🌴 Seafood moves in, clock moves out

Happy Friday morning, Charleston! On this day in 1861, Union naval forces commanded by Flag Officer Samuel DuPont attacked and overpowered Confederate forces at Forts Beauregard and Walker, forcing the Confederates to abandon the positions. DuPont wrote, “It is not my temper to rejoice over fallen foes, but this must be a gloomy night in Charleston,” underlining the event's significance for our city.

This action marked the beginning of a lengthy Union occupation of the South Carolina coast, and Charleston itself would face siege and bombardment from the Union Navy throughout the war.

Our live music posts, which we publish every Monday and Thursday, are seeing a ton of traffic. Not a surprise since Charleston has a robust music scene. Check out the Live Music section of our site—I include all the major music venues around town, but if you feel like I’m missing any, please let me know.

Congrats to Connor M. of Downtown, another repeat winner, who guessed correctly in our “Where Are We” segment last week! Pretty easy, based on the number of quick guesses I received. I was at the ^{Sullivans Island Lighthouse, which will never win the “Prettiest Lighthouse In America” award.}

^{Friday 76° / 60° ⛅} 💧^13%

^{Saturday 75° / 63° ⛅} 💧^16%

^{Sunday 75° / 48° 🌩️} 💧^32%

^{Charleston Literary Festival (runs thru 11/16) | 10:30 AM - 4 PM I Various Venues incl. Dock Street Theatre | A world-class literary festival with an international edge. Click for schedule.}

^{Outdoor Movie on the Village Green | 5:45 - 7:45 PM | Village Green at Point Hope | Bring your chairs, blankets, dress warm and enjoy Lilo & Stitch on the big screen.}

^{James Island Town Market | 6 - 9 PM | Town Hall Parking Lot | Takes place the first Friday of every month and will have live music, crafts, lawn games, food trucks and fresh produce vendors.}

^{Firefly Music Bingo | 7 - 9 PM | Firefly Distillery | FREE ADMISSION Presented by Memories On Repeat (MOR) Get ready for an exciting night of fun, music, and cocktails!}

^{23rd Annual Redux Art Auction | 10 AM - 1 PM | Redux Contemporary Art Center | Redux is excited to announce the 23rd Annual Art Auction!}

^{Holy Smokes BBQ Festival | 11 AM - 4 PM | Riverfront Park I Click for tickets.}

^{12th Annual Rockabillaque Charleston Festival I 11 PM | Commonhouse Aleworks | Join us for the 12th Rockabillaque, an action-packed festival that also includes Live Music on Multiple Outdoor Stages.}

^{Book Fair at Firefly | Firefly Distillery | 12-5 PM I Book lovers, this one's for you!}

^{11th Annual Lowcountry Nosh | 11:30 AM - 4:30 PM | Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim | A community festival celebrating Jewish food, music, culture, and history. The Nosh is admission-free and open to the entire Charleston community.}

^{Buy Local Block Party | 1 - 4 PM | Navy Yard Charleston, 2154 Noisette Boulevard | This festive fundraiser and social event will highlight 25+ curated vendors.}

^{8th Veterans Day Weekend Oyster Roast benefiting Warrior Surf Foundation | 1 - 5 PM | Fam's Brewing Co. | One afternoon. One mission. One chance to give back to the veterans who gave everything.}

^{If you’ve subscribed for a while, you’ll know I’ve written about my Mom’s house fire on Halloween 2024 (just a few issues ago most recently). And the many trials and tribulations of rebuilding from the ground up.}

^{I’ve been in Pennsylvania with her since Sunday and we walked through her beautiful new home on Tuesday. Mom’s ecstatic. And I’ve been scrambling.}

^{So I’ll hand-pick more fun events in next week’s issue. In the meantime, please visit our events calendar and pick your fun this weekend.}

Yes, they’re tearing down the clock tower—but that’s not the real story.

If you’ve seen the online chatter about Moultrie Plaza’s clock tower coming down, take a breath. The bigger news isn’t what’s leaving—it’s what’s moving in.

From what I’ve confirmed through very reliable sources (and a little digging after seeing a building permit in the former Seńor Tequila), Nantucket Meat & Fish Market is headed to the Coleman Boulevard shopping center.

The upscale market—think fresh seafood, prime cuts, sushi, bagels, and café fare—already has locations on Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, and Hilton Head Island. A larger tenant is downsizing to make room for what’s expected to be a sizable new store.

EDENS, the Columbia-based owner also behind the Ashley Landing redevelopment, isn’t commenting yet on the plans—or the future of that much-debated clock tower. But site designs show two new buildings planned along Coleman, with a breezeway and outdoor dining space aimed at creating a more walkable feel.

So yes, the tower may fall. But in its place, a taste of New England is about to rise.

We’re somewhere in the Charleston area and it’s your job to guess where. 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!

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Blues is the theme this weekend in town, with Louisiana blues legend Tab Benoit at the Music Hall and the Blues Is Alright tour at the Coliseum . Check out ALL the live music below.

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). 👇