roofer in Downtown Charleston, SC

[UPDATED, 4 p.m.] Charleston Wine + Food (CW+F) canceled Saturday’s Culinary Village, which expected to entertain thousands of guests, due to severe weather that turned the North Charleston location in a messy, wet quagmire. By mid-afternoon Saturday, officials canceled Sunday’s Culinary Village, too.

“In consultation with the city of North Charleston, we have jointly concluded that it is unsafe to re-open the Culinary Village at Riverfront Park on Sunday, March 10,” according to a Saturday afternoon email by CW+F officials to Sunday Culinary Village ticket holders.

It then goes on to detail how much rain Riverfront Park has seen since March 1 — nine inches — and notes that flooding will take a day or more to clear.

Festival officials now are asking ticket holders to either turn their ticket into credit for a future CW+F event or consider their investment to be a charitable contribution.

Earlier Saturday, festival officials cited “heavy rains and lightning near the set-up site” as the reason for canceling today’s Culinary Village, which is set up at North Charleston’s Riverfront Park.

In pictures supplied by the festival, it’s clear that extreme morning flooding would have made Saturday’s event impossible.

Guests may also be able to exchange their tickets to another Wine + Food event later today or tomorrow, pending availability. Ticket holders are encouraged to email CW+F with questions and requests.

Both of the festival’s other outdoor Saturday events were moved indoors. Sabor will take place at Festival Hall in downtown Charleston and The Smokeshow will move to the Bus Shed on John Street. Ticket holders should check their spam email folders if they did not receive emails with information about the change

Check Wine + Food’s Instagram account for updates.

Plan for more rain, maybe some fun?

The city of Charleston warned in a Saturday press release of additional strong and severe thunderstorms headed into the area later this afternoon and evening. According to the release, more than 30 roads were closed in the city due to Saturday morning flooding and that number could increase.

The city urged residents to stay up-to-date about road closures by checking the city of Charleston Road Closures website and to continue to consult local news outlets with up-to-date weather information.

The Culinary Village wasn’t the only show in town today — Park Circle’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations are still on, with a number of local bars and restaurants participating with live music and food and drink specials. In addition to Park Circle fun, plenty of downtown bars and restaurants are still open and ready for guests, including Cleats, which is hosting a “cancellation party” starting at 2 p.m.

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Thunderstorms with lightning struck near the Culinary Village early March 9 followed by downpours that flooded the tents for the Charleston Wine + Food festivities. Organizers posted on Facebook that the day’s outdoor events were canceled.

As further rain storms loomed in the overnight forecast and organizers finally decided to cancel Sunday’s Culinary Village, too. Organizers issued an announcement saying that they consulted with North Charleston officials and agreed Riverfront Park was not a safe venue after the flooding.

“Unfortunately, the weather isn’t cooperating with our scheduled celebrations,” the post read, adding that organizers had hoped to host the popular outdoor event as planned. “This morning, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the festivities out of an abundance of caution for the safety, well-being and enjoyment of our participants and attendees. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.”

No refunds were offered. Ticket holders were told they can use their tickets on upcoming events, including the 2025 festival.

“Our team is deployed planning numerous remaining events for the weekend,” the announcement continued. “We ask for your patience as we work through these unforeseen circumstances

That prompted a flurry of responses, including some demanding refunds.

One responder noted that the Village on March 8 was “muddy but manageable.”

“I can’t even imagine the amount of mud there must be today after the downpour we just had! If you’re attending tomorrow wear your waterproof boots.”

Another posted a photo of the Village grounds. “It’s more than mud. They are under water.

The image showed inches of water flooding the entire grounds as far as could be seen, including under countless white tents.

The flooded Culinary Village became national news when The Weather Channel star meteorologist, Jim Cantore, tweeted video panning across the flooded ground on X.

“The culinary village at Riverfront Park is completely flooded from the high tide and excessive rainfall of the morning,” Cantore wrote. “Thousands of people were expected here today and tomorrow for the Charleston Food & Wine festival. Video via Alyssa Maute-Smith.”

The culinary village at Riverfront Park is completely flooded from the high tide and excessive rainfall of the morning. Thousands of people were expected here today and tomorrow for the Charleston Food&Wine festival. Video via Alyssa Maute-Smith @ericgephart @chswineandfood… pic.twitter.com/ajBLYIYP33

— Jim Cantore (@JimCantore) March 9, 2024

Bad weather earlier in the week also forced changes to festival venues.

