Seafood, cinema and St. Patrick’s Day: Check out these upcoming Beaufort County festivals
As the weather heats up, so does the Lowcountry’s social calendar.
Festival season is in full swing across the Beaufort County, with the 16th annual Beaufort International Film Festival and the 15th annual Hilton Head Seafood Festival kicking off this week.
For March, Hilton Head’s renowned St. Patrick’s Day Parade is making a comeback after two years off Pope Avenue, and shells will be flying at the annual Beaufort Charities Oyster Roast.
Get ready to buy some tickets and make some plans with this spring event lineup:
Hilton Head Seafood Festival
Monday marks the start of the 15th annual Hilton Head Seafood Festival, which includes masterclasses from professional chefs, multi-course dinners and a Saturday Seafood Festival with more than 100 food and beverage vendors.
Organizers are hoping to raise $150,000 for local nonprofits this year after they canceled the event last year due to COVID-19.
While some events are already sold out, tickets to the Saturday Seafood Festival and several masterclasses are still available at bit.ly/SeafoodFestivalHHI.
Beaufort International Film Festival
The 16th annual Beaufort International Film Festival begins Tuesday and will run through Sunday.
Fifteen films will get their world premiere at the festival, including documentaries about a trumpet virtuoso diagnosed with terminal cancer, jazz trumpeter and singer Louis Armstrong’s little-known daughter and a journalist who rode 1,500 miles from Canada to Brazil entirely on horseback.
Around 10,000 people are expected to attend the film screenings, which will take place at the Center for the Arts at the University of South Carolina-Beaufort. Tickets can be bought online or the Beaufort Visitors Center, 713 Craven St.
Maison Beaufort
The Beaufort Inn’s Tabby Place will host the annual Maison Beaufort antiques, home and garden show March 3-6.
A vendors expo will showcase the latest in antiques, art, and vintage and unique lighting, furniture, linens and garden accents.
Tickets to the March 3 preview party are $30, and general admission tickets to the show, which will run from 10 a.m to 6 p.m. that Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. that Sunday, cost $5. Both are available online.
Beaufort Charities Oyster Roast
Oysters will be steaming and music will be playing on March 5 at Port Royal’s Live Oaks park, the site of the annual Beaufort charities oyster roast.
All-you-can-eat oysters will be available from 1 to 8 p.m. The Entertainers and Steel Rail Express will provide live music, and there will be two live auctions at the event.
Tickets are available online early for $40, or $50 at the door.
St. Patrick’s Day parades
After two years of COVID-19 cancellations, Hilton Head is bringing its annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade back to the streets.
The parade will be held at 3 p.m. March 13 on Pope Avenue, according to event organizers.
For those who enjoyed last year’s St. Patrick’s Day boat parade on Broad Creek, fear not because another boat parade is slated to take place March 12.
There will also be an inaugural Irish Concert at Celebration Park that night from 5 to 7 p.m.
Savannah’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be held March 17, starting at 10:15 a.m. More information is available at savannahsaintpatricksday.com.
Hilton Head Island Wine and Food Festival
The 37th annual Hilton Head Island Wine and Food Festival will take place March 20-26 with local chef showcases, wine education sessions, live entertainment and public wine tastings.
The public tasting will take place March 26 from 12-3 p.m. at Lowcountry Celebration Park.
Tickets cost $65 and can be bought at hiltonheadwineandfood.com. Prices for other festival events range from $35 to $125.
This story was originally published February 20, 2022 at 5:30 AM.