June is also all about festivals. The Fifth Annual Sweetgrass Cultural Arts Festival will take place at Laing Middle School in Mt Pleasant on Friday afternoon, the 5th, & all day Saturday. The largest showcase of diversified sweetgrass baskets will be displayed by local basket makers plus handmade quilts, unique paintings & crafts. There will also be Gullah Geechee skits, storytelling, music & dance. June 26th-28th watch both sides of the harbor for Charleston Harbor Fest. The Charleston Maritime Center will host the Tall Ships, a classic wooden boat display, family boat building, food tents & children’s activities. Liberty Square will house an Educational Village & water shuttle to Patriots Point. Ansonborough Field will have a pirate camp, children’s activities & inflatables. Patriots Point will show a static boat display, helicopter tours, aerobic flight demos & a military interaction & educational village. The Race of the Decade is the Ninth Annual Tall Ships Challenge & the Charleston Harbor Fest will be the first port of call after their first ever trans Atlantic journey. On June 26th the Tall Ships from Bermuda, Uruguay, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Romania & Russia will berth in the harbor for 3 days before continuing their race. There will be opportunities to sail to the next port of the race, Boston, at a passenger rate. Spectators will have the chance to see one of the world’s largest ships, the 376’ Kruzenshtern of Russia.
If you’re looking for something on a smaller scale, don’t miss the
Edisto Riverfest headquartering in Walterboro on the 13th. Lots of canoe/kayak trips are planned with shuttle bus support, some even over night. Not too sure of your skills? There will be paddling workshops to make your river trip more rewarding. Want to throw in a little Blues & BBQ with your boating? The Carolina Belle will host two Harbor Cruises a month til October. This month the fun starts at the Maritime Center on the 11th & the 25th.
Folly Beach Pier continues its dancing under the stars series on the 12th & 26th of June. Shaggin’ on the Pier runs from 7-11pm with the hottest oldies & beach music around. If Reggae is what you’re craving, summertime Reggae Nights return monthly to the James Island County Park. June 21st is the first of three fests. Gates open at 7:30. Gold passes honored.
Boone Hall kicks off their summer concert series with a Beach Blast on the 27th. The four headline acts will be Charles Pope & the Original Tams; The Legends of the Beach; Jeff Hall, one of the original Drifters & Shag Champions Sam & Lisa West. There are many different camps available to the younger set. Choose between basketball, tennis, swim & just plain fun. One of the most interesting “camps” & one to look for next year is the excavation team at the Topper site. The public can join up with archeologists at the Clovis site on a weekly basis.
For the shopper in all of us there’s the First Saturday in June Peach Tree 23 yard sale, spanning 44 miles on Hwy 23 from Batesburg-Leesvile to Modoc. Just goes to show that business doesn’t stop for summer vacation. So, let’s take a peek at what’s going on.
BeliefNetworks, Inc, has been named to the TechJournal South 2009 Tech50 list. This list names the most innovative privately held companies in the region. They provide semantic intelligence & predictive analytics to web publishers & advertising companies.
Charleston School of Law has graduated its third class. The 136 graduates must perform a minimum of 30 hours of pro bono service. This class racked up a 11,553 hours for local & state organizations.
Mead Westvaco is partnering with the Rockefeller Group to develop 2.7 million square feet of distribution space in the Jedburg area off 1-26 to serve the Port of Charleston. They will be joined by TrammellCrow & Hillwood Development, both Dallas-based & Johnson Development out of Spartanburg.
The Charleston Squash Club Summer Squash camps begin on the 8th at 9 am at the Charleston Squash Club 1437 King Street.
The 1st Leslie McCravey Memorial 5K will begin at the Folly Pier at 8 am on the 6th.
The floppin’flounder 5K will be run on the 13th at 8 am on Sullivan’s Island.
The Run for the 9 Memorial 5K will be held at the Palmetto Islands County Park on Mt Pleasant. The family event will begin at 9am on the 14th. The track will cover tarmac, trails & marsh boardwalks.
Don’t miss the Charleston Sprint Triathlon Series. The first event of the series will be held at James Island County Park on the 21st at 7:15am. Imagine you & 325 of your closest friends in an event that combines a .3 mile swim in the lake, cycling from the park almost out to Folly Beach & back - a quick 13 miles & don’t forget the 5 K run.
Planning a 4th of July gathering? For family fun, head to Summerville’s Town Square from 4:00-7:00PM for The Red, White & Blue on the Green. Activities include music, food, face painting, jump castle, contests, famous parade & spectacular fireworks. ***************************************************
A quick note about the $8,000 First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit: You are eligible if you have not owned property for 3 years prior to the day of closing & your closing date is before November 30, 2009. The credit is $8000 or 10% of the purchase price (whichever is lower), if your adjusted gross isn’t more than $75,000 filing single or $150,000 filing married. Primary homes only. You don’t have to repay unless you sell within 3 years (unless military). Call & I’ll tell you more.
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So, what’s the REAL scoop on the Charleston real estate market? More specifically, what’s happening in Summerville? Okay, what I really want to know is what’s the current value of homes in my neighborhood. Get the facts down to these details on my website under the button Your Market Report. I’ll be working to post the latest statistics By the 15th of each month.