Tree Servicein Charleston, SC

Quaint brick porches with gas lantern bedazzlements, cobblestone streets and the twang of friendly locals are a given in Charleston year-round. But each season comes with its own perks in the Holy City. In recent years, the Lowcountry city that hugs South Carolina’s coast has emerged as a hot spot for all kinds of folks, including foodies, outdoor enthusiasts, beachgoers and seemingly any aficionado in between (sure, even jazz lovers).

As the adage goes, timing is everything, and it couldn’t be more true in Charleston. What month you venture here could mean the difference between jacket-worthy days or humid, hurricane-prone stretches; quiet streets or festival-induced euphoria; and, well, a seasonally themed carriage ride for learning all about the city’s powerful history or a non-themed one. You’ve made the right choice in deciding to visit one of America’s most historic and preserved-meets-evolving cities – here’s how to nail the timing based on the adventure you seek.

February through April is festival and foodie heaven

In these late winter and early spring months, Charleston visually and culturally blossoms. The climate is warm and sunny, with high temperatures peaking at 60–70°F (16–21°C). Azaleas and camellias pop in vivid reds and pinks, while it's not uncommon to see egrets and herons perch throughout the marshlands.

And then there are festivals, more festivals and even more festivals. The biggest acronym to know is SEWE (pronounced "see-wee"), as in the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition. Typically taking place in February, it has live animal demonstrations (like leaping dogs, an adorable must-see), wildlife conservation seminars and exhibitions dotted throughout town. Also in February is the Lowcountry Oyster Festival at Boone Hall Plantation, with live tunes as well as oysters in all forms: shelled, shucked and fried.

March brings the Charleston Show, a treasure trove for antique collectors near and far, as well as the Charleston Wine + Food Festival, which has attracted Food Network chefs and local icons. In April, the city is all about sweet tunes and sweet eats, with the Charleston Jazz Festival and Lowcountry Strawberry Festival.

Charleston’s nearby beaches sizzle May through August (but there is plenty to do indoors too)

Late spring through summer are best for getting coastal. Sunny days abound, and it can feel a bit sticky as temps cross above 90°F (32°C). Nearby Folly Beach and Isle of Palms – both within a 30-minute drive – are prime for cooling off, each with their own distinctive vibe. Folly Beach is bohemian with a surf scene – you can sign up for lessons at spots like Shaka Surf School. Isle of Palms is a family-friendly utopia, with a boardwalk and massive county-run oceanside park with picnic pavilions and playgrounds.

Whichever white sand stretch you plop down on, make sure to pack sunscreen. And wake up from that nap on the beach periodically to hopefully see a dolphin (or five) playfully swimming offshore.

For a reprieve from the sun, the Gibbes Museum of Art houses an ever-evolving showcase of Southern art, much of it focused on the Gullah people. The Historic Dock Street Theatre is the place in town for catching Broadway-quality musicals and plays in an 18th-century playhouse setting.

September through November provide crisp nights for themed carriage rides and outdoor activities aplenty

It’s easy to fall for Charleston in autumn – daytime highs average around 70°F (21°C) and, specifically in November, dip to the jacket-worthy 55°F (13°C) zone. It’s a safe bet for strolling about Charleston or rolling along in a carriage ride. Just make sure to keep an eye on the weather since this is the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season (June through November), and the region has been in the crosshairs of major storms in recent years.

Surrounding Halloween, Boone Hall Plantation morphs into a fall wonderland with a corn maze, pumpkin patch and select fright-themed evenings with costumed characters. Equally spooky are Charleston’s ghost tours, which boast fall or spooky themes, among many options. Palmetto Carriage Works remains a winner.

The MOJA Arts Festival typically runs from late September through early October, a celebration of Black and Caribbean culture in the region, with literary seminars, art installations throughout town and a variety of performances. And for cyclists, the West Ashley Greenway is an 11-mile out-and-back trail in the suburbs that will take you through marshlands and Spanish moss canopies. Bilda Bike rents performance, cruiser and electric bikes for the ride.

Holiday cheer is high during low season in December and January

“Quiet charm” is the key phrase for Charleston’s low season. Major tourist draws, like Charleston City Market and the nearby Magnolia Plantation, are refreshingly uncrowded, making for more pleasant saunters.

Amid the general lull, there are points of pizzazz. The commercial King Street artery is typically decked in holiday lights and flair all December long, making shopping at mom-and-pop spots like Buxton Books, Candy Shop Vintage and antique retailer Silver Vault of Charleston that much more alluring. On New Year’s Eve, downtown buzzes. For the area’s midnight countdown drop, Folly Beach lowers a sparkly pair of flip-flops.

