Happy Friday, Summerville!

It's officially October! We celebrated by letting our two-year-old run around in his dinosaur Halloween costume for an hour after dinner last night—which he then insisted on sleeping in (we did not let him).

This week, our family is continuing one of our favorite annual traditions with a trip to Westbury Farm. We'll tackle this year's corn maze, pick out a pumpkin from the u-pick patch (and maybe keep it indoors for a few extra weeks so it doesn't turn moldy before Halloween—a lesson we learned the hard way last year after Daniel was scraping pumpkin off our front porch with a shovel by mid-October), and, of course, let the boys spend way too much time in their favorite spot: the massive sand pit. You'll find everything you need to know about visiting Westbury Farm in this week's newsletter, including some fun new events they're hosting throughout October.

Our events section is packed with fall fun too! We've included details on Hickory Bluff Farm's Apple Celebration this weekend, family-friendly fall nights in Goose Creek, and a dog costume contest that's fun for the whole family. (If your child is always looking for another excuse to wear their Halloween costume, this is one of those costume-welcome events!)

If your family has a favorite fall tradition in Summerville or the surrounding area, we'd love to hear about it. We're always looking for new favorites to share with the community!

Westbury Farms is going all in on fall this year, and it's shaping up to be a great season for Summerville families looking to stay close to home. Right in town on North Gum Street, the farm is open Thursday through Sunday, 10am–5pm, throughout the month of October, with a pumpkin patch, corn maze, games, and plenty of autumn fun to fill an afternoon. This year’s corn maze honors Little Girl, a horse that grazed the pastures at the farm for 30 years, by leading you to a horse profile at the end of the Maze.

The pricing keeps it easy on the wallet. Daily admission is $8, event admission is $10, and kids 3 and under are free. That daily admission gets you access to the pumpkin patch, the corn maze, and the rest of the farm's standard attractions.

Beyond the day-to-day farm fun, Westbury has a packed lineup of special additions and events worth planning around:

Noah's Little Stuffers Build-A-Friend Experience — A mobile stuff-a-plush experience coming to the MaryMeade Market at Westbury. Kids choose a 16-inch animal, stuff it, make a wish, and adopt it, with options to add a t-shirt, outfit, and more. Every Stuff-A-Friend comes with a special wish star, an adoption certificate, and a take-home bag. A sweet add-on for younger kids, and a fun one for birthdays or special outings.

Halloween Festival — Saturday & Sunday, October 10–11, 10am–5pm. The big one. Expect cotton candy, fresh-squeezed lemonade, popcorn, cider donuts, an I-Spy scavenger hunt, U-pick and pre-picked pumpkins, a Monster Mash dance party, a spooky corn maze, lots of games, food trucks, market shopping, and fresh produce. Saturday features a costume contest, and Sunday brings a Dolly Parton look-alike contest. There's also a pumpkin carving contest — carve at home and bring it to the farm for display.

Fill Your Cup Friday — Every Friday at Westbury. A standing invitation for moms to slow down, fill their cup (with coffee, mocktail, or dirty soda, depending on the week), and connect with other mamas. Come as you are, bring a friend, or come make a new one. A lovely reminder that the season isn't only about keeping the kids busy.

Trunk or Treat — Saturday, October 24, 2026. Sign-ups are now open. You can DM them to participate with a trunk! This one is free to attend. If you'd also like access to the pumpkin patch, corn maze, and other attractions that day, it's the standard $8 admission.

Westbury Farms is at 1005 North Gum Street, Summerville. Follow along for event updates and sign-ups, and plan to make at least one trip out this October.

Summerville’s newest coworking space is finally here, and it’s directly in the center of downtown Summerville!

If you've walked past 128 South Main lately, you may have noticed some activity behind the windows directly above Accent on Wine. That's us. For the past few weeks we've been turning a 740-square-foot suite right on Hutchinson Square into Hutchinson Yard, a small, thoughtfully curated coworking space for those in Summerville who are tired of working from their kitchen table.

Here's what's available now: a mix of sitting and standing desks, bar stool seating along the front windows overlooking Hutchinson Square, a private conference room for calls and client meetings, a coffee setup, two 125-year-old original bank vaults, and more!

Memberships are first come, first serve, and spots are filling up fast.

For the next 7 days Palmetto Parents get $100 off their first month by using code PALMETTOPARENTS100.

