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COVERING BEAUFORT COUNTY
LOWCOUNTRY LOWDOWN
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City Council to consider expanding drinking opportunities
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BEAUFORT t almost seems laughable to start the new year off with the idea that the Beaufort City Council might be considering establishment of an “entertainment district” in the downtown district when there’s a proverbial elephant sitting there in the center of the district, in the form of a big, old stormwater drainage hole. The word “laughable” comes to mind because the idea of “expanding” an area to allow shoppers to wander a few blocks of the downtown business district carrying plastic glasses of wine or beer, that’s a marketing tool has been a matter of debate for city officials for years. Merchants and downtown hospitality folks over the years have advocated against public prohibition. The public drinking allowances have already slowly been expanded for special occasions, i.e., the monthly First Friday events. One can suppose it’s a slow evolution from 2000 when the elected officials agreed to restrict nighttime music events in the downtown area by regulating noise levels past 11 p.m. At that time, there was a push to encourage second-floor residential development along Bay Street and certain property owners had a real beef with the entertainment at Hemingway’s and Luther’s. So Beaufort’s downtown music scene is pretty much non-existent and now, because of that proverbial elephant, the multi-million-dollar stormwater drainage improvement project, the council may be open to some discussion of letting folks wander around drinking beer and wine. The idea being, at this point in the town’s history, such allowances would encourage more night time activity of the positive sort, downtown. Also unsaid but just as much an underlying consideration is the ongoing “mystery” of what and how city officials plan to repair waterfront sections of the Henry C. Chambers Park which we’ve been told may in danger of falling in. Now, that’s going to be a much bigger topic of discussion for the Council in the coming year, and
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Hundreds of brave souls kicked off the New Year by diving into the chilly Atlantic at Hunting Island State Park during the annual Pelican Plunge on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. Participants, many clad in festive costumes, gathered near the lighthouse complex for the midday splash — a beloved Lowcountry tradition that draws beachgoers of all ages to take the plunge and celebrate together. Photo by Asa Aarons Smith
A stellar start to 2026 Northern Beaufort County plunges into the New Year for good causes
By Luke Frazier For The Island News The notion of “plunging” suggests several things: low necklines, falling stock prices, perhaps a bathroom mishap. On New Year’s Day in Beaufort, however, plunging manifested in two separate events, 20 miles apart, in two different bodies of water. Both were charity fundraisers where participants displayed warm hearts, even as their bodies dipped in frigid waters. On Hunting Island the event is called the Pelican Plunge, and this was the 16th annual. Proceeds benefit the nonprofit Friends of Hunting Island. About 450 people showed up, some in costumes, most with big smiles. According to park rangers, three hundred or so made the actual plunge, racing behind a costumed pelican to the water. Other costumes included crab hats, bejeweled mermaids, Dr. Seuss attire, inflated pony heads on sticks, and a group of folks who built a por-
Catherine Guerrero and Kathy Peeler, both of Port Royal, celebrate during the Pirate Plunge at The Sands in Port Royal on January 1, 2026. Amber Hewitt/ The Island News table snow fort and pelted the crowd has become a ritual of sorts. “That’s a big piece of this — rewith soft pseudo snowballs. Linda Miller, President of Friends unions, people coming together,” of Hunting Island State Park, said SEE START PAGE A8 besides raising funds, the plunge
Tides to Tables Restaurant Week starts Friday
Event is culinary extension of Beaufort Oyster Festival
Staff reports Tides to Tables Restaurant Week, featuring local restaurants and their amazing cuisine, opens Friday, Jan. 9, opening the weeklong run up to the Beaufort Oyster Festival, to be held on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 17 and 18. The event is hosted by the Beaufort Area Hospitality Asso-
ciation (BAHA) in partnership with the Beaufort-Port Royal-Sea Islands Convention and Visitors Bureau and in conjunction with South Carolina Restaurant Week.
Participating local restaurants typically offer an existing menu item at a special discount price or a special multi-course menu or a special featured appetizer or cocktail. Participating restaurants this year include Sea Sea’s Honey Hole Bait & Tackle Shop, Chef Frank’s Bistro, The Fillin’ Station, Q on
Bay, Shellring Ale Works, Scratch Italian Kitchen, Rotten Little Bastard Distillery, Breakwater, Ribaut Social Club, Dockside and more. Menus for the participating restaurants can be found at https:// bit.ly/49G74M9 or the Beaufort Area Hospitality Association’s
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Transparency dispute lands Beaufort economic development agency in court.
‘The World is Our Oyster’ — Beaufort Art Association hosting January/February show.
Endometriosis: understanding a common — but often overlooked — condition.
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