Christmas Events and Parade (Updated with photos)

Update: Parade photos added

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To celebrate the upcoming holiday season, the City of North Charleston will host the following public Christmas events.

Christmas Festival and Parade

Saturday, December 3 from 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm around Park Circle with the Christmas Parade beginning at 6:00 pm. The Christmas Festival includes a Holiday Market with children activities, craft vendors, food vendors, and live musical performances on three stages. The Christmas Parade begins at the corner of Montague and Mixson Avenues, proceeds down Montague, around Park Circle, and concludes at Armory Park.

Immediately following the Christmas Parade, Mayor R. Keith Summey and Santa Claus light the City’s Christmas tree located outside the front entrance of the Felix C. Davis Community Center.

A map displaying each event and the parade route.

Winter Wonderland

Thursday, December 1 and Friday, December 2 from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon at Armory Park. This free pre-school event provides young children an opportunity to visit Santa, participate in hands-on activities, including holiday arts & crafts, and take part in live performances and music.

Live Performances on Thursday & Friday by Becky Becker of Becky’s Box of Puppets, helping children discover the joy of reading and weaving magical tales that come to life before your eyes are two of Becky's trademarks.

For required pre-registration, contact the North Charleston Parks & Recreation Department at (843) 745-1028.

Children’s Theatre

Friday, December 2 at 10:00 am at Sterett Hall Auditorium, Atlantic Coast Theatre presents a Beatrix Potter Holiday. Famous children's author, Beatrix Potter, arrives to entertain the guests at her annual holiday party. Stories such as "The Tailor of Gloucester" and "The Rabbit's Christmas Party" come to life on stage with the help of the audience. Her most famous character, Peter Rabbit, may even surprise the guests.

This performance is full but a waiting list is available in case of cancellation. Call 740-5854 for more information.

Breakfast with Santa

Saturday, December 3 from 8:00 am to 10:00 am at Felix C. Davis Community Center. Breakfast with Santa gives area children the opportunity to visit with Mr. and Mrs. Claus. A hearty meal is provided. Tickets can be purchased Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm at the Felix C. Davis Community Center for $4.00 per person.

To purchase tickets, contact the North Charleston Parks & Recreation Department at (843) 745-1028 or visit the Felix C. Davis Community Center.

$5 to $50 Gift Market

Saturday, December 3 & Sunday, December 4; 11:00 am-3:00 pm at The Meeting Place. Presented by the North Charleston Artist Guild.

The $5 to $50 Gift Market is the perfect place to purchase original art, jewelry, and fine crafts by local artists as gifts for family and friends this holiday season. Admission is free and, as the name suggests, everything will be priced at or below $50. More information at northcharlestonartistguild.org

Christmas lights and displays will shine at Park Circle and on the eight exterior islands nightly from December 3 until New Year’s Day.



PHOTOS: Christmas Festival and Parade

For general inquiries, the public should visit www.northcharleston.org or contact Sheri Pearson at (843) 740-2538.

Wescott Golf Club open house with local vendors, prizes, and giveaways

The Golf Club at Wescott Plantation staff and the City of North Charleston invite you to our Open House Event.

Don’t miss out on a day full of fun that will include a kid’s zone, live music, food & specialty drinks, desserts, golf contests, games, over 30 local vendors with prizes and giveaways and much more! The combined value for the door prizes, raffles, and giveaways will be in the thousands so come by for a chance to win many great prizes, gift cards, and products from local businesses.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

The Golf Club at Wescott Plantation

5000 Wescott Club Drive

North Charleston, SC 29485

IT'S FREE

Lunch, Activities, and Giveaways

11:00 am – 3:00 pm 

RSVP for Lunch & Activities

(First 500 to register online and check-in at event will automatically be
entered in a raffle for a 3-month golf pass valued at $400)

Golf Tee Times

8:00 am – 4:00 pm

(Sign up early for preferred times. For just $10 enjoy 9 holes of
championship golf which includes green/cart fees and bottled water)

RSVP for Golf - Enter code: 5000Must RSVP

Golf registration will be limited to the first 200 players that sign up for the event!  

Must RSVP by Thursday, December 1, 2011

Watch the November 22, 2011 City Council Meeting

Download the Agenda

A.C. Corcoran commemoration of our Veterans

On Friday, November 11, 2011 A.C. Corcoran Elementary welcomed service men and women who served valiantly for our country.

