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Happy Thursday, Charleston. On this day in 1680, the ship Richmond dropped anchor at Oyster Point carrying roughly 45 French Huguenot refugees — the first big wave of Protestants fleeing Catholic France for the new colony of Charles Town. King Charles II personally backed their passage, and the manifest read like a recruitment dream: silk weavers, vintners, oil-makers, shipwrights.
Most settled north of town along a Cooper River tributary that, fittingly, came to be called French Quarter Creek. Three and a half centuries later, Huguenot last names — Ravenel, Manigault, Legaré, Porcher, Gaillard — still run through Charleston like a second street grid.
Charleston's a boat town. Are you part of the fleet?
Dinner Club is one week out.
This one's for you if…
You moved here in the last two years and your social circle is still mostly coworkers and your spouse.
You keep telling yourself you'll "put yourself out there" — and keep not doing it.
You work from home and your most interesting conversation today was with the Harris Teeter cashier.
You watched the last three Dinner Clubs roll by and felt that little twinge.
If even one of those landed — this is the one to stop scrolling on.
Next Wednesday, May 6th. Lower Peninsula. 6:45 PM. Six people, one table, matched by vibe.
A few months back, I polled y'all on a monthly mah-jongg meetup at a local bar. Your answer was quick and unequivocal: yes.
Full disclosure: I had zero connection to the game. Never played. I just figured as CHS Happenings keeps cooking up events, it might be a fit.
So I did the homework. Met with Anne of Holy Mahj, who was generous with her time. She and her partner Caroline have been teaching mah-jongg for years and run leagues out of their space on Line Street downtown. Anne confirmed what the headlines say: the game is blowing up.
My call: after sitting with it, I've decided it's not the right fit for us to host.
If you want to learn or join a league, Holy Mahj is your spot.
Don't worry though, other ideas are percolating. I'll share one in the next few weeks.
Congrats to Anne R. of Columbia who guessed correctly in last week’s “Where Are We?” I was at Ashley Hall School downtown, snapping the Shell House. The Shell House is the historic building reserved exclusively for seniors.
WEATHER
Thursday 74° / 59° ☔ 💧70%
Friday 71° / 61° ☁️ 💧24%
Saturday 66° / 51° ☔ 💧91%
Sunday 69° / 54° ☀️ 💧5%
Every headline satisfies an opinion. Except ours.
Remember when the news was about what happened, not how to feel about it? 1440's Daily Digest is bringing that back. Every morning, they sift through 100+ sources to deliver a concise, unbiased briefing — no pundits, no paywalls, no politics. Just the facts, all in five minutes. For free.
FITNESS
Alison Berglund and your publisher at her new studio
Charleston runners talk about Alison Berglund like a secret weapon. She’d never talk about herself that way. Here’s how the founder of 6:33 Physical Therapy went from Fort Bragg to Mount Pleasant — and why Matthew 6:33 is on the door.
WHERE ARE WE?
Just reply to this email, or if you’re reading on our website, email me here. The first person to guess correctly will get a shout-out at the top of our issue next week!
TOGETHER WITH OPT ALTERNATIVES
Growth is great — until your books can't keep up.
You hit a stride. More clients. More donors. More moving parts. And suddenly the DIY system that worked in year one is held together with duct tape and good intentions.
That's where Opt Alternatives comes in. Kait and her team build financial systems designed to grow with your Charleston nonprofit or small business — not buckle under it.
Books that scale. Reports you can actually read. A team that flags what matters before it becomes a problem.
The momentum is yours. Time the back-end caught up.
HAPPENINGS
Thursday
Pet Therapy & Craft Kids' Night! - West Ashley | 5 - 7 PM | East Bay Deli, West Ashley | Bring the kids, pet some good dogs, eat free. Easy win.
Country vs Pop Music Bingo | 6 - 8 PM | Snafu Brewing Company, North Charleston | Sequins or cowboy boots — pick your team and your beer.
Home Team BBQ's 16th Annual Gimme Shelter Fundraiser | 6 - 10 PM | Home Team BBQ, Charleston | Lowcountry boil, Junco Partner, and a cause Charleston actually shows up for.
Friday
2026 North Charleston Arts Fest | 10:30 AM - 8 PM | North Charleston Coliseum & Performing Arts Center, North Charleston | Charleston's biggest arts blowout. Most of it doesn't cost a thing.
Plant Pop-Up at Two Blokes! | 4 - 7 PM | Two Blokes Brewing, Mount Pleasant | Beer in one hand, Mother's Day gift in the other. Done.
Footloose Youth Edition presented by Charleston Academy of Musical Theatre | 7:30 - 10 PM | Lucy Beckham Performing Arts Center, Mount Pleasant | Charleston teens take on the dance-rebellion classic. Bring the family.
Saturday
LiveWildFest 2026 | 9 AM - 8 PM | Firefly Distillery, North Charleston | A full day of movement, mindfulness, and a HAYLA sunset DJ set.
Lowcountry Strawberry Festival | 10 AM - 7 PM | Boone Hall Plantation, Mount Pleasant | Pig races, pie-eating contests, and strawberries on a waffle cone.
Charleston Air Show Beach Party | 12 - 3 PM | Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina, Charleston | Blue Angels overhead, Slacktide on stage, beach beers in hand.
Sunday
Celadon x Navy Yard: Boulevard Bazaar | 10 AM - 2 PM | Celadon Warehouse, North Charleston | Local makers, food trucks, and 25% off Celadon's whole warehouse.
Spirited Brunch | 12:30 - 3:30 PM | Various houses of worship, Downtown | A crawl through Charleston's holiest buildings, with snacks at each.
The Lost Things: An All-New Magical Experience from Illusionist Scott Silven | 2 PM | Gaillard Center, Charleston | Mentalism, memory, illusion — the kind of show that ruins regular magicians.
Speed Is Local
A year ago, Charleston homes sold in 55 days on average. This spring, it’s 74. The local read says the market slowed down. The transplant read says Charleston is still moving twice as fast as anywhere they came from. Same number, two completely different stories. The market gave buyers a little room to think, and the ones who needed it are using it well.
Jimmy Farrell
Broker, The Farrell Group
ICYMI
A former Edmund's pastry chef quietly opened a 20-seat purple-themed dessert bar in Hanahan — yes, you'll need a Resy.
The Blue Angels buzz Charleston Harbor on Saturday, and your morning depends almost entirely on where you park.
The old Rarebit space on King Street has a new tenant — a five-city cocktail bar with a 1,500-recipe deep bench.
That Upper King line you keep walking past is now staring down a James Beard medal in June.
The team behind North Charleston's Istanbul Shish Kabob just dropped a build-your-own Mediterranean spot across from Marion Square.
LIVE MUSIC
FRI — Brandon Lake at Credit One Stadium — the biggest room of the weekend. Or Houndmouth at The Refinery — Americana that still hits hard.
SAT — Black Jacket Symphony plays Bon Jovi at Charleston Music Hall — Slippery When Wet, top to bottom. Or Wilmot at The Royal American — local rock that earns the room.
SUN — JACOOZY at Charleston Pour House — jam-funk to keep the weekend alive. Or Reggae Sundays at The Washout — best way to slow it down.
FEEDBACK
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