Criminal Defense Attorney inBeaufort, SC

Parades and public ceremonies are taking place across Beaufort County on Nov. 11 as local communities observe Veterans Day.

Coordinated by local veterans’ groups and town officials, Beaufort, Bluffton and Hilton Head Island each have events planned to recognize and thank those who have served in the U.S. military. ​​

Here’s what to know about each celebration:

Beaufort County Veterans Affairs Department Veterans Day Parade

The Beaufort County Veterans Affairs Department will host a Veterans Day Parade beginning at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 11.

This year’s Grand Marshal is Corporal Dorothy W. Johnson, a local veteran. Johnson enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1961 in New York and completed her basic training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot on Parris Island.

The parade route will start in front of Beaufort National Cemetery, continue down Boundary Street and onto Carteret Street. From there, it will turn right onto Bay Street, and conclude at the intersection of Boundary and Bladen Streets.

The parade lineup begins at 8 a.m. on Adventure Street. The parade begins at 10 a.m.

A handful of road closures are expected from 9:45 a.m. to noon, and motorists are encouraged to use alternate routes.

BCTV will stream this parade live.

Bluffton Veterans Day Parade

The Dennis J. Becker Post 205 American Legion will host the Bluffton Veterans Day Parade, also taking place on Tuesday, Nov. 11, beginning at 10 a.m. in Bluffton’s Historic District.

The parade will start on Pritchard Street, travel down Calhoun Street, pass through the Promenade, and end at Dr. Mellichamp Drive.

Hilton Head Veterans Day Ceremony

On Hilton Head Island, the Town of Hilton Head Island will host the 2025 Annual Veterans Day Ceremony at Shelter Cove Veterans Memorial Park, located at 59 Shelter Cove Lane, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Bruce Donegan, past department commander of the American Legion Department of South Carolina, will deliver the keynote address. Alex Brown, town council member and mayor pro tem, will present a proclamation designating Nov. 11 as a Day of Remembrance to honor all branches of the military.

The ceremony will also feature local veterans, cadets from the Hilton Head Island High School Naval Junior ROTC and music by the Hilton Head Choral Society.

Did we miss any Veterans Day events? Email [email protected] to have it added to this list.

There's a moment at Hunting Island State Park as you're biking along the Lagoon Trail—ocean breezes and intoxicating beach vistas playing peekaboo to your left—when the sandy path turns inland and a sign points to Diamondback Rattlesnake Trail. A good idea? Yes.

"Yes," it turns out, sums up the best way to experience Beaufort, South Carolina, and its environs, including Hunting Island. Yes, the path less taken is an excellent idea, as is the sweet tea at Blackstone's Cafe. Spending hours strolling through The Old Point and gazing at historic homes and even older live oaks offers endless enchantment. But with my eyes peeled for rattlers, I was (yes) relieved that the only serpentine thing I discovered was more of the winding trail along old dune ridgelines through a primordial wonderland.

Ahead, the best things to do in Beaufort, South Carolina, from local shopping to exploring the restaurant scene to appreciating the area's subdued beauty.

Visit Hunting Island

The trail affirms why Hunting Island, a breathtaking 25-minute drive from Beaufort, is South Carolina's most popular state park. With a dozen similar paths and 5 miles of pristine beach, this place leads you back eons in time through an untouched maritime forest with towering pines and ospreys soaring overhead as well as magnolias and saw palmettos tangled with yaupon hollies and wax myrtles in the dense understory. Here you breathe deeper and look more closely. Life slows down, and a sense of awe percolates up.

Take In The Scenery At Waterfront Park

Take a seat on one of the bench swings at Beaufort's Waterfront Park. Wide and welcoming, they move back and forth in a rhythmic lullaby. You can't help relaxing, especially if you happen to catch a sunset or tune into the soft lapping of the Beaufort River against the floating dock, hearing the jingling clink of pulleys against sailboat masts—a mariner's wind chime.

Credit: Peter Frank Edwards A slice of the sweet life from Beaufort’s upscale Saltus River Grill. Credit: Peter Frank Edwards

Waterfront Park showcases the smart civic planning that makes Beaufort such a delight: The town's best vistas are protected and preserved. There are thoughtful amenities (parking, public bathrooms, an amphitheater, picnic tables, and plenty of green lawn for kids and dogs to play on). Plus it's all conveniently adjacent to an enticing array of restaurants, coffee shops, and stores along Bay Street. What better nightcap than to sit and swing a spell after enjoying grilled scallops or top-notch sushi at Saltus River Grill?

