Author: Charleston Daily

Mount Pleasant, S.C. (February 5, 2026) – Town of Mount Pleasant Mayor Will Haynie joined Mount Pleasant Chamber of Commerce Director Rebecca Imholz and other Chamber Members at Marion’s Gelato to celebrate their grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The gelato shop is located at 901 Warrior Way, Suite 104.

Marion’s Gelato offers small-batch, handcrafted gelato made with thoughtfully sourced ingredients, featuring a rotating selection of classic favorites, seasonal flavors, and fruit-based options. The shop adds to Mount Pleasant’s growing collection of locally owned, culinary-driven businesses that reflect the town’s commitment to quality, creativity, and community. Located in Mount Pleasant, Marion’s Gelato invites residents to stop by, sample flavors, and experience a sweet new gathering spot in town.

For more information about Marion’s Gelato, including hours and menu offerings, visit their website, follow them on Facebook and Instagram, or call 843.618.5710.

Source and Photo Credit: Town of Mount Pleasant, SC

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$11.6 million investment will create 25 new jobs

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Huwell US Inc. (Huwell), a cosmetics and hair care products manufacturer, today announced it selects Cherokee County for its first U.S. operation. The company’s $11.6 million investment will create 25 new jobs. 

Headquartered in Italy, Huwell has produced hair products for more than 60 years. The company is a private label manufacturer of lighteners and is one of the world’s leading providers of bleaching powders. Huwell also distributes raw materials for the formulation of cosmetic products.

Huwell’s new 120,000 square-foot facility, located at 14 Commerce Drive in Gaffney, will produce lighteners for a wide range of customers from large, well-established brands to smaller, independent cosmetic companies. Once renovations are complete, the new manufacturing plant will provide the Italian company with greater access to the U.S. market.

Operations are expected to be online in June 2026. Individuals interested in joining the Huwell team should visit the company’s website.

The Coordinating Council for Economic Development approved job development credits related to the project. The council also awarded a $100,000 Set-Aside grant to Cherokee County to assist with the costs of building improvements.

QUOTES

“South Carolina represents the kind of place where Huwell truly belongs — a region built on practical thinking, reliable execution and people who take pride in what they build every day. We are grateful for the opportunity to become part of the Gaffney community and to grow alongside the talented individuals who make this region strong. Opening this facility allows us to serve our customers more efficiently, respond faster to market needs and build even closer partnerships across the United States.” -Huwell President Gabriele Magni

“Huwell’s decision to establish operations in Cherokee County demonstrates how South Carolina’s business-friendly environment and skilled workforce attract companies from around the globe. With the creation of 25 new jobs, we look forward to seeing the company find success in the Upstate.”  -Gov. Henry McMaster  

“We are excited to welcome Huwell to Cherokee County — an ideal location for the company thanks to the strength and potential of our rural counties. Huwell’s investment of $11.6 million reflects South Carolina’s impressive reputation as a leader in advanced manufacturing.” -Secretary of Commerce Harry M. Lightsey III

“We are excited to welcome Huwell to the city of Gaffney. This investment not only strengthens our local economy, but more importantly, it creates 25 quality jobs. Opportunities like these can make a real difference for working families in our community. Projects like this show that Gaffney and Cherokee County continue to be a place where businesses can grow and our residents can build strong futures. We appreciate Huwell’s confidence in our city and look forward to a long and successful partnership.” -Gaffney Mayor Lyman Dawkins III 

FIVE FAST FACTS

• Huwell US Inc. (Huwell) selects Cherokee County for its first U.S. operation.
• The company’s $11.6 million investment will create 25 new jobs.
• Huwell is a cosmetics and hair care products manufacturer.
• The company will be located at 14 Commerce Drive in Gaffney, S.C.
• Individuals interested in joining the Huwell team should visit the company’s website.

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Colour of Music Festival Returns to North Charleston for Special Series February 25-28, 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Charleston SC February 4, 2026—Colour of Music Festival Inc., the country’s largest black classical music organization headquartered in Charleston, SC, showcasing gifted classical composers and performers of African descent, is proud to announce its return to North Charleston at Eternal Father of the Sea Navy Chapel and the North Charleston Performing Arts Center February 25-28, 2026.

Presented in partnership with the City of North Charleston, Roper Saint Francis Health System, the Boeing Corporation, Crews Subaru and Chevrolet, and the South Carolina Stingrays, performances will showcase piano and vocal recitals and a chamber performance, February  25-26, with an orchestral finale with the Colour of Music Festival Orchestra at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center February 28.

