Coastal Companion

Your ultimate guide to the coast

Charleston, SC – January 2011 Events

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Need new ideas for the new year? The holidays are finally over, and it’s time to make plans for what to do for the month of January with your family and friends. As usual, there is always a lot going on in South Carolina, especially when it comes to food events and festivals.

First Friday on Broad – Jan 7, 2011
Participating galleries on gallery row will offer a featured wine to accompany their fine art on a relaxing stroll down The Row, on Friday January 7th from 5-8 PM. Many galleries will offer demos, music and refreshments.
http://coastalcompanion.com/south-carolina/charleston/first-fridays-on-broad/

Charleston Restaurant Week – Jan 14-22, 2011
There is no lack of good food in the city of Charleston, and every year there seems to be more restaurants and food festivals.
During this event you’ll get an opportunity to try out new restaurants and new menus and explore the culinary arts scene in Charleston. Participating restaurant serve food according to a fixed price menu. Some restaurants participate with three courses for $20, others with three courses for $30.
More details on our Charleston Restaurant Week page.

Charleston Marathon – Jan 15, 2011
The First Annual Charleston Marathon presented by the Riverfront Race Festival will take place on Saturday, January 15, 2011. The start of the 26.2 full marathon and 13.1-mile half marathon course beginning near the South Carolina Aquarium, downtown Charleston. The course will run South on East Bay St., passing Rainbow Row, and White Point Gardens, then follow King Street North where the half marathon will end at the Navy Yard at Noisette and the full marathon race will continue. The 10K and 5K road races will also begin at this start/finish line on the old navy base.

In true Low Country tradition, shrimp and grits will be at the finish line, along with music on the course from the Charleston County School District groups and adult beverages. For more information, go www.charlestonmarathon.com or www.riverfrontfestival.com.

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Charleston Comedy Festival – Jan 19 – 22, 2011
The annual festival brings in some of the hottest improv, sketch, and stand-up artists from Chicago, New York, Canada, Atlanta, and LA to the city of Charleston for a weekend of comedy.
The Charleston Stand-Up Competition finals will kick off early with a Tuesday night show at Theatre 99. On Wednesday and Thursday nights, there will be shows by local troupes Cats Hugging Cats, Full Love Throttle, Neckprov, Hot Pants, Moral Fixation, and Human Fireworks. Out-of-town performers Nate Baratze, The Shock T’s, and the Village Theatre will take over the Charleston Ballet Theatre on Thursday for a night of stand up, sketch, and improv. Read more on our special page about Charleston Comedy Festival.

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On Friday night, choose from 15 shows at various venues across town, including a show by Robot Johnson, Introducing Fish Taco, and This is Chucktown at South of Broadway Theatre in North Charleston and a stand up show featuring Nate Baratze, Dave and Ethan, and Tom Keller at the Pour House on James Island. More information at www.charlestoncomedyfestival.com

Charleston Boat Show – Jan 21 – 23, 2011
This is the biggest boat show in the Low Country with lots of things to see and do. The show takes place at North Charleston Convention Center and during the three day event you can look of course look at boats, get fishing tips, there’s even lots of fun activities for the kids.

Low Country Oyster Festival – Jan 30, 2011
One of the most popular food festivals in Charleston is the Oyster festival at beautiful Boone Hall Plantation in Charleston, SC. This is an annual festival for oyster lovers from all over the region, and now wonder, after all this is the world’s largest oyster festival.

It is said that about 65,000 pounds of oyster are delivered to the famous Charleston oyster roast for the big day, can you believe it? Don’t miss the well-known “Oyster Shucking” and “Oyster Eating” Contests. There is also live music on stage, a Kids Corner, a “Food Court” showcasing a variety of local restaurants and much more.

The Oyster Festival takes place January 30, 2011 from 10:30 am – 5 pm.
More details can be found on our special Low Country Oyster Festival page.

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Christmas Made in the South

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This is the best time of year for arts & crafts, and one of the most popular Arts & Crafts Shows comes to the coast every season – Christmas Made in the South. This is the perfect show to visit for those who love arts and crafts, it’s a great place to get new ideas, find inspiration, or just to pick up unique gifts for friends and family.

The show visits the coast on the following days (visit the special page to download a coupon with a rebate on admission):

Christmas Made in the South – Savannah on Nov 19 -21,2010

Christmas Made in the South – Jacksonville Nov 26 – 28, 2010

Christmas Made in the South – Charleston Dec 3 – 5, 2010

Gingerbread House Contest in Charleston, SC

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The Holiday Festival of Lights Gingerbread House Competition is a beloved Lowcountry tradition and now it’s time to warm up your ovens, gather up sugar, spices, and add a spoonful of creativity to the mix to participate. Registration for the 12th Annual Holiday Festival of Lights Gingerbread House Competition is open now through November 5.

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Houses must be made entirely of edible materials (except the base), and cannot exceed 18” in width, length or height. Entries will be judged based on creativity, overall appearance, difficulty, and craftsmanship.

Houses can be entered in one of four different age categories – ages 6 and under, ages 7-11, ages 12-16 or ages 17 and up. The contest will be judged by a panel of 20 people, with each house judged individually in each category.

The top three entries in each category will be displayed in Santa’s Sweet Shoppe and other locations during the Holiday Festival of Lights.

Contest coordinator Marianne Bower encourages creative bakers of all ages and experience levels to participate in this fun event. She suggests the use of gingerbread house patterns to help with construction of your ginger bread house masterpiece, but not to use “all-in-one” kits.

“There are many websites out there that provide inspiration for unique and amazing creations,” said Bower. Entries must be actual “domiciles;” however, Bower says that she has seen a number of unusual gingerbread houses, including churches, trains, and once, even the Millennium Falcon from “Star Wars”.

Registration ends Friday, November 5. An award ceremony for the top winners will take place at the Park Center at James Island County Park as part of the opening of the annual Holiday Festival of Lights on November 12. The award ceremony will take place at 6:30 p.m.

Click here to read more about The Holiday Festival of Lights will be open November 12, 2010 – January 2, 2011 at James Island County Park.

Participants are encouraged to sign up through the Park and Program Services Center by calling 843-795-4FUN. Or, download an application in pdf format right here.

Phish is coming to Charleston, South Carolina

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Phish is coming to Charleston, South Carolina on October 15, 2010. The band is performing at North Charleston Coliseum at 7:30 pm. Phish is a rock band known for its improvisation, extended jams, exploration of music across genres and devoted fan base.
The four members of Phish – Trey Anastasio, Mike Gordon, Jon Fishman, and Page McConnell — performed together for over 20 years before the August 2004 break up. The fans were delighted when they reunited March 2009 at the Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, Virginia. Since then they have peformed regularly.

This is your opportunity to see Phish in concert in Charleston, SC – and it’s going to be a popular concert.

Click here to reserve your tickets now

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