10 Things to Do in Charleston in March

The beginning of spring is a great time to include several fun activities on your list of things to see and do in Charleston. After several months of cold weather, locals are eager to get out of their homes to enjoy the fresh air that March offers and the arrival of many people's favourite season.

The "Holy City", as Charleston is also known, is renowned for its beautiful plantations and natural parks. Don't miss the opportunity to explore all the outdoor activities this city has to offer, such as food festivals, blooming parks and much more.

Charleston is famous for having a variety of historic plantations. However, the most famous and most visited of them all is Magnolia Plantation & Gardens. In the last weeks of March this site slowly blooms, making it a great time to welcome the warmer days.

Each month this plantation holds different events that you might want to take advantage of. If you want a romantic plan, besides going to a rooftop restaurant, visiting this plantation will be the best. The flowers, bridges and trees turn this place into a real fairy tale.

What characterises this plantation is that, unlike others, it gives free rein to nature. This creates dreamlike scenery. However, although the plants are given the freedom to decorate the site as they wish, it is always kept under constant maintenance.

This plantation is located at 3550 Ashley River Road, Charleston, SC 29414. You can visit any day of the week and choose to do any of the activities offered. Tickets usually cost €5.

The Charleston Wine & Food Festival is an annual celebration held in early March. If you're a lover of fine cuisine and a great admirer of fine wine, this event is for you.

For an entire week, Charleston is a place where chefs and live music meet - at this celebration you can enjoy local food and participate in food tours, gala dinners, hands-on classes and more.

To find out which event to attend, you'll need to check their online calendar for events. The venue is sometimes at the Culinary Village in Riverfront Park and sometimes at the various restaurants affiliated with the festival.

Some days are dedicated to local food, others to international food, and other nights are parties whose musical genres may vary.

Admission to each event is paid separately. The price ranges from €70 to €200. I recommend you check the calendar carefully as some events are free.

The Garden Club of Charleston is one of the oldest garden clubs in the United States and every year at the end of March organizes tours of the city's gardens and historic homes. It is also responsible for preserving the community's gardens, a task it has been able to accomplish for about 100 years.

This event usually begins in the gardens of the Gibbes Museum with a small reception. The following day is a tour of Charleston's gardens and private homes. Directions and a map of the tour are sent via email to each participant.

Gardens that belong to this club include the Joseph Manigault Garden, Confederate Home Garden and Legare Waring House Garden, among others. The price of these tours ranges from €30 to €40.

In addition to this tour, the club organises a variety of events throughout the year that are sure to delight you.

The Annual Charleston Antiques Show is a special event for any collector, historian or art lover.

This event is held at the Charleston Gaillard Center and admission is approximately €20. At this exhibition you can see beautiful antiques, vintage jewellery, garden furniture, art, prints and much more.

The exhibition lasts approximately three days and usually takes place in March, although some years it is held in early April. On the first day there is a small welcome meeting where you can socialise and meet lots of interesting people.

As well as appreciating all the objects on display at the event, you can take part in various talks by leading artists who talk about their experience. Every year there are new speakers and new topics of conversation. To find out all the details I recommend you visit the website before you go.

If you like art, I recommend you visit the museums of Charleston. To get a feel for all the options before you buy your ticket, I recommend taking a tour bus that will guide you around Charleston's most popular sites. The French Quarter may also be a great option for you.

Practical Information

• Location: Charleston Gaillard Center, 95 Calhoun Street, Charleston, SC 29401.

• When to go: late March.

• Price: $20.

• Hours: Usually Friday, Saturday and Sunday, from 10:00 am to approximately 9:00 pm.

Spending some quality time with friends or a date at a rooftop restaurant is not one of the things to do in the Charleston winter. That's why when the temperatures start to warm up a bit, it's the perfect time to enjoy your favorite cocktail at one of these bars.

In Charleston, these types of venues are quite common, as they allow you to look out over the entire city. Some bars, such as the Pour Taproom, offer a panoramic view of downtown, while others give you a view of the Charleston Harbor and the French Quarter.

This is undoubtedly one of the top favourite nightlife activities in the city. While this may be a great way to spend a night out with friends, it's certainly one of the most romantic plans on this list. If you want to surprise your partner while travelling to Charleston, I recommend taking him or her out for dinner or brunch at one of these restaurants.

The next day you can take a carriage tour, another romantic option for you and your partner.

Mid-March marks the beginning of spring in Charleston, the best time of year to enjoy the great outdoors. There's no better way to welcome this time of year than by visiting Angel Oak Park. The park is so named because it's home to the enigmatic Johns Island Angel Oak, a historic tree of the area that's a real eye-catcher.

This green space sits on a historic landmark for the city and is one of Charleston's most important natural parks. Also, the Angel Oak is considered to be the largest live oak tree in Mississippi, with around 400 years of existence. You will definitely get some amazing pictures of this place.

The best part of this plan is that the entrance is totally free and you can go any day of the week. However, you can enter the gift shop or make donations to help with the preservation of the site.

