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It’s that time of year again when all the food and beverage pros descend on the Lowcountry for Charleston Wine + Food. While tickets are still available for the festival, there’s also a wealth of parties and pop-ups going on across the city, away from the Culinary Village. Check out just a few here.

If you have an event we missed, send us an email.

Thursday, March 7

Southern Speakeasy — Charleston-based magazine Garden & Gun and Louisville Tourism will throw a party with the theme of Southern Speakeasy, starting at 6 p.m. at the Garden & Gun headquarters (701 East Bay Street). Tickets are $275 and include bites from Louisville chef Andrew McCabe of Bar Vetti and drinks from Angels Envy bourbon.

Campari Takeover — Cocktail hangout Last Saint (472 Meeting Street) is hosting a Campari takeover with Nickle City out of Austin, Texas, and Caroline Glover at Traveling Mercies in Colorado.

Tequila Takeover — Tequila Komos director of education and advocacy, Ria Soler, will be at Mexican restaurant the Matador (235 Meeting Street) for a three-course tequila dinner at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $120 and include welcome cocktails and dinner.

Late Night — Chefs Digby Stridiron, chef Michael Rodriguez, and the Ordinary (544 King Street) bar manager Christian Favier are gathering industry folks for a big late-night party behind Babas on Cannon (11 Cannon Street), starting at 10 p.m. Look for Caribbean food and plenty of rum.

Friday, March 8

Caffeine Fix — Vodka brand Absolut teams up with lifestyle brand Kenny Flowers for an espresso martini soiree and pop-up shop at the Den (181 Church Street) at the Emeline Hotel. Stop in from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. for a rush of caffeine and perhaps a new shirt.

Saturday, March 9

Effin’ (B)reakfast — Effin B Radio creator Lindsay Collins will host an intimate breakfast at the Counter Culture Coffee training center (85½, Spring Street) from 10 a.m. to noon. Tickets are $65 and include breakfast, a tote bag, and a front-row seat to a live taping of the podcast with guest Hannah Welton of Weltons Tiny Bakeshop (682 King Street).

Apertivo Hour — Pizza party place Renzo (384 Huger Street) welcomes winemaker Matteo Giordano of Barbaresco’s Luigi Giordano for an apertivo hour starting at 12:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 and include snacks, with wines by the glass for sale. Giordano will chat about his family’s wine and there will be bottles for retail.

Another Apertivo Hour —Italian restaurant Frannie & the Fox (181 Church Street) invites award-winning bartender Valentino Longo for an apertivo hour in the courtyard from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Free Cheese — The Cheese Lady Laura Werlin will pop up around Charleston all weekend with her fabulous Wisconsin cheese cart and free samples. On Saturday evening, she will be at wine bar the Tippling House (221 Coming Street) from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The bar will pour glasses of Magnon Corbieres rose for $19 to go with all the cheese. The Tippling House is also selling all bottles of champagne for 30 percent off all weekend.

Crab Crack — The Food Section founder Hanna Raskin is throwing a garlic crab competition at the Starlight Motor Inn (3245 Rivers Avenue, North Charleston) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The battle includes Shanay Burch, Brandon Green, and Kouvarius Butler, with the attendees determining the winner. For $45, party-goers get to taste the competition, have a few drinks from restaurateur Jerry Slater, and grab a cupcake from Daddy’s Girl Bakery (2021 Reynolds Avenue, North Charleston).

The American Journeys exhibit at the International African American Museum (IAAM) in Charleston, South Carolina, which is the South's Best city for 2024, starts with a white cutout of Africa in front of muted photos of Black American heroes. The word “we” stretches the width of the continent in capital letters, and the statement continues on the floor below: “begin here.”

The IAAM opened in June 2023 on Gadsden’s Wharf, the former port on Charleston’s riverfront where nearly half of the enslaved Africans brought to this country first landed. The museum centers around the stories of these people and their descendants as well as the broader narratives of Black citizens across the United States.

The South's Best 2024

I began researching my family’s lineage about seven years ago, when I was pregnant with my son. I felt a strong desire to share my ancestry with him but realized I only knew about my living relatives. I used the last of my fleeting free time before he was born to sort through data in census records and on genealogy websites.

Recently, I took my son to the IAAM because I want him to engage with the full, unfiltered African American story at an early age, whether we’re finding out about our own family or the wider Black American experience. The galleries are full of interactive panels and videos that hold the attention of people of all ages and learning styles.

“The African American journey meets at the intersection of incredible trauma and joy,” says Malika N. Pryor, IAAM’s chief learning and engagement officer. “That can be a little tougher for a young person to process. So having a grownup (whether that’s their grandpa, mom, or another mentor) there can help them as they walk through that. I think that’s where the intergenerational component really comes into play.”

Halfway through the American Journeys exhibit, we stepped into an airy rotunda called the Center for Family History. Pictures of the Obamas, Catherine Braxton and Rebecca Campbell (sisters who had free and enslaved relatives at Drayton Hall, a former plantation on the Ashley River), and Darius Brown (a genealogist at the center) are displayed on the walls the way a matriarch places her family photos throughout her living room. My son touched the screen of an interactive kiosk, which invited him to delve into his own history.

