Generally speaking, you don’t really need much of an extra incentive to pay a visit to The Village at Wexford. Set at the island’s very heart, its mix of shops and restaurants is matched only by the sense of community it engenders.
You won’t find a lot of chains or big boxes here. Instead, you’ll find merchants who live and work here in the Lowcountry, setting out their shingles and weaving themselves into the fabric of our community.
But if you do need extra incentive, you can always pair your next visit with a robust red or a crisp white and a chance to support deserving charities around the island. You just have to be there during Wine Down Wednesday, a quarterly event that sees merchants from across the plaza offering special deals along with tastings of sophisticated wines.
Along with the sounds of live music and the hum of a community coming together, these special events embrace a different deserving organization each time. Proceeds raised go to that month’s recipient, making it a win-win for everyone involved.
Mark Goodman and Meredith Taylor present a check to Sea Turtle Patrol’s Amber Kuehn.
“We’re a very tight-knit community, not just within The Village at Wexford, but across the island,” said Mark Goodman, president of the Village at Wexford Merchants Association and owner of The Hair Designers. “We’re all about giving back because the island has taken such good care of us.”
Since launching the event in 2018, The Village at Wexford has helped raise roughly $75,000 for charities including Pockets Full of Sunshine, the Boys & Girls Club, Hilton Head Heroes, Second Helpings, Meals on Wheels, and the Sea Turtle Patrol. Their next beneficiary, Hilton Head Humane, will be on hand for the December 3 Wine Down Wednesday with plenty of adoptable dogs.
“Wexford merchants have long been dedicated champions of Hilton Head Humane, and their continued support means the world to us,” said Fran Gerthoffer, Hilton Head Humane executive director. “Being included in Wine Down Wednesday is yet another exciting opportunity to collaborate – and we’re truly grateful for their unwavering generosity over the years.”
The merchants at The Village at Wexford are only too happy to oblige.
Laura Williams, Mark Goodman and Meredith Taylor present a check for $2500 to Meals on Wheels after a Wine Down Wednesday event last year.
“It’s a fun, community-focused and charity-focused event that gives great exposure to the businesses in Wexford,” said Meredith Taylor, owner of Gifted Hilton Head and one of the organizers of Wine Down Wednesday. “We’re very proud of what we’ve been able to do, and we’ve been able to donate between $10,000 and $13,000 every year. For a local shopping center, that’s really nice.”
And it’s not just the charities that have something to look forward to. A $15 ticket gets you in for a progressive wine tasting that winds through the village, stopping at shops and restaurants along the way to fill your glass and see the special events each has planned. Sometimes it’s book signings from local authors at Island Child or Gifted Hilton Head, chef demonstrations at Le Cookery, or trunk shows at Quinn’s Diamond Jewelers. Participating restaurants in the village come through as well with unique offerings and specials during the event.
“Each business has tasty appetizers, and many will host their own smaller events inside,” Taylor said. “Everyone does something different. It’s truly such a fun event and it sells out every time.”
For more information on the Wine Down Wednesday event on December 3, visit villageatwexford.com.