traveler of charleston logo

Charleston’s Festival Season About to Begin

Table of Contents

February kicks off festival season in Charleston as visitors flock to the city to experience wildlife and art, food and wine, fashion and flowers. These are some of the must-do events this winter and early spring.

Jan. 25: 32st annual Lowcountry Oyster Festival – Join in the world’s largest oyster festival at Boone Hall Plantation in Mount Pleasant. This event has been named one of the “top 20 events in the Southeast” by the Southeastern Tourism Society. Highlights include the oyster shucking and oyster eating contests as well as live music, wine, a selection of domestic and imported beers, a children’s area and a food court showcasing a variety of local restaurants. A portion of the proceeds benefit local charities.

Feb. 13-15: Southeastern Wildlife Exposition – Conservationists and nature enthusiasts come from all over the country for this three-day celebration of art, animal demonstrations, environmental education and culinary events. New this year is a program with Richard Wiese, host of “Born to Explore with Richard Wiese,” an Emmy Award-winning travel and adventure program on ABC. Wiese has circled the globe and will share his stories at the Charleston Music Hall. Annual favorites include the retriever demos, birds of prey flight demonstrations and the high-flying DockDogs event at Brittlebank Park. Events are at Marion Square, Brittlebank Park, Belmond at Charleston Place and various other venues.

March 4-8: BB&T Charleston Wine + Food Festival – Celebrate 10 years of this foodie festival in 2015. Enjoy the flavors of Charleston’s culinary scene and renowned culture at numerous events featuring outstanding chefs from around the country as well as pastry chefs, authors, beverage professionals and food writers. The event also benefits scholarship programs for the culinary and hospitality workplace. The festival has been praised as one of the top five food and wine festivals in the U.S. by Forbes Traveler.

March 17-21: Charleston Fashion Week – Showcasing emerging designer and model talent across the East Coast, this annual event has become one of the premier fashion weeks in North America. Pack the tents in Marion Square in the heart of Charleston for runway shows, the Emerging Designer Competition and more.  

March 19-April 19: 68th annual Spring Festival of Houses and Gardens – Explore the city’s historic district in a series of tours showcasing Charleston’s distinctive architecture, history, gardens and culture. A number of special events are also part of this springtime event, including morning history walks, Circa 1886 Wine Tastings, Mimosas at Middleton Place and Harbor of History Boat Cruises. The Food for Thought Luncheon Series includes lunch and a brief guided walk or experience related to the day’s topic. There are also several musical concerts that allow visitors to experience period music in historic settings.

March 27-29: Flowertown Festival – The Town of Summerville celebrates spring with this annual festival, ranked one of the top 20 events in the Southeast by the Southeast Tourism Society. Stroll thorugh downtown and Azalea Park to catch a colorful show of pink azaleas, purple wisteria and white dogwood all in full bloom. The festival features more than 200 jury-selected artists and their wares, food from local restaurants, rides and activities for children and more. Free admission.

March 28: Cooper River Bridge Run – Thousands of runners and walkers make their way across the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge spanning the Cooper River for one of the largest 10K races in the world. In addition, the event includes an expo and events that further its mission of a healthy lifestyle.

Visiting Charleston Just Got Way Easier!

TourPass includes all the top tours and attractions & historic sites. Save up to 40% or more on admissions + skip the lines

Charleston FAQ's

Choosing a hotel and where to stay in Charleston all depends on your budget and goals. Do you want to stay Downtown, at the beach or in the outer areas such as North Charleston where you have to drive to get everywhere? For more help on deciding: https://travelerofcharleston.com/articles/hotels/

Charleston has 3 main public beaches which are: Folly, Isle of Palms and Sullivans. Each beach has it’s own atmosphere. The most common beach that people visit is Folly Beach and then Isle of Palms followed by Sullivans Island. For more info on Charleston’s beaches visit: https://travelerofcharleston.com/guide-charlestons-beaches/

