YMCA 53rd Flowertown Festival Summerville March 27 – 29, 2026
Every spring, the Town of Summerville is awash in color – from the hot pink azaleas to the purple wisteria to the delicate white dogwood. On one three-day weekend during this season, thousands of festival-goers arrive in this gracious Southern town to take in the flowers and hospitality and attend one of the largest arts and crafts festivals in the Southeast- The YMCA Flowertown Festival.
Festival hours are:
Friday, March 27: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Saturday, March 28: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Sunday, March 29: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
The three-day festival features:
Artists’ displays
Delicious foods from restaurants and commercial food vendors
Fun activities and rides for children
Free admission
Food trucks
For more information about Flowertown, click here.
Bring the little ones and join the fun with neighbors and friends on Saturday, April 4 at 10:00 am on the front lawn of the Island House for the Easter Egg Hunt. A special visit from the Easter Bunny will provide a perfect opportunity for photos. Everyone is welcome and you do not need to be a Seabrook Island Club member to participate.
Date: March 23, 2026 Time: 5:15 Reception, Speaker Program 6:00-7:00 pm Place: Capers Hall at the Citadel, 1 Lee Ave., Charleston, SC Cost: Free for WACC Members (no registration required). Non-members register and pay online.
Africa is surging with energy, mining, and infrastructure agreements, fueled by a new wave of financing and investment that move beyond the donor-driven development models of the past. Yet even as capital flows in, long-simmering conflicts have flared anew, and new regions face the threat of instability. Global powers are vying for influence across the continent.
Join us on Saturday, April 4 or Saturday April 25 from 2:30 to 4:30 pm for a unique afternoon at Drayton Hall, Charleston’s premier historic site (est. 1738) and named by Condé Nast Traveler as the Best Place to See in South Carolina. Stroll the beautifully preserved grounds with a glass of wine or beer in hand, enjoy live music from Wildflower Station and immerse yourself in the rich stories of the Lowcountry through our Landscape Audio Tour.
“One more Bowl, and Then?”: Punch Drinking in Colonial and Revolutionary America ◊ May 9, 2026
From the beginning of European colonization of North America in the 16th/17th centuries, alcoholic beverages for daily consumption, celebration, and ceremony were commonplace across all strata of society. Punch in particular became a favored drink in taverns and public houses as well as in the homes of the elite, and the materials associated with punch became a niche market for European and Asian ceramic producers.
Excavated punch bowls from Drayton Hall provide the background for the social history of punch and rum on the eve of and during the American Revolution, with an 18th century punch recipe for participants to sample, in addition to two rums typical of what would have been produced in the American colonies and West Indies.
Click here for additional information on these and other events at Drayton Hall.
17th Annual Easter Egg Hunt◊ March 28, 2026
Each spring, families hop over to Magnolia Plantation & Gardens for one of our favorite traditions: the Annual Easter Egg Hunt! This year, we are proud to celebrate our 17th year, almost two decades of egg-citing adventures and sweet memories made beneath the ancient oaks.
Plant Sale◊ April 25 and April 26, 2026
Spring is just around the corner, and there’s no better way to celebrate the season than attending Magnolia’s largest plant sale of the year! Whether you’re an experienced gardener or just beginning to explore the joys of planting, this two-day event is the perfect opportunity to stock up on plants, gain valuable knowledge, and immerse yourself in the world of gardening.
Click here for additional information on these and other events at Magnolia Plantation & Gardens.
Ink & Quill Writing◊ April 11, 2026
Ink & quill was the original paper and pen and was widely used during the American Revolution to write patriot correspondence, loyalist letters, and British proclamations promising freedom. Guests are invited to try their hand at writing with this Revolutionary method in this drop-in style program.
Rice Planting ◊ April 15, 2026
We’ll be planting Carolina Gold rice in our demonstration rice field. Stop by to learn about this labor-intensive crop and the specialized knowledge of enslaved African men and women who cultivated it.
