Festival of Houses & Gardens
March 18 – April 17
Explore the rarely seen interiors and gardens of historic private homes in downtown Charleston during the peak of the city’s blooming season. Festival proceeds go to support preservation and restoration efforts in Charleston and the South Carolina Lowcountry. www.historiccharleston.org

Summerville Flowertown Festival
March 26 – 28
Smell the flowers as they burst into bloom while artists and craftsmen from throughout the country display their work on the beautiful grounds of Azalea Park and on Main Street in Summerville. www.summervilleymca.org/flowertown

Cooper River Bridge Run
March 27
Hit the pavement with thousands of runners and walkers at this annual 10K, one of Charleston’s most popular events. You’ll enjoy spectacular scenery from the top of the Ravenel Bidge as you make your way from Mt. Pleasant to downtown Charleston. Don’t forget to look to your right for a great view of the tip of Daniel Island! www.bridgerun.com

Family Circle Cup
April 10-18
Grab your sunscreen and come watch as the top-ranked professional female tennis players from around the world take to the courts to compete at the Family Circle Cup! More than just a tennis tournament, it’s a week-long line-up of special events at Daniel Island’s award winning Family Circle Tennis Center. The tournament is celebrating its tenth year on Daniel Island with some very special celebrity appearances and events. www.familycirclecup.com

Blessing of the Fleet and Seafood Festival
April 25
Enjoy fresh, delicious South Carolina shrimp and seafood at this annual festival that marks the beginning of the local shrimping season. There will be a lively parade, activities for children, tons and tons of fresh seafood and live music at a new venue for this annual event – the brand new Waterfront Memorial Park in Mt. Pleasant. www.mtpleasantrec.com

Charleston Symphony Orchestra’s Concert in the Park on Daniel Island
May 15
Get outside and enjoy the spring breezes coming off the Wando River and Smythe Lake at this popular annual Daniel Island event. Pack a picnic and grab a spot under the oaks in Smythe Park, where you’ll enjoy the sounds of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra in a festive setting with friends and neighbors. The best part? It’s free! www.dicommunity.org

Spoleto Festival USA
May 28 – June 13
One of the world’s leading arts festivals, this 17-day celebration of the arts offers an international lineup of opera, dance, classical music, jazz, theatre and visual arts, staged in

Charleston’s historic theaters, churches and outdoor venues.

www.spoletousa.org

Piccolo Spoleto

May 28 – June 13
Taking place in conjunction with Spoleto Festival USA, Piccolo Spoleto highlights the local and regional talents of artists of all kinds with more than 700 performances. Classical music, jazz, dance, theatre, poetry, choral music, ethnic presentations, crafts, film and children’s activities are all part of the lineup during this 17-day festival. www.piccolospoleto.com

On Saturday, March 20, the boys and girls of the Bishop England High School Track & Cross Country teams are inviting the community to come together for the 12th annual Daniel Island 5K Race and Walk. The race will begin at the school on Seven Farms Drive, winding its away through Daniel Island neighborhoods, parks and trails, before ending back at the school.

The run has been designed to accommodate everyone, from the highly competitive athlete to the casual walker. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three overall male and female finishers but everyone wins post-race with food, fun and additional prize giveaways at the awards ceremony and festivities.

Also, kids under the age of twelve are invited to participate in a special “Kids Fun Run” that will start immediately following the race. All “Kids Fun Run” participants will receive a medal.

For more information or to register online, visit www.actioncarolina.com. Proceeds will benefit the Bishop England High School Track & Cross Country programs.

Since the doors first opened at the school’s Daniel Island facilities, Bishop England High School has played a significant role within the community — please come out and support them for this great spring running event!

Chef Tyler Dudley with his sous chefs Chris White, Marc Smolinski & Joseph Strickland. Not pictured: Lauren Whetsell

Ten local chefs, caterers and restaurants presented their visions of a “Lowcountry brunch” to more than 400 eager diners at the Charleston Wine and Food Festival’s Lowcountry Gospel Brunch on Sunday, March 8. Guests listened to the amazing sounds of the Gullah Gospel Ensemble while enjoying some of Charleston’s most delicious and creative brunch menus.

