Charleston Charm

With fast direct flights now available from Islip to Charleston, Hamptonites are heading to the Holy City for weekend getaways, fabulous food, and to purchase historic homes for the off-season. Kelli Delaney Kot shares an insider’s guide on how to spend the Thanksgiving holiday in Southern style. 

South Carolina’s oldest city has charm to spare with historic antebellum mansions, Oak-lined streets draped with Spanish moss, white sandy beaches, and mouthwatering low country cuisine. Topped off with a sweet dose of southern hospitality, Charleston layers French, English, and classic southern culture into a culinary, art, music, and lifestyle scene that will have you looking at local real estate after just one weekend! Stroll the cobblestone streets along The Battery and Rainbow Row taking in the stunning architecture and secret gardens. 

An Italian American Feast: Superstar Chef Nick Dugan has created a decadent multi-course Thanksgiving tasting menu at Charleston’s hottest new restaurant. Sorelle, 88 Broad Street, sorellecharleston.com 

A New Custom Hat Experience: Marsh & Magnolia offers a personalized hat-making experience where guests work one-on-one with a skilled hat stylist to create a felt or straw hat that is uniquely their own. 404 King Street, Suite 101 at Hotel Bennett 

Shop the Sweet Jessamine Flower Truck Pop-Up: Visit their Instagram to find the latest location to grab a fresh beautiful bouquet. @sweetjessamineflowertruck

Historic Tours: Explore the historic district of Charleston by taking a guided buggy tour of famous landmarks and historic homes. palmettocarriage.com 

The Holiday Festival of Lights at James Island County Park: Drive through one of the region’s most spectacular holiday light displays, featuring millions of twinkling lights, a holiday train, and Santa’s Village. ccprc.com 

Plantation Tour: Learn the history of Charleston and feast on a traditional Thanksgiving buffet at Middleton Place. For two and a half centuries, these landscaped gardens welcome tours revealing stories of men and women, free and enslaved, who participated in the building of this American icon. middletonplace.org 

Candlelight Concert: Experience a sea of candles and breathtaking performances of music from Adele, to Bach, to the Beatles inside the stunning Unitarian Church illuminated only by the mesmerizing glow of candlelight. feverup.com 

Book a private studio viewing of one-of-a-kind sculptures by Charleston artist Dawn Nakamura. dawnnakamurainteriors.com 

Ghost Tours: Explore the spooky side of Charleston with a ghost tour. Many tour companies offer special Thanksgiving-themed ghost tours that delve into the city’s haunted history. ghostcitytours.com 

Chicest Speakeasy: The Jazz Age meets warm Southern charm in this Prohibition-style bar at the Spectator Hotel. Allow the cocktail artisan to conjure up a tipple reminiscent of the 1920s. thespectatorhotel.com 

Amazing Auction House: Doyle Auctions has opened a chic new gallery in Charleston. This expansion provides collectors, families and fiduciaries in Charleston and the Southeast with access to Doyle’s full range of auction and appraisal services for collections and estates. 123 King Street

Turkey Day Run & Gobble Wobble 5K, November 23rd: Annual Thanksgiving run/walk through downtown Charleston. turkeydayrun.com