A Sea of Pink on Daniel Island

(Updated 10/21/10) More than 10,000 runners and walkers came out to Daniel Island on a beautiful fall morning Saturday, October 16 to show their support for finding a cure for breast cancer during the Komen Lowcountry Race for the Cure. It was the organization’s most successful race to date, both in terms of participants and money raised.

Pledged money from the race will be accepted through the beginning of December, but the total amount collected already is near the organization’s goal of $400,000. In addition, approximately $250,000 was collected from the race registration fees. With these numbers, this year’s race was the most profitable to date.

Daniel Island has embraced this annual tradition in a big way in the past, and this year’s event was no exception. Pink bows were displayed throughout the island, particularly along the streets of the race route. Banners were hung along the streets of downtown Daniel Island, including the huge banner hanging from the Family Circle tennis stadium. Storefronts were decorated, teams were formed and hundreds of volunteers helped pull off the event.

The Harvest Tour of Homes Returns to Daniel Island

If you’ve been craving a glimpse inside some of Daniel Island’s most exclusive private homes, you’ll want to be sure to make plans to attend the Daniel Island Harvest Tour of Homes event this Saturday, Oct. 16.

Hosted by the Friends of the Daniel Island Library, the tour will showcase four incredible island homes. For $20 ($25 if tickets are purchased on the day of the event), visitors get a peek at each home’s distinctive architecture and interior design details, custom floral arrangements from local florists, and the chance to meet a local author in each home. Authors Ken Burger, Holly Herrick and Kate Boehm Jerome are all scheduled to participate in the event. Proceeds will benefit the Daniel Island Library.

This year, organizers are also including a “Dine Around” fundraising initiative as part of the tour festivities. All tour participants are encouraged to eat breakfast, lunch and/or dinner on the day of the event at an island restaurant. Participating establishments have pledged to contribute up to 20% of the cost of your meal to the Daniel Island Library!

What a great fall event on Daniel Island! Come enjoy a delicious meal, tour some beautiful homes and meet some talented local authors this Saturday from 1-4 pm. Tickets may be purchased in advance for $20 or on the day of the event for $25 at the following locations:

Daniel Island Real Estate
101 River Landing Drive, Daniel Island

A Floral Affair
80-D Seven Farms Drive, Daniel Island

Island Expressions
162 Seven Farms Drive, Daniel Island

Zinnia
644-O Long Point Road, Mt. Pleasant

A Magical Evening in Smythe Park

A favorite island tradition for six years and counting, Daniel Island’s festive “Concert in the Park” drew thousands of residents and visitors to Smythe Park on Saturday, May 15. Complete with warm breezes and a “palmetto moon” overhead, it was a magical evening with good friends, good food and spectacular entertainment. Jeremy Davis & The Equinox Jazz Orchestra had the crowd dancing to their “Great American Big Band” sound in a performance that lasted more than two hours under the stars.

Following tradition, the Daniel Island Community Fund’s annual Picnic Contest drew some elaborate spreads, with participants trying to outdo one another for the title of “best picnic” and the grand prize – a $500 donation to the charity of their choice. Many residents came out to Smythe Park the day before the event this year to stake out the perfect spot for their soiree.

This year’s winners truly stood out. Second prize went to “Southern Chic,” a picture-perfect setup under a canopy of live oaks, complete with paper lanterns swinging from the trees and a cozy lounging area. The group effort was led by resident and wedding planner Melissa Barton, owner of A Charleston Bride.

The grand prize went to “The United States of Daniel Island,” a diverse group of residents from 28 different states who chose a patriotic theme and invited those walking by to place a star on their home city on a map of the United States. Their effort was dedicated to Trident Literacy Association, who will receive the $500 grand prize donation. To read more about their festive spread, click here.

“This annual event just keeps getting better and better,” said Jimmy Bailey, Vice President of Community Services for the Daniel Island Property Owners Association. “I can’t think of a better way to spend a beautiful springtime evening in Charleston.”

Check out more pictures of this truly special evening below, and make plans to join us for next year’s event!

Mark Your Calendar for Charleston's World-Class Line-up of Springtime Events!

