What's New In The Charleston, SC Area Spring 2010
For Immediate Release, April 2010NEW PACKAGES
• Five family vacations to the Charleston area are up for grabs as part of the Rediscover the Family Vacation promotion! Winners will be picked based on creative video submittals. For inspiration, take a look at videos submitted last year: www.charlestonvacationgiveaway.com/winners_2009.html. For more information, visit www.charlestonvacationgiveaway.com
• Wild Dunes Resort launched a new golf promotion celebrating their oceanfront Links course with the 30th Anniversary Play & Stay promotion. www.wildunes.com
• Go Spoleto! hotel and ticket packages offer exclusive savings opportunities at local hotels and select Spoleto Festival USA performances. www.spoletopackages.com
• The Charleston By Land and By Sea package includes nights at the Andrew Pinckney Inn, a two hour nature garden and Eco Tour for two, two hour walking tour throughout historic Charleston and dinner for two at Anson’s. www.charlestoncvb.com/visitors/special_offers/packages_roadtrip.html?id=1677
NEW LINKS
• It may be the same URL, but it’s a whole new experience, resplendent with videos, interviews, photos, suitcase options and more. Plan your trip on the re-designed Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau website: www.explorecharleston.com
NEW HONORS & AWARDS
• Chef Sean Brock of McCrady’s restaurant has been nominated for the James Beard Best Chef in the Southeast distinction. www.mccradysrestaurant.com
• 2010 Stars of South Carolina's Hospitality Industry awarded Charleston Crab House’s Bernita Dayse as the Restaurant Employee of the Year. www.charlestoncrabhouse.com
• The South Carolina Golf Course Ratings Panel selected The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Resort, which staged the 1991 Ryder Cup and will host the 2012 PGA Championship, as the #2 top golf course in South Carolina as well as the #1 Top “Stay & Play” Golf Resort. www.kiawahresort.com
• Homewood Suites by Hilton Charleston Airport/Convention Center was honored with nine awards, including the top-ranked hotel award, at the brand's annual conference earlier this month. www.hiltonworldwide.com.
NEW DEVELOPMENTS
• Hyatt Place® opened its 150th hotel, Hyatt Place Charleston Airport/Convention Center and is just eight miles from downtown Charleston. The North Charleston Performing Arts Center and North Charleston Coliseum, both popular entertainment venue are just steps. www.hyattplace.com
• Wild Dunes renovated and expanded the bar area of Oceanfront Grand Pavilion Café & Bar. www.wildunes.com
• The Restoration on King offers guests the newest and finest location for enjoying the charm and treasures of the historic city. Spacious living areas adorn each suite. www.restorationonking.com
NEW EVENTS
• Celebrate Mexican heritage and culture during Charleston’s fifth annual Cinco de Mayo Festival. The festival will take place at the Visitors Center Bus Terminal located in downtown Charleston on Saturday May 1, 2010 from 7-11 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at www.charlestoncinco.com
• Charleston Tea Plantation is presenting the Fourth Annual Flush FesTEAval, a celebration of North America's only tea garden and its popular product line, American Classic Tea on May 16. www.charlestonteaplantation.com
• The Second Annual Charleston International Festival of Choirs will showcase choral groups from Germany, Canada and the United States; free and open to the public on April 24, at 7:00 p.m. at Citadel Square Baptist Church. www.charlestonchoirfestival.com
• The Dock Street Theater reopens in May with a Spoleto Festival USA production of "Flora," the first opera ever performed in the American Colonies. The celebrated annual international festival of the arts runs May 28-June 13. www.charlestonstage.com
NEW EXHIBITS
• The South Carolina Aquarium has added a rare ghost of the swamp, an albino alligator, to their exhibit collection. www.scaquarium.org
• Patriots Point and HBO launched a video tribute campaign for the troops in partnership with national museums dedicated to preserving the history of WWII. Visitors to Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum now have the chance to record a video “thank you” message that will become part of a national tribute. www.patriotspoint.org
• Middleton Place National Historic Landmark will present Carolina Gold: From Rice to Riches, a special exhibit in the House Museum on display through August 30, 2010. www.middletonplace.org
• The Gibbes Museum of Art will present the exhibition JoAnn Verburg: Interruptions in the Rotunda Galleries from May 28 through August 22, 2010. The exhibition features recent portraits and large single and multi-panel architectural prints made in Spoleto, Italy. www.gibbesmuseum.org
NEW FOOD NEWS
• McCrady’s is going back in time in celebration of their new pre-prohibition cocktails and bar snack menu. They will feature one cocktail a week for a price representative of the era- $0.25. Secret password is required. www.mccradysrestaurant.com
• Manny’s Neighborhood Grille Franchising Company announced plans to open their first Manny’s Mediterranean Cafe franchise in the Markets at Montague, in North Charleston. www.mannysgrills.com
• Chef Brett McKee and his partner Steve Palmer opened O-Ku on Upper King Street. This restaurant celebrates authentic, traditional Japanese cuisine with an emphasis on fresh, quality ingredients. www.o-kusushi.com. 17North is Brett McKee’s new venture in Mount Pleasant. The establishment boasts an eclectic menu featuring farm-to-plate fare at reasonable prices. www.17north.net
• Amen Street is open on East Bay. The restaurant specializes in a wide variety of oysters, clams, and other items from the raw bar, the full kitchen will serve an abundance of Lowcountry dishes and fresh local fish. www.amenstreet.com
• Cork is now open in Park Circle. Located in the Olde Village of North Charleston, Cork is a small neighborhood eatery serving fresh, simple, eclectic, local fare with a French twist. www.corkbistro.com
NEW TOURS
• Captain Bob, Charleston’s only parrot tour guide is now available and ready to customize tours for groups. www.CharlestonPirateTour.com
• Classic Sailing offers the first truly classic sailing charter fleet in Charleston, SC. USCG Licensed Captain Barry will take the boat sailing quietly along the harbor, experiencing the city from a unique perspective. www.classiccharlestonsailing.com
