There’s a reason our October issue is themed “Outdoors”—in my opinion, it’s the best month to get outside and enjoy all the Lowcountry has to offer. Good-bye summer sauna and mosquitos, hello fresh air and alfresco adventures. And among those opportunities are Charleston’s growing roster of parks—places to gather and play, certainly, but also to breathe, reconnect with nature, and experience a little beauty amid everyday life. In a city where development pressures continue to mount, preserving—and creating—these treasured green spaces where everyone feels welcome and safe is increasingly important. 

That’s why, for our cover story, “Planting It Forward”  (page 86), we asked editor-at-large Stephanie Hunt to tell the inspiring backstories of five Charleston parks shaped by civic-minded individuals, public agencies, and community advocates coming together around a shared vision. From downtown’s newest gem, American Gardens, to West Ashley’s expansive Old Towne Creek County Park, each represents an investment not just in a piece of land, but in the people who will enjoy it for generations to come. While creating these spaces was no small feat, neither is maintaining them; keeping them beautiful, safe, and accessible requires ongoing support. So get out and enjoy them and, if you’re able, consider lending a hand or a few dollars to help keep them that way. 

Also in this issue: to get you into the spirit of All Hallows’ Eve, frequent contributor and Edgar Allan Poe biographer James Hutchisson traces “The Gold-Bug” author’s brief but enduring connection to Sullivan’s Island in “Poe Was Here” (page 98), separating fact from the folklore that has grown around the famously macabre writer’s Lowcountry chapter. And because October wouldn’t be complete without pumpkins and a few ghosts and goblins, photographer Kim Graham takes us on “A Spirited Stroll” (page 108) past a host of downtown’s most gorgeous and ghoulish seasonal displays. 

Happy fall, y’all!

Darcy Shankland
dshankland@charlestonmag.com