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Art Season Comes Alive Throughout Charleston

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Here in Charleston fall ushers in a new season of the arts with everything from plays and concerts to gallery showings and dance performances. It’s the perfect time of year to soak up the area’s thriving arts and culture scene.

OPEN Arts Expo
Photo/Charleston Alliance for the Arts

A great way to sample everything arts is at the OPEN Arts Expo Sept. 21 on the College of Charleston campus. Presented by the Charleston Regional Alliance for the Arts, this event celebrates local arts and culture with more than 50 local arts organizations presenting a variety of artistic opportunities, including music, dance, theater, visual and literary arts as well live music, performance and art activities. The event is noon to 4 p.m. in the Cistern Yard located at St. Philip Street on the College of Charleston campus. Info: 843-577-5288 or artscharleston.org.

Here are a few other must-do arts activities while you’re in town.

Art Walks: Stroll the galleries along Charleston’s picturesque Broad Street from 5-8 p.m. the first Friday of each month. Or head to the French Quarter to walk the cobblestone streets and discover more than 500 artists representing a variety of media. Walks are 5-8 p.m. on Oct. 3 and Dec. 5. The French Quarter is bordered by South Market, Tradd and Meeting streets.

Art Walks
Robert Lange Studios

Colour of Music Festival: More than 20 performances showcase the breadth and influence of blacks on the classical music world past and present. The festival runs Oct. 22-26 and features top black musicians, vocalists and orchestra leaders from across the globe performing piano, organ, voice recitals and chamber works at venues around Charleston. The festival chorus includes the host ensemble the CSO Spiritual Ensemble and the Colour of Music Chorale along with Bennett College, Benedict College and Winton-Salem State University choirs.

AWAKE: A multi-sensory exhibition by artist John Duckworth is opening Nov. 7 at the City Gallery at Waterfront Park. The gallery will be transformed into an immersive space within a guided exhibition layout, displaying Duckworth’s photography, sketches, paintings, video and audio installation in his most comprehensive show yet. The exhibition will be open to the public through Dec. 21.

John Duckworth
John Duckworth

Exhibition highlights include the Buddha Chapel – a core of the exhibition – showcasing 15 large paintings within a sanctuary-like setting in the center of the gallery; a series of sketches on paper and canvas that were preparatory works for the Buddha paintings; and a selection of landscape abstract photographs.

League of Charleston Theatres: An alliance of Charleston area theater organizations, this is a great place to find out about upcoming plays and performances. Visit theatrecharleston.com for a full fall season calendar. Don’t miss the South of Broadway Theatre Company’s performance of “Fences,” the story of a responsible, yet otherwise flawed, black garbage collector in pre-Civil Rights America who rises to the level of an epic hero. The show runs Oct. 16 to Nov. 1. Tickets: southofbroadway.com or 843-745-0317

The Crabpot Players perform “The Glass Menagerie,” one of Tennessee William’s most famous works, Nov. 6-22 at their Mount Pleasant theater. Tickets: crabpotplayers.com or 888-303-0763

A Swinging Christmas: Join 34 West Theater Co., 200 Meeting St., for this holiday performance Nov. 25 to Jan. 4. Will Johnny be home for Christmas? Jazzy tunes and one crazed crooner heat up a cold wintery night at the snowbound Mountaintop Lodge. Tickets: 34west.org or 843-901-9343

The Sound of Charleston – Holiday Edition: Explore the sounds of Charleston’s gospel roots in this concert series at the Circular Congregational Church, 150 Meeting St. Performances are 7 p.m. Dec. 5, 12, 19, 26, 30. Tickets: soundofcharleston.com

Be sure to check out our full Calendar of Events for even more art events, performances and shows coming this fall.  

