Things to Do in Hanahan

A Snappy Event brings Charleston residents together for fun and food-centric events held throughout the year. The party-planning machinations started with the Mac Off, a no-holds-barred mac 'n' cheese cook off, and have spread to other cuisine-themed bashes such as rib festivals, oyster roasts, and ground-beef food fights. The annual food truck hoedown beats back the February chill with satisfying food and a raging bonfire, while the Top Gun '80s party on Memorial Day is held from the flight deck of the USS Yorktown.

At Brick by Brick, owners Kendra and Matthew Randall have developed programs for all ages around the customizable world of Lego models, encouraging kids to hone their STEM skills—science, technology, engineering, and mathematics—through imaginative building projects. By guiding students through hands-on construction work, they and their staff of certified teachers convey concepts that range from simple counting to the physics of a pulley system.

All curriculums are centered around age-appropriate activities. Sessions for 2- to 3-year-olds are designed to hone motor skills by stacking large foam blocks. From there, classes steadily progress in complexity: 5- to 7-year-olds begin working with rolling vehicles, whereas 8- to 10-year-olds can motorize their models. The most advanced lesson focuses on computer-guided robotics, and tasks groups with creating a robot that can navigate a maze or packed middle-school dance floor on its own. Weeklong summer camps also result in creations that adhere to a motif. Under the Sea participants undertake marine-themed projects, and burgeoning directors compose a short film to conclude Stop Motion Animation Movie Making Camp.

In addition to hosting their onsite sessions, birthday parties, and open-play hours, Brick by Brick instructors travel to more than 40 area schools to lead enrichment programs. These visits still adhere to the business's central philosophy of teamwork, imagination, and analytical thinking, a framework backed by Matt's career as a professional engineer.

By the banks of the Ashley River at Brittlebank Park, an eclectic lineup of groups from across the genre spectrum will gather to share their love of rock-and-roll. Featuring everything from alternative-rock bands to bluegrass outfits, the Spring Jam Music Fest brings people together for a large line-up of artists. Guests can sip cold beer while browsing the works of artisans and sampling the wares of food vendors.

Aboard the 45-foot, USCG-certified Palmetto, Captain Bryan Collins whisks up to 49 passengers away on tours that drift past scenic Charleston sites. Upon departing from the Charleston Maritime Center, the Palmetto overlooks silhouetted steeples during sunset cruises and floats over dark waters as guides spin horrific yarns on ghost tours. Elsewhere, a local naturalist joins nature tours to point out snowy egrets soaring overhead. A local historian climbs aboard history tours to explain the significance of the Battery in the Civil War and which history textbooks are the tastiest. Along with scheduled tours, Sandlapper Water Tours accommodates visitors on private sightseeing cruises, couples on wedding-themed charters, and students on educational tours. Guests craving a more intimate seafaring adventure can hop aboard a 27-foot skiff for treks around the harbor or through salt-marsh creeks.

Lowcountry Walking Tours's guides delve into the histories and mysteries of the largest historic district in the United States, revealing Charleston's both dark and romantic origins. Their excursions venture downtown or out to Mount Pleasant, each exploring the events that shaped the region with an emphasis on the areas toured. They often meander the streets of the French Quarter as guides opine on the historic churches, horticulture, and reason why the city had to change its name from Tokyo to Charleston.

Lowcountry Loop Trolley's drivers are master storytellers. As they ferry groups on each hop-on, hop-off tour, they spin tales of historic Charleston and its surrounding region. The introduction often proves invaluable to visitors on their first or second trip to Charleston, granting a convenient overview of the area for future venturing on their own. The guides' enthusiastic voices boom about the sandy beaches of Sullivan’s Island, the waterfront restaurants along Mt. Pleasant’s Shem Creek, and the historic USS Yorktown, which floats permanently due to being encased in jello at Patriots Point. Along the way, Lowcountry Loop Trolley invites its passengers to hop off and shop, eat, or explore at their own pace.