Happy October!

I’m currently writing this on my spotty phone hotspot since we’ve been without internet (thanks AT&T 😆). Losing internet for a day while my son spiked a fever wasn’t my favorite part of the week, but there were some really positive things this week like a gorgeous full rainbow stretching across the sky Monday night and the relief of tropical storm Imelda passing us by.

Wherever your week has taken you—the highs, the lows, or somewhere in between—we hope you’ve had a sweet start to fall. May you get to soak up all the season has to offer: whether it’s a trip to the pumpkin patch or corn maze, savoring your favorite fall drink, enjoying cooler afternoons outside, or cozying up on the couch with a good fall movie.

Tomorrow is Summerville’s yearly Oktoberfest, hosted by the Summerville Oakbrook Rotary Club. From 12-6pm, stop by Hutchinson Square to savor authentic German food, enjoy Oktoberfest beer, dance to live music, and explore family-friendly activities. Admission is free with food and drinks available for purchase.

Last night we went pumpkin carving with goats at Flowertown Charm farm in Summerville, and it was truly one of the most unique fall experiences we’ve ever had as a family. Unlike other animal encounters where you just pet or feed the animals for a few minutes, this was truly about hanging out with them.

The goats were the stars of the night, and they made pumpkin carving surprisingly easy. As we scooped and carved, the goats happily ate all the scraps from our spoons, tables, and at our feet. Some even took some munches of our whole pumpkins to help us carve. And what’s usually the worst part of pumpkin carving—the cleanup—was magically taken care of by the animals.

But the goats weren’t the only ones keeping us company. Flowertown Charm is home to a whole barnyard crew: Tank, the giant tortoise (a huge hit with our kids), fluffy mini highland cows, curious chickens, sweet bunnies, playful farm dogs, and of course, the goats themselves. Our one-year-old spent the whole evening making animal sounds depending on which creature he was near—it was pure joy.

The setup makes it easy and fun. Each guest gets a pumpkin to carve and take home (or feed to the animals if you’d rather leave it behind). Tables and chairs are set up around the backyard farm, and carving tools and stencils are provided—though you’re welcome to bring your own favorites. One of the things I loved most was the size of the group. We only had about 15 people in our crowd and there’s a maximum of 30 people so it’s always a small group that gets plenty of interaction with the animals.

And if pumpkin carving isn’t your thing, Flowertown Charm offers plenty of other whimsical farm experiences, from roasting marshmallows with goats to cozy snuggle sessions and even goat yoga (there’s classes just for toddlers, too).

👉 Use code PalmettoParents for 5% off tickets on Eventbrite, and check out the full lineup of events at Flowertown Charm Farm. Pumpkin carving sessions are available every night at 5:30pm throughout the month of October. Especially if you want to go on the weekend, book soon!

Tomorrow we have one of the Lowcountry’s favorite community traditions! The City of Goose Creek’s 2025 Fall Festival will take place Saturday, October 4th, from 10am–4pm at the Municipal Complex (519A North Goose Creek Blvd). This free, family-friendly event has it all: live entertainment, arts & crafts vendors, a kids’ play area, food trucks, safety demonstrations, and so much more. And honestly, the best family events are the free ones!

The festival also supports a great cause, Helping Hands of Goose Creek. Attendees are encouraged to bring canned goods to donate. For every two canned goods donated, you’ll receive a raffle ticket for the chance to win prizes generously donated by local businesses.

✨ Special highlight: Goose Creek native Randall Fowler returns home for a surprise concert at 2pm at the Daning Amphitheater. No ticket required—the whole day is full of free family fun!

Want a sweet treat at the festival? Stop by Charleston Mac Mama’s booth, owned by Summerville mom Laura. At the festival she will have gourmet caramel apples (shown below), Halloween themed sugar cookies, and Pumpkin Pie, Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Bean, and Hawaiian Salted Caramel macarons.

Looking for a cozy, kid-friendly outing this fall? Summit Coffee in Nexton is hosting its monthly Story Time Meet-Ups, and they’re the perfect blend of fun for both little ones and parents. Mark your calendars: October 8, November 5, and December 3 at 9am.

Each Story Time features a local children’s author, with a hands-on craft to follow. The events are geared toward ages 3+, but all are welcome. It’s a wonderful chance for kids to discover new stories, meet authors in person, and enjoy a playful, creative morning—while parents can sip on delicious coffee (hello, pumpkin cheesecake latte + maple sea salt chai!), connect with other families, and treat themselves to something sweet.

October’s featured author is Mr. Steve, a former children’s librarian and Summerville dad. He’ll be sharing his Alphabittles series, a collection that brings the alphabet to life by showing kids where letters hide in everyday adventures. With his passion for early literacy (and plenty of humor), kids are guaranteed to be engaged and inspired.

We went to the last Story Time and had such a blast—the staff was welcoming, the activities were fun, and the delicious coffee and cookies made it even sweeter.

👉 Bring the kids, grab a latte, and join the community fun at Summit Coffee Nexton! Summit Coffee Nexton is located at 408 Brighton Park Blvd Suite 106, Summerville.

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.

We asked around for the best fall menu highlights, and the results are delicious. If you’re craving that cozy, magical fall feeling, here are some tasty local treats to try:

Disclaimer: For those of you that read both Palmetto Parents CHS and Summerville, you’ll notice we have a similar theme for our Palmetto Pieces this week. As they say, great minds think alike! And maybe you just needed to hear this message twice. 😉

There’s a lot going on in the area to celebrate fall. Pumpkin patches galore, corn mazes, hayrides—and that’s not even considering all the Halloween-related activities like Trunk-or-Treats and other festivities. And I’ll be the first to admit it: I can get major mom FOMO (fear of missing out). But the longer I’ve been a parent, the clearer I’ve seen how my kids really benefit from a balance of getting out, experiencing events, being social—and also having slow, unstructured moments at home.

We can often feel like the only way to create a magical fall (for our kids and ourselves) is to do as many events as possible. But research shows otherwise. Studies have found that unstructured playtime helps children develop stronger executive function skills, such as problem-solving, self-regulation, and flexibility. Other research highlights that downtime lowers stress and boosts creativity, and it even strengthens family bonds. In other words, those quiet, slow moments at home—or even a simple walk around the neighborhood—can be just as enriching and magical as the big events.

This fall, I want to lean in to that idea. Yes, there are so many special fall things to do around town—and this newsletter will share lots of them (and many only happen for a month, which can feel like pressure). But I’m giving myself permission to pick just 2–3 local events this month and call it enough. If we do more, wonderful. But if we don’t, that’s okay too. Because magic also happens in the everyday.

There’s so many fun fall activities that can happen in and around your home: making pumpkin pancakes and muffins, painting pumpkins, roasting marshmallows, watching Halloween movies. So go ahead and choose what brings your family real joy and see how that creates a perfect, magical fall for you.

Love,

The Berks 👨‍👩‍👦‍👦