Sullivan’s Island is bracing for a landmark weekend this June as the National Park Service prepares to mark the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Sullivan’s Island, one of the American Revolution’s most decisive early victories.
Carolina Day, the annual commemoration of the June 28, 1776, battle, will be celebrated across two full days this year: Saturday, June 27, and Sunday, June 28, with events running from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day at Fort Moultrie.
“Two hundred and fifty years ago, this place was the center of history, and just two weeks later, the Declaration of Independence was signed,” said Brad Shattuck, superintendent of the Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park. “It is significant worldwide.”
Shattuck said the National Park Service is anticipating more than 10,000 visitors across the weekend, with a packed program to match the occasion. Historians will fire more than 10 cannons and 100 muskets throughout both days, park rangers will lead history talks and Q&A sessions, and a Marine Band concert is scheduled. Sunday will open with a special military flyover.
With that level of turnout expected, the National Park Service is also promoting a “teaching, not beaching” campaign, warning visitors looking for a typical summer beach day that the island’s capacity will be largely taken up by those attending the commemoration.
To ease parking challenges, two shuttles will run between Poe Avenue and dedicated lots in Mount Pleasant. A red route will serve Lucy Beckham High School, while a blue route will serve Mount Pleasant Town Hall. An additional 600 spaces at Battery Jasper will be available exclusively to event attendees, supplementing the island’s existing parking areas.
The Battle of Sullivan’s Island was a pivotal early victory in the Revolutionary War, in which colonial forces repelled a British naval assault and helped inspire the movement toward independence. This year’s celebration takes on added national significance as part of America 250, the nationwide commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the United States.