Well, SEWE and Valentine’s are in the rear view mirror, Wine + Food and Fashion Week are still ahead, but that doesn’t mean there’s not festive fun happening this weekend with plenty more SC festivals near our vacation rentals. First, a quick look at the calendar. Easter is relatively late this year (April 21st). That’s usually a popular time for visitors, since schools often take an extended break around then. Also, the weather near the Isle of Palms will likely be downright lovely. If you are interested in coming around Easter, do call us at EP as soon as you can, to ensure the best selection from our portfolio of luxury beach house rentals SC. Since Easter is late, so is Mardi Gras. Many years it falls in February. This year it’s not until March 5th. Of course, that doesn’t stop the party from cranking up around these parts early. Witness last weekend’s Mardi Crawl, which I covered in this blog.
It’s time for Folly Gras, yet another one of the many popular SC Festivals around here
Well, there’s another major Mardi Gras event happening in the Lowcountry tomorrow - Saturday, February 23rd.
Laissez le bon temps rouler, Folly style!
It’s the 11th annual Folly Gras Parade & Block Party, taking place on - you guessed it - Folly Beach. The fun centers around aptly named Center Street, which will be closed off for the revelry beginning at 10:00 a.m. The official party kicks off at 11:00 a.m. with a Mardi Gras parade. The route enters at West Ashley Avenue and exits at E. Hudson. Get set for:
- Live music on three stages beginning at 11:30;
- Music by Dangermuffin (from Folly Beach, plays Americana and roots-rock), Sunny Ledford (rock ‘n roll), Ashes of Old Ways (from Folly), Morpheus, and Candy Cigarettes;
- Mardi Gras costumes encouraged;
- Plenty of New Orleans-themed food and beverages, with local food, arts, crafts and fashion vendors;
- Free kids’ activities like face painting, inflatables, caricatures, and Good Clean Fun stuff;
- Street party goes till 4:00 p.m.;
- Proceeds benefit local charities and nonprofits.
They’ve tweaked it from past experiences to be better than ever. Here’s the scoop from Live 5 News. It’s billed as family friendly, so it’s appropriate for all ages. The event is free for full-time Folly residents and kids 12 and under. Otherwise it’s $10. No pets, bikes or coolers. Here’s the website, where you can buy advance tickets for express entry. All this Mardi Gras fun is not that far from the Isle of Palms. There’s one of the many nice things about the Lowcountry - nothing is too far from anything else.
Or, you can Rock the Block near our rental homes South Carolina
Speaking of block parties - if you’re not in a Mardi Gras mood, no worries. You have block party options. Also going on tomorrow is another fun one - it’s the 2nd annual Home Team BBQ/Hogs for a Cause Rock the Block. This benefits a great cause – helping support families, both financially and emotionally, as they battle pediatric cancer. Get ready for a bunch of terrific food (including some serious BBQ), live music, emcee, raffle and kids’ zone. Here are the specs:
- Where? Home Team BBQ’s downtown location at 126 Williman Street;
- Pitmasters Jonathan & Justin Fox – Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q, Atlanta;
- Sam Jones from North Carolina;
- Chef Eddie Hernandez, Taqueria del Sol (Atlanta);
- Short Grain, Edmund’s Oast, goat.sheep.cow;
- Palmetto Brewing Company with a special offering, “Nose to Ale;”
- 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.;
- Free admission with VIP options; donations gratefully accepted;
- American Idol’s Elise Testone doing a Led Zeppelin tribute;
- Kevn Kinney of Atlanta’s Drivin’ N’ Cryin’;
- Nashville’s Great Peacock with Southern rock.
It looks to be a lot of fun benefiting a worthy cause, indeed. So take your pick of block parties or SC festivals this weekend. By all means do have fun, and please stay safe. All best, Lowcountry Lisa your Isle of Palms vacation blogger