“Don’t believe the myth that doing enslaved genealogy is impossible. It’s difficult; it’s challenging. Sometimes, it can be painful, but it’s not impossible.” —BRIAN SHEFFEY

More than just an exhibit, the center hosts in-person classes as well as virtual one-on-one sessions to help people of color from around the country further their family knowledge. “I’ve really gotten into African American genealogy to encourage people of African descent to start researching their history and to come away feeling empowered to do that,” says Brian Sheffey, the director of the center. “Don’t believe the myth that doing enslaved genealogy is impossible. It’s difficult; it’s challenging. Sometimes, it can be painful, but it’s not impossible.”

Colorful works fill the Creative Gathering exhibit. PHOTO:

COURTESY IAAM/MCG PHOTOGRAPHY

This portrait by photographer Ming Smith is titled Amen Corner Sisters. PHOTO:

COURTESY IAAM/MING SMITH STUDIO

One common roadblock for African American genealogy is called the “1870 brick wall.” “From the present day back until about then, everyone has the same kind of records,” explains Sheffey. “But for those of African descent, looking for anything from earlier than 1870 can go one of two ways. You have free people of color, whom you can research much like you would someone of White ancestry. And then you have the enslaved side, which has a different type of genealogy. You have to deal with other records.”

I, too, stumbled near the 1870 brick wall. I knew that my great-great-great-grandfather Henry Turner was born enslaved and that he served in the 53rd Regiment of the United States Colored Infantry during the Civil War. After exhausting online databases, I wasn’t sure where else to look. Sheffey recommended that I request his pension file from the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, D.C., or St. Louis, Missouri. These documents can give biographical information, including where someone lived, a physical description, and even who enslaved them. Before my visit to the center, I didn’t know this type of record existed.

The museum has ambitious goals to help Black families explore their origins, much in the way that Sheffey assisted me. According to Pryor, they intend to digitize the pertinent records to make pre-1870 research more accessible. Their loftiest plan is to gain access to slave ship logs, many of which are housed in the United Kingdom and the Caribbean. Having that information would allow more people to discover which countries their ancestors originally came from. What makes the Center for Family History unique, as an incubator within a historical museum, is that it challenges museum guests to think of genealogy beyond its value to one person or lineage. It reminds us that our collective histories form the foundation of the African American story—an integral part of the American journey.

IAAM is open Tuesday through Sunday. Timed-entry tickets are available online; the museum recommends purchasing them in advance.

Local governments should be encouraged to experiment with new services and policies that leaders think could save money, improve our quality of life or protect our environment, provided these governments learn lessons and adjust accordingly, even if it means ending a new program. Such thinking is why we expressed support two years ago, when the city of Charleston got a state grant to begin a new composting program in which residents could drop off food scraps to new drop-off sites.

The possible benefits — reducing landfill demand, lessening its methane emissions, creating beneficial mulch and empowering more residents to take another small step to address climate change — seemed worth the cost. And if residents chose not to participate, the newly created drop-off sites could quietly go away with minimal fuss.

But after two years, the results of this experimental compost program are in, and it looks very much like a winner. About 2,300 households have signed up to take part so far, and the number of drop-off sites has grown from three to about 20 (six new ones opened Friday), as other local governments signed on. The city surpassed its goal of collecting 50 tons of food scraps in 2022 by 4 tons; last year, it surpassed its goal of 150 tons by 5 tons. And this year, it set an even higher goal: 200 tons.

Residents who are not already participating should consider doing so, or even consider composting at home, because the benefits are numerous. Food scraps make up about a quarter of all garbage we throw out, so diverting food waste can result in fewer garbage truck trips, longer-lived landfills, less methane emissions and a new compost product that property owners can use to reduce their use of chemical fertilizers and that can even help absorb rainfall, Charleston Director of Sustainability Katie McKain tells us. Landfills produce about 17% of the nation’s methane — a potent greenhouse gas that scientists say is contributing to the warming of our planet.

Other local governments not already taking part also should do so, as Mount Pleasant, Sullivan’s Island and Isle of Palms have. Local government’s cost is only about $250 a month to haul off a collection site container.

Households that sign up at charleston-sc.gov/compost receive a kitchen compost caddy for their food scraps and the combination to the lock at their local drop-off site. It’s important participants follow the rules: It’s OK to drop off fruits, vegetables, coffee grounds, tea filters, yogurt, food-soiled paper towels, napkins and boxes, cooked meats, fish, shells, bones, milk and cheese. Unwelcome scraps include raw meats, plastics, fats, oils, grease and pet waste.

Charleston County’s Bees Ferry landfill site has been composting food waste and yard debris for years, and those who want to see this work up close may sign up for a tour on April 20 or May 11.