Appreciate Beaufort's Subdued Beauty

Beaufort is subdued in the best possible way. She has the same deep history and stunning architecture that her nearby sisters, Charleston and Savannah, are celebrated for, but she's fine staying slightly out of the limelight. Wise and mature, Beaufort wears her age like the badge of honor it is. Her Lowcountry aura feels elemental, with more patina and less pomp. Along Short Street at the edge of The Old Point, moss-heaped limbs cradle historic mansions. Beaufort's treescape shouts of grandeur in whatever language oaks speak. Gardens and yards aren't so much manicured as they are magical. It's easy to see why Hollywood frequently comes calling (a stairwell at The Beaufort Inn features posters from major motion pictures filmed here). Longtime resident Pat Conroy was so smitten that he wrote, "When I came to Beaufort I had struck upon a land so beautiful I had to hunt for other words."

Learn About Beaufort's History

Not far from Short Street, the First African Baptist Church, a Gothic Revival gem built by freedmen in 1865, bears witness to Beaufort's African American, Gullah, and Reconstruction-era history. "Robert Smalls was a member here. This document notes his Sunday school attendance and that he put a few cents in the offering plate," says the Rev. Alexander McBride, a jovial former marine and the church's pastor of almost 20 years, pointing to framed, yellowing pages hanging behind the sanctuary. A statue of Smalls, an enslaved crewman who heroically commandeered a Confederate ship and later served as a U.S. Congressman, is less than a mile away at Tabernacle Baptist Church, where a monument to Harriet Tubman is also planned.

Join Tabernacle Baptist Church for Worship at 10:00 a.m. on Sundays and for a prayer meeting and Bible study at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesdays.

Both churches are worthy stops, along with the Penn Center, the first Southern school for formerly enslaved people, across the bridge on St. Helena Island. Each place gives a deeper insight into the region's vibrant and enduring African American and Gullah Geechee culture.

Providing an overview of Beaufort's past, Capt. Henry Brandt of Coastal Expeditions offers a boat tour that cruises through the area's Native American, Spanish, and French history; Union occupation; and a view of Camp Saxton's tabby ruins, where the Emancipation Proclamation was first read in South Carolina—all interspersed with musings on estuary ecosystems and the fecund marvels of pluff mud.

"You don't fully experience Beaufort until you see it from the water," Brandt claims. After watching dolphins curl and glide from the boat's bow and admiring the town's steeples rising in the background, I absolutely believe him.

tabernacle1863.org; 901 Craven Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29901penncenter.com; 16 Penn Center Circle East, St. Helena Island, South Carolina 29920coastalexpeditions.com

Where To Stay

Anchorage 1770 Boutique hotel in an 18th-century mansion with fine dining at the Ribaut Social Club ; 1103 Bay Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

The Beaufort Inn Historic main inn plus several cottages clustered around a courtyard beaufortinn.com; 809 Port Republic St, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

Rhett House Inn Historic Greek revival mansion that's been a favorite of movie stars rhetthouseinn.com; 1009 Craven St, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

What To Eat And Drink

Blackstone's Café Classic diner-like options blackstonescafe.com; 205 Scott Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

Red Rooster Cafe Extensive breakfast menu, whether you like it country, continental, Lowcountry, or Tex Mex facebook.com; 2045 Boundary Street, Beaufort, South Carolina, 29901

Lowcountry Produce Kitchen Locally sourced salads and sandwiches and a legendary tomato pie lowcountryproduce.com; 302 Carteret St, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

Chapman's Grocer Grab-and-go items plus beer, wine, and snacksinstagram.com/chapmans_grocer_beaufort; 208 West St, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

Plums Waterfront dining featuring soups, salads, and sandwiches plumsrestaurant.com; 904 Bay Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

Saltus River Grill Fine dining with fresh local seafood, Southern fare, steaks, sushi, and a well-curated wine list ; 802 Bay Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

Old Bull Tavern Gastropub featuring a lively bar scene and a lamb shank that does not disappoint oldbulltavern.com; 205 West Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

Breakwater Restaurant and Bar Seafood, steaks, and seasonal dishes with Southern flair breakwatersc.com; 203 Carteret Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