Darius Rucker, Charleston’s famed country icon, Hootie & the Blowfish star and music festival founder, has moved to London.

A public relations representative for the artist confirmed Jan. 31 that Rucker has relocated to the UK city to inspire new creative endeavors and perform for international audiences.

He maintains a residence on Charleston's Broad Street, and plans to still visit home regularly, including for his annual Riverfront Revival Festival in North Charleston, which this year is set for Oct. 10-11.

The Charleston native’s move to Europe was shared with his fans on social media, with a first tease on Jan. 21, when he shared a photograph of him walking his two dogs, Freddie and Larry, paired with an image of a city skyline featuring the London Eye.

He posted along with the picture featuring his two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, “So Freddie, Larry and I are doing a thing. Any guesses?”

Rucker, 58, then revealed that he had caught a London production of “Mamma Mia!” at the Novello Theatre while out on the town, with a photo of him in a long brown coat under the neon sign.

He officially confirmed his move on Jan. 29 when he posted a photo of him performing on stage with the caption, “I can’t move to London and not play UK shows! Do you have your tickets yet?”

That coincided with his announcement of a March 13 concert he has set for London live music venue the Indigo at the O2. He has more UK shows set for September and October, from Glasgow to Manchester.

Rucker’s representative assured fans on this side of the pond that the star will be frequently returning to the U.S. for tour dates and charitable events. His website currently lists shows in New York, Ohio, Wisconsin, California and Nevada this summer.

Rucker’s downtown Charleston house recently underwent a renovation in 2022, restoring the historic structure that was built by enslaved people to its original craftsmanship. Rucker’s renovation was featured in a series on The Design Network, and on that program he shared that it was important to him to keep as much of that original craftsmanship intact while creating an updated family home.

Before North Charleston's major redevelopment project can move ahead, S.C. lawmakers need to take a small but important step to ensure the new mixed-use neighborhood along the Cooper River includes housing attainable by workers whose income falls on the lower end of the scale.

Battery Park, the new name for the largely barren area with a few big warehouses just north of Noisette Creek, can be considered this city's Union Pier project. Like Charleston's Union Pier, North Charleston's Battery Park includes more than 50 acres and an extensive amount of land along the riverfront. Both cities envision turning these former industrial sites into mixed-use communities with residences, parks, shops and more.

Unlike Union Pier, however, Battery Park's redevelopment is more limited under state law because it is a former military base. Union Pier's redevelopment is being supported by a tax increment financing district, which Charleston Mayor William Cogswell got the city, county and Charleston County School District to approve. All three governments agreed to forgo a portion of their future property tax revenues to support public infrastructure such as new parks, roads, drainage lines and affordable housing.

But if a similar tax increment financing district were created for Battery Park, it could not generate income for affordable housing. That's because its redevelopment won't fall under the state's regular law governing such districts but instead under a 1994 state law for former military installations. And that 1994 law, known as the Federal Defense Facilities Redevelopment Law, doesn't mention affordable housing among potential public improvements.

That's a problem, as the growing scarcity of affordable places to buy and rent is one of the largest challenges facing our region. And the city's 2023 agreement calls for 1,400 residential units at Battery Park, at least 17% of which would be designated as affordable housing. That means at least 238 units would be priced at a level that people could afford if they made only 80% of the region's median income.

Fortunately, H.3333 would expand the 1994 law to make it clear that tax increment financing projects may "support publicly and privately owned affordable housing in the district"; it's a straightforward change lawmakers should make as soon as possible. A similar bill drew bipartisan support last year but ultimately didn't pass after it was weighed down with unrelated amendments. Erica Wright of the Municipal Association of South Carolina told The Post and Courier's Kenna Coe that Gov. Henry McMaster previously supported a similar change and the association hopes to see it pass this year.

City Council approved the Battery Park contract in late 2023 but little happened last year, partly because the affordable housing bill didn't pass. In the fall, the city extended the contract's due diligence period until July 15, 2026, or 30 days after H.3333 is ratified, whichever comes first.

Meanwhile, the bill also would help with another aspect of the redevelopment — specifically enabling two additional pieces of federal property in the middle of the site to become part of the redevelopment. The proposed change would allow tax increment financing revenue to be spent off the site — for example, spending it on relocating a federal installation from that site to a different home — if that expenditure benefited the site. And it would extend the timetable for borrowing against the district's revenues from 15 years to 35 years. Both changes are reasonable.

