Coastal Companion

Your ultimate guide to the coast

Spring Winefest at Middleton Place – Charleston, SC

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There is no better way to celebrate the arrival of spring but with a trip to the beautiful gardens of Middleton Place. There is a special Spring Wine Tasting at Middleton Place, where you get to sip wine while enjoying the beautiful view of thousand of azaleas, dogwood and wisteria. The colors of the blooming flowers are reflecting in the water of the Rice Mill Pond. The tasting takes place from 5:30 – 7:00 pm on Wednesday, March 31 and April 7. Reservations are required. Cost is $20 per person. For reservations, call 843-556-6020.

First Friday’s on Gallery Row on Historic Broad in April – Charleston, SC

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“First Fridays on Broad” returns to Charleston, South Carolina, on Friday, April 2nd, from 5pm – 8pm. This event is hosted by The Broad Street Merchants Association who invites you to come out to “Celebrating Spring” by enjoying fine art and refreshments in the boutiques, fine art galleries, and bodegas on Gallery Row – Historic Broad Street.

Here’s what’s happening in April 2,  2010:

Hamlet Fine Art Gallery will be featuring a new series of non objective mixed media abstracts entitled “A New Life” by Stephanie Shuler Hamlet.

Ella Walton Richardson Gallery will be presenting “ Venetian Light” an upcoming exhibit by Evgeny and Lydia Baranov.

SCOOP is having a photography show, “Elements” with Stewart Young, Sandy Logan and Cyle Suesz.

COCO VIVO Fine Art and Interior Design will present new jewelry collections by two artists: Jennifer Mathews and Christine Peters Hamilton.

Edward Dare Gallery will feature a sneak preview of bronze and stone sculpture by Tom Player.   He is just as comfortable in bronze and iron as in terra cotta and stone.

Although he admits, “Bronze is my favorite medium, maybe because of its antiquity.   It intrigues me that the process has basically not changed since Michelangelo.” Player continues working with masters of his field, most recently with John Sisko at Brookgreen Gardens in SC. “Clients tell us this is one of their favorite monthly events,” and “Customers can relax while receiving individual and personalized attention as they browse the vast array of fine art, sculpture, jewelry, gifts, pottery, home accessories, and unique fashions on “Gallery Row on Historic Broad Street.”

Participating merchants include: Ellis-Nicholson Gallery, Hamlet Fine Art, Edward Dare Gallery, COCO VIVO, Mary Martin Fine Art, UTOPIA, Atmah Ja’s, Spencer Galleries, Ella Walton Richardson Fine Art, Martin Gallery, SCOOP Studios, Bernie Horton Gallery, Jake’s, Blind Tiger and the Oak Steak House.

For information visit  www.Charlestongalleryrow.com or call Stephanie Hamlet at 843-722-1944.

Cooper River Bridge Run – Charleston, SC – 2010

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Cooper River Bridge Run is not your ordinary 10K foot race. This one Running across the bridge must be an extraordinary experience, and this is exactly what you can do if you participate in the Cooper River Bridge Run in Charleston on March 27th, 2010.

More than 38,000+ runners have registered to the race. The start is scheduled for 8:00 am, so expect to see a lot of runners in Charleston that day. There’s also an expo going on at Marion Square downtown.

(For a map of the race course, click here!)
This is definitely one of the big sporting events in Charleston during the year.

Lowcountry Cajun Fest in Charleston, SC

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Zydeco Music Heats up Lowcountry Cajun Fest coming to James Island Country Park outside Charleston, South Carolina.

The 19th annual Lowcountry Cajun Festival is bringing spice and heat to Charleston on Sunday,  March 28, 2010. Experience a little bit of  Louisiana right here on the coast. The Lowcountry Cajun Fest is a fun filled day packed with live music, entertainment, food, children’s activities and more!

Lowcountry cajun festival james island county park charleston south carolinaCome hungry, and take the opportunity to enjoy authentic Cajun and Creole fare prepared by local and regional chefs. There’s even a crawfish eating contest at 2:30 p.m.

Delicious food is not the only attraction, there’ s also a lot of live music  from renowned Zydeco bands.  Taking the stage at 1:00 and 3:30 p.m. will be one of the hottest bands on the Zydeco scene, Leroy Thomas & the Zydeco Roadrunners. Promising to deliver hits that will get folks dancing, Leroy Thomas & the Zydeco Roadrunners have toured the world specializing in traditional Louisiana Zydeco music. Leroy is a throwback to first-generation Zydeco, and has an encyclopedic repertoire of Zydeco, Cajun, Blues, R&B and Country music.

Nathan Williams and the Zydeco Cha Chas

Nathan Williams and the Zydeco Cha Chas will perform at 2:15 and 4:45 p.m. For over 20 years, Nathan and his hard-working band have toured the world bringing their unique brand of authentic Zydeco music to fans around the globe. Uplifting and connected to its place in history, the music of Nathan Williams & the Zydeco Cha Chas is the expression of a remarkable South Louisiana family.

Other festivities include a crafter market and mechanical, inflatable and carnival games for kids. Check www.ccprc.com/cajun for a current entertainment schedule.

Admission is $10. This event is free for ages 12 and under with paying adult.  Call 795-4FUN (4386) or visit website!

lowcountry cajun festival james island county park, charleston, south carolina

Charleston Fashion Week “Glam Rocks” – 2010

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Are you fashionably late for the Charleston Fashion Week? This anticipated event takes place in downtown Charleston, South Carolina, from March 16-20, 2010.

Charleston Fashion Week is a five night multimedia event celebrating design and retail. Come catch the action under the tents in Marion Square. The event showcases more than 30 runway shows, live entertainment, celebrity designers, rock and of course the popular Runway Modeling Competition.

Project Runway’s finalist Carol Hannah Whitfield and Mychael Knight will both be debuting collections. Other CFW alum, featured designers, and celebrity judges to return to the tents in Marion Square this spring include: designer Cynthia Rowley, ELLE magazine’s Fashion News Director, Anne Slowey, Project Runway’s Gordana Gehlhausen,and 2009 Emerging Designer Competition winner Marysia Reeves, whose Spring/Summer 2010 line has been picked up by Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie.

Set for March 16-20, the highly anticipated five-night multimedia event
celebrates the regions flourishing design and retail communities.

The premier fashion event also includes the first annual Rock the Runway competition in which the top models compete to win a fashion spread, modeling contract, and the opportunity to appear before the top modeling scouts in the country. With a cast of celebrity designers in attendance, live entertainment, chic after parties, on-site shopping in the Style Lounge, more than 30 retail runway shows, plus an afternoon of Bridal Couture, Charleston Fashion Week® is ready to prove why “Glam Rocks!” for 2010.

Named a Top 20 Event for March by the Southeast Tourism Society, Charleston Fashion Week will also feature the Style Lounge, the Catwalk for Kids auction and luncheon and the Bridal Couture Show. I also have to point out one special event that sounds like a lot of fun, at least for spectators is the Stiletto Stampede – a wacky 100 yard dash in high heels, this is a sight you don’t want to miss!

Call Etix at 1800-514-ETIX or visit www.charlestonfashionweek.com. for more information.

Read our previous post about Charleston Fashion Week