Credit: Libby Williams
Teddy bears will once again take over the gazebo at Hampton Park as the Charleston Parks Conservancy hosts the 12th annual Teddy Bear Picnic from 1:30 pm to 4 pm on Sunday, March 6th. After taking a year off in 2021, Parker Bear is ready to welcome families back to this beloved event in one of Charleston's iconic public parks.
Children and their teddy bears are invited to an afternoon of free family fun, including musical entertainment, dancing, seed planting, crafts, and more. Bring a picnic lunch, blankets, and chairs. Food trucks will be on site with food and beverages available for purchase.
Admission and all activities are free, but registration is required. To follow recommended social distancing guidelines, families are asked to register and sign up for a specific arrival time (1:30, 2:15 or 3 pm). Guests are not required to leave at a certain time. Register online at www.
Masks are required at this event. All attendees over the age of 3 are asked to wear a mask.
Returning this year is the popular Teddy Bear Urgent Care, where sick or injured bears can get patched up. Additional activities include music, bubbles, storytelling with Begin With Books, Bear yoga, an obstacle course, and much more. The Lady Bug Lady and her ladybug car, Ms. Lulu, will be back this year. The event will wrap up with the popular Teddy Bear Parade.
“The Teddy Bear Picnic is one of our signature events,” said Tom McGuire, executive director of the Conservancy. “We certainly missed hosting it last year, and I know so many people missed attending what really has become a special family tradition.”
The idea for the Teddy Bear Picnic came from the Conservancy's volunteer Park Angels who wanted to create a free event that encouraged families to spend time in the park. In 2017, volunteer Park Angels wrote a children's book based on the Teddy Bear Picnic, Here, There and Everywhere with Parker Bear. Photographed by Charleston photographer Libby Williams, the book chronicles the adventures of Parker Bear as he visits 10 city parks before meeting his friends at Hampton Park for the annual Teddy Bear Picnic.
The Conservancy relies on dozens of volunteers to make the Teddy Bear Picnic a success. Anyone interested in volunteering can complete a volunteer application at www.
