The smells, the sights, the flavors - food festivals are a multisensory experience and South Carolinians can't seem to get enough of them. Not only do they showcase the best of local bounty, but they provide a stage for dedicated farmers who harvest from both land and sea, and chefs whose inspired treatment of food products create sensational dishes that thrill and wow.
From the humble roots of harvest celebrations, county fairs and farmers markets, food festivals evolved into events designed to educate, entertain and even raise funds for local causes. These days, you can take your pick from small-town gatherings to multiday, ticketed extravaganzas. If you've got an appetite for food festivals, every season is a time to celebrate the bounty of South Carolina. Here's a roundup of some of our most popular foodie gatherings:
Major Food Festivals
These fests go for days and draw crowds from across the globe:
Charleston Wine + Food Festival
Five days of pure gastronomic pleasure at the epicenter of South Carolina's robust food scene happens in the beginning March. Celebrity chefs, tons of tastings, a culinary village filled with food, drinks, and gadgets, educational seminars, and sumptuous dine-arounds with lauded guest chefs across the nation make this a must for culinarians.
This three-day festival in September, co-founded by South Carolina-born singer-songwriter, Edwin McCain, is chock-full of tastings, cooking demos, live music, renowned chefs, sommeliers and fabulous dinners.
Hilton Head Island Seafood Festival
A full week of savoring local seafood is on the menu during this late February to early March festival. Take a master culinary class, enjoy live entertainment, see celebrity chefs in action and, best of all, eat your fill of fresh South Carolina seafood.
Celebrate the Harvest
April and May mark strawberry season in South Carolina and it's a time of excitement, as evidenced by the many festivals centered around the luscious berry. Sample strawberry goods of all kinds, purchase berries or perhaps pick your own at these and other events across the state:
South Carolina Strawberry Festival, Fort Mill
Strawberry Festival and Country Fair, Slater-Marietta
McLeod Farms Strawberry Festival, McBee
Peaches
South Carolina is the No. 2 producer of peaches in the US, so observances during the harvest season are in full swing during June and July. Here are a few where you can delight in some of the sweetest, juiciest peaches you'll ever savor:
South Carolina Peach Festival, Gaffney
McLeod Farms Peach Festival, McBee
Ridge Peach Festival, Trenton
Lexington County Peach Festival, Gilbert
Peach Blossom Festival, Johnston
Sweet Potatoes
Any time of year, you'll spot roadside markets offering bushels of sweet potatoes - a favorite in these parts for making pies, fries or just enjoying on their own. Sample and celebrate this earthy, orangey tater in all its glory at these fests:
Sweet Potato Festival, Darlington (October)
Watermelons
South Carolinians call this the "smile fruit" for good reason: It's hard not to be happy when you're eating a cold, sweet wedge on a hot Southern day. Get your smile on at this festival:
Hampton County Watermelon Festival (June)
Meat and Seafood
Revel in South Carolina's bounty, from land and sea:
Barbecue
In South Carolina, barbecue is a noun that refers to tender, tantalizing pork slow-cooked in huge smokers, then typically slathered in one of four sauces: Vinegar-based, light tomato-based, heavy tomato-based and mustard-based. Celebrate a time-honored tradition at these barbecue-centric festivals:
Pig on the Ridge, Ridgeway (November)
Pork in the Park, Newberry (April)
BBQ Cook-Off and Festival, Greenville (April)
Hub City Hog Fest, Spartanburg (April)
Seafood and Fish
South Carolina waters are brimming with delicious treasures. From freshwater catches to briny oysters, succulent shrimp and other gifts from the sea, you'll be hooked at first bite when you indulge at one of these festivals:
Catfish:
Catfish Feastival, Ware Shoals (May)
St. Stephen Catfish Festival, Society Hill (April)
Crab:
World Famous Blue Crab Festival, Little River (May)
Awendaw Blue Crab Festival (August)
Oysters:
Lowcountry Oyster Festival, Mt. Pleasant (January)
South Carolina Oyster Festival, Columbia (November)
Hilton Head Oyster Festival (November)
Shrimp and Crawfish:
Beaufort Shrimp Festival (October)
Little River ShrimpFest (October)
Lowcountry Shrimp Festival and Blessing of the Fleet, McClellanville (May)
Shrimp Festival of Yemassee (September)
May River Shrimp Festival, Beaufort (July)
Bluffton Art and Seafood Festival (October)
Blessing of the Fleet and Seafood Festival, Mt. Pleasant (April)
Rosewood Crawfish Festival, Columbia (May)
Odds and Ends
Savor some of South Carolina's most beloved flavors at these festivals:
Bluffton Boiled Peanut Festival - Taste South Carolina's favorite snack. (September)
South Carolina Cornbread Festival, North Columbia - Celebrate the South's hallmark bread. (March)
Irmo Okra Strut - Boiled, fried, pickled, baked, dried - experience the many ways we eat okra. (September)
Chitlin Strut, Salley - No soul food experience is complete without a sampling. (November)
Loris Bog-Off - A perfect opportunity for the chicken-bog-curious to find out what all the fuss is about. (October)
Palmetto Tasty Tomato Festival, Columbia - Everybody's favorite summertime fruit gets star treatment. (August)
South Carolina Pecan Festival, Florence - Witness just how nuts we are for pecans at this lively fest. (November)
Sweet Tea Festival, Summerville - Be awed by the world's biggest glass of tea and learn why this town is the birthplace of South Carolina's favorite elixir. (September)
