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Welcome back, Palmetto Parents!
We have some amazing weekends of back-to-back family fun lined up in Summerville! You may already have September 20th’s Sweet Tea Festival on your radar, but this weekend there’s lots of fun to be had, too! Last week we featured tomorrow’s free block party hosted by the Public Works Art Center which is going to be amazing! Read on for the details for not one but two outdoor movie nights and another fun Summerville scavenger hunt hosted by the Summerville Museum.
This weekend also marks the start of the sweetest week in Summerville, starting with the Sweetest Sidewalk Sale (tomorrow, 10am-6pm) and continuing with the Sweetest Third Thursday Ever—all leading up to the big Sweet Tea Festival!
If you’d like to partner with Palmetto Parents to put your business in front of a highly-engaged audience of 7,000 parents in Summerville and/or Charleston, click here.
TO DO
Outdoor Movie Nights
It’s a weekend full of movies under the stars (and it’s finally cool enough to enjoy it). This weekend’s line-up includes:
Sing-A-Long in the Park at Gahagan Park: In celebration of the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, families can enjoy a sing-along screening of Disney’s Encanto. Yard games and food trucks will kick off the evening at 7:00pm, with the movie beginning at sunset. Guests are encouraged to bring blankets and lawn chairs to get comfortable for the show. This free event is open to the public and promises a fun, family-friendly night under the stars.
Movie Night at the Park at Ashley River Park: The evening begins at 7:00pm with a themed craft activity led by the Ashley River Library, followed by an outdoor screening of The Wild Robot around 7:45pm. Guests are encouraged to bring blankets and lawn chairs to get comfortable under the stars. A concession stand will be open with popcorn, candy, and sodas available for purchase—making it a perfect summer night out for the whole family.
If you enjoy outdoor movie nights but can’t make it this weekend, save the date for Summerville Parks and Rec’s next outdoor movie night on Friday, October 10th at Gahagan Park. It will be a Halloween Movie Night with the original Ghostbusters.
LOCAL EVENT
Scavenger Hunt at the Summerville Museum
If you loved our recent Summerville scavenger hunts, this event is perfect for your family! The Summerville Museum and Research Center is hosting a scavenger themed kids club tomorrow, September 13th from 10:30am-11:30am. There will be clues about local Summerville residents hidden on rocks that the group will search for together. There will also be cupcakes and goodie bags for all the kids after the event!
Email [email protected] to register your kids and you can pay the $5 fee at the door. Registration is open until the time of the event. Meet at the Summerville Museum at 10:30am and you will go on the scavenger hunt from there.
TOGETHER WITH
Summit Coffee
As parents, we love our coffee—and we also love getting out of the house with our kids. That’s why it’s such a gift to have a coffee shop that’s just as welcoming to families as it is to coffee lovers. Summit Coffee has created that space with three Lowcountry locations—Old Village (411 Hibben St, Mt. Pleasant), Long Point (565 Belle Station Blvd, Mt. Pleasant), and Nexton (408 Brighton Park Blvd Ste 106, Summerville)—making it a go-to spot for families.
We recently visited their Nexton location for story time, and their hospitality shined. Parents enjoyed discounted drinks, while kids were treated to free, house-made sprinkle cookies. It’s this kind of thoughtfulness that makes Summit stand out—welcoming spaces, inventive drinks, and pastries that please everyone in the family.
And right now, their new fall menu is the drool-worthy star of the show:
Cinnamon Toast Crunch Latte – iced brown sugar cinnamon latte, topped with cold foam & Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Latte – pumpkin + brown sugar cinnamon, topped with pumpkin cheesecake cold foam.
Maple Sea Salt Chai – iced chai with maple sea salt syrup.
Blueberry Pie Latte – iced blueberry latte with brown sugar cinnamon cold foam & drizzle.
Stop by soon to sip their fall flavors, and keep an eye on social media (and here!) for upcoming kids’ events. Follow the Old Village, Long Point, or Nexton locations on Instagram to stay up to date.
RESTAURANT
Vampire Penguin Shaved Snow and Desserts
If you haven’t tried Vampire Penguin yet, you’re in for a sweet surprise. This dessert shop specializes in shaved snow—a light, fluffy dessert that falls somewhere between creamy ice cream and refreshing shaved ice. Topped with all kinds of sauces, candies, and add-ons, each creation is as much fun to look at as it is to eat.
Although Vampire Penguin is a chain, it’s brand new to Summerville. Their location off Butternut Road in Knightsville opened just six weeks ago, and while it’s a little tucked away, you won’t want to miss it.
The menu is loaded with unique creations like Chocolate Overload (a chocolate lover’s dream), Peanut Butter Cup, Strawberry Cheesecake, Peach Cobbler and even a Tiramisnow for coffee fans. You can also build your own, choosing from flavored snow, toppings, drizzles, and extras like popping boba or mochi.
After seeing friends rave about their experience, I took the boys to check it out. A friend and I shared the Chocolate Overload, while the kids went for the Birthday Cake—cotton candy snow topped with whipped cream, sprinkles, and popping boba on the side. It was basically a kid’s dream dessert, and they loved every bite.
What I appreciated most was how light and refreshing it felt—it satisfied my sweet tooth without being heavy, which makes it perfect for these lingering warm days. We’re already planning our next visit, and I’ve got my eye on the Peanut Butter Cup and the Polar Affogato.
If you’re looking for a fun, family-friendly dessert spot that feels fresh and different, Vampire Penguin is worth the trip.
PALMETTO PIECE
Take A Breath
This past week has been a hard one for our country. Sometimes the news feels too heavy, too dark, and too constant. Our hearts were not made to carry the weight of the world’s tragedies all at once, yet that is what our screens often ask us to do.
It is okay to close the laptop. It is okay to put down the phone. It is okay to step back and breathe.
When the world feels overwhelming, lean into the little things that matter most. Take a slow walk with your children and notice the way they find joy in the smallest details. Linger around the dinner table a little longer, even if the conversation is light and silly. Pause at bedtime to tuck them in with extra care. These small, ordinary moments hold more power than we realize. They remind us that even in a broken world, love is still strong and steady.
And sometimes that reminder comes from outside our homes, too. A smile from a stranger in the grocery store. A neighbor pausing to chat. A lighthearted exchange with someone new. These small acts of kindness can lift our spirits in surprising ways. I had many of these moments this past week, and each one reminded me: goodness is still here, too.
The world may feel uncertain, but beauty and joy can still be found—in the walls of our homes, and in the everyday kindness of those around us. Tonight, choose presence. Hug your family a little tighter. Share kindness with a stranger. Because in the end, it is these simple, unremarkable moments that we will carry with us the longest.
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Love,
The Berks 👨👩👦👦