“Debuting at the City of North Charleston’s Arts Fest in 2023, the Colour of Music Festival is proud to present its orchestra at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center with several chamber music settings. As the region’s cultural hub, we are excited to offer the City a new signature event that brings the classical arts to its residents,” said Lee Pringle, Colour of Music Festival Founder and Artistic Director.

COLOUR OF MUSIC FESTIVAL CALENDAR | FEBRUARY 25-28                  
Wednesday, February 25 | Eternal Father of the Sea Navy Chapel

Piano Recital • 2 p.m.

Edward E. Callahan, piano

Johann Sebastian Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in D Minor, Frédéric Chopin Fantasy in F Minor, Op. 49, Maurice Ravel’s Gaspard de la nuit, No.1 “Ondine,” and Joseph Joubert His Eye is On the Sparrow, are among the curated works performed at the Festival’s California debut.

Wednesday, February 25 | Eternal Father of the Sea Navy Chapel

Chamber Music Quartet, Quintet Ensembles & Sextet • 7 p.m.

Joseph Bologne, Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges, Sonata for Two Violins in B-flat Major, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Quintet for Piano and Winds in E flat Major, KV 452, Edmund Thornton Jenkins’ Reverie Phantasy andColeridge-Taylor Perkinson’s String Quartet No. 1 “Calvary.”

Thursday, February 26 | Eternal Father of the Sea Navy Chapel

Voice Recital • 2 p.m.

Angela Brown, soprano and Edward Callahan, piano

Richard Danielpour’s Selections from A Woman’s Life, Daniel Schnyder’s My Boy from Charlie Parker’s Yardbird and segments from Richard Danielpour’s Three Prayers from Margaret Garner, Ease Yourselves, He Is By, Epilogue.

Saturday, February 28 | North Charleston Performing Arts Center 

Colour of Music Festival Finale • 7 p.m.
The finale features the Festival’s 60+ member orchestra spotlighting violinist Romuald Grimbert-Barré performing Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64. Under the baton of guest conductor Maestro Leslie B. Dunner soprano Angela Brown will perform an aria from Chevalier de Saint Georges’ opera L’amant Anonyme. The performance concludes with the Charleston debut of CASOP: A Requiem for Rice, honoring the Africans who perished during the Atlantic slave trade for the economic gains realized during the enslavement of Black Africans throughout North America. The cultivation of rice by Africans contributed significantly to the building of America, particularly in the Charleston Lowcountry. Yet thousands of them were never given the proper ritual; hence, the title of the new composition is “Unburied, Unmourned, and Unmarked.”

2026 Colour of Music Festival Tickets and Information: $15-$40

North Charleston, NC

By phone: (888) 512-9835 

Online: colourofmusic.org

At door: (credit card, cash, or check) before each performance

Colour of Music Festival Orchestra in North Charleston presented by Roper St. Francis Healthcare, Boeing, Crews Subaru, Crews Chevrolet, South Carolina Stingrays, and the City of North Charleston.

About the Colour of Music Festival

Based in Charleston, South Carolina, and organized in 2013, the Colour of Music Festival, Inc. presents a diverse classical repertoire of baroque, classical, and 20^th century music at the highest of musical standards. The Festival has also presented in Washington, DC, Atlanta, Houston, Nashville, New York City, Richmond, Pittsburgh, Columbia, SC, Sacramento, and Tulsa. www.colourofmusic.org

The Colour of Music Festival gratefully acknowledges support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the South Carolina Artis Commission and is also named one of South Arts’ Southern Cultural Treasures, a program made possible with support from the Ford Foundation and the Alice L. Walton Foundation.

Media Contact: Allison Savicz

Publicist, Colour of Music Festival

(919) 923-2791; public.relations@colourofmusic.org

Official Event Website

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By Mark A Leon

For 20 years, Charleston Wine + Food has celebrated the tastes, traditions, and creativity that define the Lowcountry’s culinary identity — from classic Southern comfort food to modern, globally inspired cuisine. In 2026, the festival returns with over 90 events — including tasting dinners, hands-on classes, and collaborative showcases — spotlighting chefs whose work reflects both personal heritage and contemporary food culture.  Among them are several remarkable women whose stories, inspirations, and food designs exemplify why Charleston remains one of America’s most exciting food destinations.