Click here for additional coverage information on these and other events at Middleton Plantation.
Mark your calendars for Friday, March 27, 2026 for the Charleston Coastal Choir’s 10th Anniversary Celebration Concert, “My Favorite Things.” The concert will take place at 5:00 pm at Church of Our Saviour, located at 4416 Betsy Kerrison Parkway.
Come out to enjoy the choral music and to support your friends and neighbors in the Charleston Coastal Choir!
*** Following the concert, please join us for a reception for all in attendance to celebrate our 10 years as a choir and show our appreciation for our audience.
-Submitted by Deborah Banecker for Charleston Coastal Choir
Calling one and all, young and old, beginners and experienced! St. Christopher will be hosting its very own Community Square Dance Night.
Saturday, March 14, 2026, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm, you are invited to square dance in our beachfront Recreation Hall located at 2810 Seabrook Island Road. Brad Tomlinson, an experienced and local square dance caller, will be leading the night. Don’t worry if you have never square danced before, Brad will explain the basics and direct the square dance flow.
As if this night couldn’t be any more fun, we will also have pie available for all participants in celebration of Pi Day (3/14). You haven’t truly experienced St. Christopher until you have enjoyed a slice of our famous mud pie.
To claim a spot, the nonrefundable registration fee is $20.00. Sign up today using this link. We have only 50 spots available, so snag yours quickly!
We hope to see you on March 14 for square dancing.
-Submitted by Lauren Harris, Director of the Conference Center, St. Christopher Camp & Conference
Many Charleston area churches host spring tea rooms where old favorites like okra soup, chicken salad, shrimp salad, and tomato pie, as well as desserts such as Tipsy Pudding, Hummingbird Cake, and Lady Baltimore Cake, are made and served by volunteers. The tea rooms usually operate for only a week or two in the spring and are open only for lunch. There are often gift shops offering handmade items for sale. Most offer an opportunity to tour the historic churches and grounds. Below are some of the most notable.
Old St. Andrew’s Parish Church, 2604 Ashley River Road, is hosting the Annual Spring Tea Room from March 9 – 14 and 16 – 21, 2026, with lunch served from 11:00 am to 1:30 pm. To make reservations for parties of three or more, call 843-990-6281. The reservation line opened on February 23. For more information, click here.
St. Paul’s Summerville, Tea Room and Gift Shop, is open April 20-24 and 27-30, 2026, from 11:30 am to 2:00 pm. The church is located at 316 West Carolina Avenue, Summerville. For more information, call 843-873-1991 or click here.
Town of Seabrook Island Wednesday, April 8, 2026 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Now is the time to organize your files and discard old, unneeded, or duplicate documents. Gone are the days when we have to keep backup pieces of paper. Most information is now available online and is easy to access.
This is also a good time to go paperless. Many companies, such as banks, credit cards, and insurance companies, offer this service. Not only is it safer, but it can also be helpful when you are away from home. A bonus is using less paper, which is good for the environment!
Since most of your documents probably have personal information, you don’t want to just throw them away. The best way to dispose of these documents is by shredding them.
The next Seabrook Island Community Blood Drive will be held on Thursday, March 5, 2026, at the Lake House from 10:30 am to 3:30 pm. Please consider donating blood. There is a great need right now. Hospitals rely on blood donations to treat accident victims, patients undergoing surgery, cancer patients, and many others. Your donation can save lives.
Please note that all of the fitness classes located in the Live Oak Hall will be canceled on Thursday, March 5, due to the Blood Drive.
To select an appointment time, contact RedCrossBlood.org (Sponsor Code: SEABROOK). Donors have found that using RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass on the day of the drive speeds up the intake process and saves waiting time. Not sure of your schedule? Walk-ins are also warmly welcomed.
Save the date for the future Blood Drives:
Thursday, June 11
Thursday, September 3
Thursday, December 17
For additional information, contact Kathy Rigtrup at ktrup2@aol.com or 973-715-3005. The demand is great – can we count on you to help fill it?
