleston Jewish Community Center has sponsored this indoor fair for children ages 3 to 12 at the Gaillard Auditorium. We like the safety precaution of not allowing any adult to enter if not accompanied by a child, and we appreciate the wide range of age-appropriate entertainment—from face painting, arts and crafts, and school group performances, to health-issue booths, all free of charge. The hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on a Sun in Mar. In a nice change of pace, parents are admitted free with children, whose tickets are $1. Parking is free, too.
City: Charleston, SC
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Address: 40 East Bay St.
City: Charleston, SC
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
12. The Garden Club of Charleston’s annual House and Garden tours
City: Charleston, SC
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (843) 534-5164
Insider Pick:
Description: Some of Charleston’s finest historic district homes and gardens are showcased on The Garden Club of Charleston’s tours on a Fri and Sat afternoon in the latter part of Mar. The members have organized this tour for more than 75 years and continue to delight tourists and locals alike with the selection of private homes, breathtaking gardens, and their own flower arrangements that enhance the homes’ interiors. Tickets are in the $40 range for each day or $75 for both days and can be purchased by visiting the website listed or by writing to P.O. Box 20652, Charleston, SC 29413. If not sold out, they also may be purchased the day of the tour at the visitor center or Market Hall at the corner of Market and Meeting Streets.
City: Charleston, SC
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
14. Flowertown Festival
City: Charleston, SC
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (843) 871-9622
Address: 140 South Cedar St.
Description: Summerville, a 20-mile drive from Charleston, is the setting for this wonderful small-town festival each spring. If the winter has been kind, the city—affectionately called Flowertown—will be ablaze with color on the first weekend in Apr, and the events are nonstop. Sponsored by the Summerville Family YMCA, the festival is a 3-day affair that includes arts and crafts displays with more than 200 vendors, a youth festival, sports tournaments, the Taste of Summerville food festival, and much more. There is no admission fee, but there are charges from individual vendors for food and activities.
15. Lowcountry Cajun Festival
City: Charleston, SC
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (843) 795-4386
Description: Crawfish-crazed connoisseurs, take heart. There’s a chance for you to get your fill this side of New Orleans at the annual Lowcountry Cajun Festival. Set in early Apr, it’s a stompin’ good time at the James Island County Park, where more than 5 tons of crawfish, eating contests, crawfish races, and a genuine Louisiana Cajun band make up the mix for family fun. Sponsored by the Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission, tickets for the festival are $10 for adults and free for children 12 and under with a paying adult.