Charleston Living Magazine Nov-Dec 2023

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BUZZ | SOUTHERN DRAWL The Holy Smokes event, set for Nov. 11, will bring pitmasters from all over the country. A favorite of festival of lights guests are the recreations of popular Charleston landmarks and bridges. A Treasured Tradition Annual Holiday Festival of Lights is all about the people By HOLLY FISHER Ryan Smith might be the maintenance supervisor for the James Island County Park but he’s really in the people business. And it takes a lot of people to keep all aspects of the park running smoothly, especially during the annual Holiday Festival of Lights. Smith oversees a full-time staff of 15 people with additional part-time staff joining the ranks for the busy summer season. Then, more than 180 staff members across the Charleston County Parks system join forces during the holiday season to bring the lights festival to life. “The vast majority of the time I’m talking with people,” Smith said. “I’m listening and figuring out whatever people are trying to accomplish.” It’s a year-round effort. Teams gather in January to assess the previous year and kick off plans for the coming holiday season. “We see that as our beginning point,” Smith said. “We talk about major challenges, what went well and what didn’t go well. Those 36 | CharlestonLivingMag.com planning meetings happen in January and never really stop. They involve marketing, food services, IT… it’s a big operation.” Creativity on Display At the beginning of August, teams begin to assemble the lights displays. It takes six to eight weeks to create one display and there are 750 displays. Some of the displays have become iconic parts of the festival, including a model of the Ravenel Bridge from Charleston to Mt. Pleasant, and it stands 30 feet tall and is roughly the length of a football field. A number of Lowcountry landmarks are part of the festival: Fort Sumter, Rainbow Row, the USS Yorktown and St. Michael’s Church. These beloved displays plus the themed areas of Sea Land, Dinosaur Land, Candy Land, and Toy Land are familiar favorites. But Smith said the team makes just enough changes each year to keep it fresh and interesting. Some of that comes in the form of technology. The earliest displays were powered by incandescent bulbs. Now they use LEDs and are even moving toward using RGB LED bulbs that offer an infinite combination of colors. “People think (the festival) is the same, but if you look at it year after year, it’s really not the same,” Smith said. “We decorate the same
Ryan Smith Maintenance supervisor at James Island County Park Family A wife who he met while working at James Island County Park and 18-yearold son Hometown Fort Worth, TX but moved to Summerville when he was 13 years old. Hobbies Travel, concerts, collecting vinyl records. Officiating Division 1 college football games November/December 2023 | 37
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Page 3 and 4: 1225 BELK DRIVE | SUITE H-2 | MOUNT
Page 5 and 6: Discover the Sweetest Season at Hot
Page 7 and 8: STRETCH your body & your experience
Page 9 and 10: EXPERIENCE EMELINE Nestled amongst
Page 11 and 12: Classic Jasmine Hand Made Hand Engr
Page 13 and 14: Location. Luxury. Legacy. Your wish
Page 15 and 16: Buzz YOUR LOCAL RUNDOWN ON NEWS AND
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Page 23 and 24: Holiday Swing Dec. 2 The Lowcountry
Page 25 and 26: Your local drug store for over 86 y
Page 27 and 28: “Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Chr
Page 29 and 30: Proudly we are a Locally Owned Smal
Page 31 and 32: Holiday Magic At The Kaminski House
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Page 41 and 42: Well Styled DESIGN | HOLIDAY MARKET
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Page 57 and 58: Spend a year on the coast of Charle
Page 59 and 60: Photographer: Aleece Sophia, Fashio
Page 61 and 62: MINKPINK Green Fur Coat, $182; Le L
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Page 71 and 72: NON-PROFITS Staff members at the ba
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King Bean Coffee November/December
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Food DINING OUT | HOLIDAY COCKTAILS
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Battle Star Galactica 2 oz Rittenho
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PHOTO ANDREW CEBULKA Santa’s Litt
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Winter Soupe au Pistou Servings: 4-
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Savory Pumpkin Pie Ingredients: Cru
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CHARLESTON FLOWER MARKET creative f
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TRAVEL A New Way to Pompeii Discove
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Oppostie (top): Habita 79 offers vi
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Charleston Living Magazine Nov-Dec 2023

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