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Friday Five // September 13th, 2019

It’s the end of another work week, which means it’s time for the Friday Five, our weekly roundup of five fun events happening throughout the Charleston area this weekend. Attend a charity gala, learn about butterflies and other pollinators, have a yummy brunch in the park, and more. Whatever you choose to do, the staff and agents at Johnson & Wilson Real Estate Company wish you a very happy and safe weekend!

The Charleston Parks Conservancy will host a free Movie Night at Corrine Jones Park on Friday evening. Come at 6:30pm for circus-themed games and activities, including juggling from Good Clean Fun, then snuggle in with your blankets and chairs for a showing of the new live-action Dumbo starting at approximately 7:45pm. Food trucks The Pita Stroller and Lola’s Lumpia Food Truck will have food available for purchase. Rated PG, this new version of Dumbo revisits the classic story of a young elephant whose oversized ears enable him to fly and help him save a struggling circus. But when the circus plan a new venture, Dumbo and his friends discover dark secrets beneath its shiny veneer. This is a free event, but registration is appreciated at the link above so activities can be planned accordingly.

Join Lowcountry Orphan Relief on Friday evening for their annual Shoot for the Moon Gala at the Gaillard Center Grand Ballroom. This black-tie-optional event features silent and live auctions, a decadent dinner, signature cocktails, live music, dancing, and a chance to celebrate and support the amazing work Lowcountry Orphan Relief does for children in the Charleston Tri-County area. With the mission to provide programs and services to Lowcountry children identified as at-risk or suffering from abuse and/or neglect, LOR is a “first responder,” restoring hope and dignity to children during a frightening and insecure time. The Shoot for the Moon gala is LOR’s largest annual fundraiser, and your support will deeply impact their mission looking forward to 2020. 

Head to Magnolia Plantation and Gardens this Saturday for their first annual Butterfly Bash. This family-fun event will delight each and every attendee with a celebration of butterflies, bumblebees, and other pollinators. Learn all about butterflies, wildflowers, and more from one of the many guest speakers; participate in a demonstration; take a guided nature walk; and be dazzled by butterfly stilt walkers. Learn how to plant a pollinator garden, discover all there is to know about Monarch Butterflies, and go on a journey along the Rosalynn Carter Butterfly Trail. Activities abound for butterfly lovers of all ages, including live music, storybook walk, Tinkerbell in the fairy garden, costumed characters, children’s train, sensory garden exploration, face-painting, tagged butterfly release, crafts, games, and much more. Guests are encouraged to come dressed in their best butterfly costume! Attendance to the festival requires garden admission: $20 for adults and $10 for children 6-12 years old. Children 5 and under get in for free.

Brothers Rich and Flood Tide Co. invite you to join the Lowcountry Boil Fundraiser for the Ocean to support Charleston Surfrider Foundation this Saturday. Pick through a delicious and traditional Lowcountry Boil while listening to live music from local band Deadwin. Local brewery Revelry will provide the cold beer to wash down the food and keep you nice and cool. Don’t forget to purchase raffle tickets for some awesome merchandise from Brothers Rich, Flood Tide Co., Marsh Wear Clothing, and Sea Bones. All proceeds from the raffles will be donated to support Charleston Surfrider in their mission to keep our beaches and waterways clean and accessible to the public. 

Sunday Brunch in Hampton Park returns this Sunday at 11am! Bring your blankets and chairs and enjoy an afternoon of music and mimosas at Rose Pavilion in Hampton Park. Local indie rock band Argot will supply the music, and delicious food will be available for purchase from local food trucks Semilla, Lola’s Lumpia Food Truck, and Jonny Poppers. Independent Grounds Coffee House will have wonderful coffees, and MIX Bartending will be on hand with the beer, wine, and mimosas. New this year is a Create Your Own Mimosa Bar hosted by The West Edge. No coolers are allowed at this event. Pets on leashes are welcome. Get tickets in advance for $10, or purchase at the door for $15. Admission is free for children aged 12 and under.

Friday Five // August 30th, 2019

Another work week is wrapping up, and you know what that means. It’s time for the Friday Five, our weekly roundup of five fun events happening this weekend in the Charleston area. Break out your best ’80s gear, lip sync the night away, enjoy some of the best smooth jazz around, and more. And as always, the staff and agents at Johnson & Wilson Real Estate Company hope you have a happy and safe weekend!

Don’t miss South Carolina’s biggest smooth jazz event of the year, the 11th annual Lowcountry Jazz Festival, taking place at the Charleston Gaillard Center this weekend. The festival returns this year with a stellar lineup of superstar artists as well as up-and-coming vocalists and musicians. Festivities kick off on Friday with the All White Party Affair and run all weekend, featuring performances from the likes of The Sax Pack, Richard Elliott, Peter White, DW3, Jonathan Butler, Kirk Whalum, The West Coast Jam Horns, and more. This event is the primary fundraiser for Closing the Gap in Health Care, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose primary mission is decreasing health disparities and increasing health literacy, especially for African Americans and the underserved in our community, our state, and the nation. Proceeds from the festival support the mission of Closing the Gap in Health Care, Inc. and the Thaddeus John Bell, M.D. Endowment Fund. 

