Happy Friday morning, Charleston! I hope you’ll indulge me an extra minute—I know I’ve said this is a 5-minute read, but I think we’re going longer today. There’s a TON ramping up here in the Lowcountry, including the start of the 17-day extravaganza known as The Spoleto Festival! More on that below.

Congrats to Jake J. of Downtown, who was the 1st to guess correctly in our “Where Are We” segment last week! We were in Hampton Park, at the statue of Denmark Vesey.

Denmark Vesey was a formerly enslaved carpenter who became a leader in Charleston’s Black community. He was a founding member of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, now known as Mother Emanuel AME, and the architect of a planned 1822 slave revolt. Though the plot was foiled and Vesey executed, his legacy as a freedom fighter endures. The statue in Hampton Park was installed in 2014, the result of decades of advocacy.

In today’s newsletter:

• 17 Days, $55 million. The Spoleto Festival isn’t simply about great art and live music.

• Your vote is in on the best burger in town. And I proffer my own (strong) opinion.

• ICYMI. Buzziest place in town is Italian, a new drive-up coffee bar, and the 9 best dessert shops around town.

Friday 84° / 67° ☀️ 💧1%

Saturday 80° / 69° ⛅ 💧9%

Sunday 82° / 72° ☁️ 💧24%

Friday, May 23

• Opening Ceremony I 12 PM | Charleston City Hall, 80 Broad Street, Charleston | Welcome artists from around the world and celebrate the beginning of the 49th season at the Opening Ceremony of Spoleto Festival USA.

• Sunset Serenade I 8 PM | U.S. Custom House, 200 East Bay St, Charleston | Join us for Sunset Serenade on the steps of the landmark U.S. Custom House! This free concert launches the 2025 Piccolo Spoleto Festival featuring the Charleston Symphony and special guest soloists.

• Corinne Bailey Rae I 9 PM | Cistern Yard, 66 George St, Charleston | GRAMMY-winning singer-songwriter Corinne Bailey Rae enthralls audiences worldwide with her stirring voice and infectious pop melodies. Her debut single, “Put Your Records On,” became a global phenomenon, selling over three million copies.

Saturday, May 24

• Beach Putt Tournament | 11 AM I Grand Pavilion Beach Front, 5757 Palm Boulevard, Isle of Palms | The fun will take place on the beach right in front of the Grand Pavilion.

• CLEAN IMPROV COMEDY SHOW I 6 PM | Theatre 99, 280 Meeting Street, Charleston | Perfect for kids! Have you ever been to an improv show and thou ght, "I'd love to bring my 10 year old, but it's just not clean enough for them"? Well, now we've got you covered!

• Niko Moon's Good Time Charleston I 7 PM | The Refinery, 1640 Meeting Street Rd, Charleston | Chart-topping country artist Niko Moon is all about making people feel-good with his positive vibes and tunes.

• Patterson Hood with MJ Lenderman | 9 - 10:30 PM | Cistern Yard, 66 George St, Charleston | Hailed as the ‘Southern Springsteen’ by Garden & Gun, Hood will perform notable hits and songs from his new album, “Exploding Trees & Airplane Screams,” his first solo album.

Sunday, May 25

• Sunday Brunch Farmers Market | 11 AM - 3 PM | Pour House, 1977 Maybank Hwy, Charleston | The Sunday Brunch Farmers Market is an all-local market, featuring more than 40 vendors that include local farmers, makers and artisans.

• Summer Kickoff Pool Party | 2 - 5 PM | Little Palm, 237 Meeting Street, Charleston | Join us for a laid-back afternoon by the pool with good vibes and even better beats from DJ ANTO, spinning live from 2 to 5 PM.

• Beats of Brazil with Porto Seguro and Alva Anderson at Piccolo Spoleto | 3 - 4 PM | Gage Hall, 4 Archdale St, Charleston | Embark on a musical journey to the vibrant streets of Brazil with Charleston-based, Porto Seguro, performing a heartfelt tribute to Brazilian samba, bossa and MPB.

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

EVENTS

Spoleto Festival Starts Its 17-Day Run Today

There are festivals, and then there’s Spoleto.

For 17 glorious days each spring, Charleston turns into the cultural epicenter of the Southeast thanks to Spoleto Festival USA—a world-class arts extravaganza that’s been dazzling audiences since 1977. But here’s the kicker: this isn’t just about opera and interpretive dance (although there’s plenty of that too). Spoleto is a full-on citywide glow-up—culturally, economically, and even structurally.

Founded by composer Gian Carlo Menotti, Spoleto was always meant to be more than a festival. Think of it as Charleston’s annual creative reset button. It’s where world premieres drop, American debuts wow, and emerging artists get their big break in historic theaters, cozy churches, and breezy outdoor venues. You might go in for a jazz set and end up captivated by an avant-garde puppet opera. (Yes, that’s a thing.)

