If you want to get a good laugh The Have Nots will be performing at Theater 99  at 8pm on Saturday, August 28th, followed by New York commedien Kenny Z at 10 pm.

Saturday, August 28 from 12-9pm and Sunday, August 29 from 12-9pm , The Beach Music and Shag Preservation Society present the 57th Annual Charleston Beach Music and Shag Festival. For more information go to Pivots Beach Club.

Charleston Battery vs Richmond Kickers for the USL-2 2010 Championship at Blackbaud Stadium on Saturday, August 28th.  To purchase tickets go to www.charlestonbattery.com.

Wednesday, August 25th, South Carolina Acquarium’s Sustainable Seafood Dinner featuring a “Fish for the Future” menu.  Enjoy the local favorites while learning how your choices can today can ensure healthy fish for the future. This will take place at Carolina’s restaurant in downtown Charleston from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.  For more information call (843) 577-FISH (3474) A portion of the proceeds will bo to benefit the South Carolina Aquarium Sustainable Seafood initiative.

Train will be at The Family Circle Cup Tennis Center on Thursday, August 26th. 

Saturday,August 21, at James Island County Park at 8:30 p.m. Enjoy Reggae Nights. Bring your chair and enjoy the outdoors.  Refreshments are available. For more information call (843) 795-4386
Fee: $6 adults, Free: children under 12

These are just a small number of options of things to do in Charleston.  For more information a great place to look is The Charleston City Paper.

Colonial Dorchester County State Park: This park has walking paths, picnic tables and remains of the old town include the brick bell tower of St. George’s Anglican Church, a fort made of the oyster-shell concrete and part of a log wharf visible at low tide.   Admission for children is free.  Adults are $2.  Have a look at this video and see the beauty of the park. ETV Video

Charleston Tea Plantation:  Located on Wadmalaw Island.  It is the home of American Classic Tea, the only tea grown in the United States. Free factory tours. Open 7 days a week. 

Charleston Children’s Museum:  This is a great place for kids to visit.  Children under 12 enter for free, everyone else is $7.

Under $5.

Histotric Fort Moultrie   Soak in some history at one of the most Admission is free for children under 16 and $3 for Adults. 

Charles Towne Landing:   Adult $5, SC seniors $3.25, children ages 6 to 15 $3 and under 3 is free. Self-guided audio tour for the historic trail is an extra $5

Hope I’ve given you and your family some good ideas.  Also don’t forget, if you just want to stay outdoors and stay cool you can always visit any of the three waterparks in Charleston or any one of our great beaches.

July 17, 8pm The Smashing Pumpkins with Kill Hannah/Bad City at the Music Farm.

July 17, 8pm If you need to laugh catch The Have Nots at Theatre 99. 

July 17, The first 1,000 fans to attend Saturday nights Charleston Riverdogs game against the Augusta Green Jackets will get a homemade Alvin Greene bobblehead doll.

July 18, The Hot Seats, Weigh Station, play their set of ragtime, bluegrass, old-time, and roots music to the Pour House deck for a free show at 6 pm

Have a great weekend!

Sat, June 10, the Storm Eye Institute and Sun Trust Bank will be conducting free eye screenings for those with diabetes or glaucoma or a family history of these diseases.  To make your appointment call (843) 884-2222.

Sun, July 11, Boz Scaggs will be performing at The North Charleston Performing Arts

For other musical events this weekend check out the Charleston City Paper

If you are looking for something to do with the kids check out the Cypress Gardens . You’ll find a host of things to do such as, swamp boat rides, nature trails and a butterfly house that has over 12 species of butterflies.

You can also take the kiddies to the Charleston Museum which continues its kidstory mini-exhibition series for children with Magnificent Mammals, the second of three new Natural History Exhibits.

KINDNESS BEATS BLINDNESS RP AUCTION  Sat., June 26, 6 p.m.  Bid on items at the Riverdogsgame to benefit MUSC’s Storm Eye.  Items include tickets to a Broadway show, fine jewelry, spa retreats and much more.

SHAG AWAY AT THE BOONE HALL BEACH BLAST  SAT. JUNE 26 at Boone Hall Plantation. Gates open at 11:00 a.m. Enjoy the music of Tommy Emanual and more.

If you just want to stay cool and have some fun remember there is always fun to be had at any of the Charleston County Parks or you might want to be inside in the air conditioning at the SC Aquarium visiting the Albino Alligator.  Whatever you do stay cool and be safe.

