Over Memorial Day weekend, May 25–27, street-level scenes across the Holy City captured a metropolitan area balancing its many identities. Residents and visitors moved through downtown streets, waterfront parks and historic neighborhoods as Charleston joined communities nationwide in commemorating America’s 250th anniversary. Everyday moments unfolded against a backdrop of historic landmarks, seasonal tourism and local traditions, offering a snapshot of the city at the unofficial start of summer.
Here’s a photo essay by Syracuse University graduate student Wesley J. Pérez Vidal, documenting people, places and everyday life across Charleston during the holiday weekend:
A family of six enjoys the afternoon at White Point Garden. 
An artisan waits for customers behind her tent at Madison Square in Charleston. 
American flags fly at Madison Square on Memorial Day. 
Bike taxis wait for customers on King Street. 
A woman photographs a sign outside St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church. 
Two men sit at Madison Square, looking toward American flags raised in honor of Memorial Day. 
A tour guide points out the John C. Calhoun gravesite to visitors aboard a carriage tour. 
Charleston-based magazines were displayed at Madison Square. 
A family sightsees around downtown Charleston. 
A woman sells handcrafted items near St. Michael’s Cemetery. 
A man walks his dog along The Battery. 
Two infants and a woman rest at White Point Garden. 
A bird rests near a set of flowerbeds on The Battery. 
A group of friends gather to chat in Madison Square.
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