Make a joyful noise with Juneteenth, Sunset Jamz and piano jazz
Maura's Three for the Week in Charleston, 6/17 - 6/23
If Juneteenth is your jam this week, you’ll find stellar events around the Charleston area rolling out a host of musical styles and celebrations. If you’re set on soaking in a Lowcountry sunset with stirring live sounds surrounding you, head to historic Mosquito Beach. Like your music with a side of fries? Tuck into Little Jack’s Tavern for the acclaimed menu and local jazz piano, too. It’s all happening in Charleston, where summer is gloriously on.
Juneteenth is happening all over town
Various locales and times as follows
On Wed., June 19, from 12 to 5 p.m, head to the African Ancestors Memorial Garden at International African American Museum (IAAM), 14 Wharfside St. in downtown Charleston, to see Benny Starr and the FOUR20S perform live. Hosted by Alicia Brooks, festivities include live music, food trucks and interactive games. Explore the exhibits and the vibrant gardens as IAAM honors the resilience and joy of the African American spirit. Register here.
Also on Wed., June 19, from 6 - 9 p.m., the City of Charleston’s Community Services Section hosts a Juneteenth Block Party to celebrate the announcement of the MOJA Arts Festival's 40th anniversary season. The family-friendly block party on King and Ann streets in downtown Charleston will feature outdoor dining, live music, dancing, and artisan and crafts vendors. A music stage on Ann Street near the Visitor’s Center garage will host performers including The Legacy of Motown Band and Deninufay African Drum and Dance. For more information, visit https://www.charleston-sc.gov/streetevents.
Then on June 20, 5:30 - 8:30 p.m., Public Works Art Center, on 135 West Richardson Ave. in Summerville, mounts Juneteenth Jubilee, a free historic tribute to freedom and unity with art, a poetry performance, textile exhibits, kids activities, self-care goodies, food and drinks, community and so much more. For more information, visit here.
Make for Mosquito Beach for Sunset Jamz
Mosquito Beach, 1229 Mosquito Beach Rd., Charleston, Tues., June 18, 5 - 9 p.m.
On Tuesdays through August, Sunset Jamz infuses Mosquito Beach with live music, yoga and children’s activities. The sandy area along the marsh off of Sol Legare Road, where Black people often gathered during Jim Crow segregation, is now on the National Register of Historic Places, and is currently enjoying a multicultural resurgence as an inspired Charleston gathering spot.
For more information, visit quaponda.com.
Savor the piano jazz at Little Jack’s
Little Jack’s Tavern, 710 King St., downtown Charleston, Sundays and Tuesdays, 6 - 9 p.m.
Melodies on the keys, cold drinks, acclaimed food—and all in the company of fellow devotees of contemporary piano jazz. That’s what is now on offer on Sundays and Tuesdays at Little Jack’s Tavern, where you can chill inside in the air conditioning or on the shaded patio, and all the while vibe to live piano jazz.
For more information, visit littlejackstavern.com.
One for the Future: Charleston Literary Festival reveals first 14 scribes
Charleston Literary Festival, which this year runs from November 1-10 at Dock Street Theatre, will continue its commitment to diverse national and international literary excellence through a full-on roster of riveting reads — and equally riveting discussions surrounding them.
To wit: Its first announcement includes two Pulitzer Prize winners from 2024, Jayne Anne Phillips (Night Watch) and Ilyon Woo (Master Slave Husband Wife), as well as Oprah's Book Club Pick Colm Tóibín (Long Island). The festival has also announced Marie Arana (Latinoland), Emmeline Clein (Dead Weight), poet Nikki Giovanni, Eddie S. Glaude Jr. (We Are The Leaders We Have Been Looking For), Lottie Hazell (Piglet), Attica Locke (Guide Me Home), Catherine Lacey (Biography of X), Claire Messud (This Strange Eventful History), Paul Murray (The Bee Sting), Charan Ranganeth (Why We Remember) and James Shapiro (The Playbook). Time to rev up summer reading.
All-session access passes go on sale on Tues., June 18. Pro tip: There are a limited number available and they sell out every year. For more information and links to purchase books, visit charlestonliteraryfestival.com.
Makes me want to get on a plane!