On Saturday, June 18, Woodlands Inn  in Summerville is grilling out (and dad doesn’t have to man the tongs, like at home) with their Beer and BBQ Tasting with Palmetto Brewery. It’s $55 (plus tax and gratuity), which covers four courses: grilled shrimp, togarashi, pickled watermelon rind, and cucumber; Carolina-style smoked chicken and pulled pork with Anson Mills grits; a main course of Moroccan spiced Lamb, tangine, and saffron couscous; and a dessert of warm chocolate and espresso cake with vanilla ice cream and hot fudge. Of course, there’s also beer pairings with each course, and dad even gets an after-dinner cigar and bourbon. Reservations are required.

On Sunday, June 20, there will be a Father’s Day Brunch buffet style featuring BBQ Benedict, Red-eye gravy, shrimp and grits and much more.  Cost $55.  There will also be a kids menu for kids (4-12).

If you want t dine in a more casual venue you can grab a steak at Outback and dad has a chance to win FREE Outback for a year! The special goes from June 18-June 20.

SC Aquarium  has free admission for fathers with a paying guest or child. Sunday, June 20 from 9am to 6pm.

If your dad is the outdoors type, take him on a k ayaking trip with Sea Kayak  Carolina. The tour begins at 7:30 am to the launch point at Battery Island and goes to Sandy Point on Kiawah Island. Rental kayaks are $30.  You can bring your own kayak

If you want to give dad a different gift for Father’s Day because you are tired of giving him the same old things, check out Bellezza Buzz spa and give dad a relaxing treatment.

The donated pet hair is collected and stuffed into nylon stockings and Matter of Trust makes booms that are put in the water to absorb the oil.

Booms

Watch video showing the process. 

Participating groomers and vets are:

Yuppy Puppy  (843) 884-7666

Animal Medical West (843) 766-7387

Bark Avenue  (843) 471-2275

Daniel Island Vet Hospital (843) 881-7228

My Three Dogs  (843) 884-8818

4 Paws and a Tail Mobile Grooming  (843) 810-3706

For more information about this go to Matter of Trust.

Friday June 4

Friday, June 4, Piccolo Spoleto Beach Party in Downtown Charleston at the US Custom House from 7pm-11pm.  Free!

Friday, June 4,  Hazelnut Hang - Enjoy the music of Sister Hazel at the Windjammer  on the Isle of Palms. Cost $25.00

Saturday, June 5, Annual Sweetgrass Cultural Arts Festival 10:00 am – 8:00pm at Waterfront Memorial Park in Mt. Pleasant.    There will be several mini-events and activities with crafters, quilters, gospel singers, Gullah storytellers, the ADANDE African Drum and Dance Group, and much more.

Sunday, June 6, Daughtry will be at the North Charleston Colliseum with special guests Lifehouse & Cavo. Tickets are still available at Ticketmaster.

FOR THE KIDS

If you’re looking for a place to take the kids go to the Joe Riley Stadium.The Riverdogs will be home all weekend.  Remember that Fridays there’s fireworks after the game. Saturdays there are free giveaways and on Sundays there’s free parking and kids eat for free. 

Another fun thing to do outdoors with the kids is climbing the wall at the James Island County Park.  South Carolina’s tallest outdoor climbing facility. It’s open 7 days a week, from Noon to 8pm on weekdays and from 9am to 8pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Whatever you decide to do, have a great weekend!

Initially  the festival started in the acient city of Spoleto, Italy in the provence of Perugia founded by Gian Carlo Minotti.  Named Festival dei Due Mondi which means Festival of Two Worlds, the  intentionwas to have the worlds of American and European culture facing each other in his event; this concept would then be strengthened by the fact that it was held in conjunction with its “twin”, the Spoleto USA Festival. 

I have been fortunate enough to attend a concert by Frank Emilio Flynn, a Cuban jazz piano player as well as a production of Mamba’s Daughters, at the Dock Street Theater.  Both performances were outstanding.

If you are interested in attending any of these events, you can to www.spoletousa.org. 

 If you would like to take advantage of the Spoleto experience but are a little tight on cash, you might want to check out the events of Piccolo Spoleto.  Launched in 1979, Piccolo Spoleto was designed to offer the Spoleto experience to everyone regardless of their economic, social or physical circumstance. 

Whatever you decide to do, just get out there and enjoy Charleston!