Image by Flickr user scmikeburton
Edisto's island and beach communities plan to squeeze out the last bit of summer with a full schedule of events on Labor Day weekend and continuing through October.
The third annual Edisto Beach King Mackerel Tournament, hosted by Dockside Restaurant, and the second annual Edisto Fish & Shag Fest, will anchor the traditional end-of-summer weekend. Meanwhile, the Edisto Shrimp Fest, a new lineup in the annual festivities, will be held the last Saturday in September, marking the beginning of the fall season.
Other popular fall events, which highlight the year-round appeal of Edisto, include the Edisto Art Guild Fall Show & Sale, the Edisto & Beyond Tour, and the Edisto Fall Festival.
On September 2 and 3, anglers will descend on Edisto for the Edisto Beach King Mackerel Tournament. This “No Check-Out Tournament” is a Southern Kingfish Association division three event. Registration will take place between 5 and 7:30 p.m. on Friday, September 2, at the Edisto Marina. The entry fee is $300. A captain’s meeting will follow, starting at 7:30 p.m. The tournament itself will begin the next morning and will conclude with a weigh-in at the Edisto Marina where prizes will be awarded. To learn more, visit www.buckspizzakingfish.com.
In conjunction with the tournament, the Edisto Fish & Shag Fest will be held at Bay Creek Park, located next to the Edisto Marina. The festival will begin at 3 p.m. on Friday with music provided by Pat Patterson. Second Nature will perform Friday night from 8 to 11 p.m. with a special “Edisto shag” contest beginning at 8 p.m. Saturday’s events, starting at 10 a.m., include a food drive for the Edisto Food Pantry, arts and crafts, children’s activities, and sponsor and vendor booths. Pat Patterson will again be providing music from 3 to 7 p.m. Rounding out the evening will be a shag competition at 8 p.m. on Saturday and a performance by the renowned Catalinas from 7 to 10 p.m.
To gear up for the fall season and spruce things up after a busy summer, EdistoPride will sponsor a Beach & River Sweep on September 17. The sweep will begin at Edisto Beach State Park. Those interested in participating should contact EdistoPride by phone at 843-869-4422 or by email at edistopride@aol.com.
The weekend following will bring the first annual Edisto Shrimp Fest. This event, which will recognize the fishing industry and its contributions, will be held on Saturday, September 24, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Bay Creek Park. The festivities will begin at 11:00 a.m. with a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of the park. Lowcountry Boil and hot dogs will be served from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., with live music by Fat Alice from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, please call 843-869-2505 or visit www.townofedistobeach.com.
Come October, the Edisto Island Historic Preservation Society will sponsor the Edisto & Beyond Tour, its annual tour of plantations, churches, graveyards, and historic sites. This year’s tour will be a two day event, held on October 7 and October 8. On Friday, from 10 a.m. to noon and from 2 to 4 p.m., the Ted Turner Hope Plantation in Jacksonboro will be on tour. This year marks the first time the house has been opened for this tour.
On Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the tour will feature the following properties: Bailey Plantation House, Peters Point, the School House, Hutchinson House (grounds), Trinity Episcopal Church, Presbyterian Church of Edisto Island, the Old First Baptist Church, and Zion Reformed Episcopal Church. The tours will begin at the Edisto Island Museum, located at 8123 Chisolm Plantation Road. Tickets for this event sell out quickly each year, with a limited number being offered. Saturday tickets are $45 each. Friday tickets are $90 each to qualify for the drawing. For more information or to check ticket availability, contact the Edisto Museum at 843-869-1954 or visit www.edistomuseum.org.
Also on Saturday, October 8, the Edisto Art Guild will hold its fall show and sale at the Edistonian, located at 406 Highway 174 on Edisto Island. For more information, contact the Edisto Chamber of Commerce at 843-869-3867 or visit www.edistochamber.com.
The following weekend, the Edisto Chamber of Commerce will sponsor the Edisto Fall Festival. This street fair, featuring art, local culinary treats and activities for the kids, will take place on October 15 at Jungle Road.
Meanwhile, nature lovers may want to consider any of the numerous tours that focus on birds and other wildlife on Edisto, including dolphins and migratory birds that pass through the area, such as bald eagles and peregrine falcons, along with thousands of shorebirds, such as the dunlin, whimbrel, and godwit. For more information, contact the Edisto Chamber of Commerce at 843-869-3867 or visit www.edistochamber.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 arrive under a live oak canopy via Highway 174, a National Scenic Byway. Here, there’s 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, call the Edisto Chamber of Commerce at 843-869-3867, 1-888-333-2781 or visit www.edistochamber.com.