True, composting our food scraps is only a small step toward changes we should make to improve our resiliency to a changing climate, and it’s hard to say with certainty how much the individual actions of any one of us add up to any noticeable change. But the growing popularity of our public composting program is making an impressive case that it’s easy for all of us to join in. When Ms. McKain lists the benefits of composting, she begins by saying: “First and foremost is it makes our residents happy. People love it.”

MT. PLEASANT, S.C. – The Charleston Cougars defeated the Liberty Flames 8-2 Tuesday afternoon at Patriots Point.

The host Cougars plated four runs in the second and four in the eighth in their victory which closed out a five-game road trip for the Flames.

Designated hitter Todd Hudson had two hits and drove in a run for the Flames in the contest.

Liberty drops to 5-7 on the season. Charleston snaps a three-game losing skid and improves to 8-3.

Box Score Highlights Records: Liberty (5-7); Charleston (8-3) Location: Mt. Pleasant, S.C. (Patriots Point) WP: Andrew Duval (1-0) | LP: Ben Blair (0-1) | SV: Alex Lyon (1)

Scoring Summary 1^st – LIBERTY - Sweatt doubles, Rabon scores, 1-0 2^nd – CofC - Baumhofer singles, Neaves scores, 1-1 2^nd – CofC - Pendergrass singles, Wood scores, 2-1 2^nd – CofC - Mathis singles, Pendergrass and Baumhofer score, 4-1 5^th – LIBERTY - Hudson doubles, Sweatt scores, 4-2 8^th – CofC – Madden scores on a wild pitch, 5-2 8^th – CofC – Neaves scores on a wild pitch 6-2 8^th – CofC – Johson doubles, Singsank scores, 7-2 8^th – CofC – Pendergrass singles, Johnson scores, 8-2

Notable Numbers - Charleston had 13 hits in the contest. Liberty collected seven. The Flames committed the only error of the contest. - Liberty left 10 men on base. Charleston left seven men on. - Flames starting pitcher Ben Blair takes the loss. The right-hander allowed four runs on eight hits over four innings. He struck out one and did not walk a batter. - Charleston reliever Andrew Duval, the third pitcher in the contest for the Cougars, records the win. He gave up one run on three hits over three innings. He struck out one and walked one. - Cougars reliever Alex Lyon pitched a scoreless final three innings to earn a save. He allowed one hit and struck out two. - Five Cougars had two hits each in the contest. Center fielder Dariyan Pendergrass and designated hitter Cole Mathis drove in two runs apiece.

Beyond the Box Score - Today's meeting between Liberty and Charleston was the first-ever meeting between the two teams on the diamond. - Hudson's two-hit game was his second multi-hit game of the year. - Right fielder Camden Troyer singled and walked in the contest. The outfielder has now reached base in all 12 games this season. He is the only Flames to have reached base in every game this season. - With a single in the fourth, shortstop Tanner Marsh has now had at least one hit in each of the last five games.

Up Next With, their road trip complete, Liberty returns home to begin an eight-game homestand. The Flames will host the No. 11 East Carolina Pirates for a three-game series beginning Friday. First pitch at Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium is scheduled for 4 p.m.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — It is College of Charleston head basketball coach Pat Kelsey's go-to phrase.

The team is "25 strong," explaining the united front seen by the public from players, managers and support staff. No one is more important than the next in that group of 25.

There is one in that group, however, who has a different path than the rest of them.

When the College of Charleston wrapped up the CAA regular season title against Campbell, Pat Kelsey bolted for the stands. The fans started filing towards the doors, but the work was not done. In a general sense, for a team with greater goals. In an immediate sense, for Jay Poulos – who collected water bottles under the bench.

Read more: "Charleston Southern University officially names Saah Nimley as 13th head basketball coach."

"I was going to find a way to be a part of this team," Poulos, who is a 31-year-old student manager, said. "This is a job for me. Year 1 of my job. I'm not getting paid, but this is my job."

Poulos is a junior at the College of Charleston after transferring in from Trident Tech.

Though public opinion may not dwell on the short-term successes of a student manager, his family thinks the world of what he is doing to help the team.

"I'm so happy to have their support," he said.

Read more: "Charleston claims CAA regular season championship behind Reyne Smith's 32 points."

Family is preached throughout the program. Family is the program. But from here, Poulos has hopes of coaching basketball himself one day.

"I spent a lot of my time, a few years, doing what you have to do to survive," he said. "Day to day was a grind. It wasn't my passion. Being with those guys, and being a part of a team, part of a unit, trying to win and do something in the sport that I love and something within my passion."

For eight years, Poulos was in the United States Navy. He was across the world and far from the game he loved.

"I'm beyond proud," he said of his time in the Navy.

Read more: "Dawn Staley named SEC Coach of the Year, Angel Reese wins Player of the Year."

His time in the Navy taught him that perspective is everything. Laborious tasks now were his downtime vision a few years ago.

"I'm working towards having a job that is connected to the sport," he said.

The destination is all about the journey. For Poulos, his march will only exacerbate the madness – if it comes.

"Every day is a learning experience," he said. "Tournament. A bid to the Big Dance is all I've visualized since I joined this team. It would be dreams come true."