The 2023 Roper St. Francis Healthcare Concert Series featured this mural by local artist Allison Dunavant, inspired by the Charleston community and the healing that can come from music. | Photo provided by Roper St. Francis Healthcare
Have you listened to any good music lately, Charleston? Let us rephrase that. Can you think of the last time you put on a record, scanned the radio, or pulled up a certain artist on Spotify or YouTube, and everything just felt better?
Research backs up the idea that music can, indeed, make us feel better — which is a welcome reminder with the winter months approaching. As the days get shorter and the holiday season looms, many of us will encounter some degree of sadness, loneliness, and anxiety. The holiday blues are real, and so are the mental health benefits of music.
Enter: Roper St. Francis Healthcare’s Music for the Mind initiative, designed to call attention to the benefits of music on our mental health and raise awareness of local mental health resources.
Research shows that music can lower blood pressure, heart rate, and even stress hormones in the body. Have you heard of music therapy? Listening to music, playing music, and writing lyrics can tangibly help those who may be struggling with depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions.
In case you missed it, Roper St. Francis became the presenting partner of the Roper St. Francis Healthcare Concert Series at Credit One Stadium in 2022, celebrating the positive impact music has on the Charleston community. The 2023 installment had a star-studded lineup, from Dave Matthews Band to Tyler Childers and more — and while it concludes this Saturday, Oct. 28 with Luke Bryan, its message can play on through the winter months.
Music has the power to build community, and it can remind us that we are not alone.
Cape Romain Lighthouses Tour | Monday, Oct. 23 | 12-4:30 p.m. | Sewee Visitor & Environmental Education Center, 5821 Hwy. 17 N., Awendaw | $75 | View two historic lighthouses and six miles of flora and fauna (think: bottlenose dolphins and bald eagles) by boat.
Cello Recital | Monday, Oct. 23 | 7-8 p.m. | 1400 Liberty Midtown Dr., Mt. Pleasant | Free | Hear award-winning Charleston County School of the Arts senior Adam Kremer perform works by Beethoven, Bach, Dvořák, and Cassadó.
Tuesday, Oct. 24
Bugs and Boos | Tuesday, Oct. 24 | 6-8 p.m. | The Charleston Museum, 360 Meeting St., Charleston | $120-$150 | Experience a hands-on demonstration from a real entomologist and take home a pinned insect.
Scary Movie Theme Trivia | Tuesday, Oct. 24 | 7 p.m. | Mex 1 Coastal Cantina West Ashley, 817 Saint Andrews Blvd., Charleston | Free | Gather your team, sip on delicious drinks, and prepare for a hair-raisingly fun evening
Wednesday, Oct. 25
Creepy Craniums | Wednesday, Oct. 25 | 11 a.m.-12 p.m. | Virtual via Zoom | $15 | Use your investigative skills to determine more about the diet and habits of different species as you study their skulls.
Bethany’s Gift & Gourmet Market | Wednesday, Oct. 25-Sunday, Oct. 29 | Times vary | Bethany United Methodist Church, 118 W. 3rd St., Summerville | Free | Shop gifts, holiday ornaments, desserts, and take-home casseroles.
We’re just under a week away from the Edisto Blackwater Boogie Festival, and you can still buy tickets. Hear 35+ local and regional acts Friday, Oct. 27-Sunday, Oct. 29, including headliners Jupiter Coyote, Pierce Edens, and Gritty Flyright. (The Post and Courier)
Outdoors
Join the SC Aquarium and Folly Association of Business for the second annual Toby’s Spooktacular Sweep this Sunday, Oct. 29 from 1 to 3 p.m. Sweep Folly Beach for litter, then head to The Washout for day-long specials and discounts. Costumes encouraged.
The Refinery will host its inaugural Live Like Tom Benefit Concert for ALS on Saturday, Nov. 4 at 6 p.m following the Walk to Defeat ALS in Mt. Pleasant. All ticket sales and auction proceeds will be matched up to $500,000 and donated to local organizations.
Try This
Learn how to make Frannie & The Fox’s woodfired pizza with Chef Paolo Rossini. The monthly 10-person classes will be fully interactive with all ingredients provided. Tickets for the Monday, Nov. 6 workshop are $75.
Eat
Red Clay will pop up at Bar Rollins this Friday, Oct. 27 from 5 to 8 p.m. Chef Geoff Rhyne will serve up roasted oysters and fall-inspired dishes with signature hot sauces. See if you can take the heat.
Community
Looking for a way to give back as a group? The Blood Connection is looking for blood drive hosts. Blood donors support and directly impact the healthcare that is provided in our community — you bring the donors and TBC will help host a blood drive. Learn more + sign up to host.*
Giveaway
Here’s something to bedazzle your day: The Cargo Hold, Inc. is hosting a jewelry giveaway. Head to their Instagram to enter to win sterling silver pumpkin earrings from the Southern Gates® Collection now through Friday, Oct. 27.*
Featured Home
Check out this newly-built home in coveted Riverside in Carolina Park. This home combines elegance with modern comfort — plus, there’s a new community dock just down the street.*
Number
128,000. That’s how many Tri-County households are employed, yet can’t afford all life’s essentials like food, housing, and healthcare. This is represented by ALICE® (which stands for households who are Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed), a program by Trident United Way to help our neighbors thrive. Learn more.*
Pets
🐾 Trick or T-R-E-A-T
Dog-friendly business guide for Charleston
Pro tip: A good dog costume avoids masks, shoes, and choking hazards. | Photo by @charlestonmax
It’s not a complete family costume if you don’t get your fur baby involved. Plan to hit these dog-friendly breweries on your Halloween pub crawl.
🐾 Breweries
Hobcaw Brewing Company | Dogs are welcome outside and in the warehouse space at this brewery in Mount Pleasant — be sure to have your furry friend on a leash.
Estuary Beans & Barley | Bring your well-behaved pup on a leash and enjoy food, coffee, beer, and wine plus fun events every week at this Johns Island spot.
Low Tide Brewing | With a lineup of rotating food trucks, this Johns Island brewery offers paw-sitive vibes for you and your leashed pup on the patio.
Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co. | You and your furry friend can hang out in the outdoor seating areas of this downtown brewery while you sip on flights, pints, and pitchers.
Frothy Beard Brewing Company | With 30+ rotating taps and weekly events, Frothy is a great place to bring your four-legged friend to chill out on the patio.
So much going on in Charleston! You’ll need three, maybe four different Halloween costumes just to be safe. Here’s a throwback CHStoday costume contest circa 2018 if you need inspo. Meanwhile, I’m on the hunt for a lab coat.
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