Happy THURSDAY, Charleston! CHS Happenings isn’t just a newsletter you skim on Thursday mornings. It’s a living, breathing social calendar for people who actually live Charleston — not just post it.
Here’s what’s cooking:
🍽️ Dinner Club — March 4 at 6:30 PM. Cannonborough/Elliotborough.
Six strangers. One neighborhood. Zero awkward small talk.
Seats are disappearing, and once they’re gone… that’s it. Don’t be the person watching the recap wishing you’d jumped in.
🀄 Mahjong Night — You asked for it. You voted for it. It’s happening.
Details dropping soon. Stretch those tile-shuffling fingers.
⚽ Charleston Battery Night — Early May at Charleston Battery.
We’re locking down a private corner platform at Patriots Point just for CHS Happenings subscribers. It might be the best-value night out in the city — and it’s ours.
Real connections.
Real experiences.
Real Charleston.
The newsletter? That’s just the starting line.
Congrats to Chris T. of West Ashley who guessed correctly in last week’s “Where Are We?” This was a tough one. I only had 3 guesses—probably 30 under the norm. To be very precise, I was downtown on the east side of St. Philip Street, just north of Radcliffe. The mural shows Reverend Clementa Pinckney, one of the victims of the Mother Emanuel Church shooting.
Before we dive in, a quick question that'll help me bring you better local business recommendations:
Thursday 64° / 57° ☁️ 💧8%
Friday 64° / 53° ☔ 💧72%
Saturday 64° / 48° ⛅ 💧37%
Sunday 67° / 52° ⛅ 💧20%
The Crustburger, Joyland’s signature
Sean Brock’s Joyland: One-Year Wonder in Charleston
Sean Brock brought the hype. Charleston brought the appetite. Twelve months later? Locked door.
The chef who helped put Charleston on the culinary map — Husk, McCrady’s, Minero — had been gone seven years. His return? A big deal. Valentine’s weekend lines a year ago snaked down Calhoun Street as diners rushed to see if the Crustburger lived up to the buzz.
I went. I tried the Crustburger: thin beef patties, Kraft American, a tangy fish-sauce mayo. Solid. But not the “drop everything and line up” experience this town demands. Swig & Swine. Heavy’s Barburger. That’s the benchmark.
The space didn’t help. 145 Calhoun is long, narrow, and awkwardly wedged between downtown energy and neighborhood charm. It never felt like a spot you’d drop in on again and again.
Brock? Mostly absent after opening weekend. Day-to-day? Left to a local crew. Meanwhile, his Nashville spots keep churning — Charleston got the hype, Music City got the chef.
Joyland offered one curious bite. That curiosity isn’t enough in a city that lives and dies by repeat visits. Lesson learned: presence, consistency, and a reason to come back. The Crustburger? Just a taste of what could have been.
PRESENTED BY CHARLESTON BATTERY
⚽ Soccer Weather is Coming
March 7 isn’t technically spring… but who cares? Perfect night for soccer.
Charleston Battery — one of the oldest pro soccer clubs in the U.S. and a perennial playoff headache for everyone else — kick off their season that Saturday night at Patriots Point. Fireworks after the match. Big crowd energy. One of the best-value nights out in Charleston.
CHS Happenings readers get 15% off tickets — grab them by Wednesday, March 4. And yes — food trucks roll in during the matches, serving up Charleston’s best bites while you cheer.
Before that…
RSVP here for the Season Kick-Off Party this Sunday (March 1, 2–4 PM) at Viva Tacos & Tequila on Daniel Island. Free food. Free drinks. Players and coaches in the house.
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!
Reminder: Happenings has a new setup, and the new event link below is now the front door—use it if you want in.
Thursday
American Mah Jongg - Slow Play | 12 - 2 PM | Poe/Sullivan's Island Library, Sullivans Island | Play American Mah Jongg with friends. Slow play suitable for beginners - no fancy sets, special game rules, or high-pressure competition. If you have a 2025 NML card, please bring it.
Book Tasting: Great Books Paired with Great Wine | 6 - 7:30 PM | Odd Duck Market, Park Circle | Itinerant Literate Books & Odd Duck Market are teaming up to bring you an evening of wine and book pairings!
Neil deGrasse Tyson at Gaillard Center | 7 - 9 PM | Gaillard Center, Downtown | Neil deGrasse Tyson has become the most influential scientist in pop culture.
Friday
Brown Family Park Disc Golf Course Ribbon Cutting Ceremony | 1 - 2 PM | Brown Family Park, Summerville | Join us for the grand unveiling of the brand-new disc golf course out at Brown Family Park.