Slithering snakes and lazing lizards are taking over the Omar Shrine Center in Mt. Pleasant this Saturday and Sunday for Repticon Charleston! This is a great opportunity for lovers of reptiles and exotic animals to see thousands of top-quality animals not found anywhere else in the area. The complete experience includes socializing with fellow “herpers” in interactive live animal presentations, free raffles, and shopping for supplies, cages, merchandise, and feeders to support new pets. Repticon Charleston is THE premiere event for reptile and exotic animals enthusiasts.

Join the Charleston Pipe Band, Moonlight Ale, and the Charleston Hurling Club at Ghost Monkey Brewery this Saturday from 11am until 10pm for Piping Hot Celtic Music Summer. Get your fill of good old Irish tunes with Irish trad music (also known as Irish traditional music or Irish folk music). Then, at 4pm, the Charleston Pipe Band takes the spotlight with Highland bagpipes so good you’ll think you’ve been transported to another place and time. Around 6pm, Moonlight Ale will take the stage with their amazing brand of foot-stomping Celtic folk rock. There will also be a cornhole tournament, raffles, and giveaways throughout the day. 

Okay, so you can’t carry a tune in a bucket, but you can lip sync like nobody’s business. If this is you, then get on out to Frothy Beard Brewing Company and join Oshi Goode for a Lip Sync Competition: Benefit for The American Lung Association. Get in line to compete—or cheer on your friends/family who are competing—for a first-prize gift package valued at $300. Second and third places will also receive gifts. Costumes or band t-shirts are encouraged for all who attend. Winners will be selected based on crowd response and overall performance, so be sure to recruit an entourage to cheer you on! The two highest-performing contestants will be selected to perform in a Lip Sync Battle for first place, featuring Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now.” 

Scurry on up to the attic and break out your old leg warmers, neon shirts, acid-washed denim, Miami Vice suits, and friendship bracelets. It’s time to kick it old school this Sunday at the ’80s Bar Crawl on King Street! Check in at King Street Public House between 2pm and 5pm to pick up your scorecards and other swag, then make your way to the other participating venues, enjoying drink specials and having your scorecard marked at each one. The first 400 participants to check in will receive a signature ’80s Bar Crawl koozie, and the first 250 crawlers to complete their scorecards will receive a custom ’80s Bar Crawl t-shirt. Note that crawlers do not have to imbibe to get their scorecards marked and win a t-shirt. Designated drivers are encouraged and welcomed to play along. A portion of all ticket sales will support the Charleston Animal Society.

Friday Five // August 23rd, 2019

It’s Friday once again, and you know what that means! Time for the Friday Five, our weekly roundup of five fun events happening this weekend in the Charleston area. Get some home design inspiration, stomp and sip some grapes, see a wild and wonderful musical tribute, and more. Whatever you choose to do, the staff and agents at Johnson & Wilson Real Estate Company hope you have a very happy and safe weekend!

The Charleston Fall Home Show takes place this weekend, Friday through Sunday, at the Gaillard Center with lots of brand new features to entertain and educate gusts. Listen to one (or more) of seven seminars, sit down one-on-one with a professional interior designer for a free consultation, or chat face-to-face with around a hundred of Charleston best local contractors. The Charleston Fall Home Show is sure to provide a wealth of inspiration and information for your next big home projects. Visit the show on Friday from 11am until 5:30pm for free admission! For just $15, you can attend the VIP Home Show Party, which includes complimentary beer, wine, and hors d’oeuvres, on Friday evening from 6pm until 9pm. (Must be 21 to attend party.) General admission tickets for Saturday and Sunday are $7 each.

Fans of Elton John will want to be at the Charleston Music Hall Friday night for Rocket Man: A Tribute to Sir Elton John. Tokyo Joe’s Rocket Man Tribute follows the model of a live Elton John performance. The band goes to great lengths to use exact replicas of Sir Elton’s costumes and entertain visually using state-of-the-art lighting, Rocket Man is ultimately about the music that has been the soundtrack to so many music-lovers’ lives. Performed by the Columbia-based rock band Tokyo Joe, Rocket Man will leave every Elton John fan feeling like they just experienced a tribute performance worthy of the original.  

