Charleston's most-engaged audience is reading right now — and your business could be next to them.
Happy Thursday, Charleston. On this day in 1780, Lord Cornwallis crossed the Cooper River with his Volunteers of Ireland and a column of Tory militia, quietly slamming shut the last land-escape route for the American troops trapped inside besieged Charleston. The British had been tightening the noose since late March; once Cornwallis locked down the left bank, the end was baked in.
Nineteen days later, General Benjamin Lincoln surrendered more than 5,000 Continental soldiers — the single worst American defeat of the entire Revolution. It's the loss you probably never learned about in school, and it unfolded right here in our harbor.
Charleston Battery match, May 30th — our very own reserved section. Cold beers, pro soccer under the lights, and the kind of easy Charleston crowd where strangers leave as friends. Weigh in below. 👇🏼
Want in on the May 30 Charleston Battery game?
Downtown's back. So is Dinner Club.
May 6th. Lower Peninsula. 6:45 PM.
Six people, matched by vibe. One table. Zero small talk.
The kind of night you'll still be texting about Thursday morning.
On the fence? That's your sign to stop overthinking it.
Congrats to Alexandra M. of James Island who guessed correctly in last week’s “Where Are We?” I was at the corner of Rivers and Reynolds in North Charleston, admiring the “Lady On Rivers Avenue” mural. This work, and others you’ve seen around Charleston, is by Girls Who Paint Murals.
WEATHER
Thursday 81° / 61° ☀️ 💧6%
Friday 80° / 64° ⛅ 💧6%
Saturday 80° / 64° ⛅ 💧18%
Sunday 78° / 60° 🌩️ 💧41%
BAKERIES
Annie Mae’s Bake Shop just opened at St. Philip and Cannon downtown
There's a line forming at St. Philip and Cannon at 8 a.m. — not for a sandwich drop, not for a tasting menu, but for biscuits in foil and a banana toffee latte. Annie and Jason Vieira spent two years feeding Charleston out of a commissary no one ever saw. They just opened the prettiest room downtown, and they're coming back at night with cocktails.
WHERE ARE WE?
I’m traveling this week, so today’s photo is a repeat. Next week’s will be fresh!
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!
HAPPENINGS
Thursday
Author Luncheon with Brittany Butler -- The Patriot's Daughter | 12 PM | Halls Signature Events, Charleston | Former CIA officer wrote a spy thriller. Lunch included.
Liquid Intelligence Trivia | 7 - 9 PM | Wyrd Sisters Taphouse & Brewery, North Charleston | The trivia night where beer counts as a study aid.
Street Party | 7:30 - 10:30 PM | Gibbes Museum, Charleston | Twenty top Charleston chefs, one open bar. Dress the part.
Friday
Bird Songs, Nashville Songwriter's Round | 5:30 - 9:30 PM | Center for Birds of Prey, Awendaw | Nashville's best songwriters play while owls watch. Yes, really.
Dancing on the Cooper | 7 - 10 PM | Mount Pleasant Pier, Mount Pleasant | Salsa and jazz under the Ravenel Bridge. Season opener's a vibe.
2026 Black Food Truck Festival Rhythms & Booze Opening Soiree | 7 - 11 PM | International African American Museum, Charleston | Open bar, craft cocktails, DJ, inside the IAAM. 21+ only.
Stephen Sondheim's COMPANY | 7:30 - 10 PM | Queen Street Playhouse, Charleston | Sondheim. Opening night. A musical about dodging marriage.
Saturday
Thrifters & Drifters Artisan Market | 11 AM - 4 PM | The Royal American, Charleston | Vintage finds, local makers, and a dive bar backdrop. Very Charleston.
MTV 90's Spring Break Block Party | 11 AM - 11 PM | Commonhouse Aleworks, Park Circle | Frozen drinks, 90s covers, and questionable fashion choices. It's year three.
Fête de la Rue | 12 - 3 PM | 39 Rue de Jean and Hutson Alley, Charleston | Paris invades Hutson Alley. Unlimited mussels, frites, and wine included.
Sunday
2026 Blessing of the Fleet & Seafood Festival | 11 AM - 5 PM | Mount Pleasant | The 39th year of shrimp, shag-dancing, and blessing boats. Free.
Artisan Fair | 1 - 5 PM | Gibbes Museum, Charleston | Forty local makers, one gorgeous museum courtyard. Free to browse.
JammerMania - Live Pro Wrestling | 4 PM | The Windjammer, Isle of Palms | Former WWE star Gangrel body-slamming dudes at the beach. Obviously.
FEATURED EVENTS
Lace up for a reason. The Lowcountry Walk to Defeat ALS rolls out Saturday, May 9 at 9:30 AM from Memorial Waterfront Park in Mount Pleasant. Free to join. Every step funds research, care, and hope for families living with ALS.
City Lights Eastside is your downtown third place — legit coffee, specialty lattes worth the drive, plus food, beer, and wine. Tonight from 6:30 to 8:30, the sensational Leah Maria Suarez turns the café into a jazz bar. Enchanting. Intimate. Perfectly Charleston. Come hang.
One Thing We’re Seeing
Real Estate Desk
The Real Advantage
The biggest advantage right now isn’t speed or scale—it’s judgment. Knowing when to act, when to wait, and when to say no is making the difference between stressful transactions and smooth ones.
— Jimmy, The Farrell Group
ICYMI
A Queen Street home just hit the market — and the pool house alone is a Dorothy Draper fever dream.
The name behind King Street's buzzy new Vietnamese spot traces back to a 1730s Huguenot bartender with a charity habit.
Charleston's middle-market pizza wave has a Mount Pleasant entry coming this summer — and it's literally importing NYC's water chemistry.
Ten years in, North Charleston's beloved chippy pulled the plug with no farewell tour — just an effective-immediately goodbye.
A College of Charleston prof just launched an AI that ranks 240 Charleston restaurants across 16 dining categories.
LIVE MUSIC
FRI — HARDY's Country! Country! Tour at Credit One Stadium — the biggest room of the weekend. Or Infamous Stringdusters + Shadowgrass at The Refinery — modern bluegrass, deep bench.
SAT — Panchiko at the Music Hall — the cult slowcore act people waited years for. Or POPS! Goes Country at North Charleston PAC — full orchestra, country catalog, unusual pairing done right.
SUN — Hunter Hayes at Charleston Music Hall — the biggest name on a Charleston Sunday in a while. Or Virginia Man + Sun Child at The Refinery — indie double-bill worth leaving the couch for.
FEEDBACK
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