Happy Friday, Charleston! If you dig BBQ, you might want to think about not eating today and indulging like a pre-hibernating bear from acclaimed pitmasters on Saturday.

Well, our “Where Are We” segment of 2 weeks ago was MUCH too easy. I thought it was timely, though, to share Bessie the Coburg Cow in her Halloween finery.

5 of y’all answered almost immediately! Congrats to Nick M., Donna C., Justin T., Ester P. and Mark B. This week’s is a bit harder. 👇🏼👇🏼

In today’s newsletter:

• An ambitious new restaurant and entertainment development. Mount Pleasant is the location, and it’ll have CHS-wide appeal. 🍴

• What happens when a Tarheel and Springbok come together? A fabulous new(ish) coffee cafe on the east side of downtown is created. ☕

• ICYMI. Never too much Italian, floral pastels and lotsa homes. ⛱️

Friday 80° / 66° ⛅ 💧20%

Saturday 74° / 64° ⛅ 💧16%

Sunday 77° / 67° ☁️ 💧24%

Friday, November 8

• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (TM) In Concert I 2 PM | North Charleston Coliseum & Performing Arts Center, 5001 Coliseum Dr, North Charleston | Relive the film that started it all. Watch the wand choose the wizard, a troll run amok and magic mirrors in high-definition while a live orchestra performs John Williams' iconic score. Don't miss this once-in-a-lifetime event as Harry, Ron, Hermione and all your favorite characters return to the screen and enchant the world all over again. Audiences will be able to relive the magic of the entire film in high-definition on a 40-foot screen while hearing the North Charleston POPS perform John Williams' unforgettable score live.

• Harlem Globetrotters 2024 World Tour presented by Jersey Mike's Subs I 7 PM | North Charleston Coliseum & Performing Arts Center, 5001 Coliseum Dr, North Charleston | Don't miss your chance to be a part of the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters global tour as they take the court with moments of extreme basketball innovation and unparalleled fan FUN! See the Globetrotter stars LIVE as they DRIBBLE, SPIN, SLAM, and DUNK their way past their relentless rivals, the Washington Generals! You'll be amazed by new levels of mind-blowing trick shots, expert ball-handling skills, and BIG LAUGHS with unrivaled opportunities for pre-game, post-game and in-game fan engagement!

• Bonnie Raitt I 7:30 PM | North Charleston Coliseum & Performing Arts Center, 5001 Coliseum Dr, North Charleston | CELEBRATING A HEARTY RESPONSE TO HER AWARD-WINNING ALBUM AND SOLD OUT CONCERTS, BONNIE RAITT'S ‘JUST LIKE THAT…' TOUR RETURNS FOR MORE U.S. DATES IN SPRING 2024 FEATURING SPECIAL GUEST MAIA SHARP.

Saturday, November 9

• American Lung Association LUNG FORCE Run/Walk 5K I 9 AM | The Dunes House Folly Beach County Park, 1100 W Ashley Ave, Folly Beach | Together, we are one mighty LUNG FORCE, united in hope and courage to achieve a world without lung cancer and lung disease. The LUNG FORCE Run/Walk provides critical funds for lifesaving research, early detection initiatives, and awareness outreach to vulnerable communities. Join us for this unique 5K on Folly Beach as we run, walk, jog, or stroll in the sand with family and friends.

• Holy Smokes BBQ Festival | 11 AM - 4 PM | Riverfront Park, 1061 Everglades Ave, North Charleston | Join us at Holy Smokes BBQ Fest on November 9th at Riverfront Park - over 50 of the country’s most renowned pitmasters and chefs will be gathering once again in North Charleston to celebrate the culture, history and traditions of American barbecue.

  With live music playing on stage against the backdrop of the Cooper River at Riverfront Park, guests will have a unique opportunity to sample a range of barbecue styles from an incredible group of pitmasters and chefs.

  A ticket to Holy Smokes gives you ALL YOU CAN EAT access to four barbecue villages: Texas, Traditional, New School and Coastal.

• Citadel Bulldogs Football vs. Chattanooga Moccasins Football I 2 PM | Johnson Hagood Stadium, Hagood Avenue, Charleston

• The Heart - A Tribute to Bon Jovi I 9 PM | Pour House, 1977 Maybank Hwy, Charleston | Shot Thru The Heart - A Tribute to Bon Jovi. Shot Thru the Heart (STTH) is a professional tribute band that pays homage to the music and showmanship of Bon Jovi, one of the greatest rock bands to ever take the stage. STTH provides a high-energy concert experience, playing only the greatest hits and staying true to the original recordings.

Sunday, November 10

• Steeplechase of Charleston 2024 | 8 AM - 5 PM | 5000 Old York Course, Hollywood | Bring your friends and family for a splendid day spent outdoors watching world-class horse racing! In between the races, take advantage of early holiday shopping by visiting our Merchant Market filled with the best of Lowcountry artisans and businesses, watch the Corgi Cup race, enjoy live entertainment on the stage, offerings from local food trucks, and more.

• 3rd Annual Palmetto Freedom Fest | 6 - 11 PM | Credit One Stadium, 7596, 161 Seven Farms Drive, Charleston | 3rd Annual Freedom Fest. Country music singer/songwriter Chris Janson will perform hits like “Buy Me a Boat” and will be joined by special guest country music artist Tyler Rich. Featured speakers will share their stories and remind us of the importance of our mission at Folds of Honor: Honor Their Sacrifice. Educate Their Legacy.

