Archive for the ‘Events’ Category

The biggest party night of the year is right around the corner and there’s no better place to be than right here on Folly Beach.

If ringing in the New Year on the beach with good food, tunes, and drinks sounds like your idea of a great time, then you’ll want to make sure you’re at the New Year’s Eve Beach Bash hosted by Folly Beach’s Tides hotel.

This event promises to be the best party in town and is one of the only beach-front celebrations around. Plus, there’s nothing better than ending one year and beginning the next while partying on the beach.

This event starts at 8pm and features an open bar, lavish buffet, and plenty of music for party goers to get wild and crazy to. DJ C Nile will rock the lower floor of the Blu bar and restaurant while Tru Sol will be playing live music upstairs. A champagne toast and fireworks show will go on right at midnight to usher in 2012.

If you’re already staying at the Tides (and even if you’re not) tickets are $90 plus tax per person. Or, plan a trip now for two nights at the hotel and take part in the New Year’s Eve Beach Bash for just $659.

The party –and hangover recovery – will continue on New Year’s Day as a yummy breakfast buffet will be served. Then, from 1-4 take part in the oyster roast on the back deck. You’ll also get a chance to watch or take part in the Polar Bear Plunge – and if that doesn’t shock the effects of the previous night’s celebration out of your system nothing will.

To book reservations for this event click here!

Spending the holidays on Folly Beach gives visitors a chance to get away from it all and enjoy a beach vacation with family, but it’s also just a short ride away from the hustle and bustle of Charleston and all it has to offer.

This guide will give visitors a chance to see what’s going on in Charleston if they want to come in off the beach and really get in to the Christmas spirit in town. There are activities for everyone from families to couples.

The Nutcracker…

To begin with, traditionalists will love the Charleston Ballet’s performance of The Nutcracker. This year is the 25^th anniversary for the Charleston Ballet Theatre. The CBT performance of the holiday favorite is done with a lowcountry flair and incorporates famous names and landmarks found in Charleston.

In addition, the adoptable dogs from the Charleston Animal Society will make appearances in the show and are available for adoring fans to meet before and after the performance.

The show can be seen at the Galliard Auditorium Dec. 10 at 7:30 pm and Dec. 11 at 3 pm. It’ll play again at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center Dec. 16 at 7:30 pm and Dec. 17 at 3pm. Buy tickets online by visiting charlestonballet.org.

Dashing through the Snow… or Water

Sleigh rides are another holiday favorite, but here in Charleston, snow is a rarity. So instead of hitting the snow-covered fields while sipping hot chocolate on a sleigh ride singing carols, tour the Charleston Harbor on the Thriller. This one-hour tour aboard the high-speed boat popular for its Charleston cruises takes it down a notch and slowly travels through the harbor while tales of Charleston are told.

Tours depart from the dock next to Vickery’s on Shem Creek. The tours will operate daily from Dec. 15-31. Contact (843) 276-4203 for more information.

If your holiday isn’t complete without Christmas music then check out the Charleston Christmas Special at the Charleston Music Hall located at 37 John Street.

The show will be presented by Brad and Jennifer Moranz, Broadway veterans, and will feature two hours of traditional and contemporary holiday music along with Christmas-themed comedy acts. The show is appropriate for the entire family. For tickets contact 1-800-514-3849.

The beloved “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens is another Christmas tradition that many people enjoy, but here in Charleston it’s done a little differently. This year marks the 10^th anniversary of the “Dickens-Dinner” as told by Tim Lowry. Guests visit Circa 1186, the restaurant located in the old Wentworth Mansion, where they will hear the story while dining on a four-course meal inspired by the Dickens’ novel.

This step back into time takes place at 6:30 pm on December 14. The cost is $70 per person and does not include tax, gratuity, and beverages. The attire for this event is business casual.

For a more all-encompassing version of “A Christmas Carol” check out Charleston Stage’s performance at Dock Street Theatre. This show plays daily until Dec. 18 and is suitable for all ages. For more information about tickets contact the Dock Street Theatre at (843) 577-7183. Tickets range in price from $22 to $52 and the show is suitable for all ages.

Kill two birds with one stone with any of the following walking tours that highlight the history of the decorated homes and gardens throughout the city. The “Christmas in Charleston Tea Party” is hosted by Laura Wichmann Hipp who takes visitors to the private homes and gardens of her friends so that visitors get a taste of downtown Charleston living. These aren’t ordinary houses either; these homes include some of the most beautiful historical homes in the city.

