Our state is a treasure trove of culture and the arts. From the Gullah on the sea islands to the Appalachian folk art in Upstate South Carolina, our people have fostered strong artistic traditions that enrich our homes and world. Art festivals and events draw visitors and residents alike to appreciate live music performances, craft shows, and creative expression with a dash of southern hospitality and charm. If you’re an art fan, add these South Carolina art festivals to your calendar.

#1- Gullah Festival

Set aside May around Memorial Day weekend for the Original Gullah Festival at Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park in Beaufort. Join over 70,000 visitors to experience the Gullah culture’s achievements, language, customs, and history. The Gullah are African Americans descended from plantation workers whose isolation on the sea islands enabled them to preserve unique traditions and culture. Today, Gullah people live across the southeastern coast of the U.S. in South Carolina and Georgia.

Visitors to this special celebration of arts can try Gullah local foods. Experience dances, drumming, and live music. Learn about the Gullah culture and history in special presentations. Check out arts and traditional crafts, with workshops from talented artists on sweetgrass basket-weaving and musical instrument making. Explore the Black Inventions Museum.

Admission is free, and all ages are welcome. There is a charge for some of the special events. Watch for more information on the annual event schedule and ticket prices. The address for the park is 1010 Bay Street, Beaufort, South Carolina.

#2- Charleston Arts Festival

Each fall, days of events highlighting the Holy City’s passion for the arts begin. Charleston lights up with dance, music, theatre, visual arts, and poetry at the Charleston Arts Festival. CAF’s multi-day annual event spreads across artistic genres and venues to feature Lowcountry talent. Popular events include the Pecha Kucha presentations and galleries at Redux Contemporary Arts Center. The festival is committed to accessible and intentional art experiences. The festival spans venues, including the Charleston Music Hall. The Arts Festival is just one of the spring Charleston events to check out.

#3- Charleston Christmas Made in the South

At the Charleston Exchange Park and Fairground in Ladson (between Summerville and North Charleston), the Christmas Made in the South festival is going on three decades of presenting hundreds of handmade holiday-themed creations. Featured crafts run from jewelry to fine arts, photography to dichroic glass jewelry. Browse while listening to holiday carols and entertainment. The festival includes a visit from Santa and Santa’s elves, art demonstrations, and gourmet food. The festival generally operates Friday-Sunday in early December. One hand stamp gains access to the venue for the entire weekend.

#4-Beaufort International Film Festival

Break out the popcorn and settle in for some stirring independent films carefully chosen by the Beaufort Film Society for their annual festival. The films include documentaries, short films, student films, animation, and screenplays. BIFF seeks to highlight the “film-friendly” Beaufort and Sea Islands region, which has been the backdrop of major motion pictures like Forrest Gump, The Big Chill, and The Prince of Tides.

The film showcase is typically held in February, with tickets becoming available in December.

#5- Art in the Park

A premier outdoor art show in Myrtle Beach, the Art in the Park has been going on since the 1970s. Artists work in a range of mediums. For the fine arts competition, the talented artists submit original works or reproductions of original works. The event is hosted three weekends a year in April, October, and November. The show runs Saturday and Sunday from 10 am-4 pm at Valor Park. Entering the competition requires an entry fee, but attending and browsing the artist market booths is free. Check the website for annual show dates.

#6- Dickens Christmas Show & Festivals

If you’re looking for a unique holiday craft event, visit the Dickens Christmas Show & Festivals at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. The focal point of the unique Christmas event is the 100,800 sq ft Victorian Holiday Market! Browse hundreds of artists with hand-crafted holiday decor and other original items ideal for gifting. Visitors have a chance to purchase the decor pieces by silent auction during the show, benefitting Myrtle Beach nonprofits.

While you’re there, experience Victorian-period events, such as The Festival of Trees and The Festival of Wreaths. Children can visit Santa in a Victorian-themed castle. Purchase tickets at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. In 2024, single-day ticket prices started at $12 for adults and $5 for children.

#7- Spoleto Festival USA

One of South Carolina’s largest cultural events, the Spoleto Festival, occurs across Charleston. It features classical music performances of Mozart to Mahler, chamber music, opera, and all varieties of jazz, country artists, and Gullah-inspired groups. In total, the festival packs in 150 performances across ten venues. The festival runs May to June, usually starting Memorial Day weekend.

The 2025 schedule and acts will be announced in February 2025. Ticket prices range depending on the performance and venue. Check the website in February for a schedule and ticketing information.

#8-Carolina Country Music Fest

Each summer in Myrtle Beach, the Grand Strand sands go country at this three-day outdoor music festival. It’s one of the most exciting events in the Carolinas. Expect more than 30 performances by top country music artists. Past performers include Kenny Chesney, Luke Bryan, the Zac Brown Band, Toby Keith, Jason Aldean, and Carrie Underwood. Performances start Thursday and go through the weekend.

The Carolina Country Music Fest is normally scheduled for early June 9-12. In 2022, tickets ranged in price from $189-1499, with varying amenities and festival locations. It’s one of the top annual music festivals on the country music circuit.

#9-Craftsmen’s Classic Arts & Craft Festival

Visit the South Carolina State Fairgrounds in Columbia early in March for over 300 exhibitors showing their original designs at these juried art shows. The exhibition hall opens at 10 am on Friday through Sunday. Around 10,000 people are expected to visit the hall and engage one-on-one with the craft vendors. The festival also has a “Christmas Classic” artisan show in the early winter.

#10- Artfields

Visit downtown Lake City in the spring for an art festival and competition with over 350 artists and 400 pieces. Artfields launched in 2013 to highlight talented creators in the Southeast with nine days of events showing excellence in the arts through competition and celebrations. A total of $100,000 cash prizes are up for grabs, and visitors can vote in the Peoples Choice Awards. A panel of art professionals awards a $50,000 Grand Prize.

The entire town transforms into an art gallery. The artworks and events occur in historic and professional venues around Lake City, such as the TRAX Visual