🌴 Ladybird Books Taking Flight on King Street

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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! On this day in 1814, Charleston’s citizens gathered at St. Philip’s Church to pass resolutions that led to large-scale citywide efforts to bolster defenses. It was a response to fears of a British invasion heightened by events in Baltimore during the not-very-sexily-named War of 1812.

The actions taken on September 12 resulted in thousands of Charlestonians—military and civilians, including free people of color—volunteering their labor to construct defensive lines across the peninsula in the weeks that followed. This effort showcased a rare degree of collective action and community resilience during wartime.

Congrats to Jake J. of Downtown, who was the 1st to guess correctly in our “Where Are We” segment last week! Our photo was the now-under-construction and soon-to-be 2nd location of Odd Duck Market, located just south of Hampton Park at Rutledge and Moultrie. Get the breakfast sandwich on your bread of choice when you go! Their brilliant innovation was a garlic aioli to die for.

I’m a member of a paid membership community of local newsletter publishers from around the country. We collaborate and share what’s keeping our subscribers most engaged.

Under that heading, I need your feedback. I’ve been running a feature for a while that shows the 3 Most-Clicked Events from last week’s issue. Link clicks are a bit light lately. Tell me whether it should stay or go. 👇🏼

WEEKEND WEATHER

Friday 82° / 65° ⛅ 💧24%

Saturday 82° / 65° ☀️ 💧4%

Sunday 82° / 65° ⛅ 💧8%

CURATED HAPPENINGS

Friday, September 12

M. Dumas and Sons in Mt. Pleasant Towne Centre First Anniversary Event | 10 AM - 7 PM | M. Dumas and Sons will celebrate the first anniversary of their Mount Pleasant Towne Centre store on Friday and Saturday. You’re invited to stop by to enter a $500 gift card raffle, enjoy a gift with purchase, and sip complimentary wine from Boutique Beverage Company while browsing.

TAKES ALL KINDS by Dan Hoyle | 7 - 9 PM | PURE Theatre | Based on immersive reporting—from school board showdowns in Florida, grassroots organizers in Atlanta, barbershops in Las Vegas, deprogrammers of violent extremists in Missouri—experience the moving, funny, true stories of American Democracy in these tumultuous times, including stories from Mother Emmanuel survivor Polly Sheppard.

Beer From Here at the South Carolina Aquarium! | 7 - 10 PM | South Carolina Aquarium | All the fun of a bar crawl — minus the miles — as you sample libations from some of the Lowcountry’s best breweries in one epic waterfront location. New this year, meet the aquatic animals of our coast at the Boneyard Beach Touch Tank Experience!

Saturday, September 13

14th Annual 9/11 Heroes Run | 9 - 11 AM | Charleston Fire/Police Department | Join the Travis Manion Foundation for the 2025 Charleston, SC 9/11 Heroes Run. The 9/11 Heroes Run unites communities internationally to never forget the sacrifices of the heroes of September 11th and the wars since, veterans, first responders, civilians, and the military.

Getting Saucy BBQ Competition | 11 AM - 3 PM | Wanamaker Park | Join us for a sizzling showdown at the Getting Saucy BBQ Competition - where grill masters battle it out for the title of BBQ champion!

MELT Mural Festival | 11 AM - 4 PM I Rebel Taqueria | Come join us for Charleston's first ever annual Mural Festival, where we will be celebrating and promoting the tradition of street art, and highlighting the city's vibrant heritage! It’s a free public event, featuring vendors, live painting, food trucks and more!

Sunday, September 14

Lowcountry Pizza Fest I 11 AM | The Refinery | Get ready, Charleston the biggest, cheesiest, most delicious celebration of everyones favorite food is taking over The Refinery! Whether you like it deep dish, thin crust, wood-fired, or piled high with toppings, pizza is the undisputed champ of comfort food and were throwing a party worthy of its greatness.

FAVOR Lowcountry's 8th Annual Bridge to Recovery Walk | 2 - 6 PM | Mount Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park I This walk celebrates hope, healing, and community connection during National Recovery Month. Open to all—individuals in recovery, families, advocates, and anyone supporting mental health and substance use recovery.

2nd Sunday on King Street | 12 - 5 PM I King Street| It’s an open-street festival when King Street is closed to cars from Queen to Calhoun, allowing pedestrians to roam, shop, dine outdoors, enjoy live music, and mingle with locals and visitors from noon to 5pm on every second Sunday of the month.

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

New Indie Bookstore ‘Ladybird Books’ to Open on King Street This October

I’ve been a voracious reader since I was five years old, when my mom and aunt carved out a reading nook in my bedroom closet—lightbulb, comfy chair, stacks of Hardy Boys and Tolkien. While other kids were glued to TV, I was happily lost in other worlds. Which is why the news that Charleston is getting a brand-new indie bookstore feels like Christmas morning.

This October, Ladybird Books will open at 299 King Street, taking over the old Quiksilver space. Instead of board shorts, expect shelves curated with literary fiction, contemporary Southern stories, cookbooks that make you hungry, memoirs, and even a cheeky “How to Be a Human” section.

At the helm is Summer Anderson, a lifelong book lover who’s turned passion into profession. After years in New York events, she leaned into her family’s bookish legacy—her husband’s grandfather founded Books-A-Million—and launched “Summer Says,” her long-running platform for recommending and reviewing titles. Now she’s putting all that experience into Ladybird, which also has the honor of serving as the official bookseller for the 2025 Charleston Literary Festival.

But Ladybird isn’t just about books. Anderson envisions it as a “third place”—a welcoming space that’s not home and not work, but somewhere you linger. Alongside the shelves, you’ll find gifts, greeting cards, and wrapping paper too good to waste, plus author readings and community events that make it feel more like a cultural living room than a store.

Don’t worry—I’ll get an interview with Ms. Anderson and do a video profile of Ladybird Books when they open. Stay tuned.

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!

IN THE COMMUNITY

• New overpass and pedestrian bridge opens in North Charleston. Making access to Navy Yard Charleston that much easier.

• The Charleston Literary Festival has announced its full slate of authors for its 2025 season. Reese Witherspoon, Harlan Coben, Jake Tapper and Southern Charm “star” Patricia Altschul are featured.

• Charleston is home to a new(ish) sport and it’s not pickleball. Start your kids early.

• Wondering what Cru Cafe’s owner is up to since he closed that outstanding restaurant? It’s at a beautiful, historic property in Hollywood, one we featured in a Where Are We segment.

• Is your Charleston seafood 'local'? Use this guide the next time you dine out in the Holy City.

3 MOST-CLICKED FROM LAST WEEK

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

• Thrifters & Drifters Market. Buy anything while at The Royal American?

• Article about the interesting things found on our area beaches. Beached whales, cocaine bales and cannonballs!

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!

Click the button below if you have a photo you think will stump our eagle-eyed community! Landscape (horizontal) orientation works best.

LIVE MUSIC LOCALLY

Biggies in town this weekend include rising country star Megan Maroney and the terrific soul crooner Leon Bridges. Check it ALL out below.

ICYMI

Here’s a super-chic rooftop hang. And other openings to know in Charleston right now.

Mount Pleasant pub got a $1 million refresh. That’s a TON of money to keep yourself relevant, so kudos to O’Brion’s Pub.

Mexican eatery known for house-made tortillas opened on Johns Island. Get the delicious birria tacos when you go.

The former Mustard Seed location on James Island has a new business. And it’s not a restaurant. 

The latest Best New Restaurants from Eater Carolinas. Let me know what you think of their list.

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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). 👇