Just what is #DrinkTheVille anyway?

What is #DrinkTheVille ?

Maybe you’ve been seeing this crazy run-on word with a number/pound sign and wondering what it’s all about.  Or maybe you already know it’s a hashtag, but are still in the dark as to what this one means.  Let’s start at the very beginning for those of you in the first group.

These run-on words following the number sign are what is known as a hashtag in social media, and particularly on Twitter.  It’s used as a search term.  Let’s say you wanted to search Twitter to see if anyone had posted about the 25^th anniversary of the Berlin Wall coming down.  You might plug in #Berlinwall to search for any related posts.

Well, we have our own fun trend here in Summerville (in the form of a social trolley tour) that we think will continue to catch on and be popular.  In fact, we figured we would save everyone some time and call it by its hashtag!  You’ve heard all about the Good Eats on the Sweet Tea Trail, where passengers can sample foods from different restaurants around town.  Did you know there’s one that serves “good drinks?”  That’s #DrinkTheVille !

On the third Saturday of each month, you can catch #DrinkTheVille and visit three local pubs or restaurants for a drink, a small appetizer, and a mixology lesson.  There’s no history lesson on the trolley.  There’s no narration, really.  It’s just a straight-up good time with friends, plus the chance to make new ones, as you ride around town from one establishment to the next.

It’s cocktail hour on wheels!

Sound good?  Well, you’re in luck.  The next one is this coming Saturday, November 15, at 4pm, and it begins at Oscar’s on Highway 78.

Click here for tickets!  Click on #DrinkTheVille once you arrive at the page.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Come join our team, as a sponsor or as a volunteer!  Are you good at decorating?  We've got a deal for you . . . 

There are still sponsorship opportunities available for this event.  Lowcountry Women's Specialists is our fabulous "Tree Topper" sponsor, generously sponsoring all of the trolleys for the event.  But we do need some additional partners for smaller commitments.  Do you own a business, or do you know someone who does?  We have fantastic opportunities for advertising through this event for as little as $75 (plus a little creativity and elbow grease).  

"Light Up a Home" sponsors can put their creativity to work and decorate one of the homes on the tour!  In exchange, your business' name will be on a sign in front of the home on the night of the tours, you will be mentioned on our social media outlets and in the newspaper, and you can include an item in the passengers' goody bags, such as a business card, brochure, ball point pen, or other small item of your choice.

If your business would like to "Light Up a Home" or is interested in other opportunities, please call Summerville DREAM at 821-7260 or email the event chair at trolleyvolunteers@gmail.com .

We need your help to make this a fantastic event!

New tour tomorrow! Box lunch included!

We are so fortunate to have Barbara Hill, local historian, among our trolley guides.  Her wealth of knowledge and delightful demeanor make her tours a joy.  Tomorrow at 1pm, we will run her inaugural "Summerville Saturdays" tour, which will depart from the Summerville Dorchester Museum and last approximately 2 hours.  

She may vary the destination in the future, but tomorrow's tour will include a trip to historic Colonial Fort Dorchester, where Summerville's first colonial settlement was located.  "Swamp Fox" Francis Marion once commanded the post there.  Parts of the tabby fort walls, the cemetery, and the bell tower from the old church are still there today, and Park Manager Ashley Chapman will be on hand to share some fascinating facts about the park and the settlement.

A box lunch from a local deli is included in your tour!  Don't delay . . . click here or call Summerville Dream to get your tickets!

UPDATE 10/17 4pm: This tour is no longer available for tomorrow, but you can still get seats on the 4pm #DrinkTheVille tour!

Lights on the Sweet Tea Trail: Ho, Ho, Ho! Who do you know . . . who can help us?

In case you haven’t heard, there will be a fun new holiday activity in Summerville on Saturday, December 20 of this year!  Lights on the Sweet Tea Trail will be a trolley tour where you, your family, and your friends can take a ride around the Tea Farm and President Circle areas of downtown Summerville and see some of the best holiday decorations in town!  Passengers even get to vote on which house they think is “best-dressed,” then enjoy some warm winter refreshments at St. Paul’s Church afterward.

But we need your help to make it a success!  What can you do?

1.       Volunteer to help with the event!  Email the event chairperson, Perrin Conrad, at trolleyvolunteers@gmail.com  We will need plenty of help to make sure things are running smoothly on the night of the tours, and before then, as well.  You choose the level of involvement you would like to have.

2.       Be a sponsor!  Sponsors can do anything from funding the hot chocolate to decorating one of the houses.  Know someone with a business who would like to take advantage of a great advertising opportunity?  Have them call the Summerville DREAM office at 843-821-7260.  The staff will be happy to share the sponsorship form so you can choose the level at which you would like to be involved.  Our greatest need right now is for businesses who will sponsor individual homes and decorate them!  Doesn’t that sound like fun and great exposure for your business?

3.       Do you live on President Circle or in the Tea Farm?  We could still use one or two more houses on the tour!  Email event chairperson Perrin Conrad at trolleyvolunteers@gmail.com with your name and address, and let us know you are interested in being on the tour!  This is a drive-by tour only.  No one will enter your home.  Trolleys will pull up in front of your house and linger for about 60 seconds to enjoy the decorations.  You can decorate it yourself or ask for a sponsor to decorate it for you!

Many thanks go to those who have already graciously offered their houses, sponsorship, and time to this event.  Lowcountry Women’s Specialists is generously sponsoring the trolleys for the event, but we would still like to have some smaller bulbs on our string of lights to make this event shine.  Contact us today! 

