The Charleston Parks Conservancy and the City Parks Department planned to replace the mulch and shrubs in the narrow strip between Rutledge Avenue and the Colonial Lake walkway with Bermuda grass at the end of September. The Conservancy says the change came "in response to feedback from neighbors and the Harleston Village Neighborhood Association." Clearing started the week of September 21, and the sod was scheduled to go down by September 30.
It is a small project on a single edge of the park. It also shows how Colonial Lake actually works, and that matters for the next three months. The gardens around the lake are run by a nonprofit that adjusts them when the neighborhood speaks up. Almost every event on the lake's fall calendar is a way to speak up, to lend a hand, or to help pay for the work.
Two Caretakers, One Lake
Colonial Lake is a tidal pond connected to the Ashley River. Responsibility for it is split. The City manages the lake and the hardscape, and the Conservancy cares for the gardens.
That split goes back to the big renovation. Charleston City Paper covered it in July 2015 as a $5 million facelift. The work included seawall repairs, new paths and gardens, a more even, accessible walk around the perimeter, and better water-control infrastructure meant to improve circulation and the quality of the tidal water. According to the Conservancy's April 2015 progress update, construction began on Monday, January 19 of that year.
The gardens have been reworked since then. A garden revitalization began in fall 2024 and finished in October 2025. It replaced vulnerable plantings with resilient, climate-adapted species. That means the Rutledge Avenue change came less than a year after a full redesign was finished. The planting plan is still being adjusted, and neighborhood feedback is one of the things adjusting it.
What Changed Along Rutledge Avenue
The Conservancy gave five reasons for replacing the mulch and plantings with grass:
- Less chance of mulch washing into and clogging storm drains
- Less washout from rain
- A soft, evergreen edge for people parking along Rutledge Avenue and stepping into the park
- A better home for the 50 native 'Mrs. Schiller's Delight' viburnums, which are moving to other spots within Colonial Lake and to other public parks
- Fewer weeds and lower maintenance costs for that part of the park
Some things on that edge are meant to stay. Small rings of mulch will remain around each palm to protect the roots and the Peggy Martin roses planted at their bases. The Conservancy also says it is collecting and reusing the mulch it put down in the spring.
The choice of grass has history at the lake. The Conservancy describes Bermuda grass as tolerant of heavy foot traffic, drought, heat, and salt water. It establishes quickly and "has been very successful at Colonial Lake in the island beds." The Conservancy did not expect any disruption to traffic or park use while the work was underway.
The Fall Calendar, Read as a List of Ways In
The same update ends with an invitation, and it sets the pattern for the rest of the season. Volunteers can help with the swap at the Conservancy's Garden in the Parks shift, held at Colonial Lake every Wednesday from 9 to 11 a.m. The rest of the Conservancy's fall schedule near the lake follows the same pattern. Each event is either an evening out or a way to take part in the gardens, and several are both.
| Date | Event | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Every Wednesday, 9–11 a.m. | Garden in the Parks volunteer shift | Colonial Lake | Volunteer |
| Thursday, Oct. 8, 5:30–7:30 p.m. | Music in the Parks with Shrimp City Slim | Moultrie Playground, 41 Ashley Ave. | Free |
| Saturday, Oct. 17, 10–11:30 a.m. | Guided tree walk with Bartlett Tree Experts | Colonial Lake | Free |
| Saturday, Nov. 7, 6–10 p.m. | 16th Annual Party for the Parks | Colonial Lake | $195 general, $315 VIP |
| Friday, Dec. 4, 5–8 p.m. | Light the Lake | Colonial Lake, 42 Ashley Ave. | Not yet listed |
Music in the Parks on October 8 is the easiest one to attend. It is free and open to all ages. Shrimp City Slim is performing, Platia Greek Goodness is bringing food, and the first 250 children get a free King of Pops. If it rains, the event moves to the following Thursday, October 15.
October 17 Is the Morning to Ask About the Trees
The tree walk is where the Rutledge Avenue story comes full circle. On Saturday, October 17, from 10 to 11:30 a.m., the Conservancy and Bartlett Tree Experts are leading a free walk around Colonial Lake. Arborists will talk about tree care and the common problems that affect neighborhood trees.
If you have wondered why the palms on Rutledge kept their mulch rings, or how a canopy holds up after two rounds of replanting in two years, this is a good time to ask. It is also a chance to ask about the trees on your own block. Taken together, the tree walk and the Wednesday garden shift give residents a weekly and a seasonal way to work alongside the people who make planting decisions at the lake.
November 7 Pays for the Gardens Across Town, Too
Party for the Parks is the Conservancy's main fundraiser, and this year it returns to Colonial Lake for its 16th edition. The theme is James Bond, under the title "Shaken, Not Stirred." The event runs Saturday, November 7, from 6 to 10 p.m. Tickets are all-inclusive and non-refundable: $195 for general admission and $315 for VIP. VIP tickets include the Accountally VIP Tent, with a private lounge, bars, signature cocktails, and hors d'oeuvres.
The money explains why it matters past one night. The Conservancy is trying to raise $250,000, and the proceeds support its work in more than 25 public parks. Colonial Lake is one of those parks, and its gardens are the Conservancy's responsibility. So the tent going up on the lakefront in November helps fund the kind of work neighbors saw on Rutledge Avenue in September.
Coffee Before, Dinner After, on Wentworth
A Wednesday garden shift ends at 11 a.m., and a tree walk ends at 11:30. Wentworth Street has two stops within a short walk of the lake for afterward.
Babas on Wentworth, at 115 Wentworth St., serves coffee, pastries, salads, sandwiches, wine, and cocktails. The Post and Courier reported it is open Tuesday through Sunday and has an upstairs private-event space. Charleston City Paper was still writing about the Wentworth location and its general manager in September 2026. Co-owner Marie Stitt told the Post and Courier why the team chose the block:
"We love being downtown. This part of Harleston Village is just so pretty."
Farther down the street, Basic Kitchen at 82 Wentworth St. appeared in Charleston City Paper's Summer 2026 restaurant guide for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. It works well for the Saturday of the tree walk, and it is a nearby option for an early dinner before a 5:30 start at Moultrie Playground.
December 4, and What Has Not Been Announced
Light the Lake closes the season on Friday, December 4, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Colonial Lake, 42 Ashley Ave. The Conservancy's 2026 event page thanks the City for its support. As of this writing, it does not list vendors, performers, or a schedule of activities.
The 2024 edition gives a sense of the format. The Conservancy's release that year described the City and the Conservancy as joint hosts, with Conservancy staff and volunteers running the event. It also mentioned luminaries along the lake edge, food trucks, activity zones at the corners, and a tree lighting. That was the 2024 program. The 2026 details will be posted on the Conservancy's Light the Lake page.
If the sod went down on the September 30 schedule, the Bermuda grass along Rutledge Avenue will have had about two months to take root by December 4. That is the edge where people parking on that side of the lake step into the park.
If you live near Colonial Lake and are starting to think about what your Harleston Village home means for your next move, we would be glad to talk it over, maybe over coffee on Wentworth after a Wednesday garden shift. At Crossman & Co, every conversation is with a principal who knows these blocks. Schedule your free consultation.