• Blues Traveler - 30 Years Of Four Tour I 8 PM | Charleston Music Hall, 37 JOHN ST. CHARLESTON | Doors at 7:00 pm | Show at 8:00 pm. ACCESSIBILITY - Accessible seating is available online through Ticketmaster by filtering on the ADA Icon and selecting Accessible Seats or in person or over the phone via The Charleston Music Hall box office during business hours. The Charleston Music Hall does NOT have an elevator.

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

DEVELOPMENT

Approvals For New Gathering Spot Moving Along

The Town of Mount Pleasant Commercial Design Review Board approved plans for Gather MTP late last month. The concept is based on a food hall in Greenville called Gather GVL.

Gather MTP will be located at the corner of Venning Road and Hungryneck Boulevard in the Midtown neighborhood.

Gather MTP is being developed by Mack Cross, a Mount Pleasant resident, and his father, the owners behind Gather GVL. It was voted the 5th-best food hall in America in the 2024 USA Today Readers Choice Awards.

The development will also include an outpost of Crooked Hammock Brewery, a concept from La Vida Hospitality out of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

Cross hopes to break ground this spring or summer with a 12- to 15-month construction period.

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!

Fabulous Coffee Shop & Cafe Marks 6-Month Anniversary Downtown

Imagine this…

A South African expat moves to the States in 2008 with his American wife and settles in New Jersey.

She’s not crazy about cold weather, so they move south to Charleston in 2009. Being an entrepreneur, he buys a cafe in the shadow of the market houses called City Lights Coffee.

He grows it for a while, then hires a Tarheel who was also drawn to Charleston’s charms, moving here in 2009. She manages the cafe until 2021 when City Lights Coffee is closed.

OK, enough mystery, these people actually exist. And I sat with them for over an hour recently and learned more about their stories, and how they revived the City Lights name in a new location.

Gregg Lambton-Carr and Candace Patterson are the owners of City Lights Eastside, and they recently marked 6 months in business at the corner of Line and Hanover on the east side (naturally) of downtown.

Finding Their New Location

Candace and Gregg worked together long enough at City Lights Coffee to realize their Gen-X and Milennial pairing would make a good partnership.

So when they started scouting locations for their new cafe, they were on the same page.

They’d leave King Street to the influencers (my word 😁) and huge brands.

They wanted a neighborhood spot, in a building that had character. They found that when they saw 12 Line Street in July of 2021.

It Takes A While

I’ve written recently about how long it takes to get commercial real estate deals done.

When Candace and Gregg signed the lease for their new location in February of 2022, they knew it might take a while to get open.

The building needed to be rezoned to commercial, and construction required approvals from the City as well as several historic preservation groups.

It has a long history of commerce since 1889, where grocery stores, restaurants and corner stores operated. But it had been vacant since 1997.

So when all the permits were granted—in August of 2023—they still had a ton to do. Since the space looked like this. 👇🏼👇🏼

Transformation Of 12 Line Street

The east side corner that had once been a linchpin of the neighborhood finally reopened as City Lights Eastside in early April. After a ton of patience and commitment and elbow grease from Candace, Gregg and their families.

Theirs is the kind of story that inspires me, why I publish CHS Happenings.

Their cafe has become one of my downtown go-to spots. Great coffee, food and community.

And a very comfortable outdoor patio with Candace’s artwork painted on the side of the building. I also particularly like the Barbie-themed bathroom, the only restroom I’ve ever filmed as part of a video profile 🤣.

City Lights Eastside is a perfect representation of a Third Place. Oh, and Candace produces a pretty entertaining Instagram account.

The cafe is open every day from 7:00-4:00, and until 9:00 on Thursday through Saturday. They host pop-ups those evenings, along with live music.

Candace mentioned their South African pop-up, held monthly, has become pretty popular.

And if you’re wondering why I referred to Gregg earlier as a Springbok, I don’t think he’d mind. It’s how South Africans refer to their Rugby World Cup champions.

Which is a particular passion for Gregg. He’s been instrumental in building up rugby in the Charleston area, and is the women’s rugby coach at Oceanside Academy

Check out my video and visit City Lights Eastside!

chs.happenings

View more on Instagram

ICYMI

🍽️ Rutledge Cab Company abruptly announces closure. Bill Murray-owned restaurant had a nice run, but it sounds like something’s in the wings.

🍝 Great Italian food is becoming a theme in Charleston. And another new restaurant is coming to Morrison Drive in the former Butcher & Bee space.

👗 Out goes Peloton, in comes floral pastels. Lilly Pulitzer will open at Mount Pleasant Towne Centre, ladies.

🏡 Bet you didn’t know there was a 9,000-acre master-planned community within 15 minutes of downtown. It’s adding more homes, too.

🛏️ Want to live in high style on The Battery? Simply takes a cool $22.5 million.

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FEEDBACK

Got 15 seconds? Let us know what you thought about today’s newsletter by replying to this email or voting in the poll below (you’ll be done MUCH faster than projects get approved in Mount Pleasant). 👇