Bluffton Events
Bluffton’s year in festivals: Mayfest in May, the Arts & Seafood Festival in October, the Christmas parade in December and a farmers market every Thursday.
Most Bluffton events happen in Old Town, on Calhoun Street and around the May River, and most are free to walk into. The two big ones are Mayfest in spring and the Historic Bluffton Arts & Seafood Festival in the fall; the Town adds a Christmas parade and tree lighting in December, and the Thursday farmers market fills in the weeks between. Dates move from year to year, so the months below are the usual ones, with real dates where a source gave them.
Bluffton Events Through the Year
Bluffton Mayfest 2026 was held on Saturday, May 9, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Mayfest keeps to a Saturday in early May; see the Mayfest guide for what happens. The Arts & Seafood Festival is the town’s October festival, and people who search for the Bluffton oyster festival are usually looking for its oyster roast. For the Christmas weekend in 2025, the tree lighting was Friday, Dec. 5 at 5:30 p.m. and the Bluffton Christmas Parade 2025 followed on Saturday, Dec. 6 at 10 a.m., starting at Town Hall and running along Bridge Street, Calhoun Street, May River Road and Pin Oak Street.
Free street festival on Calhoun Street: more than 130 artists and food vendors, two music stages, the Ugly Dog Contest and the pie-eating contest.
About a week and a half of events on the river, ending with the Street Fest and Rockin’ the Dock.
The Town lights its tree at Martin Family Park on Friday evening, and the parade steps off at 10 a.m. on Saturday through the Historic District. The 2025 weekend was the 54th annual.
A weekly market in Old Town. Hours change with the season, so check before you go.
A beer festival on the river that has been held at the Oyster Factory Park in the fall, with beer from dozens of breweries.
A multi-day music, food and wine weekend at Palmetto Bluff that has typically sold out.
Where Bluffton’s Events Happen
Old Town is small enough to walk once you park. Mayfest fills Calhoun Street, and the seafood festival uses the waterfront. The DuBois Park pavilion hosts Santa’s Workshop on tree-lighting night. For everything else in the district, start with the Old Town guide, and for the rest of the trip see things to do in Bluffton.
The Town’s park on Boundary Street, home of a Mayfest stage, the tree lighting and the Thursday market. 68 Boundary Street.
The working-waterfront park on the May River where the seafood festival’s river events gather. 63 Wharf Street.
Fall in Bluffton: Pumpkin Patches Nearby
The pumpkin patches people drive to from Bluffton are a short trip away. Dempsey Farms on St. Helena Island has hayrides, a corn maze and pony rides; Holiday Farms in Ridgeland has its Great Pumpkin Patch, with a corn maze and hay rides; and Lowcountry Produce in Lobeco opens a patch with free hayrides around the second week of October. Hours and dates change every fall, so call before you drive.
Weddings and Private Events
Bluffton is a wedding town: the oaks, the river and the small inns make it a favorite for Lowcountry weekends. Our Bluffton wedding venues guide covers Palmetto Bluff, May River Manor, Hampton Lake and the estates and Old Town rooms.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the biggest event in Bluffton, SC?
Mayfest, held on a Saturday in early May on Calhoun Street in Old Town, and the Historic Bluffton Arts & Seafood Festival in October. Mayfest 2026 was Saturday, May 9, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with admission free.
When is the Bluffton Christmas parade?
The first weekend of December. In 2025 the tree lighting was Friday, Dec. 5 at 5:30 p.m. at Martin Family Park, and the parade stepped off at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6 at Town Hall.
Is there a Bluffton oyster festival?
The oyster roast is part of the Historic Bluffton Arts & Seafood Festival, held in October in Old Town and at the Oyster Factory Park.
Does Bluffton have a farmers market?
Yes. The Farmers Market of Bluffton meets on Thursdays at Martin Family Park in Old Town. Hours change with the season, so check before you go.
Are Bluffton’s festivals free?
Mayfest is free to attend. The Arts & Seafood Festival has many separate events, so check each one’s admission.
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