Happy Friday morning, Charleston! Anyone else getting whiplash from our weather? From t-shirt Wednesday to hoodie yesterday, I’m hoping Spring makes a final, lasting appearance mighty soon.

Y’all killed it with your guesses in our “Where Are We” segment last week! It was fast and furious and overwhelmingly correct from a number of you! Kudos to the First 3 of Lee S. from Mount Pleasant, Susan V. of West Ashley and Xan M. of Park Circle.

Our photo was the mural next to LoLA’s in Park Circle. When you go, get the Carolina Gator bites with honey jalapenò dressing.

Please follow us on Instagram. When we get to 1,000 followers, we’ll do a $50 giveaway to a local restaurant!

In today’s newsletter:

• Mugsy comes to King. Our High Street reigns supreme. 👖

• Bibliophiles unite! And celebrate another indie bookstore. 📖

• ICYMI. Best dive bars, a new cafe in West Ashley, and plenty of Italian. 🍻

Friday 60° / 52° ⛅ 💧1%

Saturday 75° / 51° ☀️ 💧4%

Sunday 60° / 49° 🌧️ 💧62%

Friday, March 7

• Charleston Wine + Food Festival I ALL WEEKEND LONG I Charleston | Event Details Celebrating its 20th anniversary the Charleston Wine + Food is sharing a fresh perspective and renewed commitment for the future of Charleston. Embracing a new mission, the organization aims to not only showcase the local culinary industry but also to actively contribute to its growth and sustainability. Charleston Wine + Food infuses homegrown flavor with top chefs, winemakers, authors, storytellers, artisans, experts, and food enthusiasts from around the globe for a five-day event.

• Octonauts™ at the Aquarium | 12:30 - 4 PM | South Carolina Aquarium, 100 Aquarium Wharf, Charleston | Calling all Octonauts: The South Carolina Aquarium has received a message from the Octopod! Captain Barnacles and Kwazii, stars of “The Octonauts,” will be docking at the Aquarium to meet fans and fellow explorers! Join us for an Octonauts-filled day of aquatic fun, complete with special dive shows, a scavenger hunt for a prize and the opportunity to meet and take a picture with Captain Barnacles and Kwazii!

• WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? I 7:30 PM | Queen Street Playhouse, 20 Queen St, Charleston | Winner of 5 Tony Awards including Best Play, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is considered a masterpiece of modern American theatre. It’s 2am and George and Martha are just getting started. The middle-aged married couple, a once-promising historian and his boss’s frustrated daughter, welcome a younger professor and his wife for a nightcap—only to ensnare them in increasingly dangerous rounds of fun and games.

Saturday, March 8

• Join Team Taco's Free Run Club hosted by Orangetheory | 10:15 - 11:30 AM | Taco Boy Downtown Charleston, 217 Huger St, Charleston | Join us for a free, 6-week training series designed to help runners of all skill levels build stamina and confidence as they work toward completing a 10K! Whether you're a walker, jogger, or experienced runner, there’s a group for you—so grab your friends and get ready to hit the pavement. Here’s how it works:

  Runs begin and end at Taco Boy Downtown Charleston, which opens at 11 am. Arrive by 10 am to warm up on the patio turf area.

• St. Patrick's Day Parade & Block Party | 12 PM - 5 PM I Park Circle, 4800 Park Cir, North Charleston | Join us for the 21st Annual St. Patrick's Day Block Party & Parade, the biggest St. Patrick's Day celebration in the Lowcountry! The celebration will feature live music, street vending and fare from Olde North Charleston restaurants, a Kid's Zone, and more. The party, parade and parking are free to the public. This event is presented by the Park Circle Business Collective with support from the City of North Charleston. East Montague will close between Virginia Avenue and Jenkins Avenue at 9:00am for set up and remain closed until 7:00 pm.

• A Women's Sunset Walk in the Marsh | 5 - 6:30 PM | Shem Creek BoardwalkMount Pleasant | Salt marshes are as vital as rainforests. Join Paddle Babes at Shem Creek to find out way, connect to the marsh, and catch an epic sunset.

• Killer Queen - A Tribute to Queen I 7:30 PM | The Refinery, 1640 Meeting Street Rd, Charleston | Lead singer Patrick Myers said “Its been an amazing journey. That first show changed my life. We thought our band would last maybe a summer at the most but its a very addictive thing performing these songs. The concerts grew and grew and we’ve ended up playing and selling out the same arenas that Queen played at their peak.”

Sunday, March 9

• Sunday Brunch Farmers Market | 11 AM - 3 PM | Pour House, 1977 Maybank Hwy, Charleston | Come see The Sparkle Bar every Sunday Funday at The Charleston Pour House. You can book an appointment for fairy hair and feathers on our website or just stop by our booth! Shop local makers, artists, farmers and enjoy live music with the community!

