Charleston is a lovely city to visit any month of the year, but if you’re looking for the best time of year weather-wise, it’s hard to argue that October isn’t the perfect month to be in the Holy City. Temperatures tend to hover in the mid-70s, with usually sunny skies (an average of only four days of rain), and the humidity that can accompany summer months has pretty much disappeared. If you like sunny and temperatures in the mid-70s (and who doesn’t?), October is a great month to be in Charleston.
That said, for any of you lucky enough to be in Charleston in October, here is a list of things to do to make the most of your stay.
Fall Home & Garden Tour—October 3- November 2, 2019
The Preservation Society of Charleston tees up this tour on their website with a quote from notable British actress and writer Fanny Kemble: “In walking about Charleston, I was reminded of some of the older country towns in England, the appearance of the city is highly picturesque, inasmuch as every house seems built to the owner’s particular taste; and in one street you seem to be in an old English town, and in another in some continental city of France or Italy. This variety is extremely pleasing to the eye.
The Home & Garden Tour allows you to enter private residences to view their interiors and their private gardens.
MOJA Art Festival—September 26- October 6, 2019
The MOJA Arts Festival is a celebration of African-American and Caribbean Arts. Selected as one of the Southeast Tourism Society’s Top 20 Events for many years, the MOJA Arts Festival promises an exciting line-up of events with a wide variety of traditional favorites. Nearly half of the events are admission-free, and the remainder are offered at modest ticket prices.
The event is a multi-disciplinary festival produced and directed by the City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs. Moja, a Swahili word meaning “One,” is the appropriate name for this festival celebration of harmony among all people in the community. The Festival highlights the many African-American and Caribbean contributions to western and world cultures. MOJA’s wide range of events includes visual arts, classical music, dance, gospel, jazz, poetry, R&B music, storytelling, theatre, children’s activities, traditional crafts, ethnic food, and much, much more.
Wine Down Wednesday—October 9 & October 23, 2019
Explore West Ashley’s beautiful Old Towne Creek County Park during these two “Wine Down Wednesday” events in October. Guests will enjoy wine, food truck fare, and live music at this gem of a park. October 9th features musician Nathan Calhoun with food from Sabor Cubarican Cuisine and Oh So Gelato. October 23rd features musician Mark Jackson with food from Happy Thai and Miss Katie’s Sweets. Wine Down Wednesdays run from 5-7 pm.
Charleston Oktoberfest—October 12-13, 2019
An Oktoberfest that is family-friendly, the Charleston Oktoberfest features a number of different German treats! Hosted by St. Matthews Lutheran Church, party-goers can expect German polka music, children’s games, and face painting, and a number of German foods, beer, and wine to go around.
Lowcountry Halloween Fest– Sunday, October 27, 2019, 12-6 pm
A unique and safe trick-or-treating experience with dozens of family-friendly local businesses handing out candy. Free admission and free activities! Children can trick-or-treat and enjoy bounce houses, photo booth, balloon animals, airbrush face & body art, laser tag, and much more. Special guests will be making an appearance. The first 1,500 trick-or-treaters are guaranteed candy.
Charleston Harbor Tour—Daily at 11:30 am, 1:30 pm, 3:30 pm, and 6 pm
There is simply no better way to experience Charleston than with a boat tour of historic Charleston Harbor. October is a perfect time of year to board the Carolina Belle and take in the magnificent sights of Charleston Harbor. This 90-minute tour shows guests over 75 landmarks and points of interest, and the boat captain will narrate the history, sights, and facts about Charleston Harbor as you pass locations critical to United States history. For those looking for sheer beauty, the evening cruise in October tends to provide the most spectacular sunsets of the year and also lets guests enjoy the last of the longer daylight hours before the clock turns in the fall.
Passengers will get close up views of Charleston’s most famous and charming sights, including:
- Fort Sumter—one of the city’s most popular landmarks, where the first shos of the Civil War were fired
- Confederate and Union army forts Moultrie and Johnson
- The USS Yorktown, the famous World War II “Fighting Lady”
- Michael’s Church– a survivor of both the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, whose steeple was painted black so as not to be an easy target
- Stately homes on the battery—great symbols of southern elegance and perseverance
October is also the last month of the year to enjoy the incredibly popular “Blues and BBQ” tours that Charleston Tours & Events run weekly.
We can’t stress how beautiful Charleston is in the fall, so if you’re lucky enough to visit in October, there are great events happening all over the city.
