Fish and Grits Music Festival
A one-day Gullah Geechee music festival at Lowcountry Celebration Park, with R&B, jazz, ring shouters and line dancing.
- Next dates: Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026
- Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. (gates open at 11 a.m.): festival day at Lowcountry Celebration Park
- Hosted by: Lowcountry Fish & Grits Music Festival
- Good to know: Tickets are sold in advance through the festival's ticketing page; the official site lists no prices
The Lowcountry Fish & Grits Music Festival, which most people just call the Fish and Grits Music Festival, is a one-day music and culture festival on the first Saturday of October. It is held at Lowcountry Celebration Park on Pope Avenue, and it sets out to keep Gullah Geechee culture in view through music, visual and performing arts and community events.
The Gullah Geechee are the descendants of enslaved West Africans of the coastal Southeast, and their food, music, language and faith are still part of island life. For more on that history, see our guide to Gullah Geechee culture on Hilton Head, and the island's month-long Gullah Celebration each February.
What you will hear
The festival's own description is soulful sounds from R&B and jazz to funk, folk and spoken word. The 2026 line-up it announced:
Latrese Bush
The recording artist who founded the festival.
Alvin Garrett
A Grammy-nominated recording artist.
The Live in the Flesh Experience
A recording artist and live band.
Gullah Geechee Shouters
Ring shouters, a call-and-response tradition that grew out of the Gullah Geechee praise houses.
Frankie Quinones & Yuba
Jazz, Afro-Caribbean music and soul.
DJ Prince Ice
A DJ and producer.
Romeo Dance Class
A line-dance class you can join.
Where it is and how to plan the day
The festival is at Lowcountry Celebration Park, 94 Pope Avenue, directly across from Coligny Beach Park. Gates open at 11 a.m. and the music runs from noon to 6 p.m. The park is a short walk from the beach, so many people combine the two. The festival publishes no parking plan, so check the ticket confirmation, and see our Coligny parking guide for the lots nearby.
More Gullah Geechee culture and events
What is on across the island.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Fish and Grits Music Festival?
The next festival is Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, from noon to 6 p.m., with gates opening at 11 a.m. It is held on the first Saturday of October.
Where is the Fish and Grits Music Festival held?
At Lowcountry Celebration Park, 94 Pope Avenue, Hilton Head Island, across from Coligny Beach Park.
What is the Fish and Grits Music Festival about?
It is a family-friendly music and culture festival that aims to raise awareness of Gullah Geechee culture and its link to the African diaspora, through music, visual and performing arts and community events.
Is the festival the same as the Gullah Celebration?
No. The Fish and Grits Music Festival is a single day in October. The Hilton Head Island Gullah Celebration is a separate, month-long series of events each February. Both celebrate Gullah Geechee heritage.
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