Paninis on the Waterfront Stone-baked pizzas, paninis, seafood, and pastas paninisonthewaterfront.com; 926 Bay Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

Wren Bistro & BarModern-American food with low country hospitalitywrenbeaufort.com; 210 Carteret St., Beaufort, SC 29902

Where To Shop

Cabana22 Coastal-chic boutique cabana22.com; 819 Bay Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

The Chocolate Tree Confections such as fudge, truffles, and peanut brittle facebook.com; 507 Carteret Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

The Beaufort Candy Shop Classic candies and sweet treats of every kind; 103 West Street Extension, Beaufort, South Carolina 29906

Lisa Rivers Fine Art Gullah-inspired art, prints, and gifts lisariversart.com; 917c Bay Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

Cassandra Gillens Art / Gullah Art in De Woods Paintings, posters, and gifts; 711 Bladen Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29906

Good Aura Sustainable clothing and jewelry boutique shopgoodaura.com; 221 West Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

Monkey's Uncle Toys, fun, and games for children of all ages monkeysuncletoys.com; 909 Bay Street, Beaufort, South Carolina 29902

What To Do

Hunting Island; St. Phillips Island; southcarolinaparks.comPat Conroy Literary Center; Coastal Expeditions; Reconstruction Era National Historic Park; nps.gov/reerSpanish Moss Trail; Craven Street en route to The Old Point to explore historic neighborhoods

Penn Center’s annual Heritage Days Celebration is a four-day affair focusing on St. Helena Island’s Gullah-Geechee culture and community. It’s said to be one of the longest running festivals in the Southeast, and the event’s parade has long been a centerpiece of the festivities.

Controversy flared in 2024 when changes to the parade route left parade goers concerned for their safety. As the 41st annual Heritage Days parade steps off Nov. 8, it will follow the same route used last year, with an accommodation intended to allay the concerns of marchers and spectators.

“Our fundamental focus is that we have to consider everyone’s safety. Period. We have to coordinate with the people who are involved with the community’s safety,” said David Mitchell, chair of the Penn Center Board of Trustees.

Until 2024, traffic on U.S. Route 21/Sea Island Parkway was stopped in both directions for the duration of the parade. In 2024, parade marchers shared the Sea Island Parkway with automobile traffic, following a decision by the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office to keep the busy roadway partially open during the parade.

It was an unpopular decision, and dozens of residents gathered at a Beaufort County Council meeting a few weeks later to make sure that message was heard loud and clear.

"The decision not to close the road to traffic threatened the safety of everyone in the parade. This was unacceptable,” said Deloris Pringle, who was at the time, the chair of the Penn Center Board of Trustees.

Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner defended the decision as both safe and a necessity for the high-traffic thoroughfare.

"This area has grown so much over the years," Tanner said. "It's not realistic to close the highway for hours.”

While the parade route was only separated from traffic by a line of orange cones last year, cars will be parked in the median of U.S. Route 21 to form a barrier, offering an added layer of protection for those marching.

The parade will start at 9 a.m. from intersection of Sea Island Parkway and Halifax Drive. It will proceed west, turning left onto Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and continuing south to the Penn Center.

The westbound lane of Sea Island Parkway will remain open to auto traffic during the parade, with deputies and troopers from S.C. Highway Patrol managing two-way traffic in the single open lane of the roadway.

Founded in 1862, the Penn School was one of the first schools established in the U.S. to educate formerly enslaved people. It operated until 1948, when the state took over responsibility for education. The Penn School transitioned into the Penn Center, which continued as a central resource for residents of St. Helena Island. Martin Luther King Jr. visited Penn Center five times in the 1960s, finding refuge there while also meeting and strategizing with other civil rights leaders of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

The annual Heritage Days Celebration has been held since 1981. The event was a successor to "Harvest Days," held yearly from the early 1900s until 1948, when Penn School closed.

Since its inception, Penn Center’s Heritage Days Celebration has grown from a single-day event to four days of song, food, performances, seminars and more. Attendance numbers in recent years have topped 10,000.

Looking for a new spot for your morning pick-me-up?

A new drive-thru coffee chain is coming to town.

Ellianos Coffee, a Southeast-based coffee chain known for its efficient drive-thru model, has announced plans to expand into South Carolina with a three-store development agreement in Beaufort.

