Criminal Defense Lawyer in Sullivan's Island, SC

Firecrackers will flash across Charleston's stunning skyline once again this year, offering yet another spectacular Fourth of July for the Lowcountry.

If you're looking for a special setting to embrace the patriotic holiday, consider watching the dazzling light shows aboard the flight desk of the USS Yorktown. This year's event will feature two separate stages with local bands, the opportunity to explore parts of the Yorktown museum and more fun family activities to honor the national holiday.

"Every adult hits that point where you think you've been to every kind of fireworks show," said Sam Elkin, Patriots Point's director of marketing and communication. "If you've seen one, you've seen them all, right? That is until they've seen this one — which is the most unique fireworks show in Charleston — with unmatched views and sightlines of multiple fireworks shows across Charleston harbor. It's truly something special."

If you're in Summerville, head to the Fireworks and Freedom Festival, where there will be glow sticks for the little ones and the shuttle buses running from behind town hall to Gahagan Park.

"It's really a great event for Summerville, as well as for those from Moncks Corner or North Charleston looking for something a little different from what they're used to," said Rigel Kocur, Summerville Parks and Recreation Department's marketing and events manager.

With so many captivating celebrations to choose from, we've got 14 hotspots for your Fourth of July festivities and fireworks.

Fireworks and Freedom Festival

What: Enjoy a curated fireworks display, tasty food trucks, inflatable obstacle courses and community fun hosted by the Summerville Parks and Recreation Department.

When: 5:30-9:30 p.m.

Where: Gahagan Park, 515 W. Boundary St., Summerville

Price: Free

Red, White and Palm

What: Get together at this pre-fireworks gathering and enjoy a live DJ, light bites, chilled cocktails and a stunning view of the fireworks over Charleston's skyline. Patriotic attire is encouraged.

When: 6-9 p.m.

Where: Little Palm, 237 Meeting St., Charleston

Price: Free

Fabulous Fourth in the Creek

What: Goose Creek hosts their annual Fourth of July celebration and fireworks show, featuring live music, tasty food vendors and plenty of family-friendly activities to explore.

When: 6:30-9:30 p.m.

Where: Goose Creek Municipal Center, 519 N. Goose Creek Blvd.

Price: Free

Fourth of July Fireworks Blast

What: Watch Charleston harbor light up with fireworks aboard the historic USS Yorktown with live music, tasty food vendors and unmatched views.

When: 7-10 p.m.

Where: USS Yorktown, Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum, 40 Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant

Price: $109

What: This annual parade which will march down Dunvegan Drive, turn left on Shadowmoss Parkway and travel around Muirfield before wrapping up at the starting line. Expect patriotic floats, some vintage cars and more.

When: 10 a.m.

Where: Shadowmoss Golf & Country Club, 21 Dunvegan Drive, Charleston

Price: Free

Fourth of July Fireworks Cruise

What: Board The Carolina Girl yacht for an exclusive night on Charleston harbor to view the annual fireworks shows, featuring a live DJ, light bites, an open bar and incredible views.

When: 8-11 p.m.

Where: St. Johns Yacht Harbor, 2408 Maybank Highway, Johns Island

Price: $170

July 4th Family Picnic and Fireworks

What: Bring out your family and friends for an outdoor picnic with fun games, live music and fireworks.

When: 6-9 p.m.

Where: Bay Creek Park, 3706 Dock Site Road, Edisto Island

Price: Free

4th of July Festival

What: Break out the lawn chairs for North Charleston's annual festival featuring a stunning fireworks show after dark and live music from Motown Throwdown alongside DJ Natty Heavy and DJ D-Nyce.

When: 5-9:30 p.m.

Where: Riverfront Park, 1061 Everglades Ave., North Charleston

Price: Free

4th of July Juke Joint Jam

What: Celebrate Independence Day with some Gullah Geechee food and culture alongside some groovin' funk by DJ Kwame Sha as well as Beth Inabinett & For the Funk of It Band. All proceeds support the Penn Center's heritage program.

When: 7 p.m.

Where: Penn Center, 16 Penn Center Circle E., St. Helena Island

Price: $28

Isle of Palms Fourth of July Fireworks Show

What: Isle of Palms will host their annual fireworks show on the beach with incredible displays across the entirety of Charleston harbor.

When: 9 p.m.

Where: Front Beach, 1118 Ocean Blvd., Isle of Palms

Price: Free

Independence Day Celebration

What: Celebrate Independence Day with a fun bike parade, cookout, live music, watermelon-eating contest, breakdancing and fireworks.

When: 5-9 p.m.

Where: Night Heron Park, 1 Kiawah Island Parkway, Kiawah Island

Price: Free

Daniel Island Independence Day Celebration

What: Sign up for Daniel Island's golf cart parade, which begins at Bishop England High School and continues to Daniel Island School parking lot. A celebration will follow at Smythe Park with live DJs, dance performances, music from Wildflower Station and the East Coast Party Band.

When: 4-9 p.m. July 3

Price: Free

Sullivan's Island 4th of July Golf Cart Parade

What: Join in on the annual golf cart and bike parade, starting at the Sunrise Presbyterian Church and heading to Sullivan's Island Elementary School. Registered participants will be judged for most-festive golf cart at the finish line.

When: 8:30 a.m.

Price: Free

Sullivan's Island Independence Day Party

What: Following the annual parade, break out a lawn chair or picnic blanket and watch the fireworks fly over Sullivan's Island while listening to jams from the Shem Creek Boogie Band.

When: 6 p.m.

Where: J. Marshall Stith Park, 2058 Middle St., Sullivan's Island

Price: Free

SULLIVAN’S ISLAND – Palmetto logs chopped down by Dominion Energy could find new life in a tribute to a pivotal battle in the American Revolution.

