For 26 years, the Town of Mount Pleasant's Holiday Market & Craft Show at the Farmers Market Pavilion was the first chance to buy handmade gifts from local vendors. It still runs on December 12, and it now has company. On Sunday, November 22, the Town opens a second market at Park West Recreation Complex. That puts local gift shopping 20 days earlier and makes the weekend before Thanksgiving a full two-day holiday opener.
Saturday already had Boone Hall Farms in the daytime and the tree lighting at Mount Pleasant Towne Centre at night. The new Sunday market fills in the rest of the weekend, and together the three events run from the north end of Highway 17 to Park West in under 36 hours.
The new piece is Sunday at Park West
The Merry Makers Market runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on November 22 at Park West Recreation Complex, 1251 Park West Boulevard. The Town announced it in an August 4 news release, calling it new to the East Cooper area. Events Coordinator Tracy Richter said in the release, "We are excited to add a new market to kick off the holiday season."
Both markets have the same rule. Vendors sell locally grown produce, homemade preserves, baked goods, hot food and handcrafted gifts such as ornaments, glasswork, woodwork, clothing and original art, and commercial or mass-produced items are not accepted. The Town said it would choose a varied mix of vendors to keep the shows balanced and give every participant a fair shot at sales. Applications for both markets closed September 12. According to Experience Mount Pleasant's event listing, Merry Makers will also have farmers, growers, bakers, food trucks and local artists.
The change is in the timing. Before this year, anyone who wanted gifts from local makers waited until mid-December, when the shopping window before the holidays is nearly gone. A late-November market leaves time to ship a gift out of state or to go back to the December show for a second look at a vendor.
Saturday starts at the north end of Highway 17
Boone Hall Farms holds its Christmas Tree Festival on Saturday and Sunday, November 21 and 22, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. both days at 2434 N. Highway 17. Admission is free, with no ticket required. Boone Hall's event page says the festival opens its holiday season "the weekend BEFORE Thanksgiving," and Thanksgiving this year falls on November 26.
The free admission is courtesy of Starling Chevrolet and Beacon Community Bank, and so are the free activities: Christmas crafts, the photo booth, live music and holiday photo ops. Santa is there from noon to 6 p.m. each day, and families can take as many photos with him as they like on their own phones or cameras at no charge. Christmas cookies are baked on site. Face painting costs extra, and other food is for sale.
Boone Hall sells fresh-cut trees, handmade wreaths and decorations. Part of the money from those sales goes toward Christmas gifts and a celebration for children supported by Windwood Farm in Awendaw.
Leave the dog at home for this one. Boone Hall's special-event policy allows only ADA-compliant service animals. That is a change for anyone whose last town event was the Old Village Harbor 5K on November 14, which welcomed dogs and strollers at Alhambra Hall.
Saturday night is the tree in front of Belk
The weekend's two Saturday events share a sponsor. Starling Chevrolet helps pay for Boone Hall's free admission and also presents Lights Up at Mount Pleasant Towne Centre, along with Roper St. Francis Healthcare and AV Connections.
According to Towne Centre's event page, festivities start at 6 p.m. Saturday in front of Belk, and the 44-foot Christmas tree is lit at 7:30 p.m. with a laser light show. The East Cooper Baptist Church Choir & Orchestra and Jared Petteys & The Headliners perform, and Brian Cleary of 92.5 Kickin' Country hosts. Santa makes an appearance too.
The evening also raises money for Camp Rise Above, which runs camp programs for children with serious illnesses, disabilities and other challenges. Camp Rise Above volunteers sell light-up items so guests can glow along with the tree. Visiting vendors include Zimos Gyros, & Lobster, Madrigal Tacos, Holy City Popcorn, Delights Desserts & Coffee, Holy City Homemade Italian Ice, Nothing Bundt Cakes and Pure Fluff Co. Towne Centre restaurants serving that night include Malika, Grimaldi's Pizzeria, Burtons Grill & Bar, Sweet Julep's, The Wine Cellar, SAVI Cucina & Wine Bar and Jon Smith Subs. Faces by Faith does face painting, Carol's Balloon Art makes balloon animals, and The Sparkle Bar does fairy hair. Towne Centre says parking anywhere on the property is always free.
Two newer restaurants are close by for dinner after the lighting. Revolving Sushi Kingdom opened at Towne Centre in September at 1594 Palmetto Grande Drive. The Post and Courier reported that owner Anna Chen and chef Hang Li run it. A short drive away at 341 Johnnie Dodds Boulevard, Loong Yan held its ribbon-cutting with the Town on November 4. The Town's release says owners Emely Yan and Yupeng Lin serve Shanghai soup dumplings, Cantonese dim sum and wok dishes such as dan dan noodles and Yangzhou fried rice. It is the sister restaurant of Chef Loong Dim Sum & Soup Dumplings in West Ashley.
The weekend at a glance
| Day | Time | Event | Location | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, Nov. 21 | 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. | Christmas Tree Festival, Santa noon to 6 p.m. | Boone Hall Farms, 2434 N. Hwy. 17 | Free admission |
| Saturday, Nov. 21 | 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., lighting at 7:30 | Lights Up | Mount Pleasant Towne Centre, in front of Belk | Free parking |
| Sunday, Nov. 22 | 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. | Christmas Tree Festival, Santa noon to 6 p.m. | Boone Hall Farms | Free admission |
| Sunday, Nov. 22 | 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Merry Makers Market | Park West Recreation Complex, 1251 Park West Blvd. | Vendors set prices |
On Sunday, Merry Makers is open entirely within Boone Hall's hours. That means one day can cover the market at Park West and a tree from Boone Hall, which is the tree-buying day plenty of households would have planned anyway. Saturday keeps its usual pattern of farm by day and tree lighting at night.
Everything after Thanksgiving follows from this weekend
With the season starting on November 21, the December events read as a continuation of it. The Town scheduled its two big December events on back-to-back days, so the markets and the parade end up as matched bookends on either side of Thanksgiving.
- Wine Under the Oaks, Sunday, December 6, 1 to 5 p.m. at Boone Hall Plantation & Gardens. The afternoon includes wine tastings, complimentary oysters and desserts, and wine and cooking demonstrations.
- 27th Annual Holiday Market & Craft Show, Saturday, December 12, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Farmers Market Pavilion. Admission and parking are free, and the day includes balloon art, caricature drawings and a visit from Santa.
- Oysters on the Point, Saturday, December 12, 2 to 6 p.m. at Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina, with Sol Driven Train playing. Tickets are $15 online or $18 at the door, and children 12 and under get in free.
- 31st Annual Christmas Light Parade, Sunday, December 13, 5:30 to 8 p.m. The route runs from Live Oak Drive along Coleman Boulevard to Patriots Point Road. The Town describes it as one of the largest nighttime parades in South Carolina and requires every entry to be fully lit and decorated.
The Town runs both markets and the parade through its Special Events Office.
Our team at Smith Spencer Real Estate will be out this weekend like plenty of our Mount Pleasant neighbors, whether that's picking a tree at Boone Hall or finding a gift at Park West. If you'd like a list of local vendors, restaurants or holiday traditions to share with family visiting for Thanksgiving, contact us and we'll send what we know.
