Welcome back, Palmetto Parents!

It’s fall, but it certainly feels like we’re back in the thick of summer. 🥵 However, the calendar says fall so we move forward all the fun fall festivities (and hope the weather will soon follow suit). I’m just over here counting down the days until it cools down enough to kill off the mosquitos… but until then, bring on the pumpkins, hayrides, and everything fall has to offer!

In case you missed it, we launched Pawmetto Parents this past week for all the dog parents out there! This bi-monthly newsletter will be similar to this one, but with the focus on all the dog-centered fun there is to have in the greater Charleston area (a lot of it for your whole family, including the dogs)! This week we featured the pup-friendly aspects of Summerville’s Pine Trace Park and Poogan’s Southern Kitchen. Check out this week’s edition of Pawmetto Parents here.

Struggling with back or neck pain? After three spine surgeries, Daniel nearly faced a fourth—until Dr. Stoller at Active Care Family Chiropractic helped him avoid it through adjustments, cupping, and personalized therapy. Now he’s running pain-free! From spinal decompression and acupuncture to massage, their services support the whole family. Courtney also finds relief for the everyday aches of motherhood.

📞 Call (843) 871-2472 and mention Palmetto Parents for 50% off your first visit (exam, x-rays & treatment included; excludes Medicare/Medicaid).

If you’re looking for a fall outing that checks all the boxes—fresh air, wide-open space, plenty of kid-friendly fun—West Farm Corn Maze in Moncks Corner is the place to be. This family-owned farm has become a Lowcountry favorite because it’s so much more than just a maze.

Think: hayrides that roll past fields and pumpkins, a farm zoo with friendly animals, giant slides, climbing structures, wagon rides, a pumpkin barn for those perfect fall photos, and play areas where kids can burn off all that extra energy. There’s food, music, and seasonal treats, too.

With my own young boys, we’ve made it a tradition to go every year—and here’s the funny part: we’ve never even done the corn maze. That’s how much there is to do. You can spend hours exploring, laughing, and making memories without ever setting foot in the stalks.

Important Details:

Featured Dates & Specials

Follow West Farm Corn Maze on Instagram for more details about events & their upcoming season.

Instead of spotlighting just one big event, we’ve put together a round-up of several fun happenings for kids of all ages this weekend. With rain in the forecast, don’t forget to double-check event social media pages for any last-minute updates or changes.

Looking for a way to spark your child’s creativity, keep them engaged, and connect with other families? Abstract Adventures is Summerville’s kid-focused art studio, offering hands-on classes that blend art, movement, and exploration. My boys and I have loved the baby sensory and Parent & Me classes—it’s such a fun way to create together and meet other parents.

This fall, Abstract Adventures has something for every age and stage:

📍 Learn more and register at Abstract Adventures or sign up directly here.

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.

After a stretch of busy weeks, we finally carved out time for a date night and headed back to La Rustica—and left wondering why we don’t go more often. Friends who stayed at our house this summer while we were gone gifted us a La Rustica gift card as a thank-you and it turned out to be the perfect nudge to return. Our experience reminded us exactly why this spot is such a treasure and how lucky we are to have so many exquisite restaurants so close to us in Summerville.

La Rustica is a family-owned rustic Italian restaurant nestled in the heart of historic Summerville, offering authentic, time-tested family recipes alongside inventive dishes from their patriarch chef. Located at 315 N. Magnolia St, it features warm, old-world charm—including a piazza with a hand-carved marble fountain—and serves up pasta, carne e pesce, salads, and desserts in a cozy yet elegant setting.

It’s rare that food, service, and ambiance are all equally exceptional, but La Rustica delivers on all three. From the moment you’re greeted with fresh bread at the table to the last bite of their decadent tiramisu, every detail feels thoughtfully done. We started with meatballs, and for mains Daniel enjoyed the boar special while I savored a shrimp pasta dish—both beautifully plated and full of flavor. Even the side salad impressed us.

Now that the weather has cooled, we chose to sit on the front patio beside the grand fountain, which set such a relaxed, romantic tone. While it’s a wonderful date night spot, we also noticed several families dining on the patio (including one with a baby), and the staff was warmly welcoming to all.

La Rustica is open Monday–Saturday, 2–10pm. Arrive early to snag a seat, or after 6pm you can join their online waitlist. Don’t miss their daily Golden Hour from 2–4:30pm, featuring bubbly, frozé blends, and a special afternoon menu—perfect for relaxing afternoon with friends or a romantic afternoon date.

If your after-school conversations look anything like ours, you know it’s tough to get more than a shrug or a one-word answer out of kids when you ask, “How was school today?” or “What did you do?” Yet, those simple interactions are more powerful than we often realize.

So how do you break through the “fine” or “okay” barrier? Here are a few strategies that help spark depth:

We can’t force conversation—but we can create environments where it’s easier to lean into. And when you do, the payoff may surprise you.

If you like to explore other parts and Charleston and love Palmetto Parents, subscribe to the Palmetto Parents Charleston newsletter!

It’s the same great Palmetto Parents newsletter you know and love, but for all things Charleston, sent to your inbox every Wednesday.

We’d love to have you.

Love,

The Berks 👨‍👩‍👦‍👦