What you need to know for Bluffton's Arts and Seafood Festival this weekend

With one of the first rain-free weekends in recent memory coming up, residents and visitors alike may be pouring into Bluffton's Arts and Seafood Festival in droves.

Here's what you need to know.

Highlights

The festival's "Street Fest" -- from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday -- will feature a juried art show with more than 100 local and regional artists from 10 different states.

The day's events will also include plenty of local seafood and Lowcountry cuisine, live music, exhibits and children's activities.

The fun continues into the evening with "Rockin' on the Dock" starting at 6 p.m. at the Bluffton Oyster Company. It includes more seafood, live music and fireworks at the end of the day.

Sunday's Street Fest is from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and again features art, food, music and entertainment.

In addition, the "Art of Cuisine" Iron Chef Challenge will start at 10 a.m. with cooking demos, and the cooking challenge takes place at noon at Neptune's Galley on the corner of Calhoun and Bridge streets.

For a complete schedule of events -- including boat and kayak tours, children's fishing tournament, 10K run and more -- visit www.blufftonartsandseafoodfestival.com.

Weather

The weather forecast for Saturday is sunny with a high near 73.

Saturday night will be mostly clear with a low around 51, so you may want to pack a sweater or light jacket.

For Sunday expect the sun to shine again, with a high near 66.

Road Closures

These streets in Old Town will be closed for the festival:

-- Calhoun Street -- closed from May River Road to Bridge Street from Friday at noon until Sunday at 6 p.m.

-- May River Road -- shut down daily from Bluffton Road to Goethe Road beginning Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Detour signs will be posted to guide drivers around the festival.

Also, the South Carolina Department of Transportation reopened all lanes of I-95 earlier in the week. So visitors to the area will be able to drive on the interstate without having to take detours.

Shuttle Service

Since streets will be closed, there won't be any parking in downtown Bluffton on Saturday or Sunday.

However, free shuttle service, including handicap-accessible shuttles, will be available from Red Cedar Elementary School at 10 Box Elder St. from:

-- 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday

-- 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday

For more information, call 843-757-BLUF (2583).

Follow reporter Mindy Lucas on Twitter at twitter.com/MindyatIPBG.

Related content:

• Seafood and seascapes: Bluffton Arts and Seafood starts Saturday, a kick-off packed with events, Oct. 7, 2015
• Art Notes: What's not to love about Lowcountry seafood, plus -- new art, music and more, Oct. 1, 2015

This story was originally published October 16, 2015 at 9:36 AM with the headline "What you need to know for Bluffton's Arts and Seafood Festival this weekend."