Charleston, SC is full of historical things to do. Everything from museums, to public sites and free landmark sites such as Rainbow Row and the Battery can be seen. For more info on Charleston’s top historical sites visit: https://travelerofcharleston.com/places-to-learn-about-charleston-sc-history/

There are many things that will keep the kids and family entertained and educated in Charleston. There are historic sites such as Fort Sumter, a Children’s Museum, Aquarium and the USS Yorktown…a WWII era aircraft carrier you can tour. For more info visit: https://travelerofcharleston.com/charleston-family-fun-activities/

There’s so many  things you could do in Charleston it can be overwhelming. We recommend that first time visitors, checkout the ultimate first-time visitor guide here: https://travelerofcharleston.com/charleston-first-time-visitors-guide/

Spring in Charleston, SC is an amazing time of year to visit. The flowers are blooming and the weather is mild and sunny. For more info, check-out our spring guide to Charleston here: https://travelerofcharleston.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-springtime-in-charleston/

Summer in Charleston is a great time to visit. There’s plenty of things to keep you busy and visiting the beach will probably….or should be on your short-list. Also water-based activities and tours are popular. Checkout this summer guide to Charleston for more info: 

Our 10 Favorite Summer Activities in Charleston

Fall is one of the best times to visit. The weather cools down a bit and the skies are typically blue and clear. In addition there are many great events, festivals and the large crowds of summer have gone back to school or work. For more info on visiting in the fall, checkout this article: https://travelerofcharleston.com/charleston-12-things-to-do-fall/

There are so many great things to do that it’s difficult to narrow the list down. This article does a great job with figuring out the must do things to do in Charleston

7 Can’t Miss Reasons to Visit Charleston, SC Now

The consensus is a minimum of 3-days is needed to settle in and experience Charleston. For instance, many people take 2 days exploring downtown and another day visiting sites outside of downtown such as the plantations, Angel Oak Tree or beaches. Checkout this page for a list of tours and attractions: 

Charleston’s Top Tours & Attractions | Things to do

Downtown Charleston was made for walking and for sure one of the best way to soak up and experience the history first-hand. This article goes over getting around Charleston with and without a car as well: 

Getting Around Charleston, SC

We’re of course partial to Charleston, but here’s the truth. There are many similarities however there are some differences in our opinion: 

  • Both cities are historic and beautiful. 
  • Both cities are extremely walkable. Savannah, with it’s park-like squares maybe more walkable than Charleston. 
  • Charleston has a more established and food scene with many more options. 
  • Charleston has better hotels and shopping.
  • Both cities have equally good tours.
  • Charleston has better beach options. Savannah has Tybee which is great, however it’s 1 beach vibe versus Charleston which has 3 beaches with different vibes. Checkout this Charleston beach guide article: https://travelerofcharleston.com/guide-charlestons-beaches/
  • In Savannah you can walk with alcoholic beverages on the street. This is not allowed in Charleston. This can be good or bad depending on your stance. 
  • Savannah is more affordable.
  • TourPass offers all-inclusive passes in both cities: https://tourpass.com

There are always great and world-class events happening in Charleston. For a calendar of events and things to do in Charleston, checkout our online calendar of events: https://travelerofcharleston.com/events/

Of course there are free money-saving coupons that you can use. Visit the coupons page for a bunch of ways to save: https://travelerofcharleston.com/coupon/

Charleston has some fantastic can’t miss tours such as Fort Sumter, carriage, ghost, harbor, historic and culinary tours. For a full list with more info visit: https://travelerofcharleston.com/attractions/

Checkout the Charleston Relocation Guide page which will guide you during your move: https://travelerofcharleston.com/charleston-sc-relocation-guide/

Additional Places to Explore

Traveler Mag Icon
Receive Charleston Updates

Get the First Timers Guide...it's free

We’ll email our online magazine, map, helpful articles. Unsubscribe at anytime.