Chef Tyler Dudley of the Daniel Island Club participated in the sold out event, and served a three-course menu that featured local ingredients blended with traditional and non-traditional southern fare.

His menu included Orange Benne Seed Muffins, Southern Tomato Pie, Lump Crab Huevos Rancheros and Cinnamon Bun Crème Brulee.

See Chef Tyler’s mouth-watering dishes AND his recipe for Orange Benne Seed Muffins below!

* photos by Lauren Whetsell

Orange Benne Seed Muffins

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan
• 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar, plus up to 1 tablespoon for topping the muffins, if desired
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 4 teaspoons benne seeds
• 1/2 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly brush a 12-cup muffin tin with butter and set aside. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with an electric hand-held mixer in a large bowl, cream the butter, zest, and 2/3 cup sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Stir in the benne seeds.

Fold the flour in 3 parts into the butter mixture, alternating with the milk in 2 parts, until just combined. Take care not to overmix the batter. Divide the batter evenly into the muffin tin and sprinkle the tops with sugar. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cool muffins in the pan on a rack. Serve warm.

If you’re interested in seeing more homes on Daniel Island, the homefinder at DanielIsland.com is a great resource.

A group of Daniel Island residents is showing their support for the arts – specifically the Charleston Symphony Orchestra – by hosting “Standing Room Only,” an open house performance by members of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra to be held on Wednesday, March 10 at the Daniel Island Club. Proceeds from the admission fee will benefit the CSO. This open house event takes place from 6-8 pm.

This is a great opportunity to come out and enjoy the sounds of the Symphony in the Daniel Island Club’s beautiful clubhouse overlooking the marsh and Beresford Creek. Enjoy hors d’oeuvres and cocktails and mingle with friends and neighbors while supporting the CSO.

Tickets for the event are $50 if purchased by 4 pm on Monday, March 4, or $100 at the door on the evening of the event. The admission price is a donation to the CSO and will cover the concert and hors d’oeuvres. A cash bar will also be available.

Come out for a night of enchanting music and support the Charleston Symphony Orchestra!

Chef Tyler with celebrity chef Marvin Woods at the 2009 Charleston Wine & Food Festival.

The fifth annual Charleston Wine + Food Festival is underway this weekend in downtown Charleston, and once again Chef Tyler Dudley of the Daniel Island Club will be joining dozens of other top chefs from throughout Charleston and around the country to take part in the festivities. Tyler will be serving up some of his specialties at a Winemaker Reception on a private yacht, and will also be a featured chef at Sunday’s Lowcountry Gospel Brunch in Marion Square.

Unfortunately, both events have sold out, but Chef Tyler and his crew have agreed to take photos of the experience (and maybe even provide a recipe or two). We’ll share their story next week. Stay tuned!

Chef Tyler at the 2009 Charleston Wine & Food Festival.

With more than 40 events scheduled throughout this three-day celebration of Charleston’s culinary culture, the Charleston Wine + Food Festival has become one of the area’s top events in its short history. Although many events have sold out, there are still tickets available to the Culinary Village and Grand Tasting Tents in Marion Square, the hub of the Festival. For more information, visit charlestonwineandfood.com.

Kevin, a member of LCS, with his daughter Zoe at the last gathering of the star gazers.

“Night in the Park” is a part of the Charleston Parks Conservancy’s “Park Week”, a new series of events that encourages locals to get out and experience Charleston’s parks and green spaces. On this special night, the Lowcountry Star Gazers will show off the nighttime sky above Etiwan Park from 7:30 to 9:30 pm. There will be free refreshments and there is no charge to attend but residents are encouraged to bring their own blankets and chairs so they can relax for an evening under the bright night sky.