Each year, Charleston’s lineup of springtime events kicks off with the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition in February, and from there it’s a whirlwind of nonstop festivals, concerts and special events scheduled virtually every weekend through early summer. This is the prime time to get out and explore Charleston and Daniel Island. Read further for a rundown of our favorite springtime events:

Festival of Houses & Gardens
March 18 – April 17
Explore the rarely seen interiors and gardens of historic private homes in downtown Charleston during the peak of the city’s blooming season. Festival proceeds go to support preservation and restoration efforts in Charleston and the South Carolina Lowcountry. www.historiccharleston.org

Summerville Flowertown Festival
March 26 – 28
Smell the flowers as they burst into bloom while artists and craftsmen from throughout the country display their work on the beautiful grounds of Azalea Park and on Main Street in Summerville. www.summervilleymca.org/flowertown

Cooper River Bridge Run
March 27
Hit the pavement with thousands of runners and walkers at this annual 10K, one of Charleston’s most popular events. You’ll enjoy spectacular scenery from the top of the Ravenel Bidge as you make your way from Mt. Pleasant to downtown Charleston. Don’t forget to look to your right for a great view of the tip of Daniel Island! www.bridgerun.com

Family Circle Cup
April 10-18
Grab your sunscreen and come watch as the top-ranked professional female tennis players from around the world take to the courts to compete at the Family Circle Cup! More than just a tennis tournament, it’s a week-long line-up of special events at Daniel Island’s award winning Family Circle Tennis Center. The tournament is celebrating its tenth year on Daniel Island with some very special celebrity appearances and events. www.familycirclecup.com

Blessing of the Fleet and Seafood Festival
April 25
Enjoy fresh, delicious South Carolina shrimp and seafood at this annual festival that marks the beginning of the local shrimping season. There will be a lively parade, activities for children, tons and tons of fresh seafood and live music at a new venue for this annual event – the brand new Waterfront Memorial Park in Mt. Pleasant. www.mtpleasantrec.com

Charleston Symphony Orchestra’s Concert in the Park on Daniel Island
May 15
Get outside and enjoy the spring breezes coming off the Wando River and Smythe Lake at this popular annual Daniel Island event. Pack a picnic and grab a spot under the oaks in Smythe Park, where you’ll enjoy the sounds of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra in a festive setting with friends and neighbors. The best part? It’s free! www.dicommunity.org

Spoleto Festival USA
May 28 – June 13
One of the world’s leading arts festivals, this 17-day celebration of the arts offers an international lineup of opera, dance, classical music, jazz, theatre and visual arts, staged in

Charleston’s historic theaters, churches and outdoor venues.

www.spoletousa.org

Piccolo Spoleto

May 28 – June 13
Taking place in conjunction with Spoleto Festival USA, Piccolo Spoleto highlights the local and regional talents of artists of all kinds with more than 700 performances. Classical music, jazz, dance, theatre, poetry, choral music, ethnic presentations, crafts, film and children’s activities are all part of the lineup during this 17-day festival. www.piccolospoleto.com

Daniel Island Club's Executive Chef Heads to the Charleston Wine + Food Festival This Weekend

The fifth annual Charleston Wine + Food Festival is underway this weekend in downtown Charleston, and once again Chef Tyler Dudley of the Daniel Island Club will be joining dozens of other top chefs from throughout Charleston and around the country to take part in the festivities. Tyler will be serving up some of his specialties at a Winemaker Reception on a private yacht, and will also be a featured chef at Sunday’s Lowcountry Gospel Brunch in Marion Square.

Unfortunately, both events have sold out, but Chef Tyler and his crew have agreed to take photos of the experience (and maybe even provide a recipe or two). We’ll share their story next week. Stay tuned!

With more than 40 events scheduled throughout this three-day celebration of Charleston’s culinary culture, the Charleston Wine + Food Festival has become one of the area’s top events in its short history. Although many events have sold out, there are still tickets available to the Culinary Village and Grand Tasting Tents in Marion Square, the hub of the Festival. For more information, visit charlestonwineandfood.com.

See the Stars at Etiwan Park with the Lowcountry Star Gazers

Everyone is invited to join the Lowcountry Star Gazers as they descend upon Etiwan Park on Saturday, March 12 with their incredible high-tech telescopes and equipment in hand, ready to take in the sights above!

“Night in the Park” is a part of the Charleston Parks Conservancy’s “Park Week”, a new series of events that encourages locals to get out and experience Charleston’s parks and green spaces. On this special night, the Lowcountry Star Gazers will show off the nighttime sky above Etiwan Park from 7:30 to 9:30 pm. There will be free refreshments and there is no charge to attend but residents are encouraged to bring their own blankets and chairs so they can relax for an evening under the bright night sky.

