MOJA Arts Festival
The MOJA Arts Festival, the annual celebration of Black and Caribbean arts and culture and related artistic contributions to the world, kicks off Thursday with the Opening Day Street Parade from Marion Square to the market on East Bay Street. An opening reception features Rochelle Witney Green at the Cannon Street Arts Center. The festival runs through Oct. 5. Events include visual arts, music, food, dance, poetry, theater, storytelling, traditional crafts and family activities.
Sept. 25 to Oct. 5. Event times and locations vary. Ticket prices vary. mojafestival.com
Charleston Margarita Festival
Charleston’s top bars and restaurants will be pouring their best Don Gato Tequila margaritas side-by-side tonight as part of the annual Margarita Festival, back for its fifth year. Tickets get you three hours of samples from 24 bartenders, plus live music, a vendor market and more. Food will be available for purchase from Roti Rolls.
Sept. 19. 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Ticket prices vary. The Rickhouse at Cannon Distillery.
1734 Signal Point Road. James Island. citypapertickets.com
Boone Hall Pumpkin Patch
Since 1997, the Boone Hall Pumpkin Patch has grown to be one of the largest fall festivals in the state and an autumn tradition that brings people of all ages together for a day of good old-fashioned fun on the farm. Admission includes access to the corn maze, a tractor tour, a new circus show, petting zoo, rubber duck races and much more.
Weekends through Oct. 26. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. $15/ticket. Boone Hall Plantation.
2434 N. Highway 17. Mount Pleasant. boonehallplantation.com
Community baby shower
Molina Healthcare of South Carolina on Saturday will host a drive-through community baby shower for hundreds of families where it will give away essential supplies for new and expectant moms. Healing Hurts, Bundles of Joy, and Charleston Hispanic Association will team up with Molina to distribute 10,000 diapers, 300 packs of baby wipes, baby clothes and other items. Community partners will also give away more than 10 tons of food.
Sept. 20. 10 a.m. to noon. Free. New Life Christian Fellowship. 358 Liberty Hall Road. Goose Creek. molinahealthcare.com
Mount Pleasant Farmers Market
Founded in 1998, the Mount Pleasant Farmers Market celebrates the hard work of local farmers and makers. Head out every Tuesday through September for a local market featuring farm goods, food vendors and live music. Pick up fresh local produce, prepared meals and plenty of other goodies to stock your kitsch, 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. The Moultrie Middle School. 645 Coleman Drive. Mount Pleasant. experiencemountpleasant.com
Arts + Music
Get set for the 2025 MOJA Arts Festival
The annual MOJA Arts Festival is set to celebrate African American and Caribbean culture with 11 days of music, art, dance, food and community events throughout Charleston from Sept. 25 to Oct. 5. First week events include the 6 p.m. Opening Day Street Parade from Marion Square to East Bay/South Market St. on Sept. 25 as well as the family-friendly MOJA x Eastside Neighborhood Celebration at Hampstead Square from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sept. 27.
More: mojafestival.com
ART CONTEST
The S.C. Wildlife Federation’s 2025 South Carolina Songbird Art Contest is open for submissions. All K–12 students across the state can showcase their creativity while learning about the native South Carolina birds as well as the state’s migratory visitors. The deadline to enter is Nov. 30, 2025.
More: scwf.org
NEW BOOK FOR KIDS
Hoof Hearted at School is a new children’s book in paperback and hardback on embracing new experiences. It’s written by North Charleston author Julie McLaughlin and Florida writer Coco Faz, with illustrations by West Ashley artist Tami Boyce.
More: hoofheartedbook.com
MUSIC
- Sept. 20, 8 p.m.: Mr. Soul w/ (Ranky Tanky’s) Charlton Singleton, Charleston Music Hall
- Sept. 20, 8:45 p.m.: Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Pour House
- Sept. 20, 8 p.m.: Trombone Shorty, The Refinery
- Sept. 22, 5:30 p.m.: Sombr, Music Farm
- Sept. 23, 8 p.m.: A Girl Named Tom, Charleston Music Hall
- Sept 23, 8 p.m.: James McMurtry, Pour House
- Sept. 24, 8 p.m.: Alison Krauss & Union Station, Credit One Stadium
- Sept. 24, 7:30 p.m.: Lyle Lovett & His Acoustic Group, Gaillard Center
- Sept. 25, 6 p.m.: Isaac Hadden, Pour House
A la carte
WHAT’S NEW
Odd Duck Market, a community-focused cafe and retail market in North Charleston, soon will have a second location at 637 Rutledge Ave. Slated to open winter 2026, the market will offer coffee, sandwiches, wine and provisions to the Hampton Park crowd. The new space will feature 28 parking spots as well as an expansive outdoor patio plus inside seating and a walkup window.
More: oddduckmarkets.com
The New York Times recently released its 2025 Restaurant List with the “50 best places in America now.” Charleston favorite Chubby Fish was the only South Carolina restaurant selected. The paper noted Chubby Fish’s “cooking so finely tuned and resourceful that it can smack you like an ocean wave you didn’t see coming.”
More: nytimes.com
Starting Sept. 20 during a Trombone Shorty concert, The Refinery is teaming up with Pizza A Modo Mio, an award-winning pizzeria founded by Brooklyn native Mike Pitera. It will serve authentic Roman-style pinsa, a lighter twist on traditional pizza with a long fermentation process, crispy crust and fresh toppings.
More: therefinerychs.com
Rivayat, an Indian restaurant blending tradition with modern technique, has opened at 210 Rutledge Ave. The restaurant comes from Sujith Varghese, who also owns Spice Palette, and it serves lunch and dinner Tuesdays through Sundays. Expect a seafood forward menu and cocktails like a Chai espresso martini.
More: rivayatcreativeindian.com
WHAT’S HAPPENING
The Park Circle Oktoberfest presented by Holy City Brewing and The Brew Cellar will take place on Sept. 20 starting at 11 a.m. at Holy City Brewing in North Charleston. The event will feature food and drink, accompanied by German music from the Hans Schmidt German Band and the Dirndl Dames Oktoberfest Band. Games and contests include a pretzel toss, stein hoist contest, brat-eating contest and Polka/chicken dance contest.
More: holycitybrewing.com
On Sept. 22, Shokudô will join the team at Graft Wine Shop & Bar for an evening pop-up featuring a selection of the chef’s grilled robata skewers. Expect a fun, street-style vibe with Japanese-inspired bites and a Tokyo noir-inspired playlist to go with it.
More: shokudochs.com
Check out our calendar for more events around town!
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