Thirty palmetto trees deemed unsafe by the electric utility last year were cut down, part of routine power line maintenance. Today the logs are piled beside Battery Logan on Sullivan’s Island, awaiting their second act in a re-creation of the log fort that absorbed blows from British cannonballs and helped guide Patriot troops to a decisive victory over the Royal Navy.

The island is preparing for Carolina Day celebrations on June 28, the annual commemoration of the famed battle. While plans to rebuild a portion of the iconic fort is underway, they are still are largely conceptual.

Mike Walsh, president of the Battery Gadsden Cultural Center, discussed the slow-going efforts to bring the fort to life once more in the Edgar Allen Poe Library on Ion Avenue.

Inside the converted Spanish-American War-era battery, Walsh said the idea to rebuild the fort is a "dream worth pursuing," although many details, like its location and construction, are still undecided.

"In the general sense of trying to up the awareness of the Battle of Sullivan's Island, you have to include the Palmetto log fort, because therein lies the story," Walsh said.

Palmetto logs were used by soldiers and enslaved laborers from nearby plantations in the early days of the American Revolution. Col. William Moultrie, the man for whom Fort Moultrie is named, oversaw the construction of the structure as the British Royal Navy closed in on Patriot soldiers.

The fort consisted of two parallel rows of palmetto logs about 16 feet apart. Inside, brick pillars supported a cannon platform. Thousands of cubic yards of sand were shoveled in and packed between the logs.

The fort was not complete by the time the battle began on June 28, 1776, and there was wavering faith in the fortitude among high-ranking military officials.

Maj. Gen. Charles Lee arrived in Charleston on June 8, 1776, to command the Continental Army's Southern Department. He dubbed the fort a "slaughter pen," and warned Moultrie the defense would quickly succumb to the Royal Navy's expansive weaponry.

But the palmetto logs embedded in sand were sturdy, yet pliable. Cannon fire bounced off the fort, the logs absorbing the blows like a sponge.

It held up through the night. By morning, over 200 British causalities were recorded, and the Loyalists surrendered.

The fort did not stand the physical test of time. It disappeared in the months after the battle, eaten away by the tides and salty air.

Yet the symbol of the fort and the palmetto persists, added to the South Carolina flag in 1861. It's unknown who came up with the idea to use the logs for the fort, Walsh said, but it proved to be indispensable in the battle.

Had Moultrie listened to Lee and abandoned the idea, "I might be speaking with a British accent and sipping tea," Walsh said.

"That's how important the Battle of Sullivan's Island was, and to us who care about that, that means that the Palmetto log fort was important."

Recreating history

Walsh and the cultural center, a nonprofit preservation society dedicated to Sullivan's Island, are working with SC250 Charleston, the local branch of SC250 that's planning events to recognize the 250-year anniversary of the American Revolution. The organizations are teaming up to, hopefully, rebuild a section of the fort.

There are still several hurdles to jump through before the dream is realized, SC250 Charleston President Brett Bennett said June 26. Funding for the project has to be finalized, and Sullivan's Island's town council has yet to sign off on where the fort will stand for the duration of the exhibit.

A 3D-model of the fort was printed by the Clemson Design Center. By having a tangible, scaled vision of the fort, Bennett said he hopes buy-in from Sullivan’s Island residents and leaders will follow.

"We, meaning SC 250, nor the Battery Gadsden Cultural Center, or any of the other nonprofit entities like SC 250 Charleston, would want to impose on the residents of the area," Bennett said. "But we also are eager to see the project forward so that people can better visualize what that original fortification looked like."

Longtime Charleston residents may recall the 1976 reconstruction of the fort, which was housed on National Park Service property at Fort Moultrie. Built to commemorate the 200th anniversary, photos of the re-creation show it was a towering structure, where visitors could explore the fort by climbing inside.

If the latest version is successful, Walsh said the newest version would be much smaller and akin to an educational exhibit or art display.

Walsh said they hope to have the fort complete in time for the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Sullivan’s Island in June 2026.

SULLIVANS ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - As Saturday marks Carolina Day, it also marks one step closer for America to gain its independence.

A commemorative event, The Fighting for Independence, was held on Sullivan’s Island at Fort Moultrie for a day of history and celebration.

“It helped make America and if it wasn’t for all these people, we wouldn’t be here today,” attendee Nate Fine said.

A Georgia man took a trip to the Lowcountry to see where the historic battle took place at Fort Moultrie.

Given the kind of power behind the British navy, it wasn’t expected for the fort to stand strong 249 years ago.

“The guy that was in charge, Commodore Sir Peter Parker, has literally had his pants blown off. The reports say that his backside was laid bare,” Park Ranger, Christopher Reid said. “So, they have to turn around and leave. And we’ve been celebrating that victory ever since.”

The battle on Sullivan’s Island at Fort Moultrie is a historic moment, not just for locals in the Lowcountry but for the nation as a whole.

“There are things that everyone can relate to. An underdog story is one of them. Victory, loss, war is still a thing that we talk about and people can find a connection to it,” Reid said.

He also added that the interactive history lessons and the reenactments help find that connection.

“Having something for everyone helps step back in time and helps you kind of see what was happening rather than just having someone tell you in 1776 and then immediately falling asleep,” he said.

As people from the Palmetto state and out of towners joined Carolina Day, Fine said it was a step towards freedom, something a history junkie will never forget.

“It helps you learn what happened in the past and what all our forefathers did and all those brave men and women that did for our country and freedom’s awesome,” Fine said.

Copyright 2025 WCSC. All rights reserved.