During Park Week (March 6-13), the Charleston Parks Conservancy will host a number of fun special programs and events, each with a daily theme, in different parks throughout the Charleston area. All of which will lead up the grand finale event, “Party for the Parks: Amusement on the Avenue”, a street fair-style event on Ashley Avenue near Colonial Lake Park.

For a complete schedule of events, visit www.charlestonparksconservancy.org. All events are FREE, except for the finale party, so take advantage, get educated and get outside during “Park Week”!

Barbara McLaughlin, Manager of Community Services for the Daniel Island POA and event organizer, came away extremely pleased. “It was apparent that oysters were the main draw to the event, where Southern charm and gentility were pervasive! It was great seeing all of those die-hard oyster lovers jockeying themselves to find that open niche at the Oyster Roast tables that were full from start to finish.”

The event was catered by Dixieland Delights Catering, who prepared delicious local oysters and old favorites like macaroni-and-cheese, homemade chili and hot dogs. Local Band, Just Doesn’t Matter, rocked the stage and entertained the crowd by playing everyone’s favorite party music!

And to top it all off, for the first time, the event benefited East Cooper Community Outreach (ECCO) so organizers were able to help ECCO’s cause while also offering guests an affordable “one price covers all” oyster roast. The partnership between the Daniel Island Property Owners Association and ECCO proved to be a win-win for event organizers and guests!

“ECCO was honored to be a part of an event like this and grateful for the growing relationship with Daniel Island. Not only do we receive the generosity of the Daniel Island POA, but we were able to introduce so many new people to ECCO,” said Ann Ward, Director of Development for ECCO. “When I checked the weather report earlier in the week, I was astounded to see that Saturday was going to be sunny, in the 60s with 0% chance of rain! I called Barbara and we agreed this could be the best event ever!”

“There was just such a happy and light atmosphere to the whole event. Everyone loved the food and the music, and people seemed to be engrossed in joyful conversations all over the place,” said Ann. “While I was weaving in and out of the crowds, people kept stopping me and saying, ‘I’ve been meaning to come volunteer at ECCO, I am coming by this week.’ Sharing our mission with the community is what allows us to continue and grow our programs.”

“Everything worked our perfectly,” agreed Barbara and Ann. They were both extremely happy with the results of the partnership. They felt in the end that the oyster roast was a success – “a fun event with an incredible price for an outstanding cause!”

The pair, with their camera woman Megan, dined on the Island Crab Cake Open-face Sandwich, the Fried Green Tomato Pesto Ham Sandwich, the “Catch of the Day” and a number of amazing-looking dessert treats.

Take a look below to see what they had to say about Laura Albert’s!

WEC – Laura Alberts from S. Murphy on Vimeo.

Stay in touch with Sarah and Steve to see what else they have to say about some of Charleston’s great restaurants by visiting http://chucktowneats.wordpress.com.

SIP of Daniel Island, a new event organized by the Daniel Island Rotary Club, is making its debut on Wednesday, March 3 and island residents and businesses are already hoping it will become an annual event!

From 5:00 – 8:00 pm, ticket holders will stroll through downtown Daniel Island, stopping at each of the event’s nine participating restaurants. As they progress from location to location, guests will chat and mingle while they sample and enjoy a taste or drink from each spot.

And the list of participating restaurants looks delicious! Guests will stop at Queen Anne’s Revenge, Laura Albert’s Tasteful Options, Vespa, Wasabi of Daniel Island, Dragon Palace, Two Rivers Tavern, Et Cetera Gourmet, Daniel Island Grill and Brewer’s Bistro.

Proceeds from the event will go to Charleston-based Water Missions International, a Christian, nonprofit organization that provides clean, safe water to people in developing countries and disaster areas. To read My Island Town’s recent article about Water Missions International, click HERE.

Tickets are $20 each and can be purchased from any Daniel Island Rotarian, participating restaurants and the Property Owners’ Association office.

A limited number of tickets will be sold for this event — get yours now before they sell out!