Opening Night on March 6 was initially scheduled to take place at College of Charleston’s Cistern Yard, the host location for an evening featuring live music and food samples from 30-plus chefs in 2022 and 2023. Instead, weather forced organizers to move the event to Festival Hall, formerly Memminger Auditorium, on Beaufain Street.

The Charleston Animal Society (CAS), South Carolina’s first animal organization and one of the oldest in the nation, is marking its 150th anniversary on March 14 as part of a year of celebrations for its continuing work in animal welfare in the Palmetto State.

“The 150 years of leadership, tradition and excellence in improving the plight of animals and children illustrates what can be accomplished by a group of dedicated individuals and a committed community of compassionate citizens from one generation to another,” said CAS President and CEO Joe Elmore said in a statement.

Celebrations of the sesquicentennial year will continue through December as the organization weaves its history, mission and accomplishments through many of its coming events. Among the highlights are:

Founded by Charlestonians on March 14, 1874, as the South Carolina Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the organization’s immediate concerns were to combat the neglect of livestock, farm animals and horses. To begin to help these working animals, the society focused first on the inhumane shipping of cattle and the epidemic of stray dogs.

“A common misconception is that Charleston Animal Society was formed to shelter homeless animals,” Elmore said.

But as the needs of the community changed, so did the organization, expanding into teaching compassion to children and sheltering animals in response to the horrific conditions and mass killings by the local government as a way of responding to strays.

Elmore explained: “During that time, it was a common practice for government to round-up stray dogs and kill them en masse by drowning or other inhumane means. From New York City to Charleston, countless dogs met their final demise in the Hudson or Ashley and Cooper rivers.

“However, as the government-designated animal shelter in Charleston County, Charleston Animal Society worked for decades to lower euthanasia rates and push for more humane methods.”

In 1948, it built its first shelter on Meeting Street, a building that is now home to Patrick Veterinary Clinic. It then moved to locations on St. Andrews Boulevard., Dupont Road and Leeds Avenue before building its current Remount Road campus.

The organization has celebrated major accomplishments in recent years.

The organization has also hosted the nation’s largest annual statewide adoption event for dogs and cats for the past six years in a row, won a North American competition of nonprofits with Land Rover and sustained Charleston County as a no-kill community for the past 11 years.

“As we focus on the past, present, and future during our sesquicentennial year, we will provide

occasions to honor the past and to inspire a brighter future for the health and safety of both animals and people in the greater Charleston area and beyond,” said CAS board member Jane Graham, a co-chair of the 150th anniversary celebrations.

Work, live, shop and play — a planned Goose Creek complex could set a precedent for the city’s growth.

JJR Development LLC has unveiled plans for a 3-acre mixed use development on the vacant Super Carpets site on Highway 52.

The project will be part of the Central Creek Destination District that officials hope will provide a family-friendly, downtown-like area where residents can stay within the city for entertainment.

Phase one, which is still in refinement, will include a 4-story building with 111 rental units expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Mayor Greg Habib said the city is conscientious about large developments and how they fit into overall plans, but at the same time infrastructure needs to grow to keep the city alive.

“This project is really the first of its kind in Goose Creek,” Habib said last week. “It imitates a lot of other projects that have happened in Mount Pleasant and west of the Ashley where housing, retail, residential and office have been put in one place.”

Goose Creek has a long-term vision to create destination districts, and Habib said this project in particular “will transform what happens next” in Goose Creek.

“I think once people see this project be successful, it will lead to other redevelopment projects where density makes sense,” Habib said.

The building itself is contemporary, designed to introduce “new architectural context” to the city, according to Jeffrey Roberts, managing member of JJR Development.

“We think this site at the old carpet store site is such an important piece of land that makes a statement that Goose Creek is growing up now,” Roberts said.

Convenient addition

A new convenience store is coming to the Nexton community near Summerville.

Encore Development paid nearly $3.3 million for the 3.2-acre site at Nexton Parkway and Scholar Way for the development of a 7-Eleven, car wash and other retail uses, according to the commercial real estate firm NAI Charleston.

The property is within a couple of blocks of two supermarkets being built by Harris Teeter and Publix. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co., which has a branch next door, was the seller.

