Go CHStoday, it’s your birthday 🎂

Happy five-year anniversary to CHStoday

Hello from our CHS-based team: Tatum and Lexa (left) and Stephanie and Katie (right) 👋 | Photo by @chstoday

Happy five-year anniversary, Charleston. It’s wild to think about our very first newsletter, which we sent exactly five years ago on February 15, 2018. Who remembers our launch party at Edmund’s Oast? 🎉

Here’s how we’ve grown through the years...

Subscribers: We started with 10,500 by our launch in February. Shout out to all of you who took a leap of faith and subscribed to us pre-launch and are still waking up with us. Today, we’ve grown to 54,000 subscribers and appreciate every single one of you. If you haven’t joined the conversation, here’s your opportunity.
Instagram: We started from scratch in late 2017, and grew to 8,000 followers by February 2018. Today, we have 96,000 Instagram friends. Y’all make our community thrive with your tags and comments.
Facebook: Like Instagram, we started from scratch, and grew to 4,600 page likes by February. Today, we’ve grown to 17,000 likes.

Need a refresher on who’s behind the scenes? Learn a few fun facts about CHStoday editors Lexa and Tatum. Want to learn about how you can be a part of the conversation? Check out our advertising opportunities here.

Before we go, we want to know: What’s your favorite thing about CHStoday? We love hearing from you, so let us know below. Cheers to another great year of conversations, Holy City. 🥂

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS

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Wednesday, Feb. 15

Charleston Southern Women’s Basketball vs. Campbell | Wednesday, Feb. 15 | 6 p.m. | Charleston Southern University, 9200 University Blvd., Charleston | $3+ | Cheer on CSU’s women’s basketball team as they compete against Campbell at home.

Thursday, Feb. 16

Camellia Walks | Thursday, Feb. 16 | 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Middleton Place, 4300 Ashley River Rd., Charleston | $15 | Embark on a guided walking tour featuring historic camellias — light refreshments will be available prior to the tour.
Brewery Bingo Night | Thursday, Feb. 16 | 5-8 p.m. | Snafu Brewing Company, 3280 Industry Dr., North Charleston | Free | Pair your craft beer with a ballpark dog from the RiverDogs Food Truck and play family-friendly bingo with prizes.
Paint & Sip: Love Birds | Thursday, Feb. 16 | 6-8 p.m. | Estuary Beans & Barley, 3538 Meeks Farm Rd., Johns Island | $37 | Create your own work of art with step-by-step instruction from an experienced artist.

Friday, Feb. 17

Nature Rx: Forest Bathing Fridays | Friday, Feb. 17 | 10 a.m.-12 p.m. | Caw Caw Interpretive Center, 5200 Savannah Hwy., Ravenel | $9 | Join a naturalist for some ecotherapy in a county park and connect with nature through the five senses.

We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

100+ MORE EVENTS

Membership perks good enough to shout

Are you ready to take advantage of our membership benefits? | Graphic by 6AM City

Today our parent company, 6AM City, is celebrating a birthday! To celebrate, we want you to be a part of our newsletter membership program.

The CHStoday membership program will be rolling out member shoutouts in our newsletters, and members will have the opportunity to submit shoutouts such as celebrations, births, engagements, anniversaries, and more. 🎉

Other membership perks include special birthday shoutouts + discounts to our local shop, Six and Main.

Now is the time to start taking advantage of these awesome benefits.

BECOME A MEMBER TODAY

Weather

75º | Partly cloudy | 7% chance of rain

Sunrise + sunset

Rise: 7:01 a.m.
Set: 6:06 p.m.

Tide

Low: 9:32 a.m. + 9:36 p.m.
High: 3:02 a.m. + 3:14 p.m.

