Two of the Lowcountry’s biggest festivals fall in the same ten days this year, and Hilton Head keeps a fireworks habit going all summer. If you are choosing which weekends to clear, start with these.
Beaufort Water Festival, July 17–26
The Water Festival has run in downtown Beaufort for decades, and it takes over Henry Chambers Waterfront Park for ten days: river races, an arts and crafts market, live music, a talent show, a parade, and the parade of boats that gives the festival its name. It is the closest thing the county has to a hometown holiday.
May River Shrimp Festival, July 24–25
In Bluffton, the Shrimp Festival returns to the Oyster Factory Park as part of the town’s Sunset Party series. Two days center on local seafood, live music, and the shrimping history that shaped the May River. Come hungry.
HarbourFest and fireworks at Shelter Cove
On Hilton Head, HarbourFest runs weekly through the summer at Shelter Cove, with live entertainment, craft booths, family activities, and fireworks over the water. It is the standing option for a weeknight that you want to feel like an occasion.
Getting the timing right
The July 17–26 stretch is the busiest of the Lowcountry summer, so book dinner and lodging early. The festivals pick up in the evening, once the heat drops and the light turns, and afternoon thunderstorms are worth planning around. If you can get on the water, the parade of boats and the harbor fireworks are best seen from the marsh side, away from the parking.