Camp Dunes & Dinks Pickleball Weekend Package | 3 - 6 PM | Wild Dunes Resort, IOP | Our 3rd Annual Camp Dunes & Dinks is back — three days of play, instruction, and relaxation by the sea.
The Rise of the South Carolina Seawolves | 4 - 9 PM | Charleston Union Station, Downtown | Dive into a 21+ launch party at Charleston Union Station with live music, food, drinks, and the official reveal of Charleston’s newest professional football team.
THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE I 7:30 PM | The Historic Dock Street Theater, Downtown | Who knew that spelling would cause so much pandemonium?
Saturday
6th Annual Sweetgrass Half Marathon & 10K I 7:30 AM | Park West Recreation Fields, Mount Pleasant | The 6th Annual Sweetgrass Half Marathon race beginning and ending at the Park West Recreational Complex in Mount Pleasant.
2026 Isle of Palms Polar Plunge | 10 AM - 1 PM | The Windjammer, IOP | Join us for the 2026 Isle of Palms Polar Plunge, benefiting Special Olympics South Carolina.
TCB Charleston Vinyl Show | 11 AM - 4 PM | Firefly Distillery, Park Circle | TCB Vinyl Presents the Charleston Vinyl Show Calling all music lovers and record collectors.
Yorktown Movie & Game Night | 6 - 10 PM | Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant | Join us aboard the historic USS Yorktown for an unforgettable evening of fun and entertainment!
Sunday
Free Euchre Tournament - 2nd & 4th Sundays | 1 - 3 PM | Indigo Reef Brewing Company, Charleston | Structured club tournament play with rotating partners, a friendly competitive format, and drink specials. No RSVP or partner needed.
Teddy Bear Picnic 2026 | 1:30 - 4 PM | Hampton Park, Downtown | Join us for the 16th Annual Teddy Bear Picnic – The Very Hungry Caterpillar Edition! This beloved free community tradition invites families to celebrate Charleston’s parks through nature play,
Monuments by Craig Walsh I 6:30 PM | Gaillard Center, Downtown | Experience Craig Walsh’s Monuments, a striking outdoor installation that transforms trees into sculptural works of art through large-scale nighttime projections.
One Thing We’re Seeing
Real Estate Desk
The Unlock
Sub-6% rates aren't just a number. They're a permission slip for buyers who've been sitting on the sideline doing the math. Some of them have been waiting 18 months for this. The question now isn't whether they'll move — it's whether the right homes will be there when they do.
— Jimmy, The Farrell Group
The Days Inn on Meeting Street is gone — and what's replacing it will cost more than your entire neighborhood.
A former milk plant on Meeting Street just got one step closer to becoming 200 apartments.
The city called a mediation for Cannonborough/Elliotborough—then forgot to invite its loudest advocates.
SC's newest pro football team just got a lot more real.
Friday
Big Shows
J. Roddy Walston brings his piano-pounding, face-melting rock and roll to the Pour House Main Stage — one of the most genuinely wild live performers working today.
ERNEST plays Charleston Music Hall on the Live From The South Tour — country songwriting with real momentum behind it.
Something Different
Giant Steps at Forte Jazz Lounge pays full tribute to Coltrane's landmark album — two sets, no shortcuts, serious listening.
Grittygrass and Admiral Radio share the bill at The Refinery — a progressive bluegrass double bill worth the detour.
Late Night
Tan and Sober Gentlemen take the Pour House Deck Stage — Appalachian bluegrass with an Irish-punk edge, exactly right for late Friday.
Saturday
Big Shows
Colour of Music Festival Finale closes out at North Charleston Performing Arts Center — a 60-piece orchestra, Black classical composers, and one of the weekend's most significant cultural bookings.
The Sixties Show takes Charleston Music Hall — a full tribute to the decade's catalog, built for people who know every song.
Something Different
Bourbon Blues & Bonfires at The Refinery pairs live blues with an outdoor bonfire — an early Saturday that deserves a spot on the calendar.
Charleston Southern Soul Festival fills the North Charleston Coliseum — deep catalog, big room, a crowd that came to move.
Sunday
Brunch & Daytime
New Ghost Town plays Prohibition Sunday brunch — acclaimed bluegrass, free with dining, easy call.
Motown Throwdown returns to the Pour House Deck Stage — five dollars, Sunday soul, no pressure.
Evening
Lotus brings their Rise of Anglerfish Tour to the Pour House Main Stage — electronic jam band energy to close the weekend on a very different note.
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