On Oct. 12, two Moultrie Middle School students walked into H & R Sweet Shop on Royall Avenue after school. They pointed at the sour candy they wanted in the glass case, and it was one of the shop's last ordinary afternoons. The Post and Courier reported that scene the week the shop said it would close. H & R served its last customer on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026, 81 years after it opened.
This is the Old Village's first holiday season without it. The neighborhood's December now depends on a short list of counters around Pitt and Simmons streets and on a parade weekend along Coleman Boulevard, where road closures begin at 4 p.m.
What closed on Royall Avenue, and what stayed
Raleigh and Harriet Johnson opened H & R on April 2, 1945, at 102 Royall Avenue. In its early years the building was split between a barbershop and a diner, according to the Moultrie News account of the shop's 75th anniversary. Their son, Raleigh Jr., known around town as "Coffee," joined the diner business in 1962.
The menu was short and Southern: hot dogs, pork chop sandwiches, fried shrimp and flounder plates. The burgers came in foam takeout boxes, and the Post and Courier ranked them among the best around Charleston. In the same article, manager Richardean Hubbard, who ran the counter day to day, said, "I am going to miss the customers. I've met a lot of nice people from being in here."
Owner Anthony Major also runs Major Hats & Suits next door, where the walls are covered in bright, elaborate hats. The local newsletter The Fifth Charleston reported in its farewell issue that the hat shop is staying open. The newsletter is also collecting readers' H & R memories to print in a future issue. If you have a first-sour-candy story or a usual burger order, you can send it there.
The counter that is now the oldest in town
When the Post and Courier called H & R the second-oldest business in Mount Pleasant, it named the only one older: Pitt Street Pharmacy, "a few streets over." With H & R closed, the pharmacy at 111 Pitt Street remains the town's oldest business.
It also keeps a neighborhood counter going. Pitt Street Pharmacy still runs its soda fountain next to the compounding pharmacy and sundry shop, and its own site calls it "A Lowcountry Tradition."
The rest of the neighborhood's walk-up stops are newer, and they sit within a few blocks of each other. These are the hours each one posts on its own website. Holiday schedules can change, so check before you go.
| Stop | Address | Posted hours |
|---|---|---|
| Pitt Street Pharmacy soda fountain | 111 Pitt St. | Check with the pharmacy |
| Gala Cafe & Bakery | 123 Pitt St. | Tue–Sat 8 a.m.–5 p.m.; Sun 10 a.m.–3 p.m. |
| Vintage Coffee Café | 219 Simmons St. | Daily 7 a.m.–4 p.m. |
| Brown Fox Coffee | 307 Simmons St. | Mon–Fri 7 a.m.–4 p.m.; Sat 8 a.m.–3 p.m.; closed Sun |
| Wine Shop Old Village | 115 Pitt St. | Check with the shop |
| Page's Okra Grill | 302 Coleman Blvd. | Daily service; check the site |
Brown Fox is closed on Sundays, and Gala opens later that day. That matters on the second weekend of December, when the biggest event of the season falls on a Sunday evening.
A December built along Coleman Boulevard
Most of the town's 2026 holiday calendar is held away from the Old Village. Lights Up is at Towne Centre, the Christmas Tree Festival is at Boone Hall Farms, and the new Merry Makers Market is at Park West. On Dec. 12 and 13, though, the big events move to Coleman Boulevard and Patriots Point Road.
| Date | Event | Where | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Nov. 21 | Lights Up tree lighting | Mount Pleasant Towne Centre, in front of Belk | 6–8 p.m.; tree lighting and laser show at 7:30 |
| Nov. 21–22 | Christmas Tree Festival | Boone Hall Farms | 10 a.m.–7 p.m. |
| Sun., Nov. 22 | Merry Makers Market, new for 2026 | Park West Recreation Complex | 11 a.m.–4 p.m. |
| Sun., Dec. 6 | Wine Under the Oaks | Boone Hall Plantation & Gardens | 1–5 p.m. |
| Sat., Dec. 12 | 27th Annual Holiday Market & Craft Show | Farmers Market Pavilion, 645 Coleman Blvd. | 11 a.m.–4 p.m. |
| Sat., Dec. 12 | Oysters On The Point | Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina, 20 Patriots Point Rd. | 2–6 p.m. |
| Sun., Dec. 13 | 31st Annual Christmas Light Parade | W. Coleman Blvd., Live Oak Dr. to Patriots Point Rd. | Starts 5:30 p.m. |
The market at 645 Coleman and the parade route are both on the same boulevard as Page's Okra Grill at 302 Coleman.
Saturday at the Pavilion
The Holiday Market & Craft Show turns the Farmers Market Pavilion into a gift market. The Town's event listing describes booths of ornaments, glasswork, photography, pottery and other handmade work by local makers. There will also be live entertainment, balloon art, caricature drawings and a visit from Santa. Admission and parking are free. At last year's market, Santa arrived at 1:30 p.m. for free photos.
The market closes at 4 p.m. Oysters On The Point runs from 2 to 6 p.m. that same Saturday at Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina, with Sol Driven Train playing. That makes it possible to shop the Pavilion in the morning and hear music by the harbor in the afternoon.
Sunday on the boulevard, in the order the barricades go up
The Christmas Light Parade starts at Live Oak Drive at 5:30 p.m. and heads down Coleman Boulevard to Patriots Point Road. The lineup includes marching bands, a Mount Pleasant Police motorcycle show, and floats covered in tens of thousands of lights. Santa arrives last, on a Mount Pleasant fire truck. The Town's parade page lists road closures by time:
- 4:00 p.m. Coleman Boulevard closes from Whilden Street to Pherigo Street so floats can line up.
- 5:00 p.m. Coleman closes from Whilden Street to Patriots Point Road.
- 5:00 p.m. The Ravenel Bridge off-ramp onto Coleman closes, and all of that traffic goes to Highway 17.
- 5:00 p.m. Patriots Point Road closes from Coleman to Harry Hallman Boulevard, and traffic for Patriots Point, the hotel and the golf course goes to Harry Hallman.
The lineup closure starts an hour and a half before the first float moves. So anyone driving to the parade from across town has to plan around a boulevard that is already shutting down at 4. Anyone within walking distance of Pitt Street doesn't. If you're coming home over the bridge Sunday evening, the off-ramp onto Coleman will be closed, so plan to exit at Highway 17.
Two more notes from the Town's listing. Float entries for 2026 are already on a waitlist, and groups that want to be added can email [email protected]. The Town also asks drone pilots not to fly over or along the route. It points out that flying at night or over people requires a Part 107 waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration. Updates on the parade's status will be posted to the Town's Facebook event page.
The Fifth Charleston is still collecting H & R memories, and at Katherine Cox + Co. we'll be out on Coleman for the parade on Dec. 13. If you're thinking about what the Old Village will look like for your family in the years ahead, we'd be glad to talk it through over coffee on Simmons Street. Book an Appointment.