Summerville DREAM 843-821-7260

Tour Guide Tim Lowry, Storyteller Extraordinaire

If you haven’t heard him tell a story, you really must.  Award-winning Storyteller Tim Lowry is nationally known, and he’s Summerville’s own.  That’s right!  He travels the nation to storytelling events, is engaged by schools and other groups to share his southern wit and wisdom, and he is also a tour guide for Summerville Trolley Tours.  He can say the Lord’s Prayer in Gullah, as well as share local Gullah folk tales.  On Good Eats tours, you will hear how food is interwoven into our very social fabric in the south.  You’ll also stop at some of Tim’s favorite places around Summerville, which serve up delicious treats and sweet tea.

Tim recently performed his show, “Out’N’No Book,” at the James Dean Theater on Main Street on a Friday night.  It was recorded for the release of his new CD of the same title.  Appropriate for all ages, his stories evoked laughter, tears, and contemplation, sticking with the listeners long after that evening was over.  Those of us at Summerville Trolley Tours may be biased, since Tim is one of ours, but . . . nah.  Without bias, we can confidently tell you that this man has a gift!

Tim’s work on Summerville’s Sweet Tea Trail has been so instrumental in growing our tourism, that he won a prestigious award in the spring.  ConventionSouth Media Group bestowed the 2014 Southern Hospitality Recognition of Excellence Award upon Tim just a few months ago.

You can catch Tim on the Good Eats on the Sweet Tea Trail every third Friday of the month at 10:30 am, complete with straw hat, bow tie, and apron.   You can also check out his website here and find him on Facebook here.

You can book your #SvilleTrolley tour by visiting the Summerville Dream website -  www.summervilledream.org/summerville-trolley-tours or by calling the Summerville Dream office at 843-821-7260 .

Follow us on Twitter at @SvilleTrolley and find us and like us on Facebook at Summerville Trolley Tours!

Photo from Tim's Facebook page.

Summerville Trolley Partner Coastal Coffee Roasters Focuses on Community

Coastal Coffee Roasters

108 East 3^rd North Street

Summerville, SC  29483

843.376.4559

www.coastalcoffeeroasters.com

Monday – Wednesday, 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Thursday – Saturday, 7 a.m. – 9 p.m.

“Welcome to the C!” someone calls out before any patron steps off the indoor mat.  That practice sums up quite a lot of the philosophy of Summerville Trolley’s partner, Coastal Coffee Roasters – a coffee shop that maintains an intentional focus on welcoming all who enter.  And for owners Brad and Jacki Mallett, welcoming all who enter means more than a surface greeting; they want people of all different backgrounds and ages to feel a part of the community.  In addition to serving the freshest cup of coffee roasted on the premises in Summerville, “We want to foster an atmosphere that no one stands out, in the sense that everyone is treated equally and feels a sense of belonging,” Brad Mallett explains.  “We know people’s names; our customers are literally part of the store.” 

That was apparent when the passengers on the inaugural #DrinkTheVille trolley tour made a stop at CCR last month.  As everyone sat around the large communal trestle-style table (built by a customer), they broke challah bread and drank craft beer together.  Brad invited everyone to pose for a picture with the portrait of Bill Murray (painted by a customer) that hangs in the back of the shop.  This is a local trend right now as part of Brad’s campaign to “Bring Bill to Summerville.”  CCR is also an occasional stop on the Good Eats on the Sweet Tea Trail tours.  Passengers might enjoy a cup of Carolina Morning coffee, a glass of tea, or a sweet treat.  Each tour has different stops and different delicious offerings.

While the #DrinkTheVille tour will choose different establishments each month, CCR will most likely be a frequent stop.  The atmosphere is just right for a tour with a social flavor.

Mallett wants to create the “best community-minded business that focuses on relationships.”  “Relationship” is a word that peppers this owner’s speech.  His business is a part of the Suspended Coffee movement and believes in “paying it forward.”  CCR brings people together to experience culture and all forms of art that enhance a town.  “It’s not just about money,” Mallett emphasizes, “it’s about creating community.  It’s about being a location for events, for saying, bring us your ideas and instead of saying no, we’ll say, ‘How?’” 

Coastal Coffee Roasters transfers that local awareness of community onto a larger scale, selling coffee that is sustainable, organic, fair trade, rainforest alliance, and bird friendly – and that uses a Swiss water process, to boot.  In other words, the coffee is procured and processed in ways that responsibly foster and maintain the integrity of the environment and all the people involved.  Coastal Coffee Roasters practices what it preaches on a smaller scale, too.  There are herb gardens outside, and the rain barrel is used to irrigate.  Coffee grounds are recycled to farmers; chaff goes to landscapers.  It is definitely an integrated approach to business.

Want to make sure your #SvilleTrolley tour includes a stop at Coastal Coffee Roasters?  Feel free to call the Summerville Dream office at 843-821-7260 and ask which tours will visit Brad, Jacki, and the rest of the smiling crew.

Follow us on Twitter at @SvilleTrolley and find us and like us on Facebook at Summerville Trolley Tours!

Stats on Brad Mallett:

Birthplace: Hartford, Connecticut, raised in Maine Family: Wife (a New Yorker) and 3 children Hobbies: Art, travel, anything with water Favorite Teams: Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees Something He Can’t Do Without: People Summerville Shout-Out: Coastal Coffee Roasters and Sculpture in the South

Written by Linda Eisenstadt and Perrin Conrad