Best Spring Events on Hilton Head Island, SC  

As the Lowcountry blossoms with colorful hues waving under gentle breezes, each Hilton Head sunrise welcomes you to a season of renewal. The South Carolina island emerges as a haven for those seeking the perfect springtime escape. Picture yourself strolling along sandy shores beside blooming azalea walls, indulging in the delectable flavors of fresh seafood, and attending lively festivals celebrating the island culture. This is Hilton Head in April. Make the most of springtime in the sun and sea with the island’s best spring events. 

Chamber Restaurant Week

Restaurant Week would be a seasonal highlight on an island as famous for its world-class dining as it is for beautiful beaches and golf courses! Over 50 of the 200 and counting dining venues participate, opening your pathway to try new and exciting restaurants and bucket list favorites you haven’t made it to yet. 

Restaurants develop prix fixe menus showcasing their cuisine. Find a mix of fan-favorite shrimp and grits to new experimental entrees. The venues span from Hilton Head’s prized fine dining restaurants to the casual waterfront cafes. Bluffton area restaurants are included. Dine on everything from oyster shells to specialty food trucks.

The 2024 edition kicks off on January 28 and runs until February 4. See the participating restaurants and their menus.

Music & Taste on the Harbour

Join the sea god Neptune on select Thursdays throughout the spring for a splendid evening of song and merriment on the island. Locals come to Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina to listen and dance away the afternoon to live music performances. Enjoy the best of local bands as you dine with specialty appetizers whipped up by the eight Shelter Cove Harbour restaurants. 

Seating is limited, so patrons are encouraged to bring chairs. However, outside coolers are not allowed. This event is free, with music and food specials from 6-9 pm. Music & Taste is a pet-friendly outdoor event. 

Shelter Cove Harbour is a village-like retail area with a Mediterranean vibe about mid-island. It’s across from the Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort. Even if you don’t go for the Music & Taste event, the Harbour has an assortment of activities for your day on the island. Book a fishing charter or visit the Shelter Cove Towne Centre coffee shops, wellness center, and boutique stores. 

Hilton Head Marathon, Half-Marathon, and 5k

Palmetto Running Co presents a running event prized for its scenic views and crossings. Choose your distance: 5k, Half Marathon, or Full Marathon. Race starts from Jarvis Creek Park, moving past beautiful lagoons and by the island salt marshes. Longer distances run the Cross Island Parkway over Broad Creek Marina. 

Half and full Hilton Head Marathon runners start at 8 am, with the full having a six-hour cut-off limit. This is a Boston Marathon qualifier event. 

After a successful finish, join the party at the line. Runners receive two complimentary beers to get into a tropical state of mind. Food, music, and drinks will cool you right down after your run.

There are also more perks for runners. Marathon participants get a commemorative hoodie, while 5k runners get a full-zip hoodie. Finishers get medals, as do the top three male and female finishers, and age group awards in decade brackets starting at 20 and over. Elite runners may qualify to start in the elite runner corral. The annual event is a Boston Marathon qualifier.

Hilton Head Island Seafood Food Festival

The culinary excellence sizzles into February with the renowned Hilton Head Island Seafood Festival. But this isn’t your ordinary seafood festival; this is seafood done South Carolina style. Save room for favorites like crab fried rice, fried fish, and shrimp in so many ways.

Events throughout the festival range from a Pig Pickin’ and Oyster Roast to the Seafood and Champagne Sunday Brunch. The main events take place at the Coastal Discovery Museum off Honey Horn Road. The Saturday festival has arts and crafts vendors accompanying the food tasting. The VIP ticket Zero Forks Given takes place at sunset at the Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort.

Tickets support local foundations and charities across the Lowcountry region. Costs vary based on the event but range from $15 to $150.

Bravo! Piano Hilton Head International Piano Competition

Listen to classic and jazz piano in a multi-day extravaganza of music presented by the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra. Leading artists worldwide come to present workshops and perform as duos, quartets, and quintets while showcasing the piano’s incredible versatility. It culminates in a grand finale performance with three concertos. 