Next act

The first phase of redevelopment plans for the darkened Cinebarre movie theater property in Mount Pleasant have been laid out.

Charlotte-based Collett Capital‘s preliminary proposal calls for two 100,000-square-foot street-side office structures to be built on the Houston Northcutt Boulevard property. The designs, presented before a town review board for commercial real estate projects, are still being finalized.

If approved, the first phase would include a single building with 90,000 square feet of office space and 10,000 square feet of retail along the streetside of the property. Plans also include an adjacent greenspace with walkable paths, seating and a pavilion for live events.

Phase two would include a second building of equal size and a 500-space garage in the back where the vacant Cinebarre building currently stands. The rest of the property will be used for parking.

Regal Cinemas closed the full-service theater, where moviegoers could order food and drinks while they took in a show, in late 2021. It then sold the property to Collett and another investor for $14.25 million.

Summer sublease

Blackbaud Inc. is getting a new corporate tenant this summer when Charleston Regional Development Alliance moves into part of its Daniel Island headquarters.

The group has subleased nearly 7,000 square feet of space within the software company’s 172,000-square-foot home office at 65 Fairchild St.

The rental suite will serve as the new base for the economic development organization’s 14 employees when the 10-year lease on its Belle Oaks Drive location in North Charleston expires in May.

The decision to move to Daniel Island, which is in the city of Charleston and Berkeley County, was less about the geographic area and more about the building itself, said Karen Kuchenbecker, vice president of operations for the alliance.

“The way that the building was developed and all the bells and whistles and amenities, etcetera — you just don’t find that type of building for lease every day,” Kuchenbecker said.

CRDA’s plan is to be fully operational in its new space on June 1.

Blackbaud completed its newly built headquarters about five years ago. Its need for office space greatly diminished when the technology company switched to a remote workplace model during the pandemic in late 2021.

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CHARLESTON, S.C. – The University of Pennsylvania baseball team found itself in front early with a 5-1 lead in the fifth inning but couldn't hang on in an 11-5 defeat at the College of Charleston Friday afternoon at Patriots Point.

The Quakers (3-7) have dropped back-to-back games while the Cougars (9-3) won their second game in a row.

Quaker Notemeal *Penn totaled 13 hits on the afternoon, a season-high total so far.

* went 3-for-5 at the plate, while (2-for-4) and (2-for-5) each tallied a pair of hits.

* went 1-for-2 with two RBI. He also walked once.

* (0-2) was charged with the loss despite a solid start to the game with six strikeouts and only two walks. He ended up surrendering six runs, five earned on six hits.

* and combined for 1.2 scoreless innings of relief with a strikeout.

How It Happened got the game started with a leadoff single, as the Penn bats got to work early with two runs in the first inning—an RBI double to center field from and an RBI single from —to get out to a 2-0 edge.

retired the side in the bottom of the first, getting two Cougars to strike out, one looking, one swinging to head to the second with the lead.

Penn scored another in the second on sac-fly to right field, scoring to go ahead, 3-0. continued the charge with a two-out single to load the bases, but was thrown out at second on the fielder's choice to end the inning.

CofC tallied its first run of the day in the third inning off a Wilson error to cut the Quakers' lead to 3-1.

In the top of the fifth, Pokrovsky doubled for the second time and Polo walked to bring up Wilson with one out. He came through with a knock to left center, scoring two runs to add to the advantage, 5-1.

But the lead didn't hold in the bottom of the fifth, as the Cougars walked and singled twice with one away to load the bases for Cole Mathis. That's when Mathis ripped a triple to right center field, clearing the bases to make it 5-4. He ended up scoring on a wild pitch to tie the game at 5-5. CofC scored two more runs by way of another wild pitch and passed ball, respectively, adding one more on a double to lead 8-5 heading into the sixth.

Charleston added three more runs in the seventh inning with pitching keeping the Quakers in check to come away with the 11-5 final.

Up Next Saturday's doubleheader was changed to a single game at 1 p.m. due to the incoming inclement weather. That game will be streamed live on FloBaseball with live stats provided.

For the latest on Penn baseball, follow @PennBaseball on X (formerly Twitter), @Penn_Baseball on Instagram, and on the web at PennAthletics.com.

#QuakeShow #FightOnPenn