Estate Planning Attorney inBeaufort, SC

Take a look up to the heavens starting on Wednesday and you’ll see the last supermoon of the year light up the sky over Beaufort, SC. December’s cold moon will be the next full moon and it will be the final supermoon of 2025, making it one of the biggest full moons of the year, illuminating the sky for several nights.

The moon will turn full at 8:20am on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025. Named for the chilly temperatures at this time of year in North America, this moon is not only the second-biggest full moon of 2025 — a “supermoon” — but it reaches higher into the sky than any other.moon

It will look full the night before and the night after, but the best time to watch it rise in Beaufort will be at moonrise during dusk on Friday, Dec. 5, when it will appear on the eastern horizon shortly after sunset.

It will be the third of three supermoons this year. The three supermoons in 2025 occured on October 6, November 5, and this one on December 4. The first was the Harvest Moon. The second was the Beaver Moon, and this one is the Cold Moon.

In addition, the near coincidence of this full moon with perigee will result in a dramatically large range of high and low ocean tides. Any coastal storm at sea around this time would almost certainly aggravate coastal flooding problems at high tide, or, in the case of a strong wind pushing the water offshore, it would create a very low water situation at low tide.

Supermoons by definition happen “when a full moon coincides with the Moon’s closest approach to Earth in its elliptical orbit, a point known as perigee,” according to NASA.

“During every 27-day orbit around Earth, the Moon reaches both its perigee, about 226,000 miles (363,300 km) from Earth, and its farthest point, or apogee, about 251,000 miles (405,500 km) from Earth.”

Supermoons in general appear 17% bigger and 30% brighter than when the moon is at its farthest point away from Earth, according to NASA. Supermoons are slightly bigger and brighter than most full moons, too. Just because it’s bigger and brighter doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll see it unaided, so binoculars may give you a better view.

You’ll be able to step outside and enjoy the view with the supermoon brightly illuminating our late autumn evening sky.

The town is getting ready for the holidays and everyone is looking forward to the upcoming City of Beaufort Holiday Weekend Celebration. But there’s a few other happenings that will help you show your holiday spirit.

The weekend of December 6th through 8th will be packed with music, food, entertainment, shopping, parades – and Santa, of course!

Friday night, December 5th The weekend kicks off with Night on the Town at 6 p.m. on Friday. Bay Street will be closed to traffic. Downtown retailers will be open. Roving choirs will be singing Christmas carols and other performers will also be taking the stage as well.

The Community Bible Church Soul Patrol Puppet Team will perform at Bay and Carteret streets. LOTS OF FOOD will be available along Bay Street from various vendors. Parents can bring their kiddies to have their pictures taken with Santa from 6-8 p.m. And, a recital of “The Night Before Christmas” will occur on the main stage just before the Christmas tree lighting culminates the evening around at 8pm

Saturday, December 6th The Gullah Taste of Christmas kicks off at 11 a.m. at Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park. With live music, a Rice Cookoff, food vendors, a kid’s village and more, the event is a beautiful celebration of Gullah traditions that will have you singing and dancing with joy.

Then, the super-popular Christmas Boat Parade begins at 5:30 p.m. – grab a seat at the park to get a great view.

Sunday, December 7th The annual Christmas Parade, led by Santa and featuring local bands and lots of floats, begins at 3 p.m. in downtown Beaufort.

There’s more!

During the Night on the Town Celebration, catch a Christmas double feature under the stars at the downtown waterfront as J.P. Signature Group at Keller Williams Realty is hosting its annual Movie Night Meets Night On The Town, featuring two free movies with The Grinch and Elf. Refreshments, hot cocoa, and popcorn will be served.

Also, capture the magic with Santa himself as jolly ol’ St. Nick is available for photos outside the Beaufort Candy Shoppe on select dates. Share your wishes and spread joy with Santa on November 29th (1-5pm), November 30th (12-4pm), December 6th (12-4pm), December 13th (12-4pm), and December 20th (12-4pm).

Christmas in the South is amazing, and so is all of the fun at Beaufort’s Holiday Weekend.