You can also celebrate weddings or special events here, as long as you ask for special permission in advance. In addition to appreciating the beauty of nature, you can do some outdoor activities. Please note that picnicking, lying down and cycling are not allowed near the oak area. For these activities it is necessary to set up in the picnic area, which you can easily find with the help of the park guides.

Practical information

• Location: 3688 Angel Oak Road. Charleston, SC 29402
• When to Go: The park is open year-round, but the best time to visit is in March.
• Price: Free admission.
• Hours: 9:00 am - 5:30 pm.

St. Patrick' s Day is celebrated every year on March 17th in the United States and other countries around the world. The celebration is of Christian origin and originates from Ireland. Thanks to emigrants, this celebration became very popular in the country and every city, including Charleston, celebrates this day in a big way.

Year after year the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade is held in downtown Charleston. During the celebration the city turns emerald green, and many people even dress in emerald green!

During the parade you can listen to bagpipe bands, the traditional music of Ireland. You will also have the opportunity to see live musicians playing, people in St. Patrick's costumes and much more. Some pubs and restaurants celebrate the holiday with themed parties and serve Irish beer. The celebration usually begins with a morning mass at St. Patrick's Catholic Church. This is followed by a parade along Radcliffe, St Philip, King and Broad Streets. It usually ends at St John the Baptist Cathedral. You can take to the streets to watch and celebrate with the locals.

Traveller Tip
If you're visiting Charleston in time, don't forget to pack some green clothes for the day to combine with the city and feel part of it and its traditions.

Mid-March is the coolest time of the year and the perfect time to get some physical activity. Charlestonians take this opportunity to explore their city's nature. This area of the United States has many natural parks with paved trails ideal for hiking and biking.

It's not common to travel with your bike and it's not very practical either, but don't worry, you always have the option of renting one. In Charleston you will find some companies like Rebellion Roads, which rent different types of bikes and even organise tours for you to explore the city while doing a healthy activity.

The ideal places for these activities are Kearns Park Trail, the Patriots Point Nature Trail and the West Ashley Greenway. I also recommend visiting Kiawah Island, a small town with wide paved trails surrounded by nature. For these activities I recommend going with a guide and using Google Maps so you don't get lost at any time.

As temperatures rise at least at the end of March, you can't miss Charleston's natural parks. The nature in this city is simply beautiful and you will find a great variety of parks. You can go with friends or family as there are activities for everyone.

Some parks like North Charleston Wannamaker County Park have a golf course, so bring your own equipment if you want to play. If you like volleyball, you should go to James Island Country Park, where you'll also find a picnic area and even a barbecue.

You can also bring your pet, always on a leash, to these parks, although you can only walk them in specific areas. If you're looking for things to do in Charleston with children, these green spaces have small playgrounds with slides and swings.

The average entrance fee is €2. Enjoy the arrival of spring with all the activities that this beautiful weather has in store for you.

Every year the Charleston Symphony Orchestra prepares a special event to welcome spring. If you love classical music, this is the event for you.

Get ready for a great experience listening to professional musicians play classical instruments such as the violin, piano, cello, among others.

The venue for the concerts may change from year to year, although a common location is the Holy Spirit Catholic Church. This event is ideal for the whole family to have a good time. Ticket prices vary, but are usually around €10.

The Orchestra usually gives several concerts each month. If this is an activity you enjoy, I advise you to always check the website and keep an eye out for all the concerts. Some are held outdoors if weather conditions permit.

These events tend to be a bit dressy, so I advise you to bring a change of clothes according to the occasion. A suit or semi-formal dress will be enough to be in tune with the event. Remember that as with plays, drinks and food are not allowed during the event.

In March, the city of Charleston begins to say goodbye to the cold. It's the perfect time to say goodbye to winter activities in the city and welcome spring with open arms.

The weather during this month is perfect, as it is neither too cold nor too hot, especially at the end of the month, when the temperature stays between 18°C and 22°C.

On the other hand, rainfall can be frequent, but this is only a sign that nature will gradually flourish. In addition, the sky remains partly cloudy, which means that the sun's rays do not have a direct effect. However, I recommend you always use sunscreen.

The humidity is quite low, so you won't have the suffocating sensation that this can sometimes cause. This makes the weather generally ideal for walking. This is a special time of year for the locals, as outdoor activities are not possible during the winter.

If you are staying in Charleston for more than a day, I recommend staying in a comfortable house with heating. Temperatures can drop significantly at night.

March is a month when it's still cold for the first few weeks. If you travel during this season, you'll experience a striking transition as you'll have time to see the city blossom. This is why I recommend you bring warm clothes, as some days can still feel like winter.

However, at the end of the month the temperatures rise a bit, so you can bring less warm clothes as well.

Depending on the activities you plan to do, you will need to bring your personal gear. For example, if you plan to camp, bring your tent, blanket, sturdy shoes, among other items you deem necessary. However, other items, such as bicycles, are not necessary, as you can rent them.

Protection is very important, so if you plan on cycling, don't forget your helmet, knee pads and gloves. Although I mentioned earlier that the temperatures are low, you still need to protect your skin from the sun. Finally, don't forget to stay hydrated when doing outdoor activities.