🌴 CHS Postal Museum, The Colour of Music & Wild Olive

Hi Palmetto Parents,

We had a fun, busy weekend. Usually our weekends tend to have very little movement or be exciting with lots of activities. This weekend we finished up my son’s basketball season with my husband as coach. I always love that our whole family is involved in making the sports seasons happen. We finally got to visit the mermaids at the aquarium! It was an extra detail that made the aquarium even more magical.

We have another fun week and weekend ahead in Charleston. In this week’s newsletter we:

Enjoy!

Special note: The Sand & Sea Festival on Folly Beach that we featured last week was rescheduled for this Saturday, February 28th, if that’s an event that interests your family!

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My kids and I love places that make you feel like you are stepping out of 2026 and straight into a piece of living history. There is something magical about discovering a spot downtown that instantly slows you down and reminds you how different life once looked in Charleston.

The Charleston Postal Museum is a hidden gem that is just that. Tucked inside the historic post office at 77 Meeting St, Charleston, this small but fascinating museum offers a glimpse into a time when handwritten letters were the lifeline of communication.

The Museum sits inside the oldest continuously operated post office in the Carolinas. The current building was constructed in 1896 after the previous structure, which had served as a police station, was destroyed in the earthquake of 1886. There is something special about walking into a space that has served the community for well over a century. If your local post office feels more fluorescent lights and Formica counters, this branch will surprise you with its warm nineteenth century charm and historic character.

The museum itself is just one room, but do not let the size fool you. In about 20 minutes, you can step back into the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and learn how mail was sorted, transported, and delivered long before tracking numbers and overnight shipping. Old stamps, post office memorabilia, and newspaper clippings tell the story of the post office’s role in many of Charleston’s most significant historical moments. It is a simple but powerful reminder of how vital the postal service once was.

In our modern world, we can send a message in seconds or track a package on our phones from across the country. Spending a few minutes in the Postal Museum makes you pause and imagine a time when the mail was the only connection people had to friends, family, and business partners far away. What feels purely utilitarian today was once filled with elegance, anticipation, and even romance.

Visiting is easy. Just head through the main lobby of the post office and follow the signs pointing to the museum. The Charleston Postal Museum is open Monday through Friday from 11:30am to 3:30pm, and admission is completely free. It is a perfect stop to pair with a walk through downtown, a history lesson for the kids, or a quiet moment of reflection in the middle of a busy day.

For more information, you can contact the museum at (843) 868 8118. Sometimes the best Charleston experiences are the small ones you might otherwise miss, and this charming little museum is a wonderful reminder of how our city stayed connected long before the digital age.

Get ready, Charleston RiverDogs single game tickets are officially on sale!  

There’s no better place to spend a day or night than at The Joe, where every game delivers the perfect mix of baseball, family fun, and that unmistakable Charleston charm. Whether you’re cheering from the stands, enjoying ballpark  food favorites, or watching the kids run wild in the outfield play zone, a RiverDogs game is the kind of memory making experience everyone can enjoy.

From themed nights and fireworks shows to between inning entertainment that keeps the whole stadium laughing, every game offers something special. Bring the family, bring your friends, or make it a date night  just don’t miss your chance to be part of the most fun in Minor League Baseball.

Secure your seats now and join us all season long at The Joe.  

Charleston RiverDogs baseball is back, and it’s better than ever.

This week there are a few different events highlighting the Colour of Music Festival in North Charleston at the Coliseum. This is a black classical musicians festival, a great way to end Black History month. If you want more information about their events throughout the week, click here.

Saturday night is a perfect date night idea. The Masterworks Finale takes place on Saturday, February 28, from 7 to 8pm at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center, located at 5001 Coliseum Drive. This powerful evening performance features the Colour of Music Festival Orchestra under the direction of guest conductor Leslie B. Dunner, with soprano Angela Brown, solo violinist Romuald Grimbert-Barré, and narrators Michele Bankole and Henry Clay Middleton.

The program is a stunning lineup of classical masterworks and meaningful contemporary pieces, including Ludwig van Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 15, Op. 132 in a string arrangement for orchestra by Camerata Nordic, Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges’ Symphony No. 1 in G Major and an aria from L’Amant Anonyme, and Felix Mendelssohn’s beloved Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64. Following intermission, the orchestra will perform John C. Wineglass’ Unburied, Unmourned, Unmarked from CASOP: Requiem for Rice, a moving and reflective work.

