10/21/2025
I talk with Cristen Michael, who runs Charleston Events. She manages a community calendar called cwvevents.com that tracks what’s happening around the city. As we record in mid-October, she says there are more than 25 events in Charleston on one Saturday alone and nearly 20 on Friday. She updates the site daily and says October is always packed because people like to be outside in the fall.
Cristen explains that she started the calendar while working at a local hospital. She wanted to help medical residents from other parts of the country find things to do around Charleston. Once she saw how many events weren’t being promoted in one place, she decided to make the calendar public and share it on her page as well.
She’s also organizing a 2026 Winter Concert Series at the Charleston Town Center Mall. It will run nine weeks from January 17 through March 14, every Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. All of the bands are local performers, and she says she’s about 30 percent funded so far. Cristen is seeking sponsors, offering three levels ranging from $200 to $8,000, with the top sponsor receiving title rights and full promotion across all materials.
The series will open with Hot Jazz of Charleston and aims to give people something free and local to enjoy during the winter months when things slow down. Cristen says the concerts are a way to celebrate Charleston’s music scene and give residents something positive to look forward to after the holidays.
Cristen talks about how moving back to Charleston in 2023 reignited her love for local live music. She says the city has a strong base of talented musicians who work hard to keep the scene alive, and she wants to give them a platform where more people can discover their work. Each performance in the concert series will feature a different band, showcasing a range of styles that represent the area’s sound.
She says her goal with both the calendar and the concert series is to help people connect more deeply with the community. Whether someone is new to Charleston or has lived here for years, she wants them to know there’s always something happening. By highlighting local events and artists, she’s helping build a stronger sense of place and pride in the city.