The tours are daily from 9:30 am to 12:30 and end with a home-cooked Lowcountry meal in Hipp’s home overlooking the Ashley River.

Another tour that offers an authentic Charleston flare is the Christmas in Charleston Tea Party. This tour leads guests through the oldest sections of downtown Charleston and explores hidden gardens and passageways. This tour culminates with a Christmas-themed mid-morning tea in a garden in the elite South of Broad region of town.

Contact (843) 722-1779 for more information.

Another popular walking tour is offered by Charleston Strolls. This tour leads visitors through St. Michaels Church, private neighborhoods decorated to the nines with holiday flair, and many other historic places. Call (843) 766-2080 for more information.

Lastly, no Christmas vacation is complete without cruising around viewing Christmas decorations, which is what the James Island County Park hosts the annual Holiday Festival of Lights. This is festival offers a three-mile drive through stunning light displays, but that’s not all. In addition there are train rides, walking trails, gingerbread houses, sand sculptures, carousel rides, climbing walls, a candy shop, marshmallow roasts, and more. This event provides the Charleston area with the closest thing the city will ever get to a winter wonderland.

The cost is $12 per car and additional events cost extra. Entry is free with eight Greenbax. Contact (843) 795-4386 for more information.

If Santa could do things differently he’d ditch the sleigh and come by boat. Nobody understands this more than all the Charlestonians and visitors who come out year after year to watch the annual Holiday Parade of Boats.

Saturday, Dec. 3 will mark the 31^st parade in the Charleston Harbor. Vessels of all styles and sizes will be decked out with twinkling lights, ornaments, and all kinds of Christmas fanfare as they make their way from Patriot’s Point in Mt. Pleasant to the harbor.

The parade begins at 5 pm and ends in the Ashley River at about 7:30 pm, weather, currents, and tides permitting. At 6:45 pm, there will be a fireworks display over the harbor.

To view the parade, visit Waterfront Park, USS Yorktown, or secure a spot on the Battery to watch the boats cruise by.

Want to be a part of this nautical holiday tradition? Contact the Parade of Boats coordinator Ray Swagerty at (843) 724-7414 or email swaggertyr@charleston-sc.gov. All captains and crews of the holiday boats will be able to participate in the Captain’s Party after the parade where awards will be given out for the best boats in the harbor.

More Holiday Fun

If you want to make a day out of getting into the holiday spirit, visit Marion Square at 4:30 – 6 pm for the lighting of the 60-foot official Christmas tree for the City of Charleston.

This official tree-lighting ceremony is a time-honored tradition perfect for families. Charleston Mayor Joseph Riley, Jr. and the one and only Santa Claus will be present at the event.

Look for a complete guide to Charleston’s holiday events in an upcoming blog on FollyBeach.com

PHOTOGRAPHER FRANK BRADEN  OF “THE HUMOURS OF FOLLY” FAME IS BACK IN TOWN!
 
Frank is the artist behind the book that everyone who loves Folly (and that’s just about everyone who’s ever dug their toes in her sun-baked sand) is raving about. Frank’s been making the rounds, doing signings here, there and everywhere – did you see him at the Surf Bar or the Holiday Inn, Barnes & Noble or Waldenbooks? Maybe you saw him at the Oasis Bar & Grill or Plum Elements or at the S.C. Aquarium. Roseanne, who lives on Folly, met Frank at the Aquarium last week. The book stopped her in her tracks. “Folly is so hard to describe to someone who doesn’t know,” she said. “This book does it. It captures Folly perfectly.”
 
Shutterbug, the nationally acclaimed photography magazine, this month gave “The Humours of Folly” the highest praise possible. It selected it as one of the top photography books for the year by putting it on its recommended gift list. Frank Braden is doing his part to put Folly into the national vernacular.
 
This picture of Frank may be black and white, but when it comes to his book – as the folks at Shutterbug say – “Braden hits you over the head with color!”

If you’re looking for the book – it’s available at shops and other retail locations on Folly and throughout the Lowcountry. It’s also available through the publisher at www.jogglingboardpress.com.

The book is BIG. It’s funny. It’s poignant. It’s exploding with the Life of Folly!

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