Charleston Events

Celebrate America’s birthday in one of the best historical cities in the U.S. Here’s where to watch fireworks in the Lowcountry.

The Charleston Caribbean Jerk Festival is a family-friendly event that celebrates the best in Caribbean food, culture, and music. The focus of this unique festival is to highlight Caribbean food, specifically food using Jamaican jerk seasoning.

The Sweetgrass Festival celebrates the rich Gullah Geechee culture and provides an extensive showcase of sweetgrass baskets in the Lowcountry. The event features unique handmade arts & crafts, paintings, live performances, and documentary films. 

With nearly 250 competitors and countless more families, fans and followers, Folly Beach Wahine Classic (FBWC) is the longest running all-female surf contest on the East Coast and South Carolina’s only all-female surf contest!

The Annual Greater Charleston Low Country Jazz takes place September 2-3, 2023 in Charleston featuring world-class jazz in a world-class venue, The Charleston Gaillard Center!

The MOJA Arts Festival is a celebration of the many African-American and Caribbean contributions to western and world cultures. MOJA’s events include visual arts, classical music, dance, gospel, jazz, poetry, R&B music, storytelling, theatre, children’s activities, crafts, ethnic food, and more.

Charleston Pride is excited to announce they will have their annual Pride Parade on Saturday, June 1, 2024. Join crowds of people lining King Street as the Pride Fest parade runs through the heart of downtown Charleston.

The 10th Annual Charleston Beer Week highlights the wide variety of craft beer brands enjoyed in the area today, with many unique events you wouldn't normally find on your calendar.

Calling all Lowcountry craft beer fanatics: Get excited to soak up the suds and sun at the 2023 Charleston Beer Fest. Don’t miss the awesome live music, beer games, and tantalizing food trucks on display.

Come on out to Johns Island County Park for foot-stompin’ live music from local bluegrass bands, pumpkin decorating, archery, and more. Feast on Southern delights like finger-lickin’ Carolina barbecue, kettle corn, and all of your favorite festival foods!

The Annual Charleston Scottish Games and Highland Gathering has an incredible lineup of events, including athletics, live music, demonstrations and much more.

The sway of the carriage transports you back several centuries. The professional guide points to the poinsettias flanking the front door of the antebellum mansion. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the holiday festivities in one of America’s most historic cities.

The famous Folly Beach Flip-Flop Drop will take place on New Year’s Eve, Friday, December 31st. Center Street will close to traffic as revelers enjoy local restaurants and family-friendly festivities.

The annual plunge will include a costume contest, commemorative t-shirts, and of course, a plunge into the “chilly” Atlantic! All attendees are encouraged to come in costume, especially as your favorite Bill Murray character.

Restaurant week is an eleven day celebration at participating restaurants.  From fine to casual dining, participating restaurants will feature special menu items, promotions, and discounts. Come out and savor the flavors of the Lowcountry. 

A festival that celebrates all of the deliciousness available on Folly Beach. Eat and drink your way through Folly and enjoy live music, street vendors, and more!

The Lowcountry Oyster Festival is the world’s largest oyster festival, and has been named one of the “top 20 events in the southeast”. Highlights include the legendary “Oyster Shucking” and “Oyster Eating” contests, live music, wine, and a selection of domestic and imported beers. 

SEWE is a showcase of everything to love about wildlife and nature through an incredible lineup of events, including fine art exhibits, conservation education, sporting demonstrations and after-hours gatherings.

The Folly Beach Sea & Sand Festival is a family and child-friendly event. The festival is free to the public, and there will be nearly 100 street vendors offering arts, crafts, clothing, concessions, children’s games, silent auction, etc.  

The City of Isle of Palms brings in spring with a free street festival featuring fun for the whole family, including jump castles, climbing walls, street performers, Vendor village, food trucks, and local restaurants.  The afternoon features live beach music from The Holiday Band and The Pink Slips.

The annual Charleston Wine + Food Festival is a celebration of Charleston’s culinary excellence. Discover the distinctive flavors of the Lowcountry and uniquely Charleston experiences, while interacting with and learning from the country’s best chefs, authors and beverage professionals.

Residents and visitors are invited to come out and enjoy South Carolina’s largest St. Patrick’s Day Parade. This family-friendly event will kick off on Saturday morning at 10:00 am. Before the parade, St. Patrick’s Church will hold a celebratory mass.

The Charleston Antique Show is a premier destination for collectors and enthusiasts of antiques. The show is a showcase of English, European, and American period furnishings, decorative arts and fine art, architectural elements, garden furniture, vintage jewelry, and silver--all late 17th to 20th centuries. 

The Charleston Bluegrass Festival offers plush camping options, local food, craft vendors, and outdoor activities, along with the finest names in bluegrass. Attendees can expect a weekend of revelry, complete with some of the finest names in bluegrass.

The Cooper River Bridge Run is the 3rd largest 10K in the US and one of the largest in the world. It includes world-class competition in a unique setting with unparalleled participant satisfaction. The main goal of the event is to promote continuous physical activity and a healthy lifestyle. 

The Charleston Festival (formerly The Festival of Houses and Gardens), is a celebration of the culture, history, style, art, design and preservation of the Holy City through a variety of programs, tours and events.

The Strawberry Festival features fresh-from-the-field deliciousness and family-friendly fun, including a petting zoo, rides, games, food vendors, fresh strawberries, and live music.

The Cajun Festival brings Louisiana living to the Lowcountry.  This full-day festival features Cajun and Creole foods, children's activities and more. After getting full on food, kick off your shoes and dance to live Cajun music performed on stage throughout the day. 

Cocktail Week showcases the award-winning bars and restaurants in the area. It brings locals and travelers together to experience the epicurean masterpieces of Charleston’s renowned chefs, mixologists, and bartenders.

The Charleston Jazz Festival features student musicians, local jazz groups, and internationally acclaimed performers including the Emmet Cohen Trio, the Jorge Luis Pacheco Quartet, Kandace Springs and Etienne Charles in multiple venues.

High Water brings musicians from all over the world to the beautiful Riverfront of N. Charleston, creating a musical oasis. With two alternating stages, you can catch all your favorite bands and discover new ones too. 

Mount Pleasant hosts its Annual Blessing of the Fleet. A safe and prosperous shrimping season is the sentiment of this community-supported benediction, which dishes up fresh seafood and showcases local crafts, live music, kids activities, a boat parade, and lots of seafood will be present.

The annual five-day celebration of arts and culture highlights regional and local artists and performers in the areas of Dance, Music, Theatre, Visual Arts, and Literature.

Experience great food, wine, music, dancing, and fun at the Charleston Greek Festival at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity. Guests will enjoy great tasting favorites, including Gyros, Chicken Mousakka, Lamb, Finikia, Spanakopita, Baklava, Wine, Beer, and more. 

The Spoleto Festival USA is one of the largest festivals in Charleston, with events showcasing both established and emerging artists in more than 150 performances of opera, dance, theater, classical music, and jazz. 

The Piccolo Spoleto focuses primarily on artists of the Southeast region, offering visual arts exhibits, classical music, jazz, dance, theater, poetry readings, children’s activities, choral music, ethnic cultural presentations, crafts, and films. 

Charleston Carifest is a four day event celebrating the connection of Charleston and the Caribbean, featuring food, fun music, and costumes. The big Carnival Day is Saturday and includes a Street Parade, followed by an epic celebration in Brittle Bank Park.