Seafood Festival in Hilton Head
A week of chef dinners, master classes, boat trips and tastings each February, with host hotels and events across the island.
- Next dates: Monday, Feb. 22, to Sunday, Feb. 28, 2027 (the festival's 20th year)
- Where: Across the island, with the Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort as the official host hotel. Each ticket lists its own address.
- Tickets: Each event is ticketed on its own through the official site, and a few take tickets at the door
- Hosted by: David M. Carmines Memorial Foundation
- Benefits: Island nonprofits, including the Coastal Discovery Museum and Volunteers in Medicine
The Hilton Head Island Seafood Festival, also called the HHI Seafood Festival, is the island's week-long celebration of Atlantic seafood. It is a series of separate events rather than a single gate: chef demonstrations and tastings, master classes, resort dinners, trips on the water and family evenings, all in the last full week of February.
It is not the same event as the one-weekend Hilton Head Oyster Festival in November, though the two are linked by the Carmines family. Events are spread between the resorts, the harbour and other spots around the island.
What happens during Seafood Festival week
The 2027 schedule is still filling in on the official site. These are the kinds of events the week has been built from, based on the festival's own 2026 program.
Seafood tastings and chef demonstrations
Chef demonstrations, seafood tastings from Atlantic Coast suppliers and wine and cocktail experiences.
Culinary master classes and Zero Forks Given
The Omni, the official host hotel, is home to the master classes and to Zero Forks Given, an evening where the 2026 ticket covered a commemorative festival glass plus all the food and drinks.
Supper clubs at the partner resorts
Beach House hosts Asado By The Sea and Palmetto Dunes hosts Alexander's HomeGrown Supper, so a dinner can be part of your stay.
Boat tours and a Lowcountry boil cruise
Lowcountry Experiences on the Water run several tours a day from Hudson's Seafood House on the Docks, and a Lowcountry boil dinner cruise is booked through FareHarbor. The week also includes a Daufuskie Island history experience.
Archery, fishing and a climb
Past weeks have included a Try Archery evening, a Family Fishing Night and Launch & Lunch at the Hilton Head Island Rowing and Sailing Center, plus a Carmines Family Climb at the Island Rec Center.
After party and Kegs + Eggs
The week has closed with an after party and a Sunday-morning Kegs + Eggs at Lincoln + South Brewing Co.
Hilton Head Island Seafood Festival Tickets
There is no single festival ticket. Each tasting, class, dinner and cruise is sold separately on the official schedule page, with its own price, time and address, and a few experiences also take tickets at the door.
The ticket you buy lists the exact address for each event.
Where to stay and where to park
The Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort in Palmetto Dunes is the official host hotel, Beach House is the official hotel partner and Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort is the official home and villa partner, and the festival lists booking links for all three on its travel page.
Because events are scattered, check the address on each ticket before you set out. The festival's ticketing page notes on-site parking, rideshare drop-off and bike parking for its events; there is no one island-wide shuttle.
Where the on-the-water tours depart.
Closing-weekend brewery events.
Who runs it and where the money goes
The festival is produced by the David M. Carmines Memorial Foundation, a nonprofit the Carmines family set up to serve the Hilton Head and Bluffton community in their son's memory. Proceeds support local organizations including the Coastal Discovery Museum, the Island Recreation Scholarship Fund, the Waddell Mariculture Center, the Port Royal Sound Foundation, the Gullah Heritage Museum, Pockets Full of Sunshine, Volunteers in Medicine, Beaufort County Schools and the Children's Center.
More Hilton Head food festivals
A week of tastings that ends with the Grand Tasting and Public Tasting.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Hilton Head Island Seafood Festival?
The next festival is Monday, Feb. 22, to Sunday, Feb. 28, 2027, its 20th year. It is held in the last full week of February.
Is the Seafood Festival the same as the Oyster Festival?
No. The Oyster Festival is a separate two-day November event run by the Island Recreation Association. The Seafood Festival is a week of ticketed dinners, classes and tastings in February, produced by the David M. Carmines Memorial Foundation.
Where is the seafood festival in Hilton Head held?
There is no single site. Events take place at hotels, restaurants, the harbour, the Rowing and Sailing Center and other spots around the island. The Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort is the official host hotel, and each ticket shows its own address.
How do I buy Seafood Festival tickets?
Through the schedule page on the festival's official site. Each event has its own ticket and price, and a few experiences also sell tickets at the door.
Where do I park for the Seafood Festival?
The festival's ticketing page lists on-site parking, rideshare drop-off and bike parking. Because events are in many places, check the venue on your ticket first.
Where does the Seafood Festival money go?
To local nonprofits, including the Coastal Discovery Museum, Volunteers in Medicine, the Waddell Mariculture Center, the Port Royal Sound Foundation and the Island Recreation Scholarship Fund.
Where should I stay for the Seafood Festival?
The Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort is the official host hotel. Beach House is the official hotel partner and Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort is the official home and villa partner.
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