- CHS Happenings
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- š“ This isnāt your Nonnaās red sauce
š“ This isnāt your Nonnaās red sauce
Also: Bourdainās pick in CHS, and a West Ashley burger joint shutters without warning

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! Today is Independence Day, but itās also the day Charlestonās dogsāif they had any sense of how to collectively organizeāwould turn against Homo Sapiens.
I never understood how enamored South Carolinians are of fireworks until we moved here. When the extravaganza starts at least 2 days before July 4 and continues for much of the week after, itās enough to make a perennial optimist and generally agreeable guy turn into this.
For the past 6 weeks or so, Iāve been strategizing how Iād add to or refine a 2nd issue if I went to a twice-weekly publishing schedule. At the same time, Iāve contemplated how Iād blend that prep work into an already-busy life of real estate brokering, 4X a week group runs, soon-to-recur weekly (at least) soccer-watching at the pub of the greatest team on Earth (YNWA), playing with my toddler-like-but-actually-4-year-old pup, and OF COURSE being an engaged husband, Dad, son, brother, friend.
My conclusion? Every Friday at 7:00 AM we shall remain. But donāt fret. Iām always adding new stuff and re-visiting existing content from time to time. And as Cal Newport advised in his terrific book, Slow Productivity, Iāll continue to āobsess over qualityā to make this the best experience it can be.
Iāll also be posting regular updatesāthings like unique events, breaking news and the latest restaurant openingsā in our Facebook group and on Instagram, so please follow us there if you donāt currently.
Congrats to Brady C. of Mount Pleasant, who was the 1st to guess correctly in our āWhere Are Weā segment last week! The photo is of The Assembly at Park Circle, a new apartment project in Park Circle.
The photo is the terrific work of Girls Who Paint Murals, a female-owned company based in South Carolina. Check out their website to see what else theyāve done, and give them a follow on Instagram.
WEEKEND WEATHER
Friday 88° / 76° ā š§15%
Saturday 83° / 74° ā š§66%
Sunday 86° / 76° ā š§67%
CURATED HAPPENINGS
Friday, July 4
Washington Light Infantry's 13th Annual Reading of the Declaration of Independence | 8:30 - 11:30 AM | Parade from Broad Street, to Church Street. - 122 East Bay Street, Charleston
City of North Charlestonās 4th of July Festival | 5 - 10 PM | Riverfront Park | This yearās event features live music followed by and the Lowcountry's largest 4th of July fireworks show! Gates open at 5:00pm. Fireworks begin at 9:00pm. Food and beverage vendors will be on site.
Sullivanās Island Fourth of July golf cart and bike parade + firework show | Rain or shine, the day starts with the golf cart and bike parade, which begins at Sunrise Presbyterian Church and ends at Sullivanās Island Elementary School.
Saturday, July 5
Fifth of July Poolside Party | 9 AM - 7 PM | The Wonderer Charleston, 1705 Meeting Street Road, Charleston | Join us the day after Independence Day to recover with live music from Sparkbox & Clark on the Sax, fitness, brunch & more.
STORIES OF AFRICAN AND AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN AT MIDDLETON PLACE IN THE 18TH, 19TH & 20TH CENTURIES | 1 - 1:30 PM | Middleton Place I The tour meets at the Stableyards Textile Shop and ends at Elizaās House, and discusses the women who helped build, maintain, and restore Middleton Place in the 18th, 19th & 20th centuries.
Charleston Battery vs. North Carolina FC I 7:30 PM | Patriots Point I the Battery are on a roll, and are just behind Louisville City in the standings. Food, drink, a small pitch for the kids and great soccer!
Sunday, July 6
July's Lowcountry Nature Walk | 8:30 - 10 AM | Palmetto Islands County Park, Mount Pleasant | Join us for a leisurely stroll through the picturesque Lowcountry landscapes this July, where we'll explore the abundant nature and wildlife.
Sunday Brunch Farmers Market | 11 AM - 3 PM | Pour House, 1977 Maybank Hwy, Charleston | Shop local makers, artists, farmers and enjoy live music with the community!
In Pursuit of Liberty & Leisure | Market Street Circle, 205 Meeting St, Charleston | From July 1st through 6th, join us for a festive nod to the red, white, and blue, complete with a few unexpected delights. Enjoy a star-spangled lineup of programming, including food offerings, specialty patriotic cocktails, live music, and backyard lawn games for all ages.
For a COMPLETE list of events in the Charleston area, bookmark the site below!
Charlestonās Coolest New Restaurant Is Landing in a Neighborhood I Just Made Up

