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Edisto Island Events

Edisto Island’s calendar is small, local and spread out. A preservation society opens private plantation houses for one Saturday in October, a land trust roasts oysters on a farm off SC-174, a Methodist church fills its hall with nativity scenes over Thanksgiving, and the beach town throws festivals beside the marina. This page gathers all of them in one place, with a page for each event covering dates, costs, how to get there from your part of the island, and what to pair it with.

Most events are run by volunteers and nonprofits: the Edisto Chamber of Commerce, the Town of Edisto Beach, the Edisto Island Historic Preservation Society, the Edisto Island Open Land Trust, island churches and South Carolina State Parks. Dates are confirmed with each organizer, and where a date hasn’t been announced, we say so instead of guessing.

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Upcoming Edisto Island Event Dates

Recurring and dates coming soon

The list above updates as dates pass. Recurring events without a fixed date (the weekly market, ranger programs, the bird count) are described in the calendar below.

The Edisto Island Year, Month by Month

Fall is the island’s busiest stretch for events, summer belongs to the beach town and the marina, and late winter is quiet. Here’s how a typical year falls, using the most recent confirmed dates.

January

  • Edisto Island Christmas Bird Count: one full day of birding somewhere in the December–January count window, organized by the Open Land Trust for experienced volunteers. The first official count was January 2, 2023.

February and March

April

May

June

July

August and September

  • Movies in the Park winds down; the Chamber has listed the season as running through August or September.
  • Edisto Beach Shag Festival over Labor Day weekend at Bay Creek Park (September 4–5 in 2026).

October

November

December

  • Edisto Beach Christmas Weekend: the Holiday Market at Bay Creek Park on Friday, December 11, and the Christmas Parade on Palmetto Boulevard on Saturday, December 12, 2026.
  • The Christmas Bird Count window opens.

All Year

Where Events Happen on Edisto

Edisto is bigger than it looks on a map, and events are scattered from the beach town to the north end of SC-174. Knowing the venues helps you decide whether to bike, drive or plan a whole day around one stop.

Bay Creek Park and the marina

Bay Creek Park, at 3706 Docksite Road, is the island’s main festival ground: the BBQ festival, July 4th fireworks, the shag festival, Trick or Treat at the Creek, the Holiday Market, movie nights and the Wednesday Market all happen here. The Marina at Edisto Beach next door hosts the billfish and Dolphin Slam weigh-ins, and the triathlon swim finishes there. Both sit at the northwest end of the beach town, where the island bike path begins, so cycling in from a beach rental is often easier than parking.

Jungle Road

The Fall Festival takes over Jungle Road in front of Palmetto Plaza at 114 Jungle Road, in the middle of the beach town’s shops and restaurants. The bike path runs along Jungle Road too.

Wyndham Ocean Ridge

The Edisto Beach Road Race starts at Wyndham Ocean Ridge, 203 Sea Cloud Circle, in the beach town.

Edisto Beach State Park

Ranger programs run through the state park, which comes in three separate sections: the beach day-use area on Palmetto Boulevard, the Live Oak Campground and cabins on State Cabin Road, and the learning center and Live Oak Boat Landing off Palmetto Road. Golf carts aren’t allowed on SC-174 between the Live Oak side and the beach, so plan to drive or bike between them. See our state park guide.

Island venues along SC-174

Some of the most distinctive events happen away from the beach. The Edisto Island Museum, about 7.7 miles up SC-174 on Chisolm Plantation Road, is the starting point for the Edisto & Beyond Tour. Sand Creek Farm, at 3101 Highway 174, hosts the oyster roast. Edisto Island United Methodist Church on Palmetto Road holds the Crèche Festival. These are drives, not bike rides, from the beach town, and they’re good excuses to see the island’s farms, oaks and historic churches.

Getting around on event days

  • Golf carts: Town of Edisto Beach rules keep carts on secondary roads, off Palmetto Boulevard (SC-174) except to cross it, and limit them to daylight, ending 30 minutes after sunset. That rules them out for evening events like fireworks and movies unless you have a street-legal low-speed vehicle.
  • Bikes: The bike path links the marina, Docksite Road and Jungle Road, which covers most beach-town venues.
  • Cars: Up-island events need a car. Allow extra time on SC-174 on big festival days.

Planning a Trip Around an Event

A few island realities are worth knowing before you build a vacation around a date.

  • Book lodging early. Edisto has a limited supply of rentals, campsites and cabins, and holiday and festival weekends fill first. State park campsites can be reserved up to 13 months ahead.
  • There’s one road in. SC-174 is the only route onto the island, and Charleston is about 50 miles away. If you’re coming for a single event, leave early and expect slower traffic near the beach town.
  • Check the tides. Tides shape fishing tournaments, kayaking and beach walks, and Botany Bay’s beach is reachable only at low tide. Use our tide charts to plan the rest of your day.
  • Watch the weather. Summer brings afternoon thunderstorms, and hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30, peaking August–October. Weather pushed the 2025 Turtle Tide auction from October to December. Check our Edisto weather page and the organizer before you leave.
  • Expect events to change. In 2026 the Fall Festival moved from its usual second Saturday to October 31, and the 2025 movie nights moved indoors. Confirm the week you travel.

For a full day, pair an event with something else on the island: Botany Bay before a fall festival, fishing around a tournament weekend, or a local restaurant after an evening at Bay Creek Park. Our things to do on Edisto Island guide has more.

Other Edisto Calendars

Our sister site keeps an Edisto Beach events calendar focused on the beach town, and the Edisto Chamber of Commerce posts members’ events, including smaller one-off gatherings, on its community calendar. The Chamber can be reached at 843-869-3867.

Edisto Island Events FAQ

What’s the best time of year for events on Edisto?

October and November have the fullest calendar: the triathlon, Edisto & Beyond, the Fall Festival, the oyster roast, the road race and the Crèche Festival all fall within about five weeks. Summer centers on Bay Creek Park and the marina.

Are Edisto Island events free?

Many are. The Fall Festival, Christmas Weekend, Trick or Treat at the Creek, Movies in the Park, the Wednesday Market and the Crèche Festival are free to attend. The Edisto & Beyond Tour, the oyster roast, the road race, fishing tournaments and the shag festival charge admission or entry fees.

Can I bring my dog to Edisto events?

It depends on the event. Cookin’ on the Creek allows leashed pets; the shag festival and the Edisto & Beyond Tour don’t allow them. Check each event’s page.

What happens to events when it rains?

Policies vary. The Edisto & Beyond Tour runs rain or shine, while other events have been postponed or moved indoors in past years. Call the organizer listed on each event page if the forecast looks doubtful.