🌴 Spoleto Fest Kid's Events, 30K Rubber Duck Race and Mex 1 Cantina

Hey Palmetto Parents,

Welcome back to another week of Palmetto Parents! This week, we’re helping families kick off summer fun with all of the kid-friendly Spoleto Festival events lined up in one place so you can enjoy the arts with your little ones all around Charleston. We’re also sharing details on one of the Lowcountry’s most unique family events, the Charleston Duck Race on Daniel Island, where 30,000 rubber ducks will race across the Wando River to raise money for local charities.

For families looking for a fun restaurant recommendation, we’re featuring Mex 1 Coastal Cantina, a tropical Baja-inspired spot with locations on Sullivan’s Island and in West Ashley that is perfect for both parents’ night out and casual dinners with the kids.

And finally, I’m sharing a more personal and relatable parenting piece called Swimming in Our Clothes, about the highs and lows of parenting all happening in one day. From difficult moments to spontaneous joy at the beach with my kids, it’s a reminder that parenthood is messy, emotional, beautiful, and something so many of us are experiencing together.

Enjoy!

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Every spring, Charleston comes alive with music, theater, dance, and visual arts during the internationally celebrated Spoleto Festival USA. Founded in 1977 by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Gian Carlo Menotti, the festival was created as the American counterpart to Italy’s Festival dei Due Mondi and has since become one of Charleston’s most beloved traditions. While Spoleto is known for world-class performances, it also offers plenty of family-friendly opportunities that introduce children to the arts in fun and engaging ways.

Here are a few free events families can enjoy together this year:

Location: Charleston County Public Library Main Branch
68 Calhoun Street

These special Spoleto children’s events are free and designed to make the arts accessible for young audiences. Tickets are required and available in person only at the Main Library Children’s Desk while supplies last. For details, call 843-805-6893.

The College of Charleston’s children’s opera program has introduced more than 40,000 local students to opera through fairy tales and nursery rhymes set to music. This playful performance is a perfect first opera experience for kids.

May 26 at 9:30am and 11:30am

Kids can learn about the four major elements of hip-hop culture including graffiti, MCing, DJing, and breakdancing during this energetic and interactive event.

May 27 at 9:30am and 11:30am

Featuring live drumming, singing, and dance, Harambee Dance Company encourages children to participate and experience the joy of movement and music from different cultural traditions.

May 30 at 11am

Award-winning magician and Charleston County School of the Arts theater teacher George Younts brings audience participation, humor, and magic together in a fun-filled show for all ages.

June 2 at 9:30am and 11:30am

Location: Isle of Palms Front Beach

One of the most unique family-friendly events during Spoleto weekend, the annual sand sculpting competition transforms the beach into a temporary outdoor art gallery. Families can watch talented artists create incredible sculptures from nothing but sand and water, or even join in the fun themselves.

May 30 at 9am

Whether your family loves music, dance, theater, or hands-on creativity, Spoleto Festival USA offers a wonderful way to introduce children to the arts while making lasting Charleston memories together.

Get ready for one of the Lowcountry’s most beloved family events. The Charleston Duck Race returns to Daniel Island Waterfront Park on Saturday, May 30, bringing 30,000 rubber ducks, family fun, and plenty of excitement to the Wando River.

From 10am to 2pm, families can enjoy face painting, games, balloon animals, live music, arts and crafts, and local food vendors before watching thousands of rubber ducks race across the water for a good cause.

Duck adoptions are $10 each, and participants have the chance to win cash prizes, including a $10,000 grand prize. Best of all, proceeds support charities across the Lowcountry. Over the past 20 years, the Charleston Duck Race has raised more than $3 million for local nonprofits and community programs.

This free family-friendly event has become a Charleston tradition and is the perfect way to kick off a fun weekend with the kids.

Come celebrate with the whole family while supporting local nonprofits!

If you are looking for a restaurant that feels like a mini vacation without leaving Charleston, Mex 1 Coastal Cantina should be at the top of your list. With locations on Sullivan’s Island and in West Ashley, this Baja-inspired restaurant brings fun tropical vibes, fresh coastal flavors, and a laid-back atmosphere that both parents and kids will enjoy.

Our co-founder, Courtney, and I recently visited the Sullivan’s Island location after spending the afternoon at the beach with a group of moms, and it truly felt like the perfect ending to a perfect day. Between the colorful atmosphere, refreshing margaritas, and relaxed coastal feel, it was the kind of place where you instantly want to stay a little longer.

Inspired by the culture and flavors of Baja, Mexico and Southern California, Mex 1 serves coastal tacos, quesadillas, rice bowls, and fresh seafood featuring wild-caught shrimp, sustainable fish, and house-made sauces and salsas. I got there ahi bowl and it hit the spot! Their margaritas are made with 100% Blue Agave tequila, fresh citrus, and even house-infused flavors like pineapple, strawberry cucumber, and jalapeño.

While Mex 1 is a great option for a fun parents’ night out, it is also casual and welcoming enough to bring the kids along for dinner after a beach day or weekend outing. The West Ashley location (817 St. Andrews Boulevard) is especially family-friendly and easy to access, while parents should know the Sullivan’s Island location (2205 Middle Street) does have quite a few steps.

Another thing families will appreciate is Mex 1’s strong connection to the local community. The restaurant supports organizations like the Eastern Surfing Association, Carolina Studios, and Warrior Surf Foundation, helping give back right here in the Lowcountry.

Whether you are planning a date night, meeting friends after the beach, or grabbing tacos with the kids, Mex 1 Coastal Cantina brings the fun coastal energy Charleston families love.

Parenting has a funny way of giving you the highest highs and the lowest lows all in the same day.

This week felt like the perfect example of that. Our youngest was officially diagnosed with asthma, which brought a mix of relief and worry all at once. As parents, we always want answers, but hearing a diagnosis for your child can still feel overwhelming.

After the appointment, we decided we all needed a reset, so we made an impromptu trip to the beach. No swimsuits, no towels, no planning at all. The kids swam in their regular clothes, laughed nonstop, and for a little while it felt like we could all just breathe again.

Then came the phone call every parent knows too well. My son’s school called to say he wasn’t feeling well and needed to come home. Just like that, our peaceful beach afternoon ended early, and we packed everyone up sandy, wet, and rushed back into parent mode.

That’s the reality of raising kids. One minute you’re making beautiful memories, and the next you’re juggling sickness, schedules, and stress. Parenting today can feel nonstop, and I think so many parents are carrying more than anyone realizes.

But I’m learning that the moments our kids remember most usually are not the perfectly planned ones. They’re the spontaneous beach trips, the messy days, and the times we simply showed up for them with love.

To every parent trying to balance it all while taking care of everyone else, you are seen. Some days feel exhausting, some feel magical, and most days are a little bit of both.

Have a wonderful week!

Love,

Jenna