Springs shows promise as events on Edisto take bloom
Edisto Island, S.C. – Spring events are popping up all over as the Edisto Island and Edisto Beach communities get set to welcome warmer days with an array of popular seasonal events in this quiet coastal island in the South Carolina Lowcountry.
To start, the Edisto Eats Food Festival takes place on March 15 at McConkey’s Jungle Shack. The Arts and Crafts Fair will begin at 11a.m. The 4th Annual Ultimate Chef Competition will be held at 2:00 p.m., followed by a community oyster roast at 4:30 p.m. There will also be live music starting at noon.
Two preliminary events, leading up to the Ultimate Chef Competition, will be held at Pressley’s at the Marina on February 11 and February 25. For more information, visit www.edistoeats.org.
In conjunction with the Edisto Eats Food Festival on March 15, the 3rd Annual Edisto Beach Road Race sets the pace for an active day. The race will commence at 8:30 a.m. and run on beach streets and along Big Bay Creek. This race has become an increasingly popular event, so register early at www.edistochamber.com or www.eventbrite.com.
Also in March, the Edisto Art Guild Players will present four performances of “The Second Lady.” The comedy will run March 20 through 23. Tickets are $10.00. For more information call 843-869-3192.
The Back to Nature Excursion series, sponsored by the Edisto Island Open Land Trust, will begin in March as well. Visit www.edisto.org or call 843-869-7820 for more information.
Come April, the Plantation Course will once again host the 5th Annual Lowcountry Classic High School Golf Tournament. Teams of young, talented golfers from all over South Carolina will be participating in this popular event, scheduled for April 4 – April 6. The practice round will begin after lunch on Friday, with competition beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday. The final round will be held on Sunday at 9:00 a.m. Seating is available free of charge. Visit www.theplantationcoursetatedisto.com for more information.
The “Bidding for History” auction will be held at Seabrook Plantation on Saturday, April 5. This is the fourth gala/auction sponsored by the Edisto Island Historic Preservation Society and historically has been an elegant and fun evening. Since tickets are limited, patrons are advised to plan early. Online reservations will be accepted beginning February 14. The cost is $75 per person. For additional information, visit www.edistomuseum.org.
On April 19, Lowcountry artisans will display their creations at the Art Guild’s semi-annual Arts and Crafts Show and Sale from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Edistonian General Store, 406 Highway 174 on Edisto Island.
May 3 is the date for the ever popular Edisto Day Bazaar. This annual event will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Lions Club on Edisto Beach at 2907 Myrtle Street. This fun-filled event attracts all ages and features an arts and crafts fair, a gently-used clothes and household items sale, a white elephant sale, baked goods, and a café with a variety of scrumptious offerings.
On May 17, the first annual Raft Race will be held on Big Bay Creek. 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 Pressleys at 843-869-9226 or visit www.pressleysatthemarina.com.
On May 24, participants will gather on Big Bay Creek for the 5th Annual Offshore Fishing Challenge. The Captain’s Meeting will be held at Dockside Restaurant May 23 at 7:30 p.m. For additional information regarding the weigh-in, contact Dockside Restaurant at 843-869-2695.
Later in May, the Open Land Trust Legacy Live Oak Dedication and Conservation Celebration will be held. The date and location are still to be determined. Visit www.edisto.org or call 843-869-7820 for more information.
Another spring draw is the Edisto Beach Fire Department’s annual fish fry. Ever popular, it’s set for May 24 from 11:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. at the Lions Club, located at 2907 Myrtle Street, Edisto Beach.
June will bring out the clubs at the Tomato Open Golf Tournament, scheduled for June 20 – 21 at the Plantation Course at Edisto, located within the Wyndham Resort across from Big Bay Creek on Edisto Beach. There will be a pre-tournament cocktail party and live auction on Friday night. The tournament will start first thing Saturday morning. For more information, visit www.edisto.org or www.theplantationcourseatedisto.com.
After a long day at the beach, many will look forward to Bingo at the Edisto Lions Club on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Doors open at 6:00 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 9. Bingo will be held at the Lions Club, located on Edisto Beach at 2907 Myrtle Street.
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 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from late spring through the early fall.
In addition to an array of scheduled events bringing more guests to the island and the beaches, nature lovers love to flock to Botany Bay Plantation, a wildlife management area set on over 4000 acres of forest, marsh, and beach. Botany Bay Eco Tours offers a variety of eco-tours here, by foot, kayak, or boat. Visitors may also explore this pristine natural area on their own. Hours of operation are from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 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 & 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.
Set in a rare, sparsely-developed corner of the world, Edisto, with its vast green spaces, ancient live oaks, wide open marsh views, and quiet, pristine beach, offers a coastal island experience uncommon today among Eastern seaboard communities. Visitors and residents alike enjoy a slower pace of life, coupled with a broad range of year-round recreational activities, all set in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. This is the coastal island destination that is said to offer its own “state of mind…any time, any season.” For more information, please call the Edisto Chamber of Commerce at 843-869-3867 or 1-888-333-2781 or visit www.edistochamber.com.
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