10 Things to Do in Charleston in February

Going to Charleston in February and worried that there won't be much to do? Well there's no need to worry, because there are always things to see and do in Charleston and February is a great month to keep your agenda full. Although the city will have winter temperatures, by comparison it's much warmer than the rest of the US, so you can escape the cold and enjoy culture, sport and history while you're out and about.

There's always something for you to do this winter month if you visit Charleston. I recommend that you don't miss this visit because the city is much less crowded than other months and there are unique and world-renowned events that you shouldn't miss. Will you join me to know them?

If you're visiting the beautiful city of Charleston in February, you won't want to miss the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition (SEWE), the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition (SEWE), which has been going on for four decades and is an institution in its own right. It's usually held for three days in mid-February, so if you're around, you can enjoy it to the fullest.

Inside the exhibition you will find wonderful things. I recommend that you buy a general admission ticket which costs around 35€ and can be used for one of the three days of the event, although Sundays are cheaper. You can also buy a three-day ticket for around €70, which is particularly good if you have time, because each day you will be able to see different activities and exhibits in one of the most important exhibitions of its kind in the United States.

When you go, you'll be able to see an extensive collection of wildlife art, as well as demonstrations of animals in their habitats and exhibits on animals of the American southeast. For all these reasons, it's an ideal opportunity for you to go with children. Also note that this event takes place at several sites around the city, so I recommend visiting at least two in one day. The organisers usually offer shuttle services between the venues.

Practical information

• Location: Held at five different venues, including the Charleston Marriott, the Gaillard Center SEWE and Charleston Place, where the art gallery is located.
• When: mid-February for three days.
• Price: Friday or Saturday tickets are around €35, but Sunday tickets are around €30. A three-day ticket package costs around €70.
• Opening hours: Friday and Saturday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, Sunday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Going to Charleston as a couple? There's plenty to do in the city for Valentine's Day, so February is the perfect time to spend with your partner on the streets, and what better way than to take a historic carriage tour on the day of love? Yes, this is a historical tour, but I assure you there's a lot of romance when you ride through cobblestone streets in a carriage that emulates the 19th century.

This is a fantastic way to relive history, because you get to see how white, wealthy people lived in the city in the 19th century, as well as understand how they moved around the city. Not to mention that on that day the streets will be decorated with Valentine's Day decorations, so between that and the carriage you'll be able to get the best pictures with your partner, where you'll feel like you're in the 19th century.

Carriage tours usually end at Bay Street and cost around €60, but that's not the only thing you can do on the day. There are also concerts and general events in the city, as well as parades. There are even plantations on the outskirts of the city where rice was once produced and humans enslaved, but which today are reinterpreted as a place for love. Without exaggeration, this is the case of the Magnolia Plantations and Gardens.

For Valentine's Day, you can find different chocolate stations and lots of musicians, singing serenades and other romantic songs. This can be a family-friendly event among the activities in Charleston to bring the kids and you only pay for access to the plantation, but there is no need to pay an additional entrance fee.

Despite the cold weather, February is a month to eat and drink the best food and drink. Among the best things to do in Charleston in winter, you have a choice at the Cork Shuckin' Festival held at the Deep Water Vineyard. In previous years, this festival has been held on one day in the first or fourth week of February, so keep an eye out if you want to go and sample the food and drink.

But, specifically, what do you drink? Mainly local craft beers. And if you like beer, I recommend you don't leave Charleston without trying some of the city's own, because, although they're a bit sour, you'll enjoy a flavour that's as native as it is delicious. As for the food, most of the dishes involve oysters, one of Charleston's quintessential foods, which is also in season. Many are found on food trucks.

The best part is that this is a family-friendly event with proceeds benefiting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. All of this will be held at the Deep Water Vineyard, Charleston's only vineyard which is located on Wadmalaw Island, just outside the city, but beautifully connected by rail. Are you going to miss it?

Practical info

• Location: Deep Water Vineyard, 6775 Bears Bluff Wadmalaw Island, SC 29487
• When: Usually the last week of February, but has sometimes been held during the first week of February.
• Price: Approximately $25 admission
• Hours: 10:00 am - 5:30 pm

The quintessential product of Charleston and the entire Lowcountry region of South Carolina is oysters, and if you go in the month of February, all the better because it's oyster season. That's the reason for the Lowcountry Oyster Festival, which you can usually go to on the first Sunday in February.