During Park Week (March 6-13), the Charleston Parks Conservancy will host a number of fun special programs and events, each with a daily theme, in different parks throughout the Charleston area. All of which will lead up the grand finale event, “Party for the Parks: Amusement on the Avenue”, a street fair-style event on Ashley Avenue near Colonial Lake Park.

For a complete schedule of events, visit www.charlestonparksconservancy.org. All events are FREE, except for the finale party, so take advantage, get educated and get outside during “Park Week”!

"To Do" List for Springtime in Charleston!

While winter continues to barrel through most of the country for a few more months, with blustery winds and frigid temperatures, here in Charleston we will soon start to welcome springtime with open arms! It’s not too early to start making plans to attend some of Charleston’s most popular spring events. To help, we’ve put together some tips to keep in mind as you prepare for this beautiful time of year in the Lowcountry.

1. Put away the diet books. It’s time to get your tickets for the 5th Annual BB&T Charleston Food and Wine Festival! Celebrating “5 Years of Good Taste,” this culinary spectacular has become one of the most anticipated (not to mention most delicious) food festivals around. Want to see more for yourself? Click HERE to watch a video. March 3 – 7 | www.charlestonfoodandwine.com

2. Learn from the past. Experience one of the Festival of Houses & Gardens historical music concerts! Visit some of Charleston’s most beautiful gardens and experience music in intimate historic settings, with performances ranging from classical to Gullah-inspired jazz. March 18 – April 17 | www.historiccharleston.org

3. Stop and smell the roses. Literally. Come smell the flowers as they bloom while artists and craftsmen from throughout the country display their work for sale on the beautiful grounds of Azalea Park and on Main Street at the Summerville Flowertown Festival! March 26 – 28 | www.summervilleymca.org/flowertown

4. Start running. Hit the pavement with thousands of your closest friends, family and fellow runners at the 2010 Cooper River Bridge Run! This annual 10-k is one of Charleston’s most popular events. Whether you run or walk, enjoy the scenery of Charleston Harbor as you make your way across the Ravenel Bridge. Don’t forget to look to your right for a great view of the tip of Daniel Island! March 27 | www.bridgerun.com

5. Wear sunscreen. Grab your sunscreen and come watch as the top professional female tennis players from around the world take to the courts to compete at the Family Circle Cup! It’s the tournament’s 10th year on Daniel Island and there are some special events planned to celebrate. April 10 – 18 | www.familycirclecup.com

6. Support local businesses. Enjoy fresh, delicious South Carolina shrimp and seafood at the Blessing of the Fleet & Seafood Festival! Created to support the local shrimping industry, this event now includes a lively parade, the blessing of the fleets and tons and tons of fresh seafood and live music. April 26 | www.mtpleasantrec.com

7. Get outside. And what better way than on a spring evening with family and friends on the shaded banks of Smythe Lake on Daniel Island while enjoying the harmonic sounds of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra. The best part? It’s free! May 15 | www.dicommunity.org

Ten "Top Ten" Lists for Charleston

Each year, it seems, our fine city scores an increasing number of national accolades touting various aspects of the quality of life that Charleston offers both residents and visitors. There are always the “usual suspects” — such as Southern Living magazine’s “Readers’ Choice” Awards and the coveted title of “Most Mannerly City” (which Charleston has won so many times, it now holds a “Lifetime Achievement Award”). But this year, in particular, Charleston rose to the top of some highly visible global lists, including one that recognizes the area’s economic development practices – a good sign that we are poised for a strong recovery as the economy begins to improve.

Here’s a round-up of Charleston’s latest bragging rights:

Top 10 Smartest Cities in the World
Forbes Magazine
Forbes’ list of the world’s “Ten Smartest Cities” was compiled by evaluating infrastructure, livability and economic fundamentals. Charleston, which shares the spotlight with cities like Singapore, Amsterdam and Seattle, is praised for promoting economic expansion while preserving the city’s historic core, and is described as being “poised to emerge as a major aerospace center,” now that Boeing has announced plans to build a Dreamliner assembly plant here.

Top 10 Places in the World to See in 2010
Lonely Planet Travel Guides
This annual collection of the best places to go and best things to do in the year ahead included Charleston in its collection of top cities to visit — the only U.S. city on the list! Istanbul, Vancouver and Abu Dhabi were among the other places recommended as “must see” destinations for the new year.

America’s Most Livable Cities
U.S. Conference of Mayors
For the past 30 years, cities have competed for this prestigious award, which recognizes mayoral leadership for developing and implementing programs that improve quality of life. This year’s winning cities — Charleston and Chapel Hill, N.C. — were selected by former mayors from a pool of more than 200 applicants.

