Edisto Island, S.C. -- The Edisto Island and Edisto Beach communities are making their list and checking it twice to see just how much this Lowcountry island community has to offer for a festive holiday season and throughout the New Year, just over the horizon.
The Edisto Island Serpentarium will be open on Friday and Saturday nights, November 11 through December 17 from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm for a Christmas lights display. The atrium will be open and decorated as well as the outdoor area. Hot chocolate and marshmallows roasting over a fire will add to the luminescent scene.
Always a favorite on the list is the Edisto Community Chorus Christmas Concert. The performance is set for Sunday, December 4, at 6 p.m., and is sponsored by the Edisto Ministerial Alliance. The concert will be held at the Edisto Beach Baptist Church, located at 414 Jungle Road on Edisto Beach.
The 21th annual Edisto Christmas parade, “A Sun, Sand & Surf Christmas,” will be on Saturday, December 10, at 2 p.m. Sponsored by the Edisto Chamber of Commerce, the parade begins at the 600 block of Palmetto Boulevard along Edisto Beach and ends at the Pavilion, near Edisto Beach State Park.
Following the parade, visitors are invited to head over to Big Bay Creek for the annual boat parade, which starts at 5 p.m. This popular holiday treat includes a festive array of boats, all decked out for the holidays, that will wind along the creek on the marsh side of the island. The event, sponsored by Edisto Watersports & Tackle, may be viewed from prime spots along Docksite Road, between Edisto Watersports & Tackle and the Edisto Marina. A number of events hosted by local businesses, including oyster roasts, shrimp boils, barbeques, and live music, will follow.
The winter months and early spring also offer some special events to stoke up the taste buds, warm the heart and get outside as the seasons change once again. The second annual Edisto Ultimate Chef Competition will be held on March 17. Winning chefs and enthusiastic cooks from previous qualifying rounds will “cook-off” in the final event at McConkey’s Jungle Shack for the Ultimate Chef title. Preliminary events will be held at local restaurants on January 20-21, 27-28, February 3-4 and 10-11. The semi-finals will be February 24-25 and March 2-3.
In conjunction with the chef competition, the Leprechaun Chef 5K Walk and Fun Run will also be held on March 17. Start the day at 8:30 a.m. with a brisk walk or run before attending the event at McConkey’s.
That following week, the Edisto Art Guild Players will present “YouCan’t Get There from Here” at the Edisto Beach Civic Center, March 22 – 25. Come and see what great talent resides on this beautiful island.
On March 31 and April 1, The Plantation Golf Course at Edisto will host the Third Annual Low Country Classic High School Tournament. Twenty high school teams from South Carolina will be competing. Everyone is invited to attend and watch these talented young players.
As the temperatures continue to climb, those seeking a sea island escape will have a number of additional activities available, including seasonal craft shows by the Edisto Art Guild, fishing and golf tournaments, the annual Edisto Day Bazaar, and the popular Edisto & Beyond Tour, among other year-round travel adventures that await on Edisto.
Set in a rare, sparsely-developed corner of the world, Edisto, with its vast green spaces, ancient live oaks, wide open marsh views, and quiet, pristine beach, offers a coastal island experience uncommon today among Eastern seaboard communities. Visitors and residents alike enjoy a slower pace of life, coupled with a broad range of year-round recreational activities, all set in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. This is the coastal island destination that is said to offer its own “state of mind…any time, any season.” For more information, please call the Edisto Chamber of Commerce at 843-869-3867 or 1-888-333-2781 or visit www.edistochamber.com.
Edisto Island and Edisto Beach, S.C.
Late 2011 and Early 2012 Calendar of Events
November 11 – December 17, 2011, Friday and Saturday, 6:00 – 9:00pm
A Wild Christmas at the Serpentarium – Christmas Light Display
Location: 1374 Highway 174, Edisto Island
December 4, 2011
Edisto Community Chorus Christmas Concert
Location: Edisto Beach Baptist Church, 414 Jungle Road, Edisto Beach
Sponsor: Edisto Ministerial Alliance
December 10, 2011
2lst Annual Edisto Christmas Parade: Sun, Sand & Surf Christmas
Location: Palmetto Boulevard, Edisto Beach
Sponsor: Edisto Chamber of Commerce
December 10, 2011
7th Annual Edisto Boat Parade
Location: Big Bay Creek, Edisto Beach
Sponsor: Local Boating Enthusiasts
March 17, 2012
Leprechaun Chef 5K, Walk and Fun Run
McConkey’s Jungle Shack
Sponsor: Edisto Chamber of Commerce, McConkey’s, Learning through Loggerheads
March 17, 2012
Ultimate Chef Competition
McConkey’s Jungle Shack
Sponsor: McConkey’s
March 22 – March 25, 2012
Play by the Art Guild Players
Location: Edisto Beach Civic Center, 42 Station Court, Edisto Island
Sponsor: Edisto Art Guild
March 30 – April 1, 2012
3rd Annual Low Country Classic High School Tournament
The Plantation Golf Course at Edisto
April 7, 2012 (traditionally the Saturday before Easter)
Edisto Art Guild Spring Show and Sale
Location: The Edistonian General Store, 406 Highway 174, Edisto Island
Sponsor: Edisto Art Guild
April 8, 2012
Easter Sunrise Service
Location: Pavilion Parking Lot, Palmetto Boulevard, Edisto Beach
Sponsor: Edisto Ministerial Alliance
April 21, 2012
An Evening at Middleton Plantation Bidding for History Silent Auction
Sponsor: Edisto Island Historic Preservation Society
April 28, 2012 (traditionally the last Saturday in April)
Island Community Parade
Location: Highway 174, Edisto Island
May 5, 2012 (traditionally the first Saturday in May)
Edisto Day Bazaar, an arts and crafts festival
Location: Lions Club, 2907 Myrtle Street, Edisto Beach
Sponsor: King’s Daughters
May 26, 2012 (traditionally the Saturday before Memorial Day)
Edisto Beach Fire Department Fish Fry
Location: Lions Club, 2907 Myrtle Street, Edisto Beach
Editor's Note: Dates and details are as available at this time, so please check the website at www.edistochamber.com closer to the date(s) of the event(s).
###