It’s Friday once again (with only 20 shopping days left until Christmas, if you needed a reminder), and you know what that means! It’s time for another round of the Friday Five, our weekly roundup of five fun things to do in the Charleston area this weekend. Take a tour of a festive, candlelit historic home, learn how to do holiday watercolor art, visit a holiday market, and more. As always, no matter what you choose to do, the staff and agents at Johnson & Wilson Real Estate Company wish you a very happy and safe weekend!

Enjoy a special holiday-themed event this Friday at the Edmonston-Alston house with Christmas on the Battery: Carols, Candlelight, & Gullah Christmas Stories. Tour the festively decorated house by candlelight as you are serenaded by the Charleston Caroling Company. Then warm up with a glass of wine or hot cider in the courtyard, where local storyteller Fouché Sheppard will perform Gullah Christmas stories. This event will follow CDC guidelines for social distancing, and masks are required inside the house. Tour groups will be made up of ten guests in order of arrival within each time block. This event takes place from 5pm until 8pm. Tickets are $25 for members and $30 for non-members.

Take a Candlelight Tour of Drayton Hall this Friday or Saturday beginning at 6pm. This beautiful and moving 18th century house is the oldest untouched home open to the public in the United States. For the first time, Drayton Hall will be open for evening public tours during the holiday season. Experience Drayton at night and get a small taste of what it might have been like to dwell inside a colonial home at night during actual colonial times. Afterward, warm up with a cup of spiced cider as you stroll back to the Visitors Center and the Shop at Drayton Hall. Tours are conducted via audio broadcast. Pre-registration is required in order to ensure Covid-19 safety guidelines. Cost is $45 for non-members and $40 for members.

Glass Slipper Productions is hosting a Winter Wonderland at Boone Hall Farms this Saturday from 10am until 5pm. There will be a socially distanced Santa Claus and sleigh, special appearances from Anna and Elsa, Jessie from Toy Story, and Spiderman, and baby goats! Anna and Elsa appearances will take place from 11am until 1pm, and Jessie and Spiderman will be visiting from 2pm until 4pm, so plan accordingly! There will also be a fire pit with s’mores, food trucks, and a small showcase of local vendors. The Winter Wonderland is also a dropoff location for Toys for Tots, so bring a new, unwrapped toy to donate if you can. Bring the whole family to see Santa, spend some time in the beautiful outdoors, and pick out the perfect Christmas tree. Admission is $5 per person, and if you decide to purchase a Christmas tree, $5 will be applied to that purchase. See you at the Winter Wonderland farm! 

Gather your most creative friends and fam and join Sister Moon Studio at Miller Gallery this Sunday for a Watercolor Holiday Wreaths Workshop. Learn how to paint gorgeous holiday wreaths in watercolors using the studio’s simple approach and meet new friends all in one festive evening. This workshop includes an intro to watercolor basics, step-by-step instruction for painting evergreen botanicals like holly berries and pine, plenty of practice time to perfect your greenery painting, 4-6 finished mini wreaths, holiday cards, and/or gift tags, and tons of fun and creative ideas for using your new festiva painting skills! Masks are required at all times during this workshop, except for taking a sip of your beverage while seated. Covid-19 preventive measures include social distancing of six feet between seats and participants, disinfecting of all equipment before use, and hand sanitizer stations. 

The Charleston Holiday Market in Marion Square is back for the holiday season, operating on Saturdays and Sundays from 9am until 3pm this Saturday, December 5th through December 20th. Come out and get all your Christmas shopping done at this local, homemade, handmade, Charleston favorite one-stop holiday shop. Shop farm products, packaged food vendors, artisans, crafters, and more. Covid protocols will be in place at the markets, including additional spacing between vendors, hand-washing/sanitizing stations, and the requirement that all vendors and patrons wear masks and maintain physical distancing throughout the events. Receive FREE parking for two hours in participating garages from now until January 1st, 2021, with the Holiday Magic in Historic Charleston parking voucher. Click here to download your voucher!