With so much history, culture and tradition here in Beaufort, we have lots of reasons to celebrate!
Take a look at some of the Beaufort area’s larger festivals…and make sure to attend so you can make memories that will last a lifetime.
Visit our Event Calendar for upcoming festival dates.

Annual Beaufort Water Festival

For over 60 years, the Annual Beaufort Water Festival has been bringing ten days of fun to the area with activities, sporting events, daily & nightly concerts and more. It’s the most fun you can have in Beaufort SC during the summer!
www.bftwaterfestival.com

 

Beaufort Shrimp Festival

Beaufort’s Shrimp Festival celebrates Lowcountry cuisine and incorporates fun activities for all ages. The first weekend of October brings concerts, competitive events and local restaurants fill Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park offering samples of Lowcountry dishes featuring local wild-caught shrimp.
www.beaufortshrimpfest.com

 

Soft Shell Crab Festival

Perhaps one of the most popular and always-anticipated Lowcountry events, the Soft Shell Crab Festival takes place every April in the old village of Port Royal. Local chefs serve up all of your favorite soft shell crab dishes with attendees enjoying tons of food, live music, children’s activities, a classic car show and lots more.
www.oldvillageportroyal.com

 

A Taste of Beaufort

Each May there’s a foodie’s delight in downtown’s Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park with the annual two-day Taste of Beaufort festival. Local restaurants serve up their best menu concoctions in the middle of downtown’s waterfront, with incredible live music and lots more.
See more here.

 

Original Gullah Festival

photo courtesy Montage Magazine

The Gullah Festival celebrates the rich Gullah Geechee heritage of the Sea Islands of the Lowcountry and honors the preservation of the Gullah culture and the descendants of enslaved Africans who lived in the Lowcountry region. Taking place every Memorial Day weekend, the festival is highlighted by authentic arts and crafts, exhibits, Gullah presentations, music, workshops, Gullah dancing and traditional Gullah cuisine.
www.originalgullahfestival.org

 

Beaufort International Film Festival

photo courtesy Beaufort International Film Festival

Considered by many to be the fastest growing film festival in the Southeast, the Beaufort International Film Festival showcases the very best of independent film. Each year, the festival receives dozens of film submissions from independent filmmakers from around the world and offers screenings, speakers, workshops and a star studded awards ceremony.
Popular stars in attendance have been Tom Berenger, Andie MacDowell, Powers Boothe, Gary Weeks, Vannah White and many more.
www.beaufortfilmfestival.com

 

Fall Festival of Houses & Gardens

photo courtesy Historic Beaufort Foundation

During the Fall Festival of Houses and Gardens visitors are invited by the Historic Beaufort Foundation to explore Beaufort from a rare vantage point: a selection of private homes and gardens normally not open to the public welcomes visitors inside. The houses represent three centuries of Beaufort architecture for which the city is justly famous. These self—paced walking tours offer an opportunity to see how contemporary lifestyles are lived within the framework of Beaufort’s unmatched architectural heritage.
www.historicbeaufort.org

 

Port Royal’s OktoPRfest

photo courtesy Christina Bland

The Old Village Association of Port Royal presents the Annual OktoPRfest celebration each year inviting attendees to “Party Port Royal Style.” This family friendly event has a little bit of everything for everyone including crafts, traditional Oktoberfest food, lots of beer, live music and fun for kids of all ages.
www.oldvillageportroyal.com

 

Festival of Trees

photo courtesy Friends of Caroline Hospice

The Annual Festival of Trees to benefit Friends of Caroline Hospice is one of Beaufort’s most beloved holiday celebrations that has been a tradition for over thirty years. Each event presents several days of holiday fun including over 60 whimsically decorated trees, an opening gala, a kids’ snow day, the Gingerbread 5K and lots more.
www.friendsofcarolinehospice.org