Honestly, I have no idea what any of that means, but it sounds very impressive!

While it makes for an incredible date night, it is also a wonderful opportunity for families with older kids who can handle a later evening and appreciate live orchestral music. Especially since it will be a shorter performance of only an hour! If your kiddos enjoy the symphony or are learning instruments themselves, this performance would be an enriching and memorable experience for them as well.

Tickets are available now, and they are about $25. This is one event that will leave you talking about it long after the final note!

We have a family tradition of taking my mom out for an adults only birthday dinner prior to her big day. This works well for us because my daughter and she share the same birthday. It’s nice to know I can focus fully on my daughter on their birthday, since my mom was already celebrated. I save the special restaurants for occasions like these, and this year we chose Wild Olive.

Opened in 2009 in the heart of Johns Island’s farming community, Wild Olive is led by Executive Chef Brad Grozis and General Manager Jason Parrish. The restaurant captures the cultural magic of true Italian dining with simple, seasonal cuisine, house made pasta, and food friendly wines. They source locally whenever possible, transforming Lowcountry ingredients into regional Italian classics. Their commitment to sustainability is just as impressive, composting 1,000 pounds of raw material each week and recycling or composting 85 percent of their waste.

We made a late reservation and were seated at a family style high top table with a foot rest, which made it easy to relax into the evening. My family tends to order enough appetizers to forget what we chose for dinner, and this night was no exception. The fried calamari, served with two distinct sauces, was the best my mom has ever had. We also shared bruschetta before diving into our entrees.

Standouts included the Zozzonna with guanciale and sweet sausage, delicate duck agnolotti with sage and lemon, and a classic chicken parm featuring the largest cutlet I have ever seen. We ended with Peanut Butter Butterscotch Pie and a special Dubai chocolate cake with pistachio ice cream, the perfect sweet finish.

Wild Olive is equally suited for a milestone celebration or a casual date night. It is the kind of place that invites you to linger, laugh loudly, and stay awhile, which is exactly how our family loves to celebrate.

There is something extra meaningful about celebrating your child on their actual birthday. Not just the weekend party, not just the big gathering, but the real day they were born. Even on a busy school or work day, you can make it feel magical with a few simple, intentional touches. Balancing all three of my kids, work and celebrating birthdays can be hard work! Here are seven practical ways to celebrate your kid on their birthday. A few of these I plan on using for my daughters fifth birthday this week!

1. Decorate Their Room
After they fall asleep the night before, sneak in with balloons, streamers, or a birthday banner. It does not have to be Pinterest worthy. Just waking up to a room that says, “Today is YOUR day” instantly makes it feel special.

2. Breakfast in Bed
Start the morning slow and sweet with breakfast in bed. Add a candle to their pancakes or a little handwritten note on the tray. Even older kids secretly love being fussed over first thing in the morning.

3. Bring Birthday Snacks to School
If their school allows it, send in or drop off a special birthday snack to share with their class. It gives them a moment to shine during the school day and makes the celebration extend beyond home.

4. Switch Up the School Routine
Changing something small in their routine can feel big. I am a stay at home parent, and my kids think it is the best surprise when my husband brings them to school. He usually takes our older child, so on special occasions I will bring them, or we will all go together. That simple switch makes the morning feel intentional and out of the ordinary.

5. Set Up Their Stuffed Animals for a Surprise
Before breakfast, arrange their favorite stuffed animals around the kitchen table with little notes or party hats. Because obviously, the stuffed animals love your kids too. It adds a layer of whimsy that younger kids adore and older kids still find charming.

6. A Special Birthday Shirt, Pin, or Crown
Let them wear something that announces the celebration. A birthday crown, a button, or a fun shirt makes them feel recognized all day long. It also invites others to wish them a happy birthday, which most kids secretly love.

7. Create a Family Video of Love and Memories
Ask grandparents, aunts, uncles, or close friends to send a short video sharing why they love your child or a favorite memory with them. Compile the clips and play it at dinner or before bed. This becomes more meaningful every single year.

Celebrating your child on their actual birthday does not have to be elaborate or expensive. It is about creating moments that feel thoughtful and personal. When you intentionally mark the day, you are telling them something they will carry with them long after the candles are blown out. You matter. We are so glad you are here.

Have the best week and weekend!

Love, Jenna