Top Ten Cities for Technology Jobs
Forbes Magazine
This year’s list of the top cities for technology jobs was powered by factors including tax rates, the cost of housing, the overall climate toward business and entrepreneurial spirit. Charleston, which has posted a 21% increase in information sector jobs since 2000, is in the company of cities large and small, including Seattle, Madison, Wisconsin, Santa Fe and Boise, Idaho.

No. 2 Top American City
Conde Nast Traveler Magazine
Readers of Conde Nast Traveler have named Charleston among the “Top Ten U.S. Cities” for 17 consecutive years, but this year the city nabbed the number two slot, topped only by San Francisco. This ranking maintains Charleston’s listing as the top east coast destination.

Top Ten Cities in the U.S. and Canada
Travel & Leisure Magazine
For the second year in a row, Charleston has been ranked as the fourth best city in the U.S. and Canada in Travel & Leisure’s “World’s Best Awards.” Last year, the “Holy City” moved up from its previous number 6 slot. It is now led only by New York, San Francisco and Quebec City in the U.S./Canada division.

Best Southern City
Southern Living Magazine
Every year readers of Southern Living magazine vote on their favorite cities in a variety of categories. This year, Charleston once again nabbed the title of “Best Southern City,” along with “Best City for Families,” “Best Festivals” and “Best Weekend Getaway.”

America’s Friendliest City
CNN Headline News & TravelAndLeisure.com
In a survey conducted by these two media giants, 125,000 people rated American cities in 45 different categories, covering everything from the attractiveness of the people to the quality of the food and dining. Charleston residents were ranked as America’s friendliest people. The city also earned second-place rankings for its noteworthy neighborhoods, vintage stores, flea markets and peace and quiet.

Top Ten Shopping Districts in the U.S. (King Street)
Forbes Traveler
Just ten years ago King Street in downtown Charleston was a sleepy shopping district that was hardly worthy of national recognition. Now, however, its mix of antique shops, eclectic boutiques, national chains, locally owned businesses and luxury retailers has helped it land on this national list of top shopping destinations.

Top Ten Best Places to See Before You Die
Andrew Harper
This internationally-known luxury travel expert included historic Charleston on his annual list of ten top American places to see, calling the Charleston Battery and its surrounding areas among the “prettiest neighborhoods (he’s) ever seen.”

Don't miss the fun at Park Day this Saturday, Oct. 10!

Park Day is back! For the ninth year, thousands of Daniel Island and Charleston residents and visitors will descend upon Children’s Park on Daniel Island for a day of family-filled fun including food, music, games and much, much more!

Festivities at this year’s Park Day will include live entertainment by the Islanders and the Electric Company. Activities and events include everything from pumpkin painting and children’s crafts, dance contests and gardening exhibits to a “Wild Kingdom” showcasing a petting zoo, exotic and native birds, reptiles and more. There will also be jump castles, pony rides, bungee trampolines, a climbing wall and tons of activities for all ages! And it’s all in the name of giving back to the community: Proceeds from Park Day events benefit more than 30 area non-profit organizations.

A variety of restaurants and vendors will be offering Lowcountry treats and other favorites, including barbecue, oysters, fresh shrimp, ice cream, pizza, boiled peanuts and more. Football fans can catch the day’s games on the big screens at the Island House Sports Pub. Beer and other beverages will be available for sale throughout the day.

And don’t forget to bring your four-legged family member to the Dog Showcase, which will feature a Dog Spa with wonderful spa services for your dog, outdoor café with dog treats, pet training advice, and other dog related activities. Representatives from seven animal rescue groups will also be on hand with dogs available for adoption!

Visit www.danielislandparkday.com for a complete list of activities and events!

And take a look at the photo gallery below for pictures from previous years at Park Day!

Get Bashed at the 2009 Bocce Bash!

One of Charleston’s most unique fundraising events is headed back to Daniel Island this weekend! Come out to Blackbaud Stadium on Saturday, April 25 to cheer on the participants of the 2009 Marino Family Bocce Bash. Now in its ninth year, the Bocce Bash has more “rollers” than ever, with 124 teams of four, all ready and excited to win the coveted trophy!

This annual day-long event is a fundraiser for Special Olympics South Carolina, the only organization to provide year-round sports training and competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. In its eight-year history, the event has raised tens of thousands of dollars for this local organization

The action starts at 9 a.m. Come out and watch – it’s for a great cause, and it’s great fun!

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