Maryam Ghaznavi — Pakistani-inspired Hospitality

Maryam Ghaznavi is the chef behind Malika Pakistani Chai Canteen and related ventures in Charleston, and she brings a heartfelt focus on Pakistani street food and cultural storytelling to the festival. Through experiences like the festival’s Malika Pakistani Chai Canteen Signature Dinner, she showcases the vibrant spices, bold flavors, and communal themes of South Asian cuisine — all reinterpreted with Charleston’s fresh produce and coastal sensibilities. 

Inspiration & Style: Ghaznavi draws on memories of home-cooked meals and chai gatherings to shape menus that blend spice, comfort, and hospitality — creating dishes that feel both familiar and adventurous on the palate.

Melanie Alston — Carrying Soul Food Forward

Melanie Alston represents the legacy of Martha Lou’s Kitchen, the beloved Charleston soul food institution founded by her grandmother, Martha Lou Gadsden. Though the original restaurant closed, the family’s culinary spirit lives on through Alston’s continuation of soulful, authentic Lowcountry cooking. 

Inspiration & Style: Rooted in heritage and family tradition, Alston’s approach honors classic Southern favorites like fried chicken, collard greens, and cornbread while uplifting the deep community history behind them. At CHSWF, she brings this rooted, celebratory sense of place to festival events that highlight “food as family.”

Allison Anspach — Artisanal Baking & Local Craft

Allison Anspach is the founder and baker behind Grit Bakery in downtown Charleston, a bakery that emphasizes seasonal ingredients, slow fermentation, and community-oriented culinary design. Her bread, pastries, and baked goods reflect a passion for craftsmanship and a belief in food that nourishes both body and culture. 

Inspiration & Style: Anspach’s work is inspired by her culinary journey from New Orleans to San Diego to Charleston, along with the Swedish tradition of fika — the idea that a shared bread and coffee can foster connection. At the festival, her bakery expertise brings balance to savory and sweet events, adding dimension to the celebrations.

Cheyenne Bond — Coastal & Collaborative Cuisine

Cheyenne Bond, Executive Chef of Delaney Oyster House in Charleston, brings over two decades of culinary experience to the festival stage. Bond’s roots in the region and her dedication to Lowcountry seafood and coastal flavors make her a standout presence at events like Opening Night. 

Inspiration & Style: Known for her collaborative spirit and respect for local ingredients, Bond weaves the maritime heritage of Charleston into dishes that feel both elevated and deeply connected to place.

Rashaunda Grant — Gullah-Geechee Heritage & Cultural Cuisine

Rashaunda Grant is the chef and owner of The Carolina Cookery, where she champions Gullah-Geechee cuisine — a living culinary tradition rooted in African, Caribbean, and Southern influences. Through her cooking studio and festival participation, Grant teaches not just recipes, but the cultural stories behind them, emphasizing community, heritage, and locally sourced ingredients. 

Inspiration & Style: Grant’s menus feature soulful preparations like grits, biscuits, and regional vegetables enhanced by reflections on local history and diasporic foodways, creating dishes that resonate with both memory and innovation.

At Charleston Wine + Food 2026, these chefs — each with distinct backgrounds and culinary visions — demonstrate the festival’s heart: food as culture, connection, and celebration. 

Official Festival and Ticketing Website

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6 restaurants/caterers in the Lowcountry owned and operated by Jewish small business owners

1. Dining In Inc (Kosher Catering)

Website: https://diningininc.com

Location: 1645 Raoul Wallenberg Blvd, Charleston, SC 29407

Bio:

Founded in 1989 by Chef Marcie Rosenberg, Dining In Inc is Charleston’s premier kosher catering company and a cornerstone of the local Jewish community. They specialize in weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs, holidays, and corporate events, offering traditional Jewish cuisine alongside modern menus under kosher supervision.

2. Hyman’s Seafood

Website: https://www.hymanseafood.com

Location: 215 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC 29401

Bio:

A Charleston institution and fifth-generation Jewish-owned family business, Hyman’s Seafood traces its roots back to 1890 when Jewish immigrant Wolf Maier Karesh opened a dry goods store. Today, it remains family-run and deeply tied to Charleston’s Jewish merchant history.

3. Aaron’s Deli (at Hyman’s)

Website: https://www.hymanseafood.com

Location: 213 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC 29401

Bio:

Aaron’s Deli operates alongside Hyman’s Seafood and shares the same Jewish family ownership. Serving deli-style sandwiches and casual fare, it reflects Jewish deli traditions while continuing the Hyman family’s long-standing presence in downtown Charleston.

