Techies Put On Their Dancing Shoes at the Silicon Harbor Shindig

Dig South’s first annual Silicon Harbor Shindig was held on Friday, Oct. 3 at Harborside East in Mount Pleasant—and it was awesome.

Shindig guests socializing on the outdoor patio at Harborside East.

Guests listened to live music and snacked on hors d'oeuvres provided by local chefs Allison Porter of Tristan Catering, Nate Whiting of 492, and Patrick Owens of Opal and Langdon’s. The event’s signature drink was the ever-so-southern Pecan Smash—made with Cathead Pecan Vodka, banana puree, lemon juice, simple syrup, and walnut bitters.

The Shindig's signature drink, the Pecan Smash.

Smoked pecan pies provided by Tristan Catering. 

“Langdon’s did a great job on the short ribs, and the desserts were phenomenal,” said Shindig attendee Eve Burbage. Burbage also enjoyed Tristan’s small plate duo.

A small plate duo of butternut squash soup with pumpkin seed and pomegranate granola, paired with saffron brioche toast, celery jam, and shaved ham 

The Shindig wasn’t just a social function, though. A total of $450,000 was given to burgeoning start-ups Moondog Animation and Pharmright from the South Carolina Research Authority through their SC Launch program.

Attending the Shindig were a lot of notables in the tech and start-up worlds, including Bobby Ocampo, the director of Revolution Ventures, a venture capital firm from Washington, D.C. Ocampo was there looking for great southeastern companies to invest in.

Stanfield Gray—the founder of Dig South and organizer of the Shindig—said the party was created to celebrate the success and attention Charleston has received since it’s been nicknamed the Silicon Harbor. It was also celebrating the release of the 2014 Metro Charleston Economic Scorecard, Dig South ticket launch, and the grand opening of the Silicon Harbor Welcome Center.

“It’s very significant that our companies are growing here and getting the kinds of financial support they need to really prosper,” said Gray.

“Dig South is going to be bigger and better next year… we’re moving into the Galliard, which is a huge step up for us. We’re expecting 1,500 people at the conference, and over 6,000 total at our festival events.”

According to the Dig South website, the festival will be held April 28 through May 2. Events will include the Dig Show, a tech and creative industry showcase, and a start-up exhibit. Each night will end with a Dig music series starting at 9 p.m.