1117 King will soon be an Italian restaurant named Ok Donna
Thatās rightāIām officially naming this stretch of King Street Upper Outer King. You heard it here first. And now itās got its anchor tenant: Ok Donna.
From the team behind Bar George and Last Saint, Ok Donna is opening later this summer at 1117 King Street, bringing big flavor and low-key charm to Charlestonās new hot zone. Itās ārooted in Italian,ā but donāt expect Nonnaās red sauce. The menu will pull from Luparaās pop-up playbookāthink housemade pastas, pizzas, and seasonal veggie dishesābut with plenty of creative license.
The bar program? Just as flexible. Joey Goetz isnāt about to be boxed into just Negronis and Aperol. This is the guy who makes cocktails with spicy tequila, celery bitters, and olive brine.
Expect a laid-back neighborhood feel, mismatched chairs, great music, and no need to plan ahead. Just swing by for a slice and a drink whenever the mood strikes.
Ok Donna is one more reason Upper Outer King (still love saying that) is one of Charlestonās most interesting up-and-comers.
IN THE COMMUNITY
Royallās Ace Hardware in Mount Pleasant is being sold. Where am I going to get my 2 hot dog combo?
Mount Pleasantās top man is going again. Will Haynie recently announced his reelection campaign.
Johns Island has been exploding in growth for a while. Residents say Charleston County and the City need to come together to address the infrastructure challenges.
Popular commercial fishermanās boat is struck by lightning off the coast. Mark Marhefka, the James Beard award-winning fisherman and owner of Abundant Seafood, had a scary encounter recently.
Shrimp processing returns to Shem Creek. A $3 million renovation to the commercial docks was recently completed.
3 MOST-CLICKED FROM LAST WEEK
Last weekās Home Of The Week. The beautiful house at 6 Beverly Road in Windermere is quite a stunner.
Our events calendar. Keep checking it out-itās nice and easy to filter, sort, slice-and-dice.
Morris Island Shark Tooth Boat Trip. For the 2nd week in a row, this made the list!
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 youāre 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.
This weekās photo was provided by Beven N. of Mount Pleasant.

No hints ācause itās the 1st try at community-provided photo
LIVE MUSIC
Friday, July 4
Kiawah Island Club Fourth Of July Poolside Party I 11 AM | The Beach Club | Southbound 17 is made up of Lowcountry natives Jack Austen & Katie Bailey. The harmony driven duo has been voted Best Up & Coming Band by Charleston City Paper and was recently named Charleston's Choice Best Band of 2023.
Live Music Friday & Saturday at Cantina 76 - Mt. Pleasant | 3 - 6 PM | š¶ Live Music + Tequila Tastings = The Ultimate Summer Vibe at Cantina 76 ā Mt. Pleasant! š¶ Catch your favorite local talent plus enjoy tequila tastings and giveaways on select nights!
Saturday, July 5
Fifth of July Poolside Party | 9 AM - 7 PM | The Wonderer Charleston | Join us the day after Independence Day to recover with live music from Sparkbox & Clark on the Sax, fitness, brunch & more at The Wonderer
Saturdays at the Distillery | 12 - 6 PM | Firefly Distillery | Saturdays at the Distillery Spend your Saturday at Firefly Distillery, where live music, handcrafted cocktails, and laid-back vibes come together for a perfect weekend hang.
Music on The Green at Freshfields Village | 6 - 9 PM | Freshfields Village | Thereās nothing better than live music under the Lowcountry sky! In celebration of our 20-year anniversary, weāre bringing more concerts than ever before to the Village Green.
Steel Pulse- 50th Anniversary Tour I 7:30 PM | The Refinery | Bearing witness to the accelerating negativity of global affairs, British reggae powerhouse SteelPulse exemplify musical vengeance to halt the disarray of humanity.
Jared Petteys & The Headliners I 8 PM | The Washout | A sound as timeless as a ā57 Chevy, yet fresh enough to stand itās ground swinging itās fists in the 21st century, Jared Petteys is carving a powerful space in music. Stirring up jet fueled rock n roll, untamed blues, and in your face punk attitude while seasoning it with a southern twang.
Sunday, July 6
Sunday Brunch Farmers Market | 11 AM - 3 PM | Pour House | The Sunday Brunch Farmers Market is an all-local market, featuring more than 40 vendors that include local farmers, makers and artisans.
Celebrate Liberty and Embrace Leisure at The Charleston Place | The Charleston Place | Event Details This Fourth of July, celebrate the season with a blend of leisure and American charm. From July 1st through 6th, join us at Market Street Circle for "In Pursuit of Liberty and Leisure" - a festive nod to the red, white, and blue, complete with a few unexpected delights.
ICYMI
Publix announced its opening date for its store in Ashley Landing. October of 2026 will be when it opens in its brand-new, relocated (across the parking lot) store.
Want to know the latest on Charleston restaurant openings? Eater Carolinas provides the list.
West Ashley restaurant closes unexpectedly. No Bull Burger Bar closed this week.
The Nickel hotel recently opened on King Street. Hereās a design-focused look at the new boutique hotel.
Anthony Bourdain loved Southern cooking. Hereās a look at his favorites and a Charleston restaurant made the cut.
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FEEDBACK
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