4. Mazal

Website: https://mazaleat.com

Location: 1901 Ashley River Rd, Charleston, SC 29407

Bio:

Opened by brothers Gal and Tal Alhadeff, Mazal is a Jewish-owned Israeli-inspired restaurant celebrating family recipes and Mediterranean flavors. Named for their grandmother, the restaurant brings authentic shawarma, falafel, and mezze to the Charleston food scene.

5. Marty’s Place

Website: https://charleston.edu/campus-services/

Location: Charleston, SC – College of Charleston Campus

Bio:

Marty’s Place is a kosher, vegetarian, and vegan restaurant at the College of Charleston, located in the Jewish Studies Center, that serves as a popular campus dining spot and community gathering place. It offers a rotating menu with daily specials, accepts campus meal plans (Meal Taps, Dining Dollars, Cougar Cash), and is open to the public, providing a casual atmosphere with options like burgers, mac ‘n cheese, and fresh salads. 

6. Charleston Bakery & Delicatessen (Summerville)

Website: http://www.charlestonbakeryanddeli.com

Location: 10597 Dorchester Rd, Summerville, SC 29485

Bio:

A destination for traditional Jewish comfort food, Charleston Bakery & Delicatessen is Jewish-owned and known for authentic bagels, knishes, latkes, brisket, babka, and rye sandwiches. Owned by Randy Jarvis, who grew up in a Jewish bakery family, it brings true Jewish deli culture to the Lowcountry.

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GEORGETOWN, SC (WMBF) – A Georgetown restaurant is closing its doors earlier than expected. Root restaurant, located at 919 Front Street, was originally set to close permanently on February 5, 2026, but was forced to close on Thursday, according to a Facebook post from the business. The restaurant announced the closure with sadness and thanked customers for their loyalty over the years. 

The restaurant did not provide specific details about what led to the closure decision, but said they tried their best to keep it open until the original close date.

Restaurant Statement on Facebook

Source: WMBF News and Root

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Over $82 million investment will create 90 highly skilled jobs

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Cyclic Materials, a leader in recycling solutions for rare earth elements, today announced it selects Chesterfield County to establish the company’s first East Coast operation. The over $82 million investment will create 90 highly skilled jobs. 

Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Cyclic Materials uses innovative technology to source rare earth elements from end-of-life products, providing an environmentally sustainable supply chain alternative.

The company’s new co-located processing and manufacturing facility, to be located in the Alligator Industrial Park in McBee, will produce copper, steel, aluminum and mixed rare earth oxide.

Operations are expected to be online in 2028. Individuals interested in joining the Cyclic Materials team should visit the company’s careers page.

The Coordinating Council for Economic Development approved job development credits related to the project. The council also awarded a $500,000 Set-Aside grant to Chesterfield County to assist with the costs of building improvements.

QUOTES

“Our decision to invest in South Carolina reflects a deliberate strategy to grow a strong, interconnected U.S. recycling network. By expanding our footprint in the Southeast, we are positioning Cyclic Materials closer to partners, customers, talent and infrastructure that are critical for scaling secure and circular supply chains at a national level. The investment strengthens our ability to support American manufacturing, accelerate the commercialization of critical technologies, and build a more reliable and resilient domestic rare earths and critical metals ecosystem.” -Cyclic Materials CEO and Founder Ahmad Ghahreman

“Cyclic Materials’ new facility in Chesterfield County reflects the confidence companies have in South Carolina’s workforce and our ability to support advanced manufacturing. This over $82 million investment will bring jobs to the community and strengthen the local economy.” -Gov. Henry McMaster 

“With the addition of 90 jobs, Cyclic Materials’ decision to establish operations in South Carolina is a testament to the outstanding economic development happening throughout our state. We look forward to the company’s future growth in Chesterfield County.” -Secretary of Commerce Harry M. Lightsey III

“Cyclic Materials’ decision to invest over $82 million and create 90 high-paying skilled jobs in McBee, marks a historic milestone for Chesterfield County and for rural South Carolina. By betting big on communities like ours, this investment — one of the largest manufacturing commitments in the county’s history — signals strong confidence in our workforce and long-term economic future. Its impact will extend far beyond McBee, driving job creation, attracting new investment, strengthening workforce development and building a more resilient economy for generations. We thank Cyclic Materials for believing in McBee and Chesterfield County.” -Chesterfield County Council Chairwoman Mary Anderson

FIVE FAST FACTS

• Cyclic Materials selects Chesterfield County to establish the company’s first East Coast operation. 
• The company’s over $82 million investment will create 90 highly skilled jobs.
• Cyclic Materials is a leader in recycling solutions for rare earth elements and other critical minerals.
• This new Cyclic Materials’ Hub and Spoke campus will be located in the Alligator Industrial Park in McBee, S.C.
• Individuals interested in joining the Cyclic Materials team should visit the company’s careers page.

