Good Morning, Palmetto Parents!

We're looking ahead to another rainy weekend! 🌧️

We're definitely feeling for all of the local farms and small businesses that rely on October weekends. They've now had two weekends in a row impacted by hurricane rains. Hopefully, as a community, we can rally around them and support them on the beautiful days we do get this month. Westbury Farms, which we featured last week, has already postponed its Halloween Festival from this weekend to next weekend.

Last weekend, Daniel and I definitely underestimated the weather and headed into downtown Charleston on Sunday evening for a date night. What started as a low-key night quickly turned into quite the adventure. Our car stalled on a flooded street, and Daniel and ended up crawling out through the sunroof before giving me a koala-style piggyback ride through the floodwater. (Keep in mind, I'm 36 weeks pregnant!) It wasn't exactly the romantic evening we had planned, but it certainly made for a memorable story.

If the weather cooperates later this weekend, you'll find us Saturday morning at Gahagan Park for FIT4MOM Summerville's Family Day at 9:30am. This workout isn't just for moms—dads, grandparents, and any other caregivers are invited to join in and exercise alongside their little ones. After the workout, Palmetto Parents (that's me!) will be there with coffee and treats. If that sounds like fun, be sure to sign up! You'll also receive updates if the schedule needs to change because of the weather. And if the rain holds off, it's the perfect excuse to get the family out of the house before settling in for the rest of the weekend.

If you’ve been a subscriber for a while, you know we love Flowertown Charm. We went back again this year, and if you’re only going to do one special thing this fall, this is the one we’d point you to.

The whole premise is genius: you carve your pumpkin, and the goats take care of all the mess for you. No scooping slimy pumpkin guts into a trash bag, no cleanup afterward. You just hand the scraps over to a very enthusiastic goat and everyone’s happy. It makes the whole thing way more fun. Our older son was all in on the actual carving, while the highlight for our two-year-old was sitting on the tractor and saying hi to the dogs and chickens. Both of them had the best possible kickoff to fall break. Daniel’s highlight was cuddling one of the baby goats, and we half-seriously started talking about investing in a therapy goat of our own.

What makes it so special is the time you get with the animals. You’re not rushing through a petting-zoo line. Sessions run an hour and a half and are capped at a small group, so you get to interact with the goats, highland cows, a giant tortoise, bunnies, and dogs on a genuinely intimate level. Plenty of people the night we went were there purely for the snuggles, letting the goats go to town on their pumpkins without carving a thing, and that’s completely fine too. Jenna and Chris, who run the farm, are two of the most genuine and kind people you’ll meet in Summerville, and they go above and beyond to make sure everyone has a great time.

A couple of things to know. Get your tickets now if this interests you at all. We all know how fast pumpkins can rot (I’m giving ours some fridge time and maybe a bleach bath to stretch their life), but this is such a festive way to end up with a special pumpkin for your porch. Pumpkin Carving with Goats runs through the end of October, and then they switch over to other fun seasonal events like roasting marshmallows with goats in sweaters. This month they’re also offering snuggle sessions, photo sessions, and goat yoga.

Flowertown Charm is at 225 Stallsville Loop, Summerville. Tickets start at $22 and sessions sell out quickly, so book ahead at flowertowncharm.com.

Fall Family Photos with Kayla Vaughters

If you’ve been meaning to update your family photos but the thought of coordinating everyone for a full photo session feels a little overwhelming, this is for you!

Local mom and photographer Kayla Vaughters of Vaughters Photography is offering several fall mini session dates this November at some of Charleston’s prettiest spots. We’ve loved working with Kayla (we just did a maternity shoot with her and have her lined up for our newborn photos).

Kayla’s approach is relaxed and playful, focusing on real connection and personality rather than perfectly posed photos. Her sessions are especially great for families with little ones who would rather run, explore, and be silly than sit still and smile at the camera.

This year’s fall mini sessions include:

Whether you’re looking for updated family photos, something for your holiday cards, or simply want to capture this stage of life before the kids grow another inch, these minis are a fun way to do it without committing to a longer session.

And if you’ve got toddlers, energetic kids, reluctant husbands, or a family pet who refuses to cooperate for photos... Kayla gets it.  Her goal isn’t perfection — it’s capturing your family as you actually are.

Visit https://www.vaughtersphotography.com/blog/2026-fall-mini-sessions/ to see more of Kayla’s work and book your fall mini session.

Kids Club: Paws on Patrol K-9 Unit at the Summerville Museum
Saturday, October 10 | 10:30am
Summerville Museum & Research Center, 100 East Doty Ave, Summerville
$5 registration fee

The Summerville Museum’s monthly Kids Club is a great way to mix history and hands-on fun for the little ones. This month’s theme is Paws on Patrol, featuring a K-9 unit, so animal-loving kids can meet working dogs and the officers who handle them. There’s a $5 registration fee at the door. Sessions are capped at 18 kids, so spots are limited. To sign up, email the museum at [email protected].