Visit Deep Water Vineyard this Saturday and have a stompin’ and sippin’ good time at the 2019 Grape Stomp Festival. The vineyard will have their new sparkling wine available as well as their ever-popular “Have a Ball, Lucille”, a strawberry wine that’s back for as long as it lasts. Like every year, the 2019 Stomp will feature grape-stomping and Lucille Ball look-alike contests. Enjoy music, food, vendors, jump castles, face-painting, and more! Get your parking tickets as soon as possible, as they are limited and will sell out. Food trucks onsite will include Coastal Crust, Chicken Fats, Dave ‘n’ Dubs, Rebel Taqueria, Greekin’ Out, and James Brown’s Famous Boiled Peanuts, among others. The live music lineup features Southbound 17 and Dallas Baker and Friends. And the headliner of the event? Tastings from Deep Water Vineyard and Firefly Distillery as well as mixed drinks, wine-a-ritas, and beer from Low Tide Brewing. Adults, children, and well-behaved dogs may all attend! Admission is $20 per car in advance or $10 per person at the gate. No coolers or outside beverages allowed.

Join the Friends of Berkeley County Animal Center at Cypress Gardens this Saturday for the First Annual Rescue the Summer event. Berkeley Animal Center is the only public shelter in Berkeley County, so most of the lost or abandoned animals in the county find their way to the Center. The first step to adoption is having a shelter pet spayed or neutered, so to best meet the challenge and overrun after other shelter closures is for the Center to build a new on-site operating room. Every penny of proceeds from Saturday’s event will benefit the Operating Suite Renovation Project. At the event, Berkeley Animal Center will have furry adoptables available to meet throughout the day. There will also be a variety of food trucks available for purchasing lunch, snacks, and drinks, as well as hand picked vendors and crafts to shop from. Bring the kiddos for games and prizes, and enjoy live music and karaoke with Sing with Aaron. No personal pets are allowed at this event.

Join Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg and Mt. Pleasant Mayor Will Haynie this Sunday at the Gaillard Center for the Homeless to Hope Benefit Concert. Enjoy an uplifting musical celebration including iconic Charleston musicians such as the Blue Dogs, Zandrina Dunning and BlackNoyze Band, Rene Russell and the Bottom End, and singers from the College of Charleston Choir, Charleston Symphony Chorus, and Taylor Festival Choir under the direction of Dr. Rob Taylor. All proceeds support the Homeless to Hope Fund created by Palmetto Project and the Mayors’ Commission on Homelessness and Affordable Housing to provide financial support for rent security deposits and utility deposits or other barriers to help people to obtain housing through a network of service providers.

Overlooked Home Upgrades That Are Worth It

When it comes to home renovations and upgrades, there’s the tried and true, the goal-worthy projects, and the boring old necessary repairs. But there are also a few home upgrades we’d be willing to bet you’ve been overlooking. These are upgrades, both large and small, that are well worth the time, money, and effort they take to install in your home. Not only do they make your life just a little bit easier, but they’re also great features for resale value. 

Dimmers

Inexpensive, simple, and quick to install, dimmer switches are the easiest change that can actually make a huge impact in your home. If you’re unsatisfied with how harsh the overhead lighting is in your bedroom, or if you just want to set a relaxed, after-dinner mood in your entertaining space, a dimmer switch is your best solution. 

Second-Story Laundry

Not to be overly dramatic, but having your laundry room upstairs can be absolutely life-changing. No exaggeration. When your washer and dryer live on the same floor as the rooms that tend to hold and create the most dirty clothes and linens, you’re more apt to keep up with the laundry and less likely to let it pile up. Just think: no more carrying bulky loads of laundry up and down the stairs on laundry day!

Heated Floors

You know those unexpectedly chilly mornings that send shivers down your spine as soon as your feet hit the floor? It’s the worst. No one wants to be jerked out of that cozy, just-woke-up feeling in such a rude way. Combat those frozen feet by installing heated floors in your home. We know heated floors sound like a huge splurge, but since they’re very energy-efficient, they could actually save you money over time. In fact, radiant heating, which is what heated floors are, is more efficient than other systems such as baseboard heating or forced-air heating. While the installation might be a bit pricey up front, you and your wallet—and your toasty warm toes!—will be happy you did it in the long run. 

Double Sink Vanities

Are we wrong to admit that quite a few of our marital squabbles have started over a single sink in a bathroom? If you and your partner or roommate tend to get ready for the day around the same time, it can be a pain to coordinate everything from brushing your teeth to combing your hair or putting on makeup. Yes, we realize this is a total “first world problem,” but honestly, life is just that much easier when you have two sinks in the bathroom. The slightly higher price of installing a double-sink vanity is well worth the convenience and the time you'll save. 

Landscaping

If the exterior of your home is looking tired and blah, it might be time to perk up your landscaping. You might’ve already thought of repainting the siding and sprucing up all the components of your actual house, but sometimes we tend to overlook the landscaping. Think of it as “makeup” for your house. Give it some color with pretty florals in window boxes or some flowering bushes in the beds underneath. Highlight the best areas with pavers or your favorite edging. Plant a hedgerow to delineate other areas. The result these small additions make will change the way you look at your home when you make your way up the driveway each day.