Corcoran Elem. celebrated Veteran’s Day with a school-wide assembly program. The Student Council led the program with the Military Magnet color guard leading the Pledge of Allegiance. The guest speaker was retired Lt. Colonel Charles Johnson, who is also CCSD District 4 Board Member for the Innovation Zone Learning Community (IZlC). Lt. Colonel Charles Johnson was escorted by the entire first grade outside to lead a march with song. Corcoran also recognized our staff, parents, friends, and community members who are Veterans.

Melissa Walker & John Humphries at City Gallery in December

Holes Drilled in Poseidon by John Humphries

Concurrent solo exhibitions by Melissa Walker and John Humphries will be on exhibit at the North Charleston City Gallery from December 1-30, 2011. Both artists will host a free opening reception at the gallery on Thursday, December 1, 2011, from 5pm-7pm. The public is invited to attend.

Evening in New Begun Creek by Melissa Walker

Course Corrections, new work by Melissa Walker will feature the artist’s most recent series of acrylic and collage paintings. Melissa’s work is influenced by abstract expressionism and incorporates many mixed media elements, such as nautical charts and silhouettes. Her pieces illustrate the essence of the ocean and the areas around it by depicting atmospheric conditions and times of day without creating a realistic view. The viewer is brought into the work with titles that repeat locations on the charts in many of the paintings. Each piece lends itself to the individual viewer’s interpretation. “Some will see the image as a bird’s eye view, much as you would view a map or look at the earth from an airplane,” she explains. “Others will see the same painting as a landscape, with the traditional sky, horizon line and water. It is up to you to choose how you view each work of art.”

Melissa Walker is a National Board Certified art educator with over 20 years experience teaching elementary, middle, high school and adult students. She received a BA in Art Education from East Carolina University and an MFA in Painting and Printmaking from the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. She has continued to study painting with well known artists and instructors Robert Burridge, Bob Rankin, Joe Deguilio, Sterling Edwards, and Jack Shields. Melissa is a member of the Pastel Association of North Carolina and the North Carolina Watercolor Association, and is a long time member of the North Carolina Art Education Association. For more information, visit melissawalkerartist.com.

Drawn From Nothing features speculative design drawings in watercolour by Ohio based artist, John Humphries. Humphries’ drawings bridge the gap between architectural form and painting and combine delicate wooden constructions to maintain a tension between built form, sketches, and landform. Each piece strives to convey the character of the Midwest industrialized agrarian landscape full of built structures and machines overlain with textures maximized for crop growth, infrastructure, and the remnants of glacial and geological forces. According to Humphries, these drawings operate in three very important areas of architectural exploration. First, they address the process of making and discovering new forms and spatial relationships. Secondly, the drawings provide a way of seeing the world, particularly the most minute subject and exploring it. Finally, the physical artifacts demonstrate for the viewer a way of thinking about cities, landscape, design, and architecture in many ways, allowing the viewer to consider space and the role drawings play in capturing spatial ideas. “Concept drawings are essential to the experiences of design as love is essential to humans,” Humphries explains. “Love which, unlike sex, is not essential to propagation--one can live without it, but does not live very much. The hybrid landscapes in the drawings promise everything that is more than that which is necessary—everything that compelled immigrants to transform a wilderness and everything non-utilitarian in culture.”

Having completed degrees in Architecture and Design with a brief foray as a saucier and metal-smith, John Humphries is now a visual artist, gardener, and designer focusing on translating one media form to another. He currently directs graphic media at Miami University within the School of Fine Arts. His work has been exhibited nationwide, most notably at the Core Gallery for Biennale of the Americas (Denver, CO), Warehouse Gallery one (Peoria, IL), Dorothy Reed Gallery and Phyllis Weston Gallery (Cincinnati, OH), Gallery See (Atlanta, GA), Rosewood Gallery (Kettering, OH), and Arlington Museum of Art (Arlington, TX). For more information, visit his website at albatrossjim.com.

The North Charleston City Gallery is located in the Charleston Area Convention Center with free parking and admission during regular Convention Center operating hours 9:00AM – 5:00PM, daily.  The Gallery is staffed on Friday, Saturday, and Monday only.   Inquiries regarding artists or purchase information may be directed to the North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at (843) 740-5854. For information on additional exhibits, programs, and events, visit the Cultural Arts section of the City’s website at www.northcharleston.org.

Streit USA Armoring announces expansion in North Charleston

Streit USA Armoring, a maker of armored vehicles, today announced plans to expand current operations in North Charleston. The $5.8 million investment is expected to generate more than 50 new jobs over the next three years.

“Demand for our products has grown, so we needed to grow in order to keep up. We are pleased to have the opportunity to grow here. North Charleston and South Carolina have provided an excellent business climate and a great location for our business, and we look forward to expanding here. We’d also like to thank our builder, Frampton and Associates, who has helped us move this project forward,” said Eric Carlson, vice president/partner of Streit USA Armoring.

