The scene was downright idyllic at Irvin~House Vineyards on Wadmalaw last Saturday as folks gathered for the annual Grape Stomping Festival. Revelers teetered around gulping cups (and bottles) of the vineyard’s muscadine wine, but kept things pretty much in check and relaxed for this family-friendly affair. Professional picnic-ers were spread out in front of the rockin’ bluegrass band Three Legged Pig, while kids ran through the vines, chomped on grapes, and hula hooped. A couple soupy tubs of grapes awaited anyone willing to dip their feet in (I had to pass on the fermented foot juice). Note to self: next year bring a chair, a bunch of friends, and hope that they’ll be selling bottles of their Firefly vodka along with the wine. Either that or I’m going to have to acquire a taste for the muscadine. —Erica Jackson

Friday night Kudu was stuffed not like a can of sardines, but more like a stuffed olive. Full of locals. The launch of the first White Night Party at Kudu oozed love and creativity from all ends. And the tucked-away coffee joint was packed from the lively courtyard, to the coffee shop, to the photo booth set up in the stairwell — happiness spilled out onto the sidewalk. It felt like a midnight summer’s dream, with all the soft white lighting tucked into the tree branches and bushes. Everything tantalized the senses: music and spoken work, mouth-watering food and handmade truffles, visual art and live painting by Nathan Durfee. The fresh red and white sangria loosened the tongue until it sadly ran out. Parting is such sweet sorrow. Leaving the protective walls of Kudu, I was forced to make a mad dash to my car to avoid the onslaught of brand spankin’ new fresh meat: college kids. They covered the streets like ants fleeing a disturbed anthill. –Svetlana Minx

This Is Chucktown is the newest comedy show to come out of Charleston. Straight from the demented mind of local funny man John Brennan, the show is a piping hot helping of everything from interpretive dance and musical comedy to stand-up and improv sketches. The show offers comedians and wannabe comedians a no-holds-barred open-mic type environment in which anything goes. The only rules: be fresh and be funny. The show initially started as John Brennan’s attempt to raise money for his trip to Vancouver, where he will perform his Banana Monologues throughout September, but it wasn’t long before Brennan realized that he had stumbled onto something much larger than initially anticipated. He hopes that the show will continue to grow in scope while keeping the focus on the same things — being fresh and being funny. The inaugural performance will feature New York comedian Kevin Draine (www.myspace.com/thebitterpoet). Expect the unexpected. —Myles Hutto Sat., Aug. 30. $8, www.thehavenots.com. Theatre 99, 280 Meeting St. (843) 853-6687

ART | The presence of the past

When visual artist Cynthia Farnell decided to present an installation in Charleston, she had a few factors in mind: she didn’t want to present in a gallery, she wanted to use an old building (hence the draw of Charleston), and she wanted to do it in such a way that would engage the community. The gallery director and visual arts professor at Coastal Carolina University continues her Presence series with her first Charleston showing, which will be on the second floor of the main guesthouse at the NotSo Hostel on Spring Street. Her process for this particular show is fascinating; taking a cue from the age of the house, she pored through the Library of Congress’ archive, searching for photographs of Charleston around the time period that the house was built — specifically the late 19th century. Many of the photos were of women in cemeteries as well as Union and Confederate soldiers. “I went with what affected me emotionally or grabbed me visually,” Farnell explains. She then took those images and created two life-size murals on the walls of the guesthouse. Though the murals are expected to become a permanent part of the hostel’s landscape, they’re only on view to the general public through Mon. Sept. 1, so get on over there if you want to feel the presence. Aug. 29-Sept. 1. (401) 952-3206, www.notsohostel.com. Notso Hostel, 156 Spring St.

EVENT | Banjo pickin’ and finger lickin’ fun

Dust off the overalls and get the wet-naps ready. It’s time for Boone Hall Plantation’s Southern BBQ Championship and Bluegrass Festival. This year’s festival promises to be one of the biggest to date, offering something for everybody. Twenty-seven teams are hoping that their top-secret recipes can take home the hardware, and maybe even more importantly, bragging rights. Competitors are separated into three divisions. The professional division (Kansas City Society Certified competitors), the amateur division, and the tailgate division. Teams will be offering free samples while supplies last, so get there early. There will be great bluegrass, carnival-type games, an opportunity to dunk some local celebrities, and for those brave souls willing to put their dignity on the line, a mechanical bull riding contest, the winner of which gets a large HDTV. Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys as well as the Nashville Bluegrass Band (pictured) will keep the toes tapping throughout the day. The festival will culminate in a fireworks show. BBQ, bluegrass, bull riding…What else do you need? —Myles Hutto Sun., Aug. 31, 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. $20/advance, $22/gate, $8/children advance, $10/children gate, www.boonehallplantation.com. Boone Hall Plantation, 1235 Long Point Road, Mt. Pleasant.

