Although this is not considered peak season, you’d never know it by looking at the events calendar and all the fall festival fun happening this weekend alone. I’ll cover just a couple… two going on tomorrow (Saturday, Nov. 3rd) and two going on Sunday (November 4th).
Saturday fun
Fall Festival No. 1: Scottish Games
Scottish pride and traditions will be on full display this weekend. It’s the 47th Annual Scottish Games. They’re taking place tomorrow at Boone Hall Plantation. Cross over the IOP Connector from the Isle of Palms, head north up Highway 17 a little ways and look for the giant sign on your left. The fun begins at 9:00 a.m. with the presentation of the clans - so prepare to see lots of plaid. Throughout the day, there’ll be lively competition of pipes and drums, Scottish dancing, and well as “heavy athletics.” This ominous-sounding category includes such events as the Hammer Throw, Sheaf Toss, the Stone of Strength, and the Caber Toss - you know, when they heave the thing that looks like a telephone pole. It’s almost 20 feet tall, weighs 175 pounds, and they throw it end over end while trying not to knock out themselves or any innocent bystanders. Keep an eye peeled for the ever-popular border collie demonstrations. Check out the beer garden with craft beers from Highland Brewing and Commonhouse Aleworks, and Scottish edible delicacies and merchandise. For the younger ones in your Charleston beach house, there will be a special kids’ area with games (like the Scotch Egg Relay), storytelling and crafts. Celtic rock band Cleghorn will be performing, complete with bagpipe, fiddle and didgeridoo.
Details
Adults are $20 - $30, children $5, free for kids 5 and under. Tickets include admission to Boone Hall Plantation. The games last till 5:00. It’s sponsored by the Scottish Society of Charleston. Here’s the official website with all the details and ticket info.
Boots, Bottles and Blessings Fall Festival
This Saturday is also a fun sounding mashup of an event – complete with blessing of the vines, lots of music and libations. It’s described as “music-rich” and “foodie-focused.” You can celebrate the harvest and witness a priest blessing the muscadine grape vines. Get set for:
- Music by Nashville recording artist Carla Moffa, a contestant on American Idol;
- More music by TrickKnee;
- Best Boots Contest with great prizes;
- A bunch of food trucks;
- Beverages like Firefly cocktails, Wine-a-Ritas and brews from Low Tide Brewing;
- Tasting from the distillery and the vineyard;
- Fun for Kids Area (slushies, swinging and swurfing, adorable animals, jump castle, mechanical bull);
- Local vendors with crafts and gifts;
- Blankets, chairs and leashed dogs welcome.
It’s going on from 10:00 – 5:00 at Deep Water Vineyard & Firefly Distillery, which used to be known as Irvin-House Vineyards. Deep Water is located at 6775 Bears Bluff Road in Wadmalaw Island, a scenic drive from our luxury beach house rentals SC. The cost is $5 - $10 per car, with $6-$7 tastings. More info is on their official website.
Sunday Funday
Sunday has a couple cool fall festival events.
Charleston Battery Food Truck Festival
First up - food trucks are hot, especially in a cuisine-centric culture like Charleston. Some of the most creative chefs are working on wheels. You can check out a slew of them on Sunday. It’s the first ever Charleston Battery Food Truck Festival, which will bring together 35 (!) area food trucks for your dining pleasure. Some perks:
- Watch Sunday’s NFL football games on the 3,000 square foot Jumbotron;
- Try out the Battery’s private label beer, “Golden Boot Lager” (brewed by Rusty Bull Brewing);
- Listen to the DJ spinning fun tunes;
- Feel free to bring leashed dogs, blankets, chairs or tents;
- Bring along the kids and games like soccer balls, footballs or Frisbees - after all, it’s on a professional soccer field;
- Take you pick among almost three dozen food trucks including Happy Thai, Holy City Waffles, Cory’s Grilled Cheese, and Holy Rolly;
- Admission is free, and you can come by any time between 11:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
It takes place at MUSC Health Stadium on Daniel Island, home of the Charleston Battery soccer team. The stadium is located at 1990 Daniel Island Drive. Here’s the event’s Facebook page. And here’s more on the Daniel Island website.
Marina Festival right here on the Isle of Palms
Also going on Sunday is a super sounding island event sponsored by the IOP Exchange Club. They are good folks who are always doing good things for the community. This event supports our veterans. They are also raising money for a very cool project to improve the island. They’re planning to add public water access near their building on Palm Boulevard near Breach Inlet. Included will be:
- An adaptive use dock;
- A bulkhead that will run along the waterfront;
- Concrete walkways that will provide wheelchair access;
- Beautified landscape and a park-like design;
- Expanded patio area;
- Improved parking.
To help toward this goal, they are sponsoring a wingding at the IOP Marina this Sunday from 1:00-6:00. Tickets are just $20, free for veterans and kids under 10. Included are all kinds of watersports (like intro to kayaking course) and activities from marina businesses.
Raffle Time
They’ll have great door prizes and one of the most interesting raffles I’ve seen lately. You could win a golf cart, flat boat, time in a mountain vacation home, and one supercool guitar signed by some very big names in country music. They include Darius Rucker, Trace Adkins, Dierks Bentley, Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Emmylou Harris, Dustin Lynch, Irlene Mandrell, Jake Owen, Thomas Rhett, Dan and Shea, Blake Shelton, Granger Smith, Little Big Town, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, and Bret Young. Wow - that's some talent, right there on that guitar! All signatures are authenticated. Get the whole scoop on their website. The site of the event, the IOP Marina, is located at the end of 41st Avenue, on the Intracoastal Waterway (inland) side of the island. So take your pick of four fun fall festival events happening this weekend, plus the last weekend of the Coastal Carolina Fair. And when you are looking for the best in rental homes South Carolina, be sure to give EP a call. All best, Lowcountry Lisa your Isle of Palms vacation blogger