• Live at Firefly: Dropkick Murphys with special guests The Menzingers, Teenage Bottlerocket I 6 PM | Firefly Distillery, 4201 Spruill Avenue, North Charleston | Dropkick Murphys are bringing their St. Patrick's Day 2025 Tour with special guests The Menzingers & Teenage Bottlerocket.

• Face 2 Face - Elton John & Billy Joel Tribute I 7 PM Charleston | Doors at 6:00 pm | Show at 7:00 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.

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

RETAIL

King Street Reigns (Again)

King Street yet again!

I’ve stopped being amazed at its ability to attract unique retailers, brands who don’t locate just anywhere.

Now a menswear store named Mugsy Jeans is coming to 342 King Street. It’ll be the brand’s 8th store, after opening in markets like Boston, DC, Austin and Minneapolis.

They expect to be open by late-May.

Mugsy Jeans is known for its super-comfy stretch denim. Something that, with all great entrepreneurial success stories, originated from its founder’s own “pain point”.

Moving on…😀

It’s difficult to overstate how healthy King Street is from a commercial real estate standpoint. This is measured not only by retail rents, but more importantly occupancy rate.

Space Occupied By Retail Tenant / Total Amount Of Space. (Enough for the math lesson).

But seriously…

The lesson? Brands come and go, but spaces on King Street don’t stay dark long.

SEND YOUR STEAK BACK?

Last week, we wrote about several of Charleston’s excellent steakhouses, and their responses to customers sending their steaks back if they’re not cooked to their liking.

We even took a poll on what you’d do in that situation. It wasn’t even close.

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 THE FARRELL GROUP

Real Estate Done Different

Any business can say they’re different, but what if they could prove it? And why it matters to you?

At The Farrell Group, we do things different(ly).

We’re 35 years into the business of representing property owners and homebuyers. When the average Realtor has 10.

We’ve seen it all: the headaches that can derail a home sale you’re counting on, what’s really important to look for in an inspection report, how to negotiate a great deal where price is important but not the only thing.

We’re obsessed with client responsiveness, too. Some probably think they hear from us too much. We’d like to err on the side of over-reporting when it comes to your biggest investment.

And we’re all about systems, not fly-by-the-seat-of-one’s-pants. Nothing falls through the cracks with us.

So if you’re looking for the kind of experience that’ll make your home sale super-smooth, the regular updates that leave you feeling like you just left an hourlong meditation session, and a systems-driven approach that will get you to closing day feeling fine, why not schedule a discovery call?

We’d love to call you a happy client.

RETAIL

Another Lit Choice In Charleston

I have a list of “You can never have too much of _____” places.

Donut shops? Check. My Instagram bio contains “Donut Savant”, after all.

Italian restaurants. See below. 👇🏼

And ever since my Mom and aunt built a reading nook in my bedroom closet when I was 5, that list was bound to include “independently-owned bookstores”.

Charleston has some really good ones, too. I’ve written before about our robust indie bookstore scene.

Add another one to our list. The Archive will open in Mount Pleasant in late-March.

Amanda Badeau may be a first-time business owner, but it’s clear she thought carefully about this new venture.

The Archive specifically tailors to books about dark academia — a subgenre of romance and thrillers typically set in schools or secret societies.

The Archive will have comfy seating to enjoy a coffee and pastry. And a bar to enjoy a cocktail, beer or wine at night.

Next time you’re sitting on your couch, ready to click a button to purchase your book, consider a MUCH better experience.

Bezos doesn’t need your money.

HELP ME SPREAD THE WORD!

If you like what you’ve been reading, I’d be SUPER grateful if you click the button below and leave a testimonial. Make it as long or short as you’d like.

It’s a nice, easy, fast setup and should take you 30 seconds or less.

I’ll add your testimonial to my subscription page. Think of it like a Yelp review which lets newbies know “This is definitely worth your time”.

It’ll help me grow CHS Happenings and keep bringing you cool new perks like our events calendar. 🙏🏼

ICYMI

🍴 Edmund’s Oast has been brewing beer for 11 years. Now its joined forces with a CHS restaurant and hospitality powerhouse to continue its great beer and food program.

🇮🇹 It started as mac and cheese in the States. This country’s cuisine has been featured in 50 new restaurant openings in SC since 2022, many of those in Charleston.

🍽️ CHS restaurant closings seem to have gotten all the pub. Closings and new openings are all part of a normal cycle.

🍺 Looking for a no-fuss place to hang where everybody knows your name? Here’s Charleston’s 11 best dive bars.

🥗 Owning a restaurant is in this entrepreneur’s blood. And West Ashley has a terrific new cafe to show for it.

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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 a leisurely stroll down King Street). 👇