But Spoleto doesn’t just make Charleston look artsy. It pays to be this cultured. We’re talking about a $55 million annual economic boost to the state, with nearly $21 million just in hotel stays and $4.4 million spent on food and bev alone. Nearly 950 jobs are supported by the festival every year, which is a lot of people grateful you decided to buy that second round after the show.

Out-of-state visitors make up more than half the audience—and they keep coming back. That kind of buzz has helped Charleston earn its spot on all those “Best Cities in the World” lists and inspired cities far and wide to try and copy our cultural cool. (Spoiler alert: they can’t.)

And let’s talk infrastructure. Thanks to Spoleto, historic gems like the Dock Street Theatre and the Gaillard Center got a much-needed facelift. The festival doesn’t just show up and perform—it leaves the city better than it found it.

In short, Spoleto is the artsy friend who also boosts your economy, upgrades your real estate, and gets your name in The New York Times. Not bad for a festival that started as an idea from Italy.

So, whether you’re into Shakespeare, modern dance, gospel, or just excellent people-watching, Spoleto’s got you. And Charleston? Well, we’ve got Spoleto. Lucky us.

Interested in promoting your local business?

CHS Happenings has a fast-growing and super-engaged subscriber base. We’re going to start offering local Charleston businesses the opportunity to reach this audience soon.

If you’re interested, click below and we’ll reach out in the next 30 days.

HERE’S YOUR “BEST BURGER” RESULTS

Y’all have some good taste. Mostly. Since you voted Heavy’s Barburger as your fave Charleston spot to get a burger.

I say “mostly” because Heavy’s is #2 on my list, with the slightest of distance behind my #1.

You’re sleeping on the Commonhouse Aleworks smashburger. Swig & Swine runs the food program at this great brewery.

Allow me to wax poetic about this delicious choice. Soft buttered bun, sans sesame seeds. At least 3 smashed patties, crispy on the edges as a proper smashburger must be. White cheddar, always white cheddar. Grilled onions. And no other “rabbit food” as one’s Grandpa might say.

Add the wonderful experience Commonhouse Aleworks provides—a huge, covered outdoor patio smack in the middle of the always-vibrant Park Circle neighborhood plus great beer—and it’s simply heaven.

I run most Thursday nights with Park Circle Pacers, one of Charleston’s friendliest running clubs, which meets at Commonhouse. I’ll admit I’ve followed up a 5K with the smashburger and tots on more than one occasion.

After all, every runner knows to rebuild muscle by ingesting protein after a run. Give it a try, you’ll be happy.

WHERE ARE WE?

Each week, watch this space for a random snap from somewhere in Charleston. Where are we? Only true locals will know. DM your guess on Instagram, or email me here. The first person to guess correctly will get a shout-out at the top of our issue next week!

SPONSORED BY FLOPPIN’ FLOUNDER 5K & CHARLESTON RUNNING CLUB

Charleston Running Club is the O.G. of Chucktown running clubs. In the 70s, the club helped start two of our largest races, the Cooper River Bridge Run and the Kiawah Marathon.

And for over 25 years, the Floppin’ Flounder 5K Run and Walk has been one of Charleston’s favorite races. This year’s race is on Saturday, June 7.

With help from the Sullivan’s Island Fire & Rescue Dept., this is a fun family-friendly event starting from the Fish Fry Shack on Sullivans Island and features a beautiful, nice-and-easy course.

All participants get a race t-shirt and finishers medal. Sign up at this link!

3 MOST-CLICKED FROM LAST WEEK

• South Carolina’s #1 brunch spot. It’s clear you can’t get enough brunch, and Harken Cafe is pretty terrific. They also own Harbinger Cafe & Bakery in the North Central neighborhood, which has some of the best pastries in town.

• Our calendar events page. Warms my heart to know y’all are visiting so much.

• Taste Of Sullivans event. Who went and did you have fun?

ICYMI

☕ Drive up and get your joe. Clutch Coffee Bar is opening May 31 off Route 41 in Mount Pleasant, and has a North Charleston location in the works, too.

🧁 CHS has some mouthwatering sweet shops. Here’s Eater Carolinas’ choices for the best 9. Who’s yours?

🍨 Continuing the sweets theme, Folly Beach gets in on the action. There’s a new ice cream shop from a beloved brand out of Hawaii.

🤌🏼 Never enough Italian restaurants , right? The former Butcher & Bee space is now Pelato, and the early buzz (Butcher & BEE? 😮‍💨) is strong.

🍵 We love our homegrown entrepreneurs. Downtown is getting a Made In Charleston retail tea and coffee shop.

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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 I ran the Cooper River Bridge Run this year 👇