Yes, it goes without saying that if you go to an oyster festival it's to eat oysters, but what else is there? The event is nothing minor, because they call themselves the world's largest oyster festival and they have performances by different musical groups, as well as food competitions. When you go, you will notice that there are dozens of restaurants where you can not only eat oysters, but also drink good beer, wine and other seafood.

General admission for this event costs around 22 €, but keep in mind that once inside you will have to taste oysters. A full meal can cost just over €10, although if you're eating between snacks, it might be less. Plus, it's great if you're going with kids, as admission for children 10 and under is free.

Practical information

• Location: Boone Hall Plantation, 1235 Long Point Rd, Mt Pleasant, SC 29464
• When: Usually held on the first Sunday in February.
• Price: Entry fee is usually around €22 excluding internal refreshments. Children 10 and under are free.
• Hours: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm

Traveller Tip

For the past few years, this oyster festival has had a cashless policy. Please note that for any internal purchases you will first need to purchase vouchers by credit or debit card or other electronic means.

In the American South, the history of African Americans will always be present in a very special way. For it was in this region that slavery became the most prevalent part of America's life as an independent country, and it was also the site of the greatest conflicts of the Civil War. Black History Month is celebrated every February and in Charleston it is something very special.

There are many things you can do this month to honour African-American culture. For starters, you might want to visit museums such as The Old Slave Mart Museum which is believed to be the last slave market in all of South Carolina. At this museum you'll find a variety of commemorative and research activities for tourists.

But it is not the only iconic site to understand the past of the African-American community, because Charleston is a city that still preserves plantations in its surroundings that you can visit on tours. Thousands were enslaved on these plantations for agricultural products. In this case, I would recommend a visit to Drayton Hall, one of the oldest, as its structure has survived since the War of Independence and then the Civil War, so you can learn a lot about slavery and segregation. Are you going to visit it during this important month?

Who doesn't like art while enjoying a nice walk? The Charleston Gallery Association offers something like that, and every month on the first Friday of the month they organise an Artwalk. As the name suggests, "art" means art and "walk" means walk, so it's a move where different galleries in the city come together between 5pm and 9pm to show different exhibitions in a unique event.

My advice is not to miss this; especially because in winter evenings there is usually not much to do due to the cold and the Artwalk is ideal, because you can even meet more than twenty art galleries and enjoy the art in all of them, with an ideal temperature while you are visiting them. It's a good alternative to the cold that will enliven at least one February evening in Charleston with the presence of many artists and curators.

To make sure you don't miss out on anything, you'll have to check the official website of the gallery association before you set off to find out which galleries have joined in this month. I promise you'll have a great time, enjoying the best art in town.

Do you like cocktails and flowers? Better yet, do you like both and are passing through Charleston in February? Then you'd better go to the Cocktail and Camellias, a magnificent event held at Middleton Place, another of the great plantations around Charleston. It's a truly beautiful place to go, even if it's just to get the best photos with the camellias.

Cocktail and Camellias is usually held in the last days of February, in the middle of the afternoon. Not only can you taste delicious cocktails, but you can also smell and feel the atmosphere of more than 10,000 camellias that bloom throughout the plantation at this time of year. In addition, the event always features live music and food from exclusive chefs.

This is sure to be a fantastic evening. Although you will have to fork out some money, you will be able to see some wonderful flowers while enjoying the best drinks and food, in one of the most beautiful plantations in the Lowcountry. If you're worried about winter, you shouldn't worry about that, as temperatures are usually quite pleasant by the end of February, as they are in much of the southern United States, although you should still bring a coat.

Practical info

• Location: Middleton Place, 4300 Ashley River Road Charleston, SC 29414
• When: usually the last Saturday in February
• Price: Entry fee is usually around 70 €.
• Hours: 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm

One of the best things about visiting Charleston in February is the fact that there aren't many tourists in the city and the whole atmosphere will be much more comfortable and relaxed, both in terms of accommodation and transport. King Street is one of the most important streets in the city and during the high season it's always crowded, but in February you'll be able to walk up and down King Street to shop for the best produce and eat at great places without it being too much of a hassle.