Streit USA Armoring will establish a new facility to be built by Frampton and Associates in the Palmetto Commerce Park, moving its existing operations from a leased building. The move will allow the company to add four new production lines, greatly increase its output and more than double the manufacturing space to 75,000 square feet.

“We are always excited when one of our existing businesses chooses to increase its footprint in South Carolina. We celebrate Streit USA Armoring’s decision to expand and create more than 50 new well-paying jobs in North Charleston,” said Gov. Nikki Haley.

“Congratulations to Streit USA Armoring on this exciting expansion news,” said Charleston County Council Chairman Teddie Pryor. “This dynamic company occupies a very unique security market niche, and we are gratified to have them expand their operations in North Charleston during such trying economic times. I am confident that our skilled workforce, superior logistics and positive business climate will be a recipe for profitability as Streit continues to grow. As they do, they will always have a steadfast partner in Charleston County.”

“The expansion of Streit USA Armoring to Palmetto Commerce Park gives us confidence that North Charleston and the greater Charleston region remain ripe environments for businesses to flourish,” said North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey. “We applaud Streit’s success and are thankful for the capital investment and job creation in our community.”

“It’s wonderful to see the automotive industry strengthening and growing in our community,” said Charleston Regional Development Alliance Chairman R.M. Singletary. “Streit USA Armoring’s expansion is good news for us all, particularly the Port of Charleston, another key driver of our regional economy. This partnership will continue to drive economic prosperity throughout the three-county region for years to come.”

Proximity to the Port of Charleston was an important factor when the company initially decided to locate operations in the area. The company will continue to import parts and export finished products through the port.

“We appreciate Streit USA Armoring’s trust in our port, the region and our state,” said Jim Newsome, president and CEO of the South Carolina Ports Authority.  “The Port of Charleston has the quality facilities, skilled labor and support industry to handle any international shipping need.”

The company will begin hiring for the new positions next summer, and will be using ReadySC to assist with the hiring process.

For more information about the company, please visit www.armored-cars.com/streit/.

Cummins Inc. announces expansion of test facilities

Flickr user mudmucks

Cummins Inc. announced today an investment of $24 million over three years to expand the research and development capabilities at its technical center in North Charleston, S.C.

The Cummins Technical Center will be capable of running a variety of engines and test a wide range of fuels. Plans call for hiring 31 new engineers, mechanical technicians and electrical technicians immediately with more potential hires in the future.

"The expansion nearly doubles capacity at this site with state-of-the-art facilities to enable testing on diesel, pipe line natural gas and non standard gas engines and help the Company in its drive to be the innovation leader in the industry," said Jim Trueblood, Vice President -- High Horsepower Engineering. "We are excited to be able to partner with the State of South Carolina and expand our testing facilities right here in North Charleston."

"A package put together by state and local officials, access to a skilled workforce and community amenities capable of drawing skilled workers in the future all played an important role in our decision," said Gary Johnson, Operations Manager, Cummins Technical Center, "Having a company facility that could be renovated was an important factor as well."

Representatives of Charleston County and the City of North Charleston participated in today's announcement. "As one of Charleston County's most long-standing corporate citizens, Cummins has been a major employer in our community for the past 30 years," said Teddie Pryor, Chairman of Charleston County Council.

"This exciting news concerning the growth of the Technical Center in North Charleston is a gratifying testimonial to the company's faith in our workforce," Pryor added.

North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey said: "We thank Cummins Technical Center for their continued commitment to doing business in North Charleston. Cummins' research and development facility is a catalyst to our advancing high tech economy."

The Charleston Regional Development Alliance hosted the event. "Smart companies like Cummins are using innovation as a key driver of economic growth and we're pleased to celebrate their continued investment in our community," said CRDA Chairman R.M. Singletary.

Cummins is proud to be a valued employer and partner in the Charleston area and we look forward to continuing our relationship with the City of North Charleston, Charleston County and the State of South Carolina.

About Cummins

Cummins Inc., a global power leader, is a corporation of complementary business units that design, manufacture, distribute and service engines and related technologies, including fuel systems, controls, air handling, filtration, emission solutions and electrical power generation systems. Headquartered in Columbus, Indiana, (USA) Cummins employs approximately 40,000 people worldwide and serves customers in approximately 190 countries and territories through a network of more than 600 company-owned and independent distributor locations and approximately 6,000 dealer locations. Cummins earned $1.0 billion on sales of $13.2 billion in 2010. Press releases can be found on the Web at http://cummins.com .