The Press and Standard: Coming events at the beach
With spring holding its alluring promise, the Edisto Island and Edisto Beach communities are anticipating longer days and a warmer clime, full of seasonal events that capture and celebrate the beauty of this quiet coastal island destination.
To warm things up, a preliminary cooking event is scheduled for Feb. 24 at Pressley’s at the Marina, leading into the Ultimate Chef Competition in March.
For more information, visit www.edistounited.org.
Beginning Feb. 24, the Edisto Island Historic Preservation Society’s 2015 Lecture Series will host a presentation on “The Market Preparation of Carolina Rice” by Dr. Richard Porcher and William Judd.
The lecture will be held at 7 p.m. at the New First Missionary Baptist Church. Admission is free and open to the public.
March marks the beginning of The Back to Nature Excursion and Lecture series, sponsored by the Edisto Island Open Land Trust. Visit www.edisto.org or call 
843-869-9004 for more information.
The Fourth Annual Edisto Beach Road Race, a 5K and 1-mile walk and fun run, will take place on March 14. The race will start at 8:30 a.m., and runs on the beach streets and along Big Bay Creek.
Participants are encouraged to register early for this increasingly popular “fun for all ages” event by visiting www.edistochamber.com or www.eventbrite.com.
From March 20-22, the Edisto Art Guild Players will present a comedy, “The Hallelujah Girls” at the Edisto Beach Civic Center, with a special dinner theater performance on March 19. For more information, call 843-869-9275.
The Edisto Eats Food Festival, scheduled for March 28 at McConkey’s Jungle Shack, will bring the month of March to a close.
The Arts and Crafts Fair will begin at 11 a.m. that day, with the Fifth Annual Ultimate Chef Competition at 2 p.m., followed by a community oyster roast at 4:30 p.m. and live music starting at noon. For more information, visit www.edistounited.org.
On April 4, Lowcountry artisans will display their creations at the Art Guild’s semi-annual Arts and Crafts Show and Sale from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Edistonian General Store, located at 406 Highway 174 on Edisto Island.
New this year, the Edisto Island Historic Preservation Society will be hosting a “Hoedown for History – Dancin’ in Denim” on April 11, at the Sunnyside Plantation Barn. Guests are invited to dance under the stars to the music of the Blue Plantation Band while enjoying barbecue and a full bar.
There will also be a limited number of events and trips auctioned off, which will help ensure that the adventures will continue long after the last fiddle note is heard. For additional information, visit www.edistomuseum.org.
The ever-popular Edisto Day Bazaar is set for May 2, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Lions Club on 2907 Myrtle Street. This fun-filled event attracts all ages and features an arts and crafts fair, a gently-used clothing and household items sale, a white elephant sale, baked goods, and a café with a variety of great food.
The Open Land Trust Legacy Live Oak Dedication and Conservation Celebration will be held on May 3 at Indigo Farms. Visit www.edisto.org or call 843-869-9004 for more information
Then, there’s the first annual Raft Race that will be held on Big Bay Creek on May 5. The race will begin at Live Oak Landing and will end at Pressley’s at the Marina. Participants are encouraged to be creative with their rafts, which must be homemade and without motors. For further information, contact Pressley’s at 843-869-9226 or visit www.pressleysatthemarina.com.
The sixth annual Offshore Fishing Challenge will take place Memorial Day weekend. The captain’s meeting will be held at Dockside Restaurant May 22 at 7:30 p.m., and the challenge will begin before dawn May 23 at Big Bay Creek. For additional information regarding the weigh-in, contact Dockside Restaurant at 843-869-2695.
If angling for fish you don’t have to go offshore for, there’s the annual fish fry hosted by the Edisto Beach Fire Department, Saturday May 23 from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. at the Lions Club at 2907 Myrtle Street. There will be an arts and crafts fair, as well as fire truck rides along the beach.
Kicking off the month of June will be the Open Land Trust Cocktail Party and Live and Silent Auction. For more information on the event, which will be held June 5 at 6 p.m., visit www.edisto.org.
Meanwhile, the Plantation Course at Edisto will once again host the Tomato Open Golf Tournament on June 6. For more information, visit www.edisto.org or www.theplantationcourseatedisto.com
After a long day at the beach or on the golf course, many look forward to bingo at the Edisto Lions Club on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Doors open at 6 p.m. and games begin at 6:30 p.m. Guests should arrive early to get a seat. Fun for all ages, bingo will begin on June 3 and run through August 6 at the Lions Club, 2907 Myrtle Street.
The Edisto Marina Billfish Tournament will be July 22-25. This annual tournament is part of the South Carolina Governor’s Cup Billfishing Series. For more information, visit www.edistomarinasc.com.
For those who enjoy seeing the work of local artisans, the Arts and Crafts Market, located at Big Bay Creek, will be held every Wednesday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. from early spring through the early fall.
In addition to an array of scheduled events bringing more guests to the island and the beaches, nature lovers may enjoy Botany Bay Plantation, a wildlife management area set on over 4,000 acres of forest, marsh and beach. Botany Bay Eco Tours offers a variety of eco-tours by foot, kayak or boat. Visitors may also explore this pristine natural area on their own. Hours of operation are from 6 a.m.-9 p.m. during the summer months, excluding Tuesdays. For more information, call 843-869-2998 or visit www.botanybayplantation.com.
Other parts of the island are easily explored via a guided kayak excursion with Edisto Watersports and Tackle. For prices and tour times, visit www.edistowatersports.net or call 843-869-0663.
Additionally, Island Bikes and Outfitters offers guided kayak tours of Edisto’s most secluded estuaries and beaches. More information can be found by calling 843-869-4444 or by visiting www.islandbikesandoutfitters.com.
For more information, please call the Edisto Chamber of Commerce at 843-869-3867 or 1-888-333-2781 FREE or visit www.edistochamber.com.
