Charleston Heritage Federation announces new events and activities for summer 2022

Charleston’s historic sites, museums and cultural organizations that make up the Charleston Heritage Federation (CHF) announced a number of exciting activities and events for summer that bring the history of the city to life. From tours of battlefields and coffee talks with authors to basket weaving and tea parties, locals and visitors alike can experience a collection of culturally enriching offerings perfect for guests of all ages to enjoy.

CHF’s Essential Charleston Passport is available for purchase online and can now be used for five consecutive days instead of three, offering individuals a digital ticket to travel back in time and discover the city’s cultural mainstays by hopping between the city’s well-known historic districts. The passport includes admission to CHF’s five remarkable historic houses, the SC Historical Society Museum, the Charleston Museum and the foremost gallery of American art at the Gibbes Museum of Art. For an additional fee, guests can visit the country’s oldest landscaped gardens at Middleton Place and the oldest preserved plantation house at Drayton Hall.

Please see below for the latest CHF news, exhibits and events taking place in the Holy City this summer:

Support a Resilience-Building Activity Box for Kids Facing Serious Health Challenges at the Charleston Library Society
June 7, 6:00-7:00 p.m.
Join in supporting the launch of Coco’s Adventure Box — a resilience-building activity box for kids facing serious health challenges. Charleston Library Society member Casey Tulloch created the original box for a friend’s 7-year-old daughter, nicknamed Coco, after she was diagnosed with leukemia. Tulloch is now bringing Coco’s Box to children undergoing treatment at hospitals nationwide with e-commerce to follow. At this event, Casey will share the story behind the box and creative techniques used to teach fighting children the trait of resilience. Participants will have an opportunity to sponsor a box for a child in need and learn more ways to support this cause. This event is in-person, free and open to the public. To RSVP, please visit this link.

Coffee with an Author – Judy Goldman at the Charleston Library Society
June 8, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
In collaboration with Buxton Books, coffee with an author is a time for direct conversation and a short reading with beloved authors. Award-winning author of seven books, Judy Goldman, will kick-off the first event in this series with a discussion on her newest book, “Child: A Memoir.” These intimate conversations will be held in the book-lined Dr. Suzan D. Boyd Fellows Lounge. This event is in-person, free and open to the public. To RSVP, please click here.

Kid Tours: Tea Party at the Charleston Museum
June 8, 3:30-4:30 p.m.
During the months of June and July, Kid Tours at the Charleston Museum will host a weekly series designed to highlight artifacts from their collection that have fascinated children for years, including engaging crafts, projects and educational activities. The first of these tours will feature a tea party where children can paint their own teacup and saucer and explore the interesting tea pots and teacups from the Charleston Museum’s collection. For more information, call 843-722-2996 ext. 236 or visit https://www.charlestonmuseum.org.

Avery Research Center Community Open House
June 8, 4:30-6:00 p.m.
The Avery Center welcomes guests to register for a 30-minute self-guided tour of the building and an opportunity to interact with their exhibition artists and curators.

Experience the Magic of Brookgreen Gardens with CEO Page Kiniry at the Charleston Library Society
June 9, 6:00-7:00 p.m.
Celebrate the release of “Brookgreen Gardens: Ever Changing, Simply Amazing” with the Charleston Library Society and Brookgreen Gardens President, CEO and author, Page Kiniry. This event is in-person, free and open to the public. To RSVP, please click here.

Conversations with a Curator at the Charleston Museum: “Chintz: A Quilted History with Curator of Historic Textiles, Virginia Theerman”
June 10, 10:30-11:00 a.m.
Join curator of Historic Textiles, Virginia Theerman, for an in-depth tour of Charleston Museum’s current historic textiles exhibit, Chintz: A Quilted History. Learn why these cotton textiles that were hand-painted and block-printed with large-scale floral motifs were highly sought after in the 18th and 19th centuries and how chintz evolved into ‘chintzy.’ Conversations with a curator allows visitors a chance to have an in-depth look at an object or exhibit in the Charleston Museum galleries, ask questions and spark conversations. For more information, call 843-722-2996 ext. 235 or visit https://www.charlestonmuseum.org.

Fossil Friday with Curator of Natural History Matthew Gibson at the Charleston Museum
June 10, 17 & 24, 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Join Matthew Gibson, curator of the natural history exhibit, every Friday in June and July at the Bunting Natural History Gallery lab. Gibson will share projects he is currently working on and will help identify visitors’ fossil finds. For more information, visit https://www.charlestonmuseum.org.

Politics, History, and the Role of the American South with Frye Gaillard at the Charleston Library Society
June 15, 6:00-7:00 p.m.
Partnering with Buxton Books, CLS will host an evening of history and politics with Frye Gaillard. He will discuss his collaboration with Cynthia Tucker in their book, “The Southernization of America: A Story of Democracy in the Balance,” and the role of the South and how it’s woven into the fabric of American politics and culture. This event is in-person, free and open to the public. To RSVP, please click here.

Wine on the Piazza at Middleton Place
June 16 and July 21, 4:30-6:00 p.m.
Looking for a cool breeze, breathtaking view and a glass of wine? The Edmondston-Alston House is the perfect piazza for a summer evening. Enjoy a self-guided tour of the Edmondston-Alston House followed by a glass of wine on the second-story piazza overlooking Charleston Harbor. Visit www.middletonplace.org/events to purchase tickets.