Battery Park, like Union Pier, is as promising as it is complicated; both hold the potential not only for new park space and waterfront access but also for new and in some cases relatively affordable places to live. Lawmakers can and should help North Charleston take an important step forward with its important project this year.

Their last head-to-head back in February of 2024 was close, and so far it looks like that's how Charleston Southern and SC Upstate will finish this one. After one quarter, neither squad has the contest in the bag, but Charleston Southern leads 36-34 over SC Upstate.

If Charleston Southern keeps playing like this, they'll bump their record up to 7-16 in no time. On the other hand, SC Upstate will have to make due with a 5-18 record unless they turn things around (and fast).

Charleston Southern Buccaneers @ SC Upstate Spartans

Current Records: Charleston Southern 6-16, SC Upstate 5-17

Charleston Southern and SC Upstate are an even 5-5 against one another since March of 2019, but not for long. Both will face off in a Big South battle at 6:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday at G.B. Hodge Center. The Buccaneers are no doubt hoping to put an end to a seven-game streak of away losses.

Last Saturday, Charleston Southern came up short against UNC-Ash. and fell 69-61.

Charleston Southern struggled to work together and finished the game with only seven assists. They are 1-3 when they just don't pass the ball.

Meanwhile, SC Upstate's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Saturday after their fifth straight defeat. There's no need to mince words: SC Upstate lost to Longwood, and SC Upstate lost bad. The score wound up at 80-54. The match was a close 32-30 at the break, but unfortunately for the Spartans it sure didn't stay that way.

Charleston Southern's loss dropped their record down to 6-16. As for SC Upstate, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-17.

Looking forward, Charleston Southern is expected to win a tight contest, barring any buzzer beaters. This will be their first time playing as the favorites on the road this season.

Charleston Southern skirted past SC Upstate 63-60 in their previous meeting back in February of 2024. Does Charleston Southern have another victory up their sleeve, or will SC Upstate turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.

Charleston Southern is a slight 2.5-point favorite against SC Upstate, according to the latest college basketball odds.

The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Buccaneers as a 2-point favorite.

The over/under is 151.5 points.

See college basketball picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine's advanced computer model. Get picks now.

SC Upstate and Charleston Southern both have 5 wins in their last 10 games.

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina men’s tennis team completed a midweek sweep in its doubleheader against on Wednesday, beating both Queens and College of Charleston 7-0.

Queens

Casey Hoole and Sean Daryabeigi started the day strong for the Gamecocks, cruising past their opponents to win their doubles match 6-1. Lucas da Silva and Max Stenzer clinched the doubles point with a 6-2 win over their opponents. To round out doubles play, Gabe Avram and Cole Henceroth took the win in a tie break, 7-6 (7-3).

In singles action, No. 55 Daryabeigi claimed South Carolina’s second point with a 6-1, 6-3 victory. He was followed closely by Avram’s 6-0, 6-3 win, making it 3-0. Stenzer sealed the clinch for the Garnet & Black, 6-2, 6-4. Da Silva defeated his opponent next, winning the match 6-2, 6-4, followed by Henceroth’s 6-0, 7-5 victory. Hoole came back from a first set deficit where he fell by a one game margin 6-7 to tie everything up after winning 6-3 for the second. The senior completed the sweep after winning the super tie breaking set 12-10.

Doubles (order of finish:1,2,3)

Singles (order of finish:3,4,5,2,6,1)

College of Charleston

The Gamecocks carried the momentum into the second dual match of the day, repeating a 7-0 sweep against the Cougars.

The doubles pairs swiftly cleared the competition, winning on all three courts by three games or more to clinch the first point of the match. Hoole and Daryabeigi struck first, winning 6-1. Stenzer and da Silva finished next to officially clinch, claiming the match 6-3 while Gabe Avram and Cole Henceroth won by the same margin moments later. All three pairs picked up their second doubles match win of the day.

Lucas da Silva kicked off singles action, winning his match 6-0, 6-1. Casey Hoole dominated Jake Sweeney 6-0, 6-1 to grab the second singles match. Daryabeigi officially clinched for the Gamecocks with a 6-2, 6-0 win minutes before Avram topped his opponent 6-2, 6-1. Stenzer and Henceroth were both forced to a super tie breaker after dropping their first sets but managed to rally back to complete the second sweep of the day.

Doubles (order of finish:1,2,3)

Singles (order of finish: 2,1,3,4,5,6)

Up Next

The Gamecocks face in-state rival Clemson for a Palmetto Series matchup on Fri., Feb. 7 on the road at 5:00 p.m.