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What to Do Labor Day Weekend in Charleston

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Labor Day is just around the corner – that last weekend hurrah to bid farewell to summer and usher in the beginnings of fall with football, cooler temperatures and all things pumpkin flavored. But, hey, let’s not end summer too quickly. Use the long Labor Day weekend to squeeze in as much fun as possible. In fact, we’ve put together a list for you. Whether you live locally or you’re visiting Charleston for the long weekend, there’s plenty to keep you busy.

fireworks No Labor Day weekend is complete without a trip to the beach. It’s almost a requirement to dip your toes in the water before you get too busy with school activities and fall festivities. Folly Beach is actually hosting a Labor Day weekend fireworks show. Inclement weather caused the Folly Association of Business to cancel the July 4 fireworks so they’ve been rescheduled for Saturday, Sept. 5. Head to 2nd Street East for the 9 p.m. display (rain date is Sunday, Sept. 6).

Take in a show. “Groovey Kinda’ Love” is playing at 34 West Theater Co., 200 Meeting St., through Sept. 26. A small town flips when a mod rockster helps a shy outcast find her groove. This musical-comedy features 1960s tunes from Motown to the Beach Boys. Or catch “The Producers, A New Mel Brooks Musical” at the Dock Street Theatre, 135 Church St., through Sept. 20. This show is a funny follow-up to “Young Frankenstein” as Max and Leo return with their hair-brained scheme to make a fortune by deliberately mounting a Broadway flop.

Enjoy local music. The Rockin’ on the River free summer concert series comes to a close with a performance by Plane Jane on Thursday, Sept. 3. Start the long weekend a little early and enjoy food trucks, a beer and wine garden and music in North Charleston’s Riverfront Park, 1001 Everglades Ave. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. The Greater Charleston City MarketLowcountry Jazz Festival runs Sept. 3-6 at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center, featuring some of the best jazz artists locally and nationally.

Fly high. Wild Blue Ropes, a ropes challenge course, is offering $25 climbs on Labor Day. This maze of ropes rises 35 feet off the ground with an intricately designed series of rope walkways and climbing structures that create 72 different obstacles. Fun for children and adults.

Get your art on. From 5-8 p.m. on Sept. 4, stroll gallery row on Broad Street as part of First Fridays on Broad. Also, stop off at The City Market for a special evening event. The market is open 6:30-10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday nights through December. Shop the many artists and vendors and then enjoy dinner or drinks at one of the many restaurants along Market Street and the surrounding areas.

Have dinner on the patio. Circa 1886 on the grounds of the beautiful Wentworth Mansion is open for dinner on Labor Day. Why not dine on the patio and raise a glass to the end of summer. Make reservations online or call 843-853-7828.

Also Charleston’s Days of Grace will be Sept. 5-6, a rally and conference focused on bringing an end to racist violence. The event is born of two recent events in Charleston – the shooting of Walter Scott by a North Charleston policeman and the shooting of nine people at Emanual AME Church in downtown Charleston. Learn more at www.daysofgracecharleston.org.

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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/

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