Find more Holiday fun in Beaufort SC

Imagine Bedford Falls but draped in Spanish moss instead of snow. That’s Christmas in Beaufort, South Carolina. Like the fictional town in the classic movie It’s a Wonderful Life, Beaufort is a place where the bustling historic district is relatively compact yet stuffed full as Santa’s sack with character. During the season, residents spread cheer with abandon and the true spirit of the holidays prevails, even for a bewildered George Bailey. You can almost picture James Stewart, as Bailey, ambling down Beaufort’s Bay Street, perhaps ducking into Kilwins candy shop, where a sugary praline is sure to set things right. In both Bedford Falls and Beaufort, miracles seem at the ready.

This Lowcountry gem nestled on Port Royal Island is magical year-round, but at Christmas, Beaufort’s glow twinkles even brighter. Maybe it’s the soaring tree sparkling in Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park or perhaps the decked out vessels gliding along the river for the always-popular Light Up the Night Boat Parade. Or maybe it’s simply that a sense of "“goodwill to all” feels genuine here. It surely does as you hold back tears while watching the annual laying of thousands of real evergreen wreaths on headstones at Beaufort National Cemetery in a moving tribute to our country’s veterans as part of Wreaths Across America.

Downtown Delights

To get Beaufort’s fullest flavor, aim to visit during the first weekend of December, when the festivities are nonstop. On Saturday evening, streets close and pedestrians flood Bay Street and its offshoots to celebrate Night on the Town. Merchants stay open late, offering complimentary treats and beverages to shoppers looking for unique, often handmade or locally sourced gifts. A still-fresh Santa (it’s early December, so he’s just getting started) poses for photos with kids outside The Beaufort Candy Shoppe, and the Parris Island Marine Band presents a free concert of seasonal tunes. The annual reading of “A Visit From St. Nicholas” concludes with the town’s tree lighting, complete with faux snow, delivering the full cinematic effect.

One of Beaufort’s charms is that the busy downtown shopping area is hardly just another “Anywhere, U.S.A.” Don’t expect to find many big-box retailers here. Instead, stores like Sweet Bay (with exquisitely curated home accessories, jewelry, and art) and Southern Tide (featuring coastal-casual attire for men, women, and children) populate the historic commercial district, which means your presents will stand apart from Aunt Beverly’s gift cards. Even if there are no little ones on your list, don’t miss Monkey’s Uncle, a locally owned toy shop that will tug at the hopeful, excited-for-the-holidays kid who still lives inside each of us.

A Night To Remember

“Christmas in Beaufort is special because we’re small enough to still have that community homecoming-type feeling. There’s a true sense of celebration,” says Anita Singleton Prather, a Beaufort County Sea Island native who’s better known in these parts as “Aunt Pearlie Sue,” her stage-and-storytelling persona. Her Gullah Kinfolk Traveling Theater highlights the rich cultural heritage of the Gullah community, descendants of the enslaved Africans who made South Carolina’s lucrative rice economy (and Beaufort’s antebellum homes) possible.

Their musical, Christmas Wish...Freedom, revisits the last holiday season before the start of the Civil War. “As I researched, I was fascinated to find that many of their traditions we still carry on,” says Prather, whose childhood memories include being gifted “a brown sack full of pecans, oranges, and peppermint sticks” at Christmastime, “which is what some plantation owners gave the enslaved, especially the peppermint.” Her original production tells about how the holidays were a popular time for “jumping the broom” (getting married), as it was the only time of the year when enslaved men and women might be able to get more than one day off. And because the plantation owners were distracted by their own celebrations, this was when enslaved people often tried to escape. “Their Gullah Christmas wish,” she says, “was always a wish for freedom.”

In addition to the performances, Prather and her team also organize the Gullah Taste of Christmas and Rice Cookoff at Waterfront Park, a Saturday full of showcasing (and enjoying) winter favorites, with vendors and artisans providing foods and crafts. “If folks come to everything, when they leave, they be Gullahed up and down,” Prather adds with an Aunt Pearlie Sue chuckle.