The company has also signed a one-store development agreement in Clover, just south of Charlotte, marking its official entry into the Palmetto State – and its seventh state overall with locations either open or in development.

The next nearest Ellianos Coffee location for Beaufort residents is in Statesboro, Georgia, but the brand will soon bring its coffee, smoothies and breakfast items to the Lowcountry – all served through a drive-thru window.

What does Ellianos Coffee offer?

The brand serves a variety of espresso-based drinks, seasonal favorites like pumpkin spice beverages, smoothies, and signature creations such as the Caffè Dolce Freezer.

Customers can also expect a menu that includes food items like bagels, muffins, sweets, and sandwich options — along with vegan, “guilt-free” or low-calorie selections, plus a kids’ menu.

To view their full menu, click here.

Ellianos locations are typically compact – usually no bigger than 800 square feet – and are designed for quick service and efficient sales. The company emphasizes community connection and says it strives to focus on smaller towns and close-knit neighborhoods where franchise owners often live and work.

While exact locations and opening timelines for the Beaufort and Clover stores have not yet been announced, recent Ellianos openings, such as the newest North Carolina shop, have taken about five months from construction to opening.

For locals familiar with drive-thru coffee spots, Ellianos may remind some of 7 Brew, which has a location at 1553 Fording Island Road and another in nearby Pooler, Georgia.

About Ellianos

Founded in 2002 by entrepreneurs Scott and Pam Stewart, Ellianos was born after the couple took a trip to the Pacific Northwest and discovered the growing popularity of drive-thru coffee stands. Inspired by the concept, they brought the idea back to their hometown of Lake City, Florida.

Today, Ellianos operates 33 locations in Florida, 28 in Georgia and 11 in Alabama. The company recently opened its first North Carolina location in the Charlotte area last summer and has additional stores in development in Mississippi and Tennessee.

With more than 70 locations already operating or in development, the brand states that it is continuing to strengthen its footprint across the Southeast.

To learn more about this new coffee chain, click here to visit their webpage.

The South Carolina Department of Education and the South Carolina Education Oversight Committee have released the 2025 South Carolina School Report Cards, offering an in-depth look at academic achievement, student progress, college and career readiness, and school climate.

Across the state, the number of schools earning an overall rating of “Good” or “Excellent” increased from 549 to 623.

How SC school report cards are determined

The South Carolina School Report Card ratings reflect how well schools are helping all students meet the Profile of a South Carolina Graduate – the statewide measure of readiness for college, careers and citizenship.

The state’s goal is for every child to graduate college, career, or military ready, and that by 2030, at least 75% of students at or above grade level.

The breakdown of ratings is as follows:

Numerical scores in each of these ratings differs by grade level:

Here’s how Beaufort and Jasper County schools fared in 2024-2025 ratings and each school's score:

Beaufort County School District

According to Candace Bruder, spokesperson for the Beaufort County School District, 91% of schools received a rating of excellent, good, or average, with no schools listed as unsatisfactory, in the latest report.

Beaufort County’s elementary schools showed strong results, with five schools rated excellent, six rated good, six rated average, and one below average.

Excellent (61–100 points):

Good (53–60 points):

Average (42–52 points):

Below Average (34–41 points):

Notably, Port Royal Elementary School rose from below average last year to excellent in 2025 – a three-level increase.

Bluffton, Lady’s Island, Red Cedar, Beaufort, and Mossy Oaks Elementary Schools each improved by one level.

Middle schools across Beaufort County earned a mix of ratings, with one school rated excellent, three rated good, five rated average, and one below average.

Excellent (56–100 points):

Good (48–55 points):

Average (36–47 points):

Below Average (29–35 points):

At the high school level, Beaufort County schools scored with one excellent, three good, one average, and one below average rating.

Excellent (67–100 points):

Good (60–66 points):

Average (51–59 points):

Below Average (40–50 points):

Jasper County School District

The Jasper County School District showed a range of performance across its campuses, with most schools rated at the average level with only one school performing as unsatisfactory:

Average (42–52 points):

Below Average (34–41 points):

Average (36–47 points):

Below Average (29–35 points):

Below Average (40–50 points):

Unsatisfactory (39 and below):

Schools not included in these rankings include:

To learn more about South Carolina School Report Cards, click here.