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Join the community for the 11th Annual #Race4Wanza Doughnut Dash 5k in honor of TyWanza Sanders! TyWanza Sanders, a man with a philanthropic spirit and a commitment to the achievement of youth in his community and beyond, was the youngest victim of the 2015 Mother Emanuel Church Massacre. To honor his life and continue his legacy, Race 4 Achievement Inc. (R4A) created this family-friendly community run/walk (3.5 miles) to provide funds for R4A’s TyWanza Sanders Scholarship Fund and other philanthropic outreach programs. 

This community event is R4A‘s primary fundraiser, enabling us to persist in our mission of supporting the community and championing diversity within the Charleston #commUNITY. Proceeds from this event have allowed R4A to award over $30,000 worth of scholarships since the event’s inception to minority high school graduates in the Charleston area. The TyWanza Sanders Scholarship Fund includes the following $1,000 scholarships TyWanza Sanders Scholarship at James Island Charter High, West Ashley High, and Burke High School, the Dan Stern Citadel Scholarship, the Malik Samir Werts Scholarship at the Charleston County School of the Arts, and the Kevin White Jr. Fort Dorchester High School Scholarship.

Click HERE to get involved.

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Revelations: The Art of Leo TwiggsGibbes Museum of Art — Revelations: The Art of Leo Twiggs (opens this week, on view through May 3) 

• Spans six decades of work by the nationally acclaimed artist
• Twiggs was born just 45 miles from Charleston in 1934, and will be celebrating his 92nd birthday during the run of the exhibition
• The museum show features more than 40 works created by Dr. Leo Twiggs between 1961 and 2020
• The first major retrospective exhibition in his home state of South Carolina
• Marks the 50th anniversary of Dr. Twiggs’ landmark solo show at the Gibbes in 1976 (during the bicentennial year)
• Now, a half-century later, this new exhibition comes at a national crossroads as America commemorates its 250th anniversary

Pictured above – the artist Dr. Leo Twiggs

The nationally acclaimed artist and educator was the first African American student to receive a Doctorate from the University of Georgia, and the first visual artist to receive the Governor’s Trophy for Outstanding Contributions to the Arts in South Carolina (the Elizabeth O’Neill Verner Award).  

His many accolades include: the Order of the Palmetto (South Carolina’s highest civilian honor); the 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art/Gibbes Museum of Art; and was inducted in 2020 into the South Carolina Hall of Fame.

At South Carolina State University Dr. Twiggs taught from 1973 until 1998. During his tenure at the university, he started the Art Department and was instrumental in opening and serving as the Director of the I. P. Stanback Museum and Planetarium on campus. Twiggs was named professor emeritus in 2000.

“The whole point is that we are all on this boat together. We either sink, or we swim by making this experiment work,” says the artist, Dr. Leo Twiggs. “At this 250th anniversary, when we have come so far together in this country, this retrospective is not just about me — it’s about us, our shared American experience. I like to create questions with my work, which weaves in and out of this American narrative. And you cannot pass through the 250 years of American history without passing through Charleston,” adds Dr. Leo Twiggs.

“His singular creativity has transformed not only his life, but by his teaching and public service, has served as a beacon for thousands of students, fellow artists, and friends,” says Dr. Frank Martin, the guest curator for this exhibition. “Through talent, faith, ambition, intelligence and hard work, Leo Twiggs has emerged from the challenging obscurity of his early life (in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s) in a small, segregated community to become one of the South’s most nationally significant and innovative visual artists,” adds Dr. Martin.

Click HERE for more details on the new exhibit.

Pictured above – “The Swing,” by Leo Twiggs (1970) batik on cotton.

Pictured above – “We Have Known Rivers: Masks, Tree and Moon,” by Leo Twiggs (1992) batik and paint on cotton mounted on board.

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