WINE | Clink your crystals

Freshfields Village, Kiawah and Seabrook Islands’ utopian shopping community, is holding the Barrier Islands Free Medical Clinic’s second annual Wine Festival on the Village Green. There will be food from local Freshfields Village restaurants like Ladles and 11 different savvy wine vendors pouring wines from around the world. Proceeds from the festival go to the Barrier Islands Free Medical Clinic, a charity organized by local retired doctors that provides health care to people living below the poverty level on Johns and Wadmalaw islands. Event co-chair Jan McBride said it was pouring outside last year until an hour before the festival started, but they still had a great turnout and raised $24,000. This year they are looking to reel in at least 100-200 more people for the cause. There will be raffles with prizes like Kiawah golf packages and kayaks. The guys from Jaguar will also be there showing off some sleek and glittery automobiles. To remember your evening of upscale marsh-side wining, tickets include a commemorative crystal wine glass. —Alison Sher Sat., Aug. 30, 5-8 p.m. $25/advance, $30/gate, (843) 768-6491, www.bifmc.com. Freshfields Village, located at the entrance to Kiawah and Seabrook islands

Next week: 52.’s GIG Show, Charleston Stage’s West Side Story, Amir H. Fallah Post Stagecraft at Redux, Shame, D’Allesandro’s Block Party, and Hunley Water’s community green event

28 Bridgeside, as always, a swanky venue. Particularly at sunset.

Cypress’ Chef Craig Deihl dishes out shrimp BLT

Bluegrass jams from the Bluestone Ramblers.

Everyone’s favorite lady.

Check out my review of Danit Brown’s debut, Ask for a Convertible. Here’s a little taste for ya:

“Ask for a Convertible follows Osnat’s struggle to find her place in America, and later, Israel, along with a handful of other characters that link back to Osnat immediately — like her homesick mother — or later on, like the immigrant who turns out to be the only Israeli man Osnat ever sleeps with, in the back of her car waiting for her food order to be ready.”

Despite its flaws, it was an enjoyable read.

On Friday at 7:30 p.m., see Molière, a fictional, comedic tale about the life of one of France’s most famous playwrights.

Mixing it up a little, Saturday night’s first offering at 5 p.m. is from a Chadian director; Abouna is a strikingly beautiful film about love and loss. At 7:30 p.m. that same night, Ensemble, C’est Tour (Hunting and Gathering), a box office blockbuster in France starring Audrey Tautou (Amelie!), is a comedy on the romantic couplings of several lonely Parisians.

The festival closes on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. with Le Fils de l’Epicier, (The Grocer’s Son), another hit in France that The New York Times called a “small gem of a film.”

 Aug. 28-31. $5, free/CofC students, (843) 953-6721, www.cofc.edu/filmfestival. Sottile Theatre, 44 George St.

Organizer Kay Hyman recycled an old billboard to make the backdrop for the auction.

Some of Tristan’s scrumptious goodies.

Some of the local celeb-designed fire hydrants.

Local DJ Brooke Ryan tries to sell her pretty-in-pink hydrant.

Friday night Charleston’s scenester elite turned out in full force at Redux Contemporary Art Center for the second annual Munny Show. The art show/auction featured 25 munny dolls painted by local artists like Jarod Charzewski, Sheepman, Ishmael, and Julio Cotto. Don’t know what a munny doll is? (Pshh.) Well, they’re the latest craze among artsy, vinyl toy lovin’ types; the blank doll is a canvas on which they can paint, drill, add accessories, or do whatever their imaginations dream up. The sweaty, tightly-packed crowd at Redux bid on everything from a bong-shaped munny to Joker- and Mario- inspired munnys to a downright creepy lookin’ guy by Charleston native turned San Fran golden boy Kevin Taylor, which earned the record bid of $420. B’zar owner Gustavo Serrano, largely recognized for bringing the dolls to town with his NYC-flavored shop, played auctioneer, surrounded by a bevy of young hipsters-in-training. It was good to see such a young crowd out supporting the arts — even if it’s doubtful if this fad will last long enough to have a Munny Show III — and the event raised over $5,000 for Redux’s education outreach programs. Cha-ching!