A Feast For The Senses

You’ll experience plenty of merriment beyond that first December weekend, especially if you’re seeking a reprieve from holiday-hubbub overload. Beaufort’s relaxed pace and oak-canopied streets invite meandering. During this time of year, strolling or biking through the historic district in the town’s quaint Northwest Quadrant (where glossy magnolia wreaths and fresh cypress swags decorate homes) will stir imagination and wonder—and will likely prompt a Zillow click or two.

Fuel your ramblings with a late breakfast or lunch at Lowcountry Produce, where you can also shop for the food lovers and cooks on your list. Their specialty linens and artisan sundries, such as stone-ground grits, make excellent host gifts. But save room for dinner: Saltus River Grill offers fresh regional seafood, including tasty sushi, with indoor and outdoor dining along Waterfront Park.

Credit:

Peter Frank Edwards

Bay Street is a popular spot for boutique shopping. Credit:

Peter Frank Edwards

For a fancy night out, Ribaut Social Club (inside the historic hotel Anchorage 1770) has lovely river views and serves dishes like dry-aged pork chops or gnocchi with lamb Bolognese.

In the Lowcountry, December can also be an ideal month, weather wise (no humidity or mosquitoes), to enjoy presents that don’t have price tags—the natural treasures of Beaufort’s marshes and waterways. Coastal Expeditions offers naturalist-guided kayak outings as well as a dolphin-and-history boat tour.

And if time allows, it’s well worth taking the easy 30-minute drive to Hunting Island State Park, where you can explore maritime forests and 5 miles of beaches, check out a 19th-century lighthouse, and catch the sunset from a boardwalk. It’s a sure way to find what we’re all really seeking over the holidays—peace on earth.

Best Places To Stay

After a recent renovation, this 18th-century mansion shines, hitting the perfect balance of period grandeur and modern comfort. The wicker-furnished front porch provides a classic and comfortable Southern welcome.

This boutique waterside inn is Beaufort’s oldest and largest tabby structure that’s still in use—and it’s one of the town’s most beautiful places to stay.

With 22 upscale motel-style rooms, City Loft adds a hip, retro vibe to Beaufort’s historic ambience. Located at the edge of The Point neighborhood, it’s convenient for shopping and wandering around.

It’s no secret that Hardeeville is booming.

Located about 20 miles from Hilton Head Island, this once quaint and quiet South Carolina city was noted as one of the fastest growing municipalities last year – and the construction popping up across town makes it clear why.

From new neighborhoods and multi-use developments to a Buc-ee’s and major statewide projects like Interstate 95 improvements, Hardeeville is starting to shed its small-town image and staking a claim on the map.

But amid these other big-ticket projects, smaller but critical improvements are also underway on Argent Boulevard, a key connector road linking Beaufort and Jasper Counties’ major routes, S.C. 170 and U.S. 278.

While this two-lane road may not seem like much, it’s classified as a major collector, carrying up to 14,800 vehicles per day, according to a 2023 traffic study by Kimley-Horn, a national engineering and design consulting firm.

To accommodate the city’s rapid growth and improve safety and traffic flow, construction began to improve this corridor in September, aiming to keep the road – and the city – moving forward.

Here’s what folks can expect as this project continues and what upgrades it will bring to this major connecting road.

Why is the construction needed?

The main focus of this $6.6 million project on Argent Boulevard happens at the intersection of Short Cut Road and Jasper Station Road.

Currently, Short Cut Road does not line up with Jasper Station Road, where both approach the busy corridor. Because of this offset intersection, the South Carolina Department of Transportation has been unable to install a traffic signal there, said Josh Gruber, city manager for the City of Hardeeville.

Without those roads being aligned, the SCDOT can’t install a traffic signal.

To solve this, the City of Hardeeville is realigning Short Cut Road, shifting it slightly south so it lines up cleanly with Jasper Station Road.

As folks travel through, the ongoing tree clearing, groundbreaking and cone placements at this intersection reflect this planned shift.