If you decide to walk around this area, my advice is not to miss the traditional wine bar Bin 152 in the French Quarter. Although it looks like any other place, it is one of the most historic bars in the city and offers more than 200 wines, so you can dedicate a cold evening to this place that can give you warmth and good drinks.

But not only that: there is plenty of shopping on this street, especially in the lower part which is considered the best area to buy antiques in this part of the United States. If you prefer to buy clothes, then you should go to the middle part of the street, with international franchises. At the upper end of the street you can find more dining options, ideal for dinner when night falls and the temperature drops considerably.

Think February is such a cold month that you won't be able to enjoy any sports in the city? Not so, because both hockey and basketball will be available to you if you're passing through Charleston and both will help to insulate you from the cold outside. These are two of the most famous sports in the United States and when you go, you'll realise how much passion they generate, so I recommend that you don't miss at least one game of these sports.

One of your options is the South Carolina Stingrays, a hockey team in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL), a minor division of the sport. That doesn't stop them from having thousands of fans. Their games are played at the North Charleston Coliseum, a beautiful arena where you can usually go in the late afternoon after dark. This arena can be cold because of the temperature the ice needs, but I can assure you that the night outside will be even colder.

The other great option I recommend is basketball. In Charleston there is a military college called The Citadel, which is well known for its sports teams known as The Citadel Bulldogs. The most recognised of these teams is the basketball team that participates in the NCAA Division I. In February, you'll be able to watch several of their games. In February you can watch several of their games at the McAlister Field House and get a taste of the best in college sports. In this pavilion you can stay acclimatized and while you take a break from the cold of the city, you can watch a quality basketball game.

Many people go to Charleston to enjoy the warmer temperatures in February to be able to walk around. If you're from an area where it's warm all year round, Charleston's average temperature of 10-12°C in February may seem chilly, but for most of the United States it's a perfect environment for a walking tour to get to know the city in a month that's not so busy.

In general, I would recommend takinga guided walking tour of the city in February because the groups are small, so you can pay your own way and still get personal attention. In addition, the museums, galleries and restaurants you visit will have a much more acceptable amount of people, which will allow you to enjoy them better and more calmly. All this in addition to the fact that there will be less traffic in the city and more public transport available.

I recommend taking a historical tour of the city centre, which is a great area to walk around. Here you can see the French Quarter, the Old Exchange Building or traditional churches such as St. Philip's or St. Michael's. In any case, it's important to bring a coat in case the temperature drops suddenly.

Winter travel has few friends, but if you're planning to travel to Charleston in February, you shouldn't have any major worries. It does get cold in the south of the US , but much less so than in the north, so snow and frost are rare. The average temperature is between 6°C and 18°C, so most days you'll be able to stay cool and dry.

In the evenings the situation is a bit colder and that's why you don't see as many evening plans in this month. But that doesn't mean it's not impossible either, as there are plenty of indoor spaces to enjoy when the sun goes down. Any outdoor activity becomes more difficult if the temperature is around 6°C, but that will depend on the time of the month and the weather that week.

Don't want to find a crowded city? Then February is the perfect month for you, because it is winter and low season, which means that the city has a very low influx of tourists. In general, only people who have holidays or days off and need to get away from the cold of cities much further north go there.

This can benefit you in terms of airfares and car rentals, which tend to be cheaper in the low season. However, some tour prices are higher because groups are not booked as frequently as in high season. Nevertheless, I recommend that you take advantage of the cheaper airfares and get to know this beautiful city.

Worried about having to pack too many coats when visiting Charleston in February? That shouldn't take up that much space in your suitcase. I recommend packing at least one heavy coat, but only if you're going out in the evenings, which is the only time you'll need it. Otherwise, sweaters and other light winter clothing will do more than fine, as temperatures are often around 10°C during the day.

Regardless of this, it is essential that you wear good shoes. In any case, you'll be walking long distances, whether you're strolling through a plantation, visiting a museum or shopping for clothes on King Street, so a comfortable pair of trainers is a must. Also, although February is not a rainy or snowy month, I recommend having an umbrella, especially if you're visiting outdoor venues that can't be delayed by rain.