Wingfest Hilton Head
Twenty-odd island restaurants cook their best wings for a spring Saturday at Lowcountry Celebration Park, and you vote for the winner.
- Next dates: Saturday, March 20, 2027
- Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.: main event at Lowcountry Celebration Park
- Tickets: In 2026, admission was $10 and free for children under 11, with wings at $2 each on a punch card bought inside. Prices for 2027 come with the January announcement.
- Hosted by: Island Recreation Association
- Good to know: Cashless (cards and Apple Pay only), no pets
- Proceeds: Island Rec's Children's Scholarship Fund
Wingfest is the Island Recreation Association's spring wing cook-off and one of its biggest fundraisers. Between 20 and 25 local restaurants each cook their best chicken wings, more than 8,000 pounds of them in all, and visitors sample their way round the tents and vote for a favorite. It has run for close to three decades: 2026 was its 29th year.
The next Wingfest is Saturday, March 20, 2027, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Lowcountry Celebration Park. The festival says the full 2027 details (bands, prices, the Friday preparty) come out in January. The festival is a fundraiser for the Children's Scholarship Fund of the Island Rec Center.
What happens at Wingfest
The day is built around the vote. You buy a wing punch card at the gate, try as many restaurants as you like and cast your ballot for the People's Choice, while a panel of judges picks its own winners. The times below are from the 2026 festival; the 2027 schedule is posted in January.
Sample and vote
People's Choice voting closed at 4 p.m. in 2026
Wings were $2 each in 2026, punched off a card you buy inside. Judges' and People's Choice winners were announced at 4:15 p.m.
Wing eating and wing bobbing
2 p.m. and 2:50 p.m. in 2026
An adult wing-eating contest in the early afternoon, then the kids' wing bobbing competition. Come to compete or to cheer.
Kids' zone, rock wall and bungee jump
A kids' zone ($12 in 2026, with a discount for more than one child), plus a climbing wall and a bungee jump ($6 to $10). Children under 11 get in free.
Bands all afternoon
Local bands play from opening to close. The 2026 line-up was The Chiggers, Tru Gentlemen and Naked Karate Girls. Beer and wine ran $6 to $9 and soft drinks $3.50.
The Wingfest preparty and afterparty
Wingfest has grown into a weekend. In 2026 it opened with a free Friday-night preparty and closed with an afterparty a short walk from the park. The festival names the 2027 venues in January.
Preparty
5:30 to 8:30 p.m. in 2026
Lincoln & South Brewing Company, 138 Island Drive
Free to get in, with food and drink sold separately (cash or card). Live music, yard games, a fire pit and raffles for wing cards and admission. Seating is limited, so bring a chair. See Lincoln & South.
Afterparty
5 to 9 p.m. in 2026
The Bank, 59 Pope Avenue
Live music after the gates close, about an eight-minute walk from Celebration Park. See The Bank.
Wingfest winners
Two prizes are given each year: the People's Choice, from visitors' votes, and the Judges' award. If you want to try the winners on an ordinary night, most of them are open year-round.
CocoNutz takes the People's Choice again
People's Choice: CocoNutz Sportz Bar, then Frasers Tavern and Sprout Mama. Judges: the Hilton Head Firefighters' Association, then Street Meet and One Hot Mama's.
Street Meet wins with the judges
Judges: Street Meet, then Lobster Bar and Holy Tequila. People's Choice: CocoNutz Sportz Bar, then Frasers Tavern and Bonez.
The names that keep coming back
CocoNutz also placed in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2024. The firefighters' association, One Hot Mama's and Wild Wing Cafe appear on the winners' list again and again, and Pool Bar Jim's took a first place in 2024.
Where Wingfest is held, and parking
Wingfest is at Lowcountry Celebration Park, 94 Pope Avenue, at the Coligny end of the island and across the road from Coligny Plaza. It used to be held at Shelter Cove Community Park, so older listings may still give that address.
The festival does not publish a parking plan. The nearest public parking is the Coligny area's lots; our Coligny Beach parking guide covers where they are and what they cost.
The Town park on Pope Avenue, across from Coligny, where the wing tents go up.
Tips for Wingfest
Bring a card, not cash
Inside the festival everything is cashless: credit cards and Apple Pay only, for wings, drinks and the kids' activities.
Leave the dog at home
The festival asks for no pets.
Get your vote in early
People's Choice voting closed at 4 p.m. in 2026, an hour before the gates shut, so try the tents you want to judge by mid-afternoon.
More Hilton Head food festivals
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Wingfest on Hilton Head in 2027?
Saturday, March 20, 2027, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Lowcountry Celebration Park. The festival posts the full 2027 details in January.
Where is Hilton Head Wingfest held?
At Lowcountry Celebration Park, 94 Pope Avenue, near Coligny. It used to be at Shelter Cove Community Park.
How much does Wingfest cost?
In 2026, admission was $10 for adults and free for children under 11. Wings were $2 each on a punch card bought inside, and the festival is cashless.
Who won Wingfest in 2026?
CocoNutz Sportz Bar won the People's Choice for the second year running. The Hilton Head Firefighters' Association won the Judges' award.
Can I bring my dog to Wingfest?
No. The festival asks guests not to bring pets.
Where does the money from Wingfest go?
To the Island Recreation Association's Children's Scholarship Fund, which helps island children take part in Island Rec programs.
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