Coming Soon

Point Break Coffee & Drive-Thru, formerly known as Chill Cafe, is hosting a grand opening this Saturday, Feb. 18 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on James Island. Swing by the shop (520 Folly Rd., Unit 10) between 8:30 and 9:30 a.m. to enjoy one free iced or drip coffee with the purchase of food. ☕

Civic

Tomorrow, James Island Town Council is set to request $220,000+ to allocate toward a sidewalk project working to improve pedestrian safety and accessibility in the community. The town is expected to match the funding if approved. Find more info on the project. 🚶 (WCSC)
The City of North Charleston continues to ask for community input on the proposed redistricting plans for City Council districts. Once all comments are reviewed, the current draft will be redrawn and a new map will be delivered to the community. Comments may be submitted online or emailed. ✍️ (WCSC)

Development

Local electric vehicle manufacturer Bintelli has expanded. The company’s new 174,000-sqft facility opened off Palmetto Commerce Parkway in Ladson last week and is said to focus on the construction of low-speed electric vehicles and golf carts. 🚧 (WCSC)

Eat

Grab a pen: This month’s list of The Hottest New Restaurants in Charleston, February 2023 from Eater Carolinas features Southbound and Harriet’s Delicatessen. Check out our Instagram page to take a peek inside both spots. 🍴 (Eater Carolinas)

Watch

Did you recognize any familiar landmarks during the Super Bowl? Local resident and celeb Danny McBride was featured in Downy’s Super Bowl commercial, which was filmed in Mount Pleasant’s I’On neighborhood. Take a look. 📺 (Holy City Sinner)

Number

$8,700,000. That’s the recent sale price of 812 Conquest Ave. on Sullivan’s Island. Tim Schneider of The Cassina Group represented the buyer in this transaction, which marks the highest-priced home sold on the island in 2023 (so far). 💰 (Holy City Sinner)
55°. That’s the optimal temperature for storing wine. So unless you enjoy keeping your humble abode chilled year round, we recommend buying a wine fridge to foster favorable conditions for long-term aging. Our pick: this sleek wine fridge with touch-panel control and capacity for 24 bottles. Cheers. 🍷 *

Shop

Now through Sunday, Feb. 19, celebrate CHStoday’s birthday with 20% off items in our online store, Six & Main. Use code CHSBIRTHDAY at checkout. There’s no minimum purchase + all products on the site are eligible to receive the discount. 🎉
We love our furry friends, so it’s a good thing Love Your Pet Day is Monday, Feb. 20. Celebrate your beloved pet with this “Out of this World” bandana from Hannah Chloe Co. That’s something worth barking about. 🐾

Cause

Grab the Ross to your Rachel and head down to The Blood Connection. Throughout February, donate blood and receive a $20 eGift card, plus a bonus $30 eGift card, and a Friends-themed sticker. A simple donation can save up to three lives in our community.🩸 *

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Events

Your guide to SEWE 2023

Watch pups compete in water jumping competitions. | Photo provided by Obviouslee Marketing

We have clawesome news. The Southeastern Wildlife Exposition showcase kicks off this Friday, Feb. 17, and there’s so much to SEWE at this three-day event working to celebrate the great outdoors and wildlife art. 🦅

Attendees can look forward to fine art, live entertainment, and special events at five local venues:

The Charleston Place
Brittlebank Park
Charleston Gaillard Center
Charleston Marriott
Marion Square

The nonprofit’s mission is to raise conservation awareness, benefit local and statewide economies through tourism, and positively impact nature and wildlife education.

Here are some notable numbers: The showcase welcomes 500 artists, exhibitors, and wildlife experts plus 40,000 attendees annually — with an estimated $50 million economic impact.

Though online ticket sales are now closed, tickets are available at various locations while supplies last. Tap the button below to check out the list of ticket locations.

WHERE CAN I GRAB TICKETS?

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Alexandra.

Editor’s pick: In honor of CHStoday’s birthday today, I took a walk down memory lane to reminisce about a few of my favorite stories that I’ve gotten to share with you this year.

While I have a few too many to list in this small space, I’d be remiss to not shed light on the iconic Bessie the Coburg Cow’s backstory, and the history of the Charleston RiverDogs. I look forward to a whole new year of stories to share with you, Charleston. 🥂

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Explore 10 local theaters, here.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Alexandra Garian, Tatum Jacaruso, Erin McPherson, Emily Shea, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Dayten Rose, Sarah Leonhardt, Katie Smith | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Stephanie Zapiecki | Advertise with us.

Content marked with an * was created in partnership with 6AM City’s advertising partners. Paid content helps keep this newsletter free. 6AM City may also receive a commission on purchases made through affiliate links in this newsletter.

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