The Sweet Tea Festival in Summerville

Explore free-to-attend events all week long.

CHS_Summerville_SEP2022.png

Explore the home of the World’s Largest Iced Tea.

Photo by @visitsummerville

Welcome to the sweetest weekend ever. Celebrate the birthplace of sweet tea in Summerville and its history at the Sweet Tea Festival this Saturday, Sept. 21.

It’s kind of a big deal and was even mentioned on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” Keep reading because we’re spilling the tea on all the sweet deets.

🍋 Sweet Tea Cocktail Contest + Hold My Tea Bar Crawl

Now through Sunday, get in the game by sipping on local sweet tea cocktails from these seven participating bars and restaurants.

Don’t forget: Cast your vote using the QR code on your Bingo card which will help decide the winner of the People’s Choice Award. Like what you’re sipping? Recipes will be posted on the town’s Instagram.

Pro tip: Once you complete the card, you can trade it in for a free bar crawl shirt at the Summerville Visitor Center.

worlds-largest-sweet-tea

Visit The World’s Largest Sweet Tea — Mason, which stands 15-ft-tall and can hold up to 2,524 gallons of Sweet Tea.

Photo by CHStoday team

🍋 Sweetest Farmers Market

Shop from 70+ vendors from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. There will be farmers + artisans on site.

🍋 Sweet Tea Festival

After getting your local goods from the farmers market, head to Hutchinson Square on Saturday for this annual festival celebrating Summerville as the birthplace of sweet tea. Downtown will be transformed into an open house + street fair with food trucks, local musicians, and unique vendors.

Of course, there will be plenty of sweet tea. You can help select the best tea at the festival by sampling + voting for your favorite.

The background of this mural is white and yellow and there is a mason jar of sweet tea, ice, lemon

We love this sweet tea mural in Summerville.

Photo by the CHStoday team

Fun fact: The Town of Summerville set the Guinness World Record for the World’s Largest Sweet Iced Tea on June 10, 2016. To brew the record-setting 2,524 gallons of sweet tea, 210 pounds of tea + 1,700 pounds of sugar were used.

Street closures

  • Doty from 100 S. Main to Main Street
  • Little Main
  • W. Richardson from Main to Central
  • Short Central

Pro tip: Be ready to park several blocks away; parking around the event zone is limited.

Events
The Moonlight Martini Trail highlights six downtown restaurants + bars that feature signature martinis — if you try them all, you can earn deals + a chance to win a stay at The Loutrel.
Life has so many moments worth celebrating, so naturally, there are so many reasons to plan parties and get-togethers — consider using a few Charleston small businesses for your next event.
Join us at CHStoday, we’re celebrating Small Business Week in Charleston from Sunday, May 4, to Saturday, May 10.
From panel discussions to a night market, the month-long series honors Asian American and Pacific Islander identity, culture, and creativity across Charleston.
From rooftop parties to giant outdoor screens, here are three festive spots to break out your best Derby attire and catch “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports.”
Don’t miss the 17th annual Chef’s Potluck that celebrates local flavor with top chefs, farm-fresh bites, family fun, and a chance to support Charleston’s local food system.