🌴 Johns Island’s Getting A New Retail Village

Welcome to CHS Happenings, the weekly newsletter that keeps you in the know about Charleston events, restaurants & retail.

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Happy Friday morning, Charleston! Notice something different up top? In advance of launching a full-fledged website for CHS Happenings, I’ve re-branded with a new wordmark (graphic design geeks, check me if necessary). Most call it a “logo”.

I wanted a flatter logo as opposed to the wavy one I’ve been using. Flatter simply works better for web design. I also wanted to dial back to 2 brand colors—a nice, dark Indigo as the primary and keeping lime green as the accent.

Let me know what you think!

In last week’s intro, I asked you to pick your Charleston-area favorite in Travel & Leisure’s 11 Best Places To Live In South Carolina list.

What?!? This may be a first. NOBODY guessed correctly in our “Where Are We” segment last week! Our photo was the mural at Frothy Beard Brewing Company in West Ashley. I’m not gleeful, just blown away y’all were evidently stumped.

WEEKEND WEATHER

Friday 85° / 71° ⛅ 💧15%

Saturday 81° / 71° ⛅ 💧34%

Sunday 81° / 68° ⛅ 💧35%

CURATED HAPPENINGS

Friday, August 29

Southern Tide Trunk Show at M. Dumas and Sons | 10 AM - 7 PM | M. Dumas and Sons | M. Dumas and Sons welcomes clothing brand Southern Tide to their flagship King Street store for a trunk show weekend shopping event.

Hot Flash Bash | 6 - 9 PM | Firefly Distillery | Calling all ladies ready to kick off their weekend with style, laughter, and the freedom to be fully themselves. We're throwing a dance party for the grown women who know how to have a good time (and aren't afraid to fan themselves while doing it). Join us for an evening of music, movement, and meaningful connection in a space made just for you. Whether you're rolling deep with your crew or flying solo, the Hot Flash Bash is your chance to let loose, laugh loud, and vibe out with women who just get it.

Wakeboard Night | 5 - 7 PM | Charleston Aqua Park | Enjoy wakeboarding in a relaxed Friday night atmosphere for only $40 per person on our wakeboard 2 tower cable. We have 1 kicker and 1 rail obstacle available. Bring your own gear or we have rentals available. Helmets and vest provided. Please book online in advance to secure your spot.

Saturday, August 30

The Citadel The Citadel Football vs No. 1 North Dakota State - White Out Game Presented by Pepsi | 12 - 3 PM | The Citadel | The Citadel Football vs No. 1 North Dakota State - White Out Game Presented by Pepsi.

Sol Driven Train - Kids Show I 2:30 PM | Pour House, 1977 Maybank Hwy, Charleston | Sol Driven Train + Kids Show | Sat 8/30 @ Charleston Pour House Deck | Family-friendly day set + full evening show!

The Edge of Reality: Magic, Illusion, & Mind Reading I 8 PM | Charleston Music Hall, 37 John St, Charleston | Doors at 7:00 pm | Show at 8:00 pm ACCESSIBILITY - Accessible seating is available online through Ticketmaster.

Sunday, August 31

Beginner Pilates with Isa | 9:30 - 10:25 AM | Magnolia Plantation | Start your day with gentle movement surrounded by the beauty of the gardens. Our beginner mat Pilates class is perfect for all fitness levels—no experience needed!

Labor Day Luau I 11 AM | Bay Street Biergarten | ALOHA, CHARLESTON! We're closing out summer with a bang— and trust us, this is the island-style Sunday Funday you don’t want to miss.

Charleston Community Jazz Jam | 5 - 6:30 PM | Charleston Jazz Academy, 3005 W Montague Ave, North, Charleston | The Charleston Jazz Jam Session is a free monthly session open to musicians of all ages. We invite students, adult learners, and professionals alike to hang together and perform in a welcoming, encouraging environment.

For a COMPLETE list of events in the Charleston area, bookmark the site below!

Johns Island Gets Its Freshfields Moment

Johns Island isn’t “up and coming” anymore—it’s here, and it’s growing fast. By 2025, the island’s population is expected to hit 28,262, a 25.7% jump since 2020 and more than double what it was a decade ago. That kind of growth doesn’t just need more rooftops. It needs places for people to gather, shop, and connect.

