May River Shrimp Festival
The May River Shrimp Festival is Bluffton’s summer sunset party at the Oyster Factory Park: a Friday evening of live music, food trucks and craft beer on the river, with a Hawaiian Shirt 5K through Old Town the next morning.
The festival celebrates Bluffton’s heritage as a fishing village, and it is held on the banks of the May River. It is part of the Bluffton Sunset Party series that Bear Foot Sports produces at the park. The rest of the town’s calendar is on our Bluffton events page.
When and Where Is the May River Shrimp Festival?
2026 festival: Friday, July 24, from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.
2026 5K: Saturday, July 25, at 9 a.m.
Where: the Oyster Factory Park, 63 Wharf Street, in Old Town Bluffton.
Other years: a Friday evening in mid to late July (Friday, July 19 in 2024 and Friday, July 15 in 2023). Confirm the date before you plan a trip around it.
Organizer: Bear Foot Sports, 843-757-8520.
May River Shrimp Festival Tickets
These were the 2026 festival prices. Tickets are general admission, and the bars are cash only.
Children 12 and under: free.
Presale (before July 1): two tickets for $20.
Advance: $14.
Group advance: $38 for four tickets.
At the door: $20, cash only.
Beer, wine, seltzer and cider: cash only.
The festival runs rain or shine and the gate is cash only. Low-profile lawn chairs and leashed pets are welcome. The organizer names a different charity for each party in the series, and the 2026 one was the Historic Bluffton Foundation.
What Happens at the Shrimp Festival
Friday night is a sunset party in the park: food trucks, craft beer and wine, and live music. The 2026 bands were Rock Candy and Mily Kinner. Acts change each year, and the 2024 headliner was also Rock Candy, a classic-rock cover band.
For seafood on the same street, the Bluffton Oyster Company sells seafood at 63 Wharf Street, and more restaurants are in the Bluffton dining guide. The town’s other seafood festival is the Arts & Seafood Festival in October.
The Hawaiian Shirt 5K
The Hawaiian Shirt 5K Run/Walk starts at 9 a.m. on the Saturday and takes you through Old Town. Wear your best Hawaiian shirt for a chance at a prize as one of the “Flyin’ Hawaiians.” Every participant gets a Hawaiian-themed T-shirt, a lei and post-race refreshments, and strollers and leashed pets are welcome. Register through the organizer, Bear Foot Sports.
Around the Shrimp Festival
The festival is in Old Town. The Oyster Factory Park is also the home of the town’s other Bear Foot Sports parties, which are listed on the events page, and the history of Bluffton explains why a fishing village is worth a festival.
The working-waterfront park on the May River where the festival is held. 63 Wharf Street.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the May River Shrimp Festival?
On a Friday evening in mid to late July. The 2026 festival was Friday, July 24, from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., with a 5K the next morning at 9 a.m.
Where is the May River Shrimp Festival held?
At the Oyster Factory Park, 63 Wharf Street, on the May River in Old Town Bluffton.
How much are May River Shrimp Festival tickets?
In 2026, children 12 and under were free, presale tickets were two for $20 before July 1, advance tickets were $14, a group of four was $38 and tickets at the door were $20, cash only.
Can I bring my dog to the Shrimp Festival?
Yes. Leashed pets and low-profile lawn chairs are welcome. The festival runs rain or shine, and the bars are cash only.
Who runs the May River Shrimp Festival?
Bear Foot Sports, which produces the Bluffton Sunset Party series at the Oyster Factory Park. Their phone number is 843-757-8520.
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