See you there!

Hickory Bluff Farm Apple Season Celebration
Friday October 2 & Saturday October 3 | 10am-2pm | 3019 Old Gilliard Rd, Holly Hilly | Free

If you’re looking for a way to spend this beautiful day and you’re not quite ready to move into pumpkin season, Hickory Bluff Farm has the perfect day scheduled for you! Their Apple Season Celebration kicks off today and if weather permits, will continue tomorrow (check their socials for a rain update). The celebration includes all types of apple goodies like apple cider slushies, caramel apple tea, apple loaves, scones, pies, apple cider donuts, & more. There will be plenty of family fun with kid friendly games and activities including cake walks and their brand new apple launcher! Hickory Bluff Berry Farm is about a 30-40 minute drive outside of Summerville.

Boulder Bluff Bites
Thursday, October 8 | 5:30-8pm | John McCants Veterans Park, 355 Anita Dr., Goose Creek | Free

Goose Creek Recreation brings a free neighborhood night to Boulder Bluff on the second Thursday of each month this fall, with food trucks, live music, games, and crafts. It's exactly the kind of easy weeknight plan I love: nobody has to cook, the kids get to run around, and you're home at a reasonable hour. If you miss this one, the last Bites night of the season is November 12.

Dog Costume Contest
Friday, October 9 | 4–7pm | Uptown Green at Uptown Carnes, Carnes Crossroads

If your dog has as many Halloween costumes as your kids do, this one's for you. The City of Goose Creek is hosting a costume contest on the lawn at Uptown Carnes where dogs and their owners walk a runway to show off their costumes, and costumes are encouraged for the humans too. There will also be pet vendors and organizations, pet-related businesses from Uptown Carnes, crafts, a DJ, and, according to the city, "maybe even a surprise appearance by a Disney princess or two." My boys would love this even without a dog in the running.

Written by: Luanne Berk

Without a doubt, the atmosphere at Cielo wins the prize as soon as you set foot inside! There are about 5 full-size trees right down the center of the dining area and LOTS of wicker and straw light fixtures hanging from the ceiling, along with lively music, screens in the bar with sports playing and just an overall fun feeling – you get the sense that you’re in a small village somewhere off the beaten path deep in the heart of Mexico.

After reading their story on their website, their truly authentic vibe is no surprise. Cielo’s founders are originally from Jalisco, a western state in Mexico, “the birthplace of tequila, birria and many of Mexico’s most iconic culinary traditions”.

Each time I’ve been there, at least one large group was celebrating a birthday or another special occasion. The restaurant seems to be well-prepared for those types of events: they have lots of large tables and several larger booths, the half-circle ones that can seat groups.

Now for the food. First, I love going there for lunch: it’s affordable with several 10-dollar options and a “pick two” for 12 dollars. And the serving sizes don’t seem to be compromised by the lower price. I had the Lunch Fajita Quesadilla with Steak for 10 dollars – delicious! Many of the ladies ordered the Cielo Bowl, which is quite popular and they raved about it. The service was great and everyone was stuffed – many needed carryout boxes.

For our most recent dinner trip, I ordered the Fajitas and had to share much of it with my husband. He had the Cielo Bowl with chicken. We were both happy with our choices: the food was fresh and hot, nicely seasoned, and we were thoroughly satisfied, probably a bit too much. The waitress was quite friendly, brought us extra chips and salsa, checked on us regularly, overall a great experience.

They have a beautiful bar area with lots of sparkle and lights -- I ordered a Cosmopolitan when we were there for dinner, and it was perfect! We don’t drink much so I can’t give a serious review of that area of the restaurant, but it always seems busy and lively, a good sign.

I will add that we have never had to wait long for a table, but I think it’s because we have been there at lunch or an early (5:30) dinner. It seems to get more busy around 6pm (and later) many nights, so plan accordingly.

There are some special deals going on right now: Mondays: 20% off all food and drink. Taco Tuesdays: (3 tacos for 5 dollars), and for all you parents, Monday thru Wednesday: one free kids’ meal with the purchase of each dinner entrée (dine in only and some exclusions). Kids’ meal options include things like rice bowls, nachos, tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, and classics like chicken fingers and cheeseburger and fries.

Love,

Courtney, Daniel, and the Berk Boys

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