 

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Charleston FAQ's

Choosing a hotel and where to stay in Charleston all depends on your budget and goals. Do you want to stay Downtown, at the beach or in the outer areas such as North Charleston where you have to drive to get everywhere? For more help on deciding: https://travelerofcharleston.com/articles/hotels/

Charleston has 3 main public beaches which are: Folly, Isle of Palms and Sullivans. Each beach has it’s own atmosphere. The most common beach that people visit is Folly Beach and then Isle of Palms followed by Sullivans Island. For more info on Charleston’s beaches visit: https://travelerofcharleston.com/guide-charlestons-beaches/

Charleston, SC is full of historical things to do. Everything from museums, to public sites and free landmark sites such as Rainbow Row and the Battery can be seen. For more info on Charleston’s top historical sites visit: https://travelerofcharleston.com/places-to-learn-about-charleston-sc-history/

There are many things that will keep the kids and family entertained and educated in Charleston. There are historic sites such as Fort Sumter, a Children’s Museum, Aquarium and the USS Yorktown…a WWII era aircraft carrier you can tour. For more info visit: https://travelerofcharleston.com/charleston-family-fun-activities/

There’s so many  things you could do in Charleston it can be overwhelming. We recommend that first time visitors, checkout the ultimate first-time visitor guide here: https://travelerofcharleston.com/charleston-first-time-visitors-guide/

Spring in Charleston, SC is an amazing time of year to visit. The flowers are blooming and the weather is mild and sunny. For more info, check-out our spring guide to Charleston here: https://travelerofcharleston.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-springtime-in-charleston/

Summer in Charleston is a great time to visit. There’s plenty of things to keep you busy and visiting the beach will probably….or should be on your short-list. Also water-based activities and tours are popular. Checkout this summer guide to Charleston for more info: 

Our 10 Favorite Summer Activities in Charleston

Fall is one of the best times to visit. The weather cools down a bit and the skies are typically blue and clear. In addition there are many great events, festivals and the large crowds of summer have gone back to school or work. For more info on visiting in the fall, checkout this article: https://travelerofcharleston.com/charleston-12-things-to-do-fall/

There are so many great things to do that it’s difficult to narrow the list down. This article does a great job with figuring out the must do things to do in Charleston

7 Can’t Miss Reasons to Visit Charleston, SC Now

The consensus is a minimum of 3-days is needed to settle in and experience Charleston. For instance, many people take 2 days exploring downtown and another day visiting sites outside of downtown such as the plantations, Angel Oak Tree or beaches. Checkout this page for a list of tours and attractions: 

Charleston’s Top Tours & Attractions | Things to do

Downtown Charleston was made for walking and for sure one of the best way to soak up and experience the history first-hand. This article goes over getting around Charleston with and without a car as well: 

Getting Around Charleston, SC

We’re of course partial to Charleston, but here’s the truth. There are many similarities however there are some differences in our opinion: 

  • Both cities are historic and beautiful. 
  • Both cities are extremely walkable. Savannah, with it’s park-like squares maybe more walkable than Charleston. 
  • Charleston has a more established and food scene with many more options. 
  • Charleston has better hotels and shopping.
  • Both cities have equally good tours.
  • Charleston has better beach options. Savannah has Tybee which is great, however it’s 1 beach vibe versus Charleston which has 3 beaches with different vibes. Checkout this Charleston beach guide article: https://travelerofcharleston.com/guide-charlestons-beaches/
  • In Savannah you can walk with alcoholic beverages on the street. This is not allowed in Charleston. This can be good or bad depending on your stance. 
  • Savannah is more affordable.
  • TourPass offers all-inclusive passes in both cities: https://tourpass.com

There are always great and world-class events happening in Charleston. For a calendar of events and things to do in Charleston, checkout our online calendar of events: https://travelerofcharleston.com/events/

Of course there are free money-saving coupons that you can use. Visit the coupons page for a bunch of ways to save: https://travelerofcharleston.com/coupon/

Charleston has some fantastic can’t miss tours such as Fort Sumter, carriage, ghost, harbor, historic and culinary tours. For a full list with more info visit: https://travelerofcharleston.com/attractions/

Checkout the Charleston Relocation Guide page which will guide you during your move: https://travelerofcharleston.com/charleston-sc-relocation-guide/

Additional Places to Explore

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