Once the city completes the realignment, which is set to conclude by June 2026, SCDOT will install a fully signalized four-way intersection, easing the flow of traffic and making it easier for drivers to cross or turn in a given direction.

What drivers can expect

Drivers should expect ongoing work in the area, largely occurring in the evenings, to minimize traffic impact.

This schedule will continue until the city completes the realignment. Afterward, SCDOT will follow with the installation of the traffic signal equipment, but a specific timeline for that portion has not yet been released.

Another traffic signal coming to Argent & U.S. 278

In addition to the Short Cut Road improvements, Gruber confirmed that SCDOT is moving forward on a new signal at the intersection of Argent Boulevard and U.S. 278.

While also in early stages, he states that the SCDOT recently put that project out to bid to select a contractor. Once that step is complete, construction on that light will follow.

Once both projects are finished and the signals are installed, drivers are expected to have a much safer and more efficient travel through the corridor – something local residents have long requested.

No widening of Argent this time around

As the city continues with its piece of the project to realign the roads, one aspect that remains open is whether lane widening will take place.

As a part of this project with road realignment and light installation, Gruber clarified that Argent Boulevard will not be widened.

“We’re still at the very beginning of what that entire corridor improvement is going to look like,” he said.

Any future changes to the broader Argent corridor fall under the new Jasper County Transportation Sales Tax program, which only began collecting this year. Surveys and feasibility studies are still needed due to the wetland areas surrounding Argent, meaning that there’s still a lot to uncover about what’s going to be possible in terms of improvements, Gruber states.

What other projects are happening in Hardeeville?

A handful of other projects are currently taking place in the Hardeeville area, ranging from road updates, new developments and more.

Notable construction that folks will see stretching from Argent Boulevard, down to Exit 8 on I-95 includes:

Some beachgoers were in for a surprise on Wednesday when a bizarre looking prehistoric fish washed ashore on a local Beaufort County beach. The rare Atlantic sturgeon was found Wednesday afternoon and shown on Facebook for identification by John Billings.

A sturgeon washing up on a beach is pretty rare because sturgeon are pretty rare.

“We see them maybe a few times a year at best,” said Mike Wagner of Shore Beach Service on Hilton Head when one washed ashore there awhile back. “They’re not what people typically see washed up on the beach.”

They are quite rare indeed. To see this one washed ashore at Islanders Beach Park must have been a sight for Hilton Head beachgoers.

Known to live to be over 60 years old, grow to 14 feet in length and weigh up to 800 pounds, the sturgeon is indeed a prehistoric species. They appear in the fossil record more than 200 million years ago and are commonly referred to as ‘a living fossil’.

A century ago, in the late 1890s, there was a huge fishery for sturgeon all over the East Coast revolving around harvesting of the eggs for caviar. It was so popular, it was dubbed ‘The Black Gold Rush’.

According to NOAA Fisheries, Atlantic sturgeon were once found in great abundance, but their populations have declined greatly due to over-fishing and habitat loss. Atlantic sturgeon were prized for their eggs, which were valued as high-quality caviar. During the late 1800s, people flocked to the Eastern United States in search of caviar riches from the sturgeon fishery.

By the beginning of the 1900s, sturgeon populations had declined drastically. Close to 7 million pounds of sturgeon were reportedly caught in 1887, but by 1905 the catch declined to only 20,000 pounds. By 1989 only 400 pounds of sturgeon were recorded.

Sturgeon are born in the freshwater or brackish water estuaries along the SC coast, particularly in the Edisto, Savannah and Pee Dee Rivers, and head to the ocean after a few years to mature. Atlantic sturgeon are the largest fish living in freshwater on the entire Atlantic coast.

During the mid-1970s, half of the US landings of Atlantic sturgeon came from South Carolina. The sturgeon fishery in South Carolina was officially closed in 1985

Today, all five U.S. Atlantic sturgeon population segments are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

You’ve heard the term, “a dinosaur washed up on the beach.” This Atlantic sturgeon on Hilton Head Island is the real deal.

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