Sweetgrass Basket Weaving Workshop at the Charleston Museum
June 18, 9:30-1:30 p.m.
Join local artisan, Sarah Edwards-Hammond, for an in-depth instruction on sweetgrass basketry, an integral element of the Lowcountry’s Gullah Geechee community since the 17th century. Edwards-Hammond comes from a long line of basket makers and has passed down the tradition to her family and others in the community. After sharing a brief history of the artisanal craft of basketmaking, participants will spend the remainder of the class making their own basket guided by Edwards-Hammond. All materials and instruction will be provided. Space is limited and reservations are required. For more information or to make reservations, call 843-722-2996 ext. 235 or visit https://www.charlestonmuseum.org.

Juneteenth at Middleton Place
June 19, 10:00-3:00 p.m.
In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring more than three million slaves living in the Confederate states to be freed. However, it was not until June 19, 1865 (more than 2 years later) that the residents of Texas finally learned that slavery had been abolished. The following year, on June 19, the first official Juneteenth celebrations took place in Texas. Within a few years, African Americans in other states were celebrating the day as well, making it an annual tradition. In 2021, Juneteenth was made a federal holiday, and on June 19 of this year, Middleton Place will be holding a series of programs including theatrical presentations, documentary viewings and other hands-on crafts and activities. This event is included with general admission to Middleton Place and is free for members.

CAMP in the STACKS – Nature and Natural History Week with the Charleston Library Society
June 20-24, 9:00-12:00 p.m.
This first week of CLS’s hosted camps is perfect for children who love the great outdoors. Throughout the week, campers will enjoy activities, both inside and out, related to appreciating and taking in Earth’s natural beauty. A nature walk, scavenger hunt in the garden, outdoor-related readings, fun crafts and many more activities will fill camper’s itineraries. To reserve a camper’s spot, please click here.

Blue Hues: Indigo Dyeing, Painting, and Printing (Ages 8 – 12) at the Charleston Museum
June 20-24, 1:00–4:00 p.m.
Explore the beauty and versatility behind indigo dyeing. During this weeklong event, participants will learn about the Lowcountry history of indigo, its impact worldwide and the science behind dyeing. During the week, participants will explore Shibori tie-dye techniques, cassava paste resist, indigo paint creation and screen printing with indigo ink. Participants may bring personal items to dye, paint and print in addition to the provided cotton fabric. Local artist Kristy Bishop will lead the program. Reservations are required. For more information or to register, visit https://www.charlestonmuseum.org or call 843.722.2996 ext. 236.

Kid Tours: Pluff Mud Party at the Charleston Museum
June 29, 3:30-4:30 p.m.
During this feature of the kid tour series, participants will learn more about pluff mud and the creatures who make it home. Activities include creating sculptures with mud and painting with it as well. For more information, call 843-722-2996 ext. 236 or visit https://www.charlestonmuseum.org.

Water Dialogues II: A Virtual Lecture with Ben Duncan and the Historic Charleston Foundation
June 29, 4:00 p.m.
Charleston is confronted with every known water hazard and faces intense land use and development pressures. To expand the conversation around water and resiliency, Historic Charleston Foundation (HCF), in partnership with the City of Charleston Office of Resilience, launched “Water Dialogues,” a free virtual lecture series designed to engage the Lowcountry community and inform decision-making about best practices in water management, assessing risk and the many quality of life issues related to water for this generation and the next. On June 29th, HCF and their partners will host the second virtual lecture in this series with Ben Duncan, Chief Resilience Officer for the State of South Carolina. South Carolina’s Office of Resilience was established in 2020, and Duncan will discuss the forthcoming statewide Resilience Plan to mitigate risk and facilitate recovery. The Resilience Plan will evaluate South Carolina’s eight major watersheds, examining the flood risks existing in each area and identify potential losses from severe weather events and other natural catastrophes, including flooding, wildfire and drought conditions. This webinar is free and open to the public. You must register to receive the link to access the virtual lecture. To register, visit https://bit.ly/WaterDialogues2HCF

Drayton Hall Stories: A Place and Its People with Author George W. McDaniel at the Charleston Library Society
June 30, 6:00-7:00 p.m.
A new portrayal of the 18th century icon among America’s historic sites, Drayton Hall Stories: A Place and Its People, is the first book in the nation to focus on a site’s recent history using interviews with descendants (both white and Black), board members, staff, donors, architects, historians, preservationists, tourism leaders and more. These interviews reveal never-before-shared family moments, major decisions in preservation and site stewardship and pioneering efforts that transformed a Southern plantation into a site for racial conciliation. Readers will come to see Drayton Hall’s people not as stereotypes, but as the real people they were — and are. This event is in-person, free, and open to the public. To RSVP, please click here.

Independence Celebration at Middleton Place
July 2, 3, 4, 10:00 – 2:00 p.m.
In 1776, Arthur Middleton and 55 other members of the Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence, thereby creating the United States of America. To mark this occasion, Middleton Place is hosting its annual Independence Celebration. On July 2nd, children of all ages can join in on the “Games in the Gardens” and try their hand at such traditional games as ring toss, stilt walking, rolling hoops and more. On July 3-4, various programs on the Declaration of Independence, life in the Continental Army, the history of the U.S. Flag, as well as games, crafts and refreshments will be offered throughout the day.

The Avery Family Reunion at Avery Research Center
August 28, 12:00-4:00 p.m.
To celebrate the opening of another academic year and to pay honor to the institutions founded to uplift the Black community, the Avery Research Center will host The Avery Family Reunion. To reach over 2,000 people from across the Lowcountry, this daylong celebration will highlight local music, cuisine, art, artisans, business owners and the Gullah Geechee culture. Join the Avery Center as they celebrate the legacy of Black education and support the Avery Research Center by becoming a sponsor. Proceeds support Avery Center’s work to preserve the legacy of the Avery Normal Institute and educate the community on the history and culture of African Americans in Charleston, the South Carolina Lowcountry and South Carolina at-large.