Accessi-Fall Festival at Ashley River Park
Monday, October 12 | 10am–12pm
Ashley River Park, 200 Renken Rd, Summerville
Join Waitlist Here

Dorchester County Parks & Rec is hosting Accessi-Fall, a sensory-friendly fall festival designed with inclusion in mind. It’s a welcoming, lower-key way for families of all abilities to enjoy fall activities together in one of the area’s best parks. Unfortunately the program is currently full, but you can join the waitlist in the link above.

Hotel Transylvania 2 Movie Night at The Commonhouse
Saturday, October 17 | 6:30pm
The Commonhouse (directly behind Lowcountry Public House), 1426 Central Ave, Summerville
$8 per ticket, or $15 bundle with small popcorn & drink

Lowcountry Public House is screening Hotel Transylvania 2 at The Commonhouse, located right behind the restaurant. Grab your lawn chairs and blankets and come hungry, because they’ll have candy, popcorn, drinks, and hot dogs available. Tickets are $8, or go for the $15 bundle that includes a small popcorn and drink. It’s a fun, festive way to kick off the Halloween season with the kids.

Awhile back, when Al’s Burger Shack opened off Dorchester Road, we gave it a quick mention just to let you know it was there. Last weekend we finally tried it for ourselves, and it made for a great, easy family dinner out.

Daniel compared it to In-N-Out, in the best way. You feel like you’re eating a quality burger and fries without all the excessive grease weighing you down. The menu is refreshingly simple: a handful of craft burgers, hot dogs, and chicken items, plus straightforward options for the kids. Our boys were perfectly happy with their simple burgers and fries, Daniel loved his Reese’s shake, and I was thrilled to find they offer a genuinely good gluten-free bun, which isn’t always easy to come by when you’re eating out.

One of the real highlights is their house-made sauces. We tried the Al’s Sauce with our meal and were big fans. It’s the kind of small touch that elevates an already solid burger and keeps you coming back.

If you’re looking for a low-key dinner where everyone leaves happy, Al’s is an easy call. You’ll find it at 9500 Dorchester Rd, Suite 188, Summerville.

Last weekend, as we mentioned in the newsletter intro, our date night took a very unexpected turn. What was supposed to be an easy dinner out—and one of our last chances to enjoy downtown Charleston before baby #3 arrives—ended with a very late night and, ultimately, a totaled car. I won't pretend it wasn't stressful, and to be fair, Daniel has handled almost all of the logistics this week, so it's definitely taken more of a toll on him than it has on me. Between insurance, figuring out transportation, and finding a replacement vehicle, he's had plenty on his plate. But as I looked back on the whole experience, I realized it didn't leave me dwelling on the car nearly as much as it left me feeling grateful.

The first reason is pretty obvious: my husband. It may not have been the most romantic date night we've ever had, but somewhere between him willingly being the one who got completely soaked in the rain while insisting I keep the umbrella, climbing out through the sunroof after our car stalled, and carrying every glorious bit of my 36-weeks-pregnant self through the floodwaters, I couldn't help but laugh at how this was somehow romance in its truest form. It wasn't candlelight or flowers—it was sacrificial love in a very soggy parking lot, and I don't think I'll ever forget it.

The second thing I walked away grateful for was our community. Actually, several different communities. My in-laws happily kept our boys well past midnight without making us feel guilty for a second while we sorted everything out. The residents of the apartment complex where our car stalled were unbelievably kind. Complete strangers came outside with towels, let us charge our phones, offered us coffee, tea, cookies, and anything else we might need while we waited. Several of them even helped push our car out of the floodwater. They had absolutely no reason to stop what they were doing to help us, but they did anyway.

Even after we finally got moving again, the kindness kept coming. Both our Uber driver and our tow truck driver were locals who went far beyond simply doing their jobs. They comforted us, reassured us, shared stories of similar situations, and genuinely cared about getting us home safely. By the end of the night, what could have easily been remembered as one of the worst date nights we'd ever had had somehow become a reminder of just how many good people there are in our community.

We hear so many stories these days that make it easy to believe people are becoming less kind. Last Sunday reminded me of the opposite. Yes, we lost a car. Yes, it made for a long and exhausting night. But we also experienced incredible generosity from family, neighbors, and complete strangers. Looking back, I have a feeling that's what we'll remember most. The car will eventually be replaced. The kindness we experienced that night is something we'll carry with us for a very long time.

Love,

Courtney, Daniel, and the Berk Boys

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