Charleston magazine Society blog

On Thursday, partygoers came out in droves to Party with Skirt! magazine who hosted an unforgettable party at Bridgeside Events in Mt. Pleasant. Skirt! staffers were on hand to meet and greet as guests made their way inside. While checking in, everyone was intrigued by the hundreds of blue and white bags that were stacked behind the registration table. When I inquired about their contents, I told with a smile that I would have to wait until the end of the night to receive my swag.

Men in skirts were everywhere. I think I saw about 30 different guys in as many styles. Joe Condon and Tim Gross wore skirts that they said reflected their own personal styles. Joe wore a mini with leopard trim while Tim opted for a simple, long, jersey number. A few of my other favorites were the floral sarongs and tiered pleated skirts.

Since this was an indoor/outdoor affair, most partygoers mingled on the outside patio. The weather was perfect and the view of the Charleston Harbor was amazing. Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka was the drink of choice, and light nibbles were provided by Granville’s Catering.

By the end of the night, the Hat Ladies completely took over the dance floor, dancing to the sounds of Mystic Vibrations. It was quite the scene- ladies with adorable hats and men in skirts dancing with one another.  Swag bags were given out to all that stuck around until the end.  Each bag was filled with coupons from Flingwear and Mary Mojo, a free treat from Cupcake, and the book He Said She Said: Men and Women Square Off on Sex, Money, and Who Rules the World, written by the editors of Skirt!.

The event raised more than $5000 with proceeds benefiting the Komen Lowcountry Race for the Cure.

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Not even a heat index of 112 could keep festivalgoers from attending the third annual Shrimpin’ and Shaggin’ at the Charleston Maritime Center last Sunday. The entire space was taken over by local restaurants and caterers selling appetizer portions of their favorite shrimp dishes. Lovers of this favorite local crustacean were in for a real treat. Guests sampled everything from North African spiced shrimp by Duvall Catering and Event Design to bacon-wrapped shrimp tacos with mango BBQ and poppy-seed slaw by Gourmet Bay Catering, who, by the way, won the Shrimp Recipe Contest. The judges said that the decision this year was really tough, but after tasting shrimp dishes for more than two and half hours, Gourmet Bay Catering’s recipe was a standout.

After eating their way through this “Shrimp Feast,” guests hit the dance floor and shagged to the smooth sounds of The Tams. These guys were amazing. It seemed they can play just about every genre of music. The Michael Jackson medley was my personal favorite, and judging by the filled dance floor, I think everyone else’s as well. There was an official dance contest, but the unofficial dance off was between two little girls who jumped around like they were part of a mosh pit to almost every single song. I was exhausted just watching them.  

Proceeds from the event will go to the SC Shrimpers Association, National Association of Caterers Scholarships for local culinary students and members, and the Spirit of South Carolina.

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On Thursday night, realtors from all over the Lowcountry were treated to a lively carnival themed party dubbed “Under the Boardwalk” at the Gaillard Auditorium hosted by the Charleston Trident Association of REALTORS. For the past few years, this event has only been open to realtors, but this year it was open to the public in hopes of raising attendance, as well as awareness and funds for affordable housing organizations in the Lowcountry (including Habitat for Humanity, Operation Home, Crisis Ministries, etc…) in the form of grants from the REALTORS Housing Opportunities Fund (RHOF).  

When I arrived, the party was already off to a good start.  Beach music from the East Coast Party Band was echoing throughout the room. Guests were enjoying a wide variety of activities from caricature drawings by Melton Art to a bean bag toss sponsored by Carolina One. People were literally lined up to play. The silent auction was quite active with items from every category imaginable. There were more than 100 items to bid on.

Hamby Catering did a spectacular job with the food. In keeping with the carnival theme, guests were treated to hot dogs, mini burgers, popcorn, candy apples, and snow cones that were spiked with rum.   The chocolate fondue fountain was a complete homerun.  I saw a few ladies camped out in front of this display the entire evening.

As the evening came to a close, presenter Doug Warner grabbed the mic and reiterated the importance of RHOF and thanked everyone for their continued support.

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