Enter South Island Market, a 34-acre mixed-use development breaking ground at Betsy Kerrison Parkway and River Road. The project will feature 82,000 square feet of retail, office, and service space across eight buildings, plus 79 luxury townhomes from Toll Brothers. Phase one is already underway, with nearly 46,000 square feet of space in progress.

What makes this especially exciting: the team behind it. Developers Buddy Darby and Charles Darby helped bring us Freshfields Village on Kiawah, which has become a beloved hub for dining, shopping, and community events. Their track record shows they don’t just build space—they create destinations.

And Johns Island is ready. With thousands of new residents arriving, the demand for restaurants, cafés, boutiques, and services has never been stronger. Retail follows rooftops, and right now, the rooftops are here in force.

South Island Market has the potential to become the anchor Johns Island has been missing—a place where you can grab a coffee, meet friends for dinner, or run errands without crossing a bridge. It’s more than another strip mall. Done right, it’ll be a community centerpiece.

Leasing is underway now through Tim Rowley and Hannah Kamba of Coldwell Banker Commercial Atlantic. For local entrepreneurs and business owners, this is a rare opportunity to get in early on a project that will help define Johns Island’s future.

IN THE COMMUNITY

• SC Ports receives big check from federal government. It’s the final reimbursement for completing a monumental undertaking: deepening the harbor from 45’ to 52’, making it the deepest on the East Coast.

• Lenoir owner Vivian Howard to debut new cooking show next month called Kitchen Curious. Howard explains the concept as a “food variety show.”

• Attention CHS, there’s a pretty exciting event returning for the 2nd year! Pickle Palooza will be a pickle paradise coming to James Island next month, and here’s where you get tickets.

• The Post & Courier is a little late with their appreciation of Grit Bakery. I gave kudos in April.

• Wondering how much rain CHS has seen in August? It’s an impressive number.

3 MOST-CLICKED FROM LAST WEEK

• OluKai Grand Opening event last week. What’d you buy?

• What to do when you encounter a gator in SC waterways. I hope you picked up some valuable tips.

• Our events calendar. Planning your own event? Add it to our calendar with this super-easy form.

SPONSORED BY CREATORS COLLISION

 CALLING ALL CREATIVE TYPES: Don’t miss Creators Collision!

“What’s that?”, you may ask.

Creators Collision is a two-hour immersive experience event where Creators can “collide” with like-minded professionals to connect, be inspired, and engage in a rich learning experience that will broaden your creative horizons.

Whether you're a designer, filmmaker, writer, visual artist, musician, photographer, blogger,performer, or any other creative type, this event is for you.

You don’t want to miss this opportunity for a fun-filled, inspiring, and entertaining experience!

Creators Collision debuts on Wednesday, September 17th, from 4-6 PM at the stunningly designed Harbour Club at WestEdge.

To ensure the most impactful connections take place, we are limiting tickets to 100 attendees. 

Purchase your ticket here, and use HAPPENINGS promo code for 50% off!

WHERE ARE WE?

Each week, watch this space for a random snap from somewhere in Charleston. Where are we? Just hit 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!

NEW FEATURE: I created a nice and easy form where YOU can send me a photo. But only if you think it will stump our eagle-eyed community. Click the button below if you do! Landscape (horizontal) orientation works best.

LIVE MUSIC LOCALLY

There’s some great live music in town this weekend, including the Lowcountry Jazz Festival at the Gailliard Center. Thanks to a suggestion from a subscriber, Gail H., I’m publishing this weekend’s live music on a separate page so Gmail doesn’t cut it off AND you don’t need to do so much scrolling.

ICYMI

We’ve had our share of brewery closings this year. But one seems to be thriving downtown.

The new “Gallery On East Bay” by RH proposed uplighting of the exterior that would have been unique. The City’s Board of Architectural Review wasn’t feeling it.

North Charleston has some great restaurants. Eater Carolinas weighs in with their Top 15.

Charleston Place is undergoing some big design changes. Including demolishing its iconic entryway as part of a $150 million upgrade.

Every state has its iconic dessert. What do you suppose Conde Nast Traveler thinks South Carolina’s is?

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FEEDBACK

Got 15 seconds? Let us know what you thought about today’s newsletter by voting in the poll below (you’ll be done MUCH faster than cars on Johnnie Dodds at 4:00 PM on a Friday). 👇