Pizza making with Chef Paolo
Nothing says Cinco de Mayo like … pizza? Learn how to make Frannie & the Fox’s famous wood-fired pizza alongside chef Paolo Rossin. This interactive cooking experience will have you slinging pizzas like a pro. This intimate class includes meatballs, a choice of salad and all the ingredients to make your perfect personal pizza. Enjoy cocktails, wine and champagne from the bar with your meal for a fun-filled evening.
May 5. 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. $75/person. Frannie & The Fox. 181 Church St. Downtown. hotelemeline.com/frannie-and-the-fox
Charleston Planetarium grand opening
After two years of fundraising and planning and two months of successful soft-opening operations, Charleston Planetarium, a new nonprofit dedicated to astronomical education and immersive experiences officially opens its doors this weekend. Join in on a historic ribbon cutting, tour the facility and witness the first dome show and live presentation all before noon. Programming includes field trips, birthday celebrations and private events.
May 3. 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Charleston Planetarium. 2070 Sam Rittenberg Blvd. West Ashley. charlestonplanetarium.org
Mount Pleasant Farmers Market
The Mount Pleasant Farmers Market finally returns this year after its winter hiatus. Head to Mount Pleasant every Tuesday through September for a market that features farm goods, food vendors and live music. Pick up fresh local produce, prepared meals and plenty of other goodies to stock your kitchen, including locally made olive oil, ranch dressing, boiled peanuts, Greek sweets, fresh pasta and more.
Tuesdays. 3:30 p.m to 7 p.m. Free to attend. Moultrie Middle School. 645 Coleman Drive.
Mount Pleasant. experiencemountpleasant.com
ATOMACON
Head to a mult-genre, family-friendly, sci-fi, fantasy and paranormal convention and film festival this weekend in North Charleston. The All Types of Media Arts Convention (ATOMACON), is a nonprofit educational corporation dedicated to creating awareness of and appreciation for all kinds of art genres.
May 4, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; May 5, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. $20/single day; $30/weekend pass.
Trident Technical College Conference Center. 7000 Rivers Ave. North Charleston. atomacon.org
Checkout Challenge
Embark on an exciting shopping adventure with the Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry’s Checkout Challenge program. Designed for young explorers, this interactive experience transforms the museum’s grocery store exhibit into a bustling marketplace where children become savvy shoppers, learning valuable life skills while having a blast.
May 2 and May 7. 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry. 25 Ann St. Downtown. explorecml.org
Arts+Music
Gaillard Center celebrates 10 years with new season
The 10th season of the Charleston Gaillard Center will feature milestone cultural performances that reflect its mix of art available to fans across the Lowcountry. Major highlights include:
Music: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
(July 20); Elvis Costello and the Imposters (Oct. 3); Pink Martini (Feb. 25, 2026).
Jazz: Lowcountry Jazz Fest
(Aug. 29-31) and the U.S. premiere of Danish Radio Big Band with Cecile McLorin Salvant (Feb. 21, 2026).
Talk: Conversations with
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson (Sept. 2), actor Cary Elwes (Dec. 13) and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson (Feb. 26).
Holiday: Spiegeltent, including a new production of Cabaret Royale. December.
Theater:
Finding Freedom: The Journey of Robert Smalls, an adapted remount of a work co-commissioned by the center. Jan. 30-31, 2026.
Outdoor art:
Monuments, by Craig Walsh. Sculptural works with nighttime projections of Charleston’s unsung heroes. Spring 2026.
Ballet:
Dark Water, new from Complexions Contemporary Ballet with music by Charleston composer Edward Hart. March 6-7, 2026.
Tickets and info: gaillardcenter.org
ALSO COMING
- May 9, 6 p.m.: Everclear, Windjammer, Isle of Palms.
- May 10, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m: AWEfest, Awendaw Municipal Park, 7900 Doar Road, Awendaw.
- May 16, 9 p.m.: 2 Slices + Rotoglow, Royal American, downtown. The second band recently released its EP, We are today.
- May 23 to June 8: Spoleto Festival USA and Piccolo Spoleto Festival, Charleston.
- June 6, 7 p.m.: Barenaked Ladies, North Charleston Coliseum.
A la carte
What’s new
Specialty grocer The Fresh Market opened a new store this week in Mount Pleasant. The Bowman Road location will celebrate with a grand opening May 3 with free giveaways and food samples.
If you’ve never set foot in a Fresh Market store before, get ready for its many offerings, including a wide selection of prepared meals, peak-season produce, baked-in-store bread, a full-service coffee station and more. During the grand opening, shoppers can snag 20% off everything in store if they’ve signed up for The Fresh Market Ultimate Loyalty Experience. Learn more at thefreshmarket.com.
What’s happening
Fleet Landing and Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co. will host a classic Lowcountry shrimp boil from noon to 5 p.m. May 4. Tickets ($30/per person) can be purchased at eventbrite.com.
West Ashley’s Ruby Sunshine will turn its brunch space into a showcase for local entrepreneurs with a small business expo from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 7. The pop-up style expo is free to attend and guests will get a chance to meet the folks behind local lifestyle brands and professional services. Learn more at rubybrunch.com.
Grab your tickets now for a special collaborative dinner with Sorelle’s chef Nick Dugan and his mentor, chef Michael Mina. Tickets for the five-course, prix fixe May 15 dinner can be found on Resy. James Beard Award winner and Michelin-starred chef Mina will join Dugan in the kitchen for a dinner that highlights signature dishes from each chef’s repertoire. Guests will be able to choose between two distinct five-course menus and can look forward to dishes like caviar parfaits, lobster pot pie and kanpachi carpaccio. Learn more at sorellecharleston.com.
Check out our calendar for more events around town!
Need to sell tickets to your next event? Sale them on citypapertickets.com. Contact sales@charlestoncitypaper.com for more information.
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