It’s Friday once again, and you know what that means: time for another edition of the Friday Five, our weekly roundup of five fun events taking place in the Charleston area this weekend. Watch some polo and go on a balloon ride, feast on oysters in a beautiful setting, and more. And as always, no matter what you choose to do, the staff and agents at Johnson & Wilson Real Estate Company hope you have a very happy and safe weekend!

Start your Thanksgiving week early with dinner and a movie at Knightsville General Store and Country Cafe on Friday evening. Come early for dinner and stay for the backyard movie, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. The kitchen and store will remain open, and there will also be popcorn, snacks, and hot chocolate. Movie starts at 6:30pm. Bring your own chairs and/or blankets to spread out and sit on. No outside food or drinks will be allowed. 

Spend the weekend at Johns Island County Park celebrating Charleston’s Hot Air Balloon Festival & Victory Cup Polo Match! Now in its fourteenth year, this event isn’t just a polo match. It’s a network and social destination attracting thousands of people to enjoy a day of green grass, majestic horses, heart-pounding polo, dozens of food and alcohol partners, and beautiful hot air balloons. The 2019 Victory Cup Match & Hot Air Balloon Festival is kid- and pet-friendly. Enjoy balloon rides on Friday evening from 4pm until 9pm and Saturday morning from 7am until 10am. Saturday morning’s activities start at 7am with a scheduled Hot Air Balloon activation on the polo field. After the balloon launch, the food, wine, and polo portion of the schedule kicks off around 11am for Golden Mallet VIPs and Founder’s Lounge passholders. The VIP portion of the event includes live music, a Hospitality Alcohol Tasting Tent, and a kids’ play area. Founder’s Lounge Passholders can also enjoy a farm-to-table dinner on the polo field with the polo players. Both VIP and General Admission tickets include the hot air balloon portion of the event. 

Kick off the holidays at the College of Charleston this Saturday afternoon with Cistern on the Half Shell: a Lowcountry Oyster Roast. Enjoy oysters, chili, hot dogs, craft beer and wine, and live music from the Bluestone Ramblers. Student organizations, service clubs, sororities, and fraternities will host mini reunions for their alumni at tables around Cistern Yard. Clyde the Cougar will be on hand for photos, so bring your Cougar Cubs! Proceeds from Cistern on the Half Shell will benefit the Alumni Association’s programs and scholarships. Tickets are $65 per person and include alcoholic beverages for those 21 and older; tickets for persons age 15 and up that do not include alcoholic beverages are $5; tickets for children ages 7 through 14 are $20; children ages six and under are free. 

Head to McLeod Plantation on Saturday for a Unique Lowcountry Outing and Feast, hosted by the Center for Heirs Property Preservation. The event will feature live music from Graham Whorley as well as a delicious homemade BBQ feast by Richard Habersham. Historic tours of the plantation will also be available. Heather Hodges, Executive Director of the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission is the featured guest speaker for this event. Tickets are $50, and sponsorship opportunities are also available.

For a little Christmas spirit, head to Mt. Pleasant Towne Centre on Saturday evening for Lights Up! Don’t miss the spectacular laser light show and the lighting of the 40-foot Christmas tree. There will be live musical performances from the East Cooper Baptist Church Choir & Orchestra and FAME Performing Art, a special performance by Gravel Road, a bluegrass band with a modern twist, featuring vocal harmony precision, popular song choices, and holiday favorites. And we can’t forget a visit from jolly old Saint Nicholas himself! There will be delicious treats and drinks available from Wine Cellar Wine & Gifts, Burtons Grill, Savi Cucina + Wine Bar, LongHorn Steakhouse, Sweet Julep’s, Dave N Dubs Hot Dogs, Charleston Pops, Pure Fluff, Holy City Popcorn, The Cookie Chick, King of Pops, and James Brown’s Famous Boiled Peanuts. Kids will enjoy face-painting, balloon animals, and a jump castle too. Camp Rise Above—whose mission is to provide life-changing camp experiences to children with serious illnesses, disabilities, and challenges—will be on hand selling Christmas Tree Wands and Christmas Bulb Necklaces so all event guests can Light Up too. Lights Up is sponsored by Roper St. Francis Mount Pleasant Hospital, AV Connections, and Y102.5.