During the week, there is a young pianists’ competition with prizes for the top three judged finishers and two medalists. First place wins $10,000. They compete in rounds, with knocked-out competitors participating in master classes with other experts.  

The 2024 event takes place from February 29 to March 4. 

Southern Tennis Escape

Hit the courts for a premier tennis event. The Van der Meer Shipyard Racquet Club hosts the Southern Tennis Escape, an invitational with top-tier players. However, players of all skill levels are welcome to play in doubles matches. Some call it the “adult spring break” and one of the best tournaments they play in.

All players are guaranteed at least two matches in each event. The three-day tournament runs through the weekend and is scheduled for March 15-17. Spectators are welcome to the courts, with finals played on Sunday. Tennis attire is required. Entries typically sell out well before the February entry deadline. 

 To add to the “escape” feel of the tournament, the venue is near Coligny Beach Park and the Sea Pines Forest Preserve. 

Hilton Head IrishFest

Call on the luck of the Irish at the Lowcountry’s oldest St. Patrick’s Day parade. Around 25,000 come into town for the event–or about two-thirds of town residents. Be prepared for some interesting quirks and antics swirled in as floats and marchers make their way down the road.  

The family-friendly Hilton Head Island Irish Fest and St. Patrick’s Day are hosted around March 17, before or after, depending on when it falls on the weekend. The Irishfest concert is held the day before at Celebration Park and includes food and live performances. The parade marches down Pope Avenue in an explosion of green and Celtic music.  

Hilton Head Island Wine & Food Festival

Keep the good times and delicious dishes rolling into the high spring season. Hilton Head Island Food & Wine Festival is another benchmark event on the social scene. Called the loveliest time in the Lowcountry, sip and savor wines from around the world for an entire week at venues and events across the island. 

The festival includes sumptuous wine and tasting dinners, the signature Grand Tasting, and the Public Tasting at Celebration Park, featuring 250 wines. The proceeds of the public wine auction benefit a college scholarship fund for students studying hospitality and tourism at the University of South Carolina-Beaufort. The actual International Wine Competition takes place a few months before the festival, with the gold winners featured at the Stay Gold special event. If you’re not a wine fan, don’t worry; there is also a beer and spirits garden.  

The 2024 edition will be March 24-30. Costs vary based on the events you attend, and tickets are a must. Find Celebration Park near the resorts and hotels serving the Coligny Beach Park area. 

RBC Heritage Golf Tournament

The star of the spring season ends the social calendar in style and class. RBC Heritage is a prestigious PGA Tour Signature event held only in South Carolina. Top golfers worldwide descend for this annual golf tournament at the Harbour Town Golf Links of Sea Pines Resort. The course itself is one of the top golf destinations in the USA. Players prize its scenic views, including the iconic candy-cane-striped lighthouse, and innovative design. Best of all, it’s public championship-level golf accessible to all.

This massive tournament comes a week after the Masters in Augusta and carries an impressive $20 million purse. It’s broadcast worldwide. RBC Heritage has a massive economic impact on Hilton Head Island and the state. Island residents get front-row seats and housing in this prestigious tournament.

It has a festive feel, drawing on Scottish traditions, starting with the Citadel Pipe and Drum band parading around the Harbour Town Yacht Basin. Fans and players alike come bedecked in colorful red and green plaid, a signature look for the event. People prize the golf tournament’s family-friendly fun atmosphere and the friendly Lowcountry hospitality.

The Heritage Classic Foundation runs the event and donates proceeds to charities around the Lowcountry, with $2 million and counting donated in 2023. The 2024 event runs April 15-21. It is a ticketed entry event. 

Hilton Head Farmers Market

Want to savor the flavors of the Lowcountry? Residents have two farmer’s markets in the spring. Visit the Coastal Discovery Museum on Tuesdays from 9 am to 1 pm for local produce and meats. The farmers’ market also has an Indigo tie-dye station, a way of sharing part of the Sea Islands’ Gullah heritage. The Shops at Sea Pines Center also have a farmers market running on Tuesdays from March through November.

Having Fun on Hilton Head

Life on Hilton Head Island finds harmony between nature’s beauty and Southern hospitality’s warmth. Whether you own a home or are just visiting for the season, you will surely enjoy these classic Hilton head events in April and beyond. So, pack your sunglasses, embrace the island spirit, and prepare for a springtime adventure that promises relaxation, recreation, and a touch of Lowcountry charm.

FAQs

What is the best month to visit Hilton Head Island?

Is there ever a bad time to live the island lifestyle? But we understand why the question. The truth is, it depends on what you’re looking for. Locals say the best weather is April and May, and September and October. They’re the drier months, not too hot and not too cold. But in September and October, hurricane season is always a risk. Springtime is a beautiful season, with the flowers starting to bloom, days warming, the RBC Heritage golf tournament, and our friends from the north down. It’s the best time of year for outdoor festivals, and the island throws numerous events in the spring. Then, there are always bike rides along the beautiful beaches. Summertime is all about the beach vacation. Fireworks, movies, and music festivals come back to Shelter Cove Towne Center and Marina. Fall has stunning sunsets over the salt marshes. It’s also the best time for fishing charters, especially inshore fish. There are fewer tourists in the winter season, but it’s still balmy enough to enjoy outdoor activities.

Is Hilton Head fun for spring break?

Visit Hilton Head in March or April for a fun spring break! You’ll find many family-friendly activities to keep the whole family busy. Coligny Beach has free parking and expansive, sandy shores. The earlier in the year, the chillier the waters and temps may be, but you can still claim a patch of sand for castles and digging around. You also have championship-level golf courses, fishing expeditions, dolphin cruises, and bike riding to fill your days. The Coastal Discovery Museum has interactive exhibits highlighting life in the Sea Islands, from Gullah heritage tours to bird watching over the salt marshes. The Sea Pines Forest Preserve is one of the islands’ nature preserves with trails for hiking.

Is it worth going to Hilton Head in March?

Temperatures are at their mildest in March but are starting to warm up. Crowds are slightly less, so you won’t have to wait as long in restaurants or find parking at the farmers markets. On days when it’s too cold for a proper beach vacation, you still have horseback riding, bike trails, walking trails, and boat tours. It’s also oyster season, so why not find a local oyster roast and crack open a few shells? Don’t miss the quirky St. Patrick’s Day, either.

What is offseason in Hilton Head?

People love the island lifestyle all year round. In terms of crowds, there are fewer visitors in the shoulder months of September and October and in March and April.

Is Hilton Head a busy beach?

The island has several beaches. Coligny Beach is a public beach near many of the island’s vacation resorts and hotels. It is a full beach park with outdoor showers, changing rooms, beach chair rentals, and wheelchair access. The restaurants and shops are a short walk away, making this one of the more popular beaches on the island. Islanders Beach Park also has wheelchair access, a boardwalk bridge, and picnic facilities. Driessen Beach Park’s public facilities include a picnic pavilion and playground. It’s a public beach but with metered parking. Fish Haul Beach Park is perfect for watching hermit crabs scuttling across the sands. Burkes Beach and Mitchelville Beach Park are the most pristine, crowd-free beaches. Here, the public facilities are few, but in exchange, you have a natural beach vibe. You’ll need to haul in your own beach chairs and beach gear.

What is it like on Hilton Head in April?

The best news is it’s not as crowded as in the summer, but the fun does heat up. The spring events on Hilton Head in April enjoy average high temperatures in the 70Fs and lows in the 50Fs. No wonder it’s a golf destination this time of year! The numerous events start to draw people to the island for fun, but it’s still slow enough that prices are reasonable and lines shorter. Spring breakers can hit up the family-friendly activities, like the educational exhibits, dolphin tours, ziplining, and mini golf. Nature lovers will want to walk the nature preserves to spot migratory species of birds heading northbound.

How long is the ferry ride from Hilton Head to Daufuskie Island?

Find daily ferry service running about four times a day from Freeport Marina. The trip takes about one hour. There are also water taxis available from Harbour Town and Shelter Cove Marina.

Updated July 2024