Shannon Tanner, Hilton Head: Family Shows at the Harbour
Shannon Tanner at Shelter Cove Harbour
Free family music shows at the Shelter Cove Harbour stage on summer evenings, a Hilton Head tradition for more than 35 years.
- Where: The stage at Shelter Cove Harbour
- Shows: 6:30 and 8 p.m. on summer weeknights
- Thursdays: With the Oyster Reefers, from 7 p.m.
- Season: Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend
- Cost: Free
Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina: HarbourFest, Tuesday fireworks over the water, free family shows, dolphin tours, fishing charters, kayaks and boat rentals.
Shelter Cove Community Park, Hilton Head: the playground, free summer concerts and films, the Veterans Memorial and the sculpture trail on Broad Creek.
Shelter Cove restaurants on Hilton Head: waterfront seafood at the harbour, steaks, tacos and pizza at the Towne Centre, plus bakeries and ice cream.
Gregg Russell's free concerts under the Liberty Oak and the Gregg Russell Harbour Town Playground: the 2026 schedule, what the shows are like, getting in.
Shannon Tanner has been the sound of summer evenings at Shelter Cove Harbour for more than 35 years. His family shows on the open-air stage by the boardwalk are free, they last an hour, and for many families who come back to Hilton Head year after year they are a fixed part of the holiday. They are the centrepiece of HarbourFest, the harbour’s summer series, along with the Tuesday fireworks.
Shannon Tanner’s Summer Schedule
The season follows HarbourFest, from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend, and the pattern is much the same every year. After an opening weekend at Memorial Day, he plays two shows a night on weeknights, at 6:30 and 8 p.m., through to the third week of August. Thursday is band night, when he plays from 7 p.m. with the Oyster Reefers, and the season ends with two band nights over Labor Day weekend.
The exact dates change each year and are posted in spring on his own website and on the harbour’s HarbourFest page, so check those before you plan an evening around a show. Shows go on at the stage by the harbour; satellite navigation finds it best as 13 Harbourside Lane.
What a Shannon Tanner Show Is Like
He calls himself an entertainer and a teller of tales, and the shows are made for children as much as for parents: guitar, silly songs such as “My Hair Had a Party Last Night”, stories, and kids brought in to sing along. Children sit on the ground at the front while parents take the benches and lawn chairs behind. Seats go early, so arrive before the show starts.
Around the shows, Cappy the Clown, another HarbourFest regular of more than 35 years, makes balloon animals and paints faces on the boardwalk. With the early show over by 7:30, there is time for dinner at one of the harbour’s restaurants, and on Tuesdays the fireworks go up over the water once it is dark; our Hilton Head fireworks guide covers them.
Shannon Tanner and the Oyster Reefers
On Thursdays the family show gives way to the Parrot Palooza Sunset Celebration, when Tanner plays with his band, the Oyster Reefers, a Jimmy Buffett tribute with island songs and yacht rock. It starts at 7 p.m., runs from June to late August with the Labor Day weekend finale. The band plays about 13 of these nights each summer, and festivals and private parties away from the island.
Away from the harbour stage he plays well over a hundred shows a year as a duo, has played winter seasons in Beaver Creek, Colorado, and sells real estate on Hilton Head.
Getting to the Show
Shelter Cove Harbour is mid-island, off William Hilton Parkway on Broad Creek, and unlike Harbour Town it has no gate and no fee to drive in. Parking is free and there is plenty of it. The shows are the Shelter Cove equivalent of Gregg Russell’s concerts in Harbour Town, and a family on a week’s stay can easily fit in both. For the rest of the harbour, see our Shelter Cove guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Shannon Tanner’s shows free?
Yes. The shows at Shelter Cove Harbour are free, and so is parking. There is no gate or entry fee to Shelter Cove.
What time is the Shannon Tanner show?
In summer he plays two one-hour shows a night on weeknights, at 6:30 and 8 p.m. On Thursdays he plays at 7 p.m. with his band, the Oyster Reefers.
When does Shannon Tanner play at Shelter Cove?
Through HarbourFest, from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend. The weeknight family shows run to about the third week of August, and the season ends with band nights over Labor Day weekend.
Where does Shannon Tanner perform on Hilton Head?
On the open-air stage at Shelter Cove Harbour, by the boardwalk, mid-island. For satellite navigation, use 13 Harbourside Lane, Hilton Head Island.
Who are the Oyster Reefers?
Shannon Tanner’s band. Their Thursday-night Parrot Palooza shows at Shelter Cove Harbour are a Jimmy Buffett tribute with island songs, starting at 7 p.m.
Local guides like this come standard for Guests of Partner Properties — one small part of what a Partner Property gives every guest.
Book Partner Properties