South Carolina throws a party for everything — shrimp, peaches, oysters, motorcycles, fireflies, and the azalea bloom. Here is every major festival worth planning a trip around, organized by month.
January & February
Lowcountry Oyster Festival (Boone Hall Plantation, Mt. Pleasant) — The world’s largest oyster festival. Held the last Sunday of January. Thousands of bushels of SC oysters, live music, and the oyster-shucking competition.
SC Poultry Festival (Batesburg-Leesville) — A quirky, beloved community festival celebrating the state’s poultry industry.
March & April
Myrtle Beach Marathon — One of the Southeast’s largest road races, with a flat, fast course along the Grand Strand.
Spoleto Preview Events — Pre-festival programming in Charleston.
Azalea Festival (Summerville) — Celebrating the bloom with garden tours, art, and community events.
SC Festival of Flowers (Greenwood) — Topiary gardens, concerts, fireworks, and community events celebrating spring in the Lakelands.
May
Spoleto Festival USA (Charleston) — World-class performing arts festival. Opera, theater, dance, music across 17 days. One of the premier cultural events in the country. Also Piccolo Spoleto, the companion festival with free and low-cost events throughout the city.
Blue Crab Festival (Little River) — Celebrating the blue crab with food, music, and crafts on the waterfront.
Iris Festival (Sumter) — Celebrating the bloom at Swan Lake Iris Gardens.
June
Congaree Synchronous Firefly Viewing (Congaree National Park) — One of the most magical natural events in the Southeast. Lottery-based entry. Fireflies flash in unison in the old-growth forest.
Juneteenth Celebrations (statewide) — Commemorating the end of slavery with cultural events, performances, and community gatherings.
July & August
Beaufort Water Festival — Two weeks of water-focused events including boat races, fishing tournaments, and the famous raft race. One of the longest-running festivals in SC.
SC Peach Festival (Gaffney) — Celebrating SC’s peach harvest with food, music, and a parade. Gaffney is the heart of SC peach country.
September
Atalaya Arts and Crafts Festival (Huntington Beach State Park) — One of the premier juried art shows in the Southeast. Held in and around the historic Atalaya Castle.
Fall for Greenville — Food, music, and community in downtown Greenville. One of the best food festivals in the Upstate.
SC Apple Festival (Westminster) — Celebrating the Upstate apple harvest with food, crafts, and orchard tours.
October
Oktoberfest (Walhalla) — German heritage celebration in the Upstate town founded by German settlers.
Shrimp Festival (multiple locations) — Celebrating SC’s shrimping heritage with food, boat tours, and cooking competitions.
SC State Fair (Columbia) — Rides, food, livestock, and agricultural exhibits at the state fairgrounds.
November & December
Holiday Festival of Lights (James Island County Park, Charleston) — Drive-through light display with millions of lights. One of the best holiday light shows in the Southeast.
Nights of a Thousand Candles (Brookgreen Gardens) — The gardens lit by thousands of candles and lights. One of the most beautiful holiday events in the state.
Christmas in Charleston — Walking tours, holiday house tours, and events throughout the historic district.