ISSUE 4 | SEPTEMBER 2026

As we enter fall and the October “Spooky Season,” South Carolina’s Lowcountry becomes alive with folklore handed down generation to generation. Every town seems to have a favorite story that lingers and grows in detail or exaggeration. For families exploring the region, our legendary tales offer a gentle, imaginative way to connect with the past — not necessarily through fright, but often through culture and community tradition.

Bluffton contributes one of the Lowcountry’s most beloved pieces of lore: the Burning of Bluffton and the mysterious stories that grew from it. In June 1863, Union forces set fire to much of the town during the Civil War. According to local legend, residents later reported strange lights flickering along the May River, as if lanterns were still being carried by families fleeing the flames. Some say the lights belonged to townspeople trying to save their homes; others believe they were Union scouts returning to the scene. Today, the story is shared more as a symbol of Bluffton’s resilience than as a ghost tale — a reminder of how the town rebuilt itself from ashes and kept its identity intact.

Charleston, with its cobblestones and centuries‑old architecture, remains the Lowcountry’s richest source of historical ghost lore. At the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon, families can explore the underground rooms where pirates, prisoners of war, and smugglers were once held. Guides share stories of mysterious footsteps and glowing lanterns, but the emphasis stays on the building’s role in colonial and Revolutionary history. Kids often enjoy imagining the dungeon bustling with soldiers, sailors, and merchants from long ago.

Children often love learning that the color was believed to confuse spirits into thinking the ceiling was the sky or water. This tradition, rooted in African spiritual beliefs and carried forward through generations, remains one of the Lowcountry’s most recognizable cultural signatures.

Beaufort’s ghost stories often blend maritime history with mystery. Tales of phantom footsteps in historic homes or ghostly lanterns along the riverfront are often shared during walking tours, but they’re presented as part of Beaufort’s layered past — a past shaped by soldiers, sailors, and families who weathered wars, hurricanes, and eras of great change.

Perhaps the greatest feature of Lowcountry’s ghost stories isn’t fear, but connection. Many of these tales allow families to explore history in a unique way that brings the region’s history to life. They invite youth to imagine being one of the children who walked these streets long before them, and they remind adults that the Lowcountry’s magic lies not just in its beauty, but also in its stories passed down through time. 

A portion of each sale is returned to the country to support those who create these masterpieces and their community. Products can also be purchased online.

Stretching from Charleston to Hardeeville, farmers markets offer a flavorful snapshot of the people and places that make the Lowcountry feel like home. Each provides a unique atmosphere. Maybe it’s the availability of food trucks and homemade crafts, the focus on providing activities for children, or simply the sound of a guitarist strumming favorite tunes beneath an oak tree. These markets are more than shopping – they’re celebrations of community, seasonality, and the Lowcountry lifestyle.

NORTH CHARLESTON, GOOSE CREEK & SUMMERVILLE

• North Charleston Farmers Market: Thursdays, May–October
  Centered in Park Circle, this market blends produce with arts, crafts, and community events.
• Goose Creek Farmers Market: Wednesdays & Saturdays, Year‑Round
  A reliable, multi‑day market with strong vendor consistency.
• Summerville Farmers Market: Saturdays, April–December
  A beloved market in historic downtown Summerville with a wide variety of growers and makers.

BEAUFORT, PORT ROYAL & THE SEA ISLANDS

• Port Royal Farmers Market: Saturdays, Year‑Round
  One of the Lowcountry’s premier markets—big, diverse, and always lively.
• Old Beaufort Farmers Market: Saturdays, April–November
  A scenic, seasonal market with a curated mix of produce, seafood, and artisan goods.

BLUFFTON, HILTON HEAD & JASPER COUNTY

• Bluffton Farm & Flea: Fridays and Saturdays, year-round
  Launched in June 2026, the area’s newest market addition offers a wonderful selection of baked goods; flowers and plants; and hand-crafted jewelry, ceramics, and woodworking products. 
• Bluffton Farmers Market: Thursdays, March–December
  Old Town Bluffton comes alive each week with produce, seafood, baked goods, and Lowcountry artisans. A must‑visit for locals and newcomers alike.
• Side Hustle Farmers Market at the Bluffton Taproom: Third Sundays, July-November
  The family-friendly, dog-friendly market highlights a variety of local vendors, from farmers to growers, food purveyors, makers, and artisans.
• Hilton Head Farmers Market: Tuesdays, April–November
  Held at the Coastal Discovery Museum, this market blends fresh food with educational experiences.
• Hilton Head Community Market: Saturdays, February–December
  Held at Shelter Cove Community Park, the market features numerous tents with food and crafts from local vendors.
• Hardeeville Pop‑Up & Seasonal Markets
  Hardeeville does not yet host a large weekly market, but the city features seasonal pop‑ups, holiday markets, and vendor events at the Recreation Center and local parks—often announced through city channels.

CHARLESTON & SURROUNDING AREAS

• Charleston Farmers Market: Saturdays, April–November
  Marion Square becomes a bustling hub of growers, bakers, artisans, and food vendors. It’s one of the region’s largest and most iconic markets.
• West Ashley Farmers Market: Wednesdays, April–October
  A community‑driven market with strong farm participation and rotating food trucks.
• Sunday Brunch Farmers Market: Sundays, Year‑Round
  Held at The Pour House, this eclectic market blends produce, makers, and live music.
• Sea Islands Farmers Market: Saturdays, Year‑Round
  A Johns Island favorite with a loyal local following.
• Mount Pleasant Farmers Market: Tuesdays, April–September
  A family‑friendly market with strong farm representation and prepared foods.
• Isle of Palms Farmers Market: Third Thursdays, June–October
  A coastal, boutique‑style market perfect for beach‑town browsing.
• Sullivan’s Island Farmers Market: Thursdays, Spring–Fall
  Small, charming, and very local.

So what can you traditionally purchase at these markets throughout the year? During spring you will find strawberries, radishes, lettuces, and soft‑shell crab. Summertime markets typically feature tomatoes, peaches, melons, sweet corn, and shrimp. During the fall you will find squash, sweet potatoes, greens, and local honey. Winter markets often include citrus, root vegetables, and oysters. Markets are the best place to find heirloom varieties and small‑batch goods that never make it to grocery shelves.

Farmers markets are the connective tissue of the Lowcountry. Your visits and purchases support family farms, strengthen local food systems, and offer a weekly reminder that coastal living is as much about community as it is about scenery. Don’t miss out on these great places to meet your neighbors, take home a few treasures, and taste the region one bite at a time.

Please check websites and Facebook pages for these markets before your visit as their operating schedules may change based upon vendor availability and interest.

Akomeya Asian Bistro in Bluffton is a reliable go‑to spot for bold Asian flavors, generous portions, and a welcoming atmosphere.

Located at 16 Kitties Landing Rd., the array of menu offerings reads like a culinary vacation brochure with stops in China, Japan, Thailand, and Hawaii.

The dining room features soft lighting and warm wood accents, anchored by a lengthy, welcoming sushi bar.

This atmosphere is polished without being pretentious and works equally well for a casual weeknight dinner or a celebratory night out.

The restaurant’s menu is impressively broad, offering something for every palate. The Chinese classics anchor the lineup with favorites like Sesame Chicken, Mongolian Beef, and General Tso’s Chicken. The Japanese selections include more than 30 sushi rolls, sashimi, tuna carpaccio, and other specialty rolls. Diners wishing to sample the heat and herbaceousness of Thai cuisine can’t go wrong with the Thai Basil Shrimp or Thai Basil Scallop. Ramen lovers can dive into Tonkotsu bowls, while poke fans enjoy Hawaiian‑style bowls with citrus salmon or spicy crab. Even dessert gets thoughtful attention, from mochi ice cream to bao donuts. Diners have a full array of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage options from which to choose.

6 Kitties Landing Rd, Bluffton

Among the most‑ordered dishes, Singapore Noodles stand out with a mix of chicken, shrimp, vegetables, and curry rice noodles. The Mongolian Beef is also a crowd favorite featuring tender slices of flank steak and sweet‑savory glaze. Dynamite Shrimp offers a crispy, spicy starter that pairs perfectly with a sushi roll, especially the ever‑popular Shrimp Tempura Roll. And for comfort seekers, the Tonkotsu Ramen delivers rich pork broth layered with seaweed, asparagus, and a soft‑boiled egg. Portions are generous, so don’t be surprised if you end up taking a good amount of food home with you.

On this trip we enjoyed appetizers of Pork Egg Roll, Crab Rangoon, and Hot & Sour Soup. All were delicious, but the soup stood out thanks to the richness of the broth. While some restaurants may thin out their broths to stretch portions or servings, that certainly is certainly not the case here. For our main courses we had General Tso’s Chicken and Sweet & Sour Chicken. Once again, the richness of the sauce in each dish let it be known that the kitchen prides itself on plating authentic dishes with flavors that don’t disappoint. The balance of the General Tso’s dish was perfect, offering just enough spiciness to wake up one’s taste buds without needing to extinguish the heat with gulps of water.

Akomeya succeeds in offering diners consistency among dishes, culinary creativity, and genuine hospitality. Whether you’re craving lo mein, sashimi, curry, ramen, or poke, the kitchen delivers with both care and expertise. Simply put, the bistro is a versatile Bluffton dining option that is equally suited for quick lunches, lingering dinners, and anything in between. 

Q: What has nature taught you about this area that most visitors miss?

Without knowing the details of what you're looking at, you don’t really get the value of it, and there are so many details. Why are the oysters stuck together in the Lowcountry? Why do we call it the Lowcountry? Why is the water green? It’s actually crystal clear, your eye plays a trick on you. When we were young, we didn’t have local ecology in our textbook. Now they’re starting to implement that into the school system. In fact, my organization, Sea Turtle Patrol, goes into the public elementary schools with a curriculum. 

Q: Why should those who love Hilton Head understand Sea Turtles’ story and their role in the coastal ecosystem?

One of the things I pull out on my tour is a Megalodon tooth. I explain to people that we still have them here, but we don’t call them Megalodon, we call them Carcharodon. The reason that the sharks survived the dinosaurs is because their food source survived the dinosaurs. The only predator for a large sea turtle is a big shark. Leatherbacks survived because its food source survived, and that’s the Jelly Fish. So because the Jelly Fish survived, the Leatherbacks survived, the Megalodon survived, which is now the Great White. So, without that sea turtle, who’s been on the planet for 100 Million years at least, we don’t know what the repercussions are. If you’ve built a framework based on these animals that survived mass extinction, take out that piece, we don’t know what would happen but I guarantee it would be huge.

Q: We hear about light pollution. Why is something as simple as a porch light or an oceanfront landscape light such a serious problem?

When sea turtles come out of the ocean at night, they can’t see where they’re going. If someone has a flashlight, they’re probably going to approach the sea turtle, not knowing that what’s going to happen is that the turtle is going to turn back around and get back to the water where it feels safe. It’s not going to put its eggs in the sand. She might try again later further down the beach, but if it happens again and again, she’ll just drop her eggs in the ocean because she’s got another clutch every two weeks and she has to make room for it. Red light is preferred because it’s less bright. Using a red light is most important when the hatchlings come out of the sand. Hatchlings, for whatever reason, will prefer an artificial light source over the glow of the moon reflecting on the water. They’re looking for water. It’s dark, they can’t see it, so they need some indication that there’s water there. The moon reflects on the water, so that’s where they go. But if there’s an artificial light and there’s a choice, even if it’s a full moon brightly reflecting on the water, they’re going to go to the artificial light. They just prefer it. As long as building lights are downward facing and shielded on the beach side, that reduces light pollution significantly. Some of the houses and hotels that are Sea Turtle Friendly Certified have changed the hue of their lights to the amber or red or orange spectrum, which does help.

Q: You’ve introduced a virtual reality experience, share a little about that and the Turtle Talks you host.

We have gone out with a filmmaker who has captured the entire nesting experience at night. And that was hard for even us to find..it took us three nights straight just to find those activities. Now when people ask where and when can they see a turtle lay its eggs or the hatchlings come out, I can tell them that unless you’re super lucky, you’re not going to capture that, so let’s see it through virtual reality. You feel like you’re there and you can see what it looks like because we went through the trouble of finding it for you. Turtle talks are every Monday night, June through August, rain or shine, at Celebration Park from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. I go through sea turtle biology, what we do on Hilton Head, answer questions, and cover lots of cool things to know about sea turtles. This year, if you want to come a little early, at 7:30 p.m. we’re having some kids games and the virtuality experience.

These are just a few highlights from our interview with Amber. Be sure to watch the full video interview! You can also learn more about Sea Turtle Patrol Hilton Head Island here.

The Lowcountry housing market across Bluffton, Hilton Head Island, and Jasper County presented a dynamic, shifting landscape in July 2026, characterized by diverging regional trends in home values, available inventory, and selling speed. Bluffton continues to show steady growth and demand. The median sales price climbed to $510,000—a 4.0% year-over-year increase—supported by a modest uptick in price per square foot to $256 (+2.4%).

Strong buyer demand translated into 186 closed sales for the month (up 11.4%), even as available inventory contracted by 18.0% to 588 active listings. However, buyers are taking slightly more time to commit, pushing Bluffton's median days on market up 32.4% to 49 days, with sellers ultimately capturing 95.8% of their original asking price. In contrast, neighboring submarkets experienced adjustments.

Median Sales Price

Hilton Head Island saw its median sales price ease to $752,000 (-10.4%), though its price per square foot held firm at $422 (+1.4%). Sales volume on the island moderated significantly to 128 closed transactions (-27.7%) alongside a 10.5% drop in total inventory. Interestingly, properties on Hilton Head moved faster than last year, averaging 35 days on market (-18.6%), while securing 95.8% of list price (+0.7%). Jasper County demonstrated the most notable supply expansion.

Closed Sales

Active inventory surged 35.7% to 369 listings, creating more choices for buyers but putting downward pressure on pricing. Jasper's median sales price fell to $420,895 (-14.1%) and closed sales dropped 39.2% to 76 homes. Listings in Jasper spent a median of 48 days on the market (+45.5%), though sellers still retained strong pricing power, closing at 97.0% of their original list price.

Things To Do: Upcoming Events of Interest

SEPTEMBER 2026

9/11 25th Anniversary Memorial 5K Run/Walk

➔ September 12, 2026. Bluffton, Station 30

Benefitting the Bluffton Firefighter Foundation, this inaugural Memorial 5K will raise funds for the Firefighter Emergency Fund.

Full Moon Shore Explore

➔ September 24, 2026. Hilton Head, Sea Pines Resort

Discover the beaches under a full moon while searching for nocturnal life, including ghost crabs and other sea creatures.

Blufftember Fest

➔ September 27, 2026. Bluffton, Oyster Factory Park

Oktoberfest Bier Garten (cash bars), local foods, arts & crafts, and live music. Lawn chairs and leashed pets are permitted.

Autumn Artisan Market

➔ September 27-28, 2026. Bluffton, Tanger 1

This popup event features numerous local artisan booths set up around the Tanger 1 grounds and walkways.

OCTOBER 2026

Beaufort Shrimp Festival

➔ October 2-3, 2026. Beaufort, Henry Chambers Waterfront Park

The 32nd Annual Beaufort Shrimp Festival will feature unique shrimp dishes from the region’s acclaimed restaurants and chefs. 

Historic Bluffton Arts & Seafood Festival

➔ October 9-18, 2026. Old Town Bluffton

Celebrate 22 years of tradition while enjoying a variety of Lowcountry cuisine, plus a fine art show featuring over 100 artists displaying and selling art.

Front Porch Concert Series

➔ October 15, 2026. Walterboro, Wildlife Center Amphitheater

Enjoy the final concert of the year featuring The Midnight City, an Alternative Pop Indie band from Charleston.

16th Annual Italian Heritage Festival

➔ October 17, 2026. Hilton Head, Coastal Discovery Museum

The event celebrates the rich, colorful, Italian culture and cuisine while supporting local charities and scholarships.

Night on the Sound

➔ October 17, 2026. Okatie, Weezie Educational Pavilion

Benefitting conservation efforts within the Sound, the evening features live music, signature drinks, and interactive food stations.

Haunted Hallows Festival

➔ October 24, 2026. Port Royal, Naval Heritage Park

Put on your costume and enjoy this event that started as a simple community gathering and grew into a full-fledged, family-centered fall festival.

Concours d’Elegance & Motoring Festival

➔ October 29-November 1, 2026. Hilton Head, Various Locations

Experience one of the country’s premier automotive events, featuring collector vehicles, once-in-a-lifetime experiences, and southern hospitality in the heart of the Lowcountry.

NOVEMBER 2026

Drayton Hall Archaeological Institute

➔ November 2-6, 2026. Charleston, Drayton Hall

Working alongside a team of archaeologists, participants will learn the methods and theories of archaeological fieldwork, record keeping, and artifact processing.

Folly Beach Porchfest

➔ November 7, 2026. Folly Beach, Chico Feo

About 25 musicians will perform on five stages during this free event from 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. with t-shirt sales benefitting Waves4Women.

Oyster Roast & BBQ

➔ November 7, 2026. Isle of Palms, The Citadel Beach Club

Highlighting the area’s fresh oysters and other great food, this event features live music, games, and raffles to support Charleston Habitat for Humanity affordable housing.

SC Ballet Presents The Nutcracker

➔ November 30-December 2, 2026. Charleston Music Hall

Kick off your holiday season by attending a performance of this Christmas Classic.

DECEMBER 2026

Christmas Made in the South

➔ December 4-6, 2026. Charleston, Exchange Park Fairgrounds

Search for gifts and other holiday treasures at this year's nationally acclaimed Christmas market, featuring makers, artists, unique gourmet food, and a variety of entertainment.

Winter Wonderland

➔ December 4, 2026. Hilton Head, Island Rec Center

This free, family-friendly event features bounce houses, a DJ, and a golden candy cane hunt. Food, drink, and some activities are sold separately.

Please note this is not a comprehensive list of all of the wonderful events happening around town. Be sure to check these and other online calendars for current and future events happening in the Lowcountry!

• https://charlestoncitypaper.com/calendar
• https://www.hiltonhead.com/event-calendar/
• https://calendar.locallifesc.com/
• https://www.visitbluffton.org/events
• https://hardeevillesc.gov/Calendar.aspx
• https://www.beaufortsc.org/events/
• https://southcarolinalowcountry.com/events-calendar/
• https://southcarolina250.com/events/

The Lowcountry Lifestyles Team offers a variety of services that include, buyer representation, seller representation, commercial real estate, new home construction representation, and real estate investment consultation.

Call us today if you would like to buy or sell a home! (843) 683-2165

Lowcountry Lifestyles Highlights


• Sun City Hilton Head Comprehensive 2026 Neighborhood Guide
• Tour Hilton Head's Hottest 55+ Community: Four Seasons at Hilton Head Lakes
• Top 10 Neighborhoods on Hilton Head Island
• The Lowcountry’s Arts, Culture & Hidden Gems Revealed
• Why Bluffton Is One of the Best Places to Raise a Family
• The Combahee River: The Lowcountry's Best-Kept Secret

Don’t forget to check out our newest videos at

youtube.com/@lowcountrylifestyles

Thank you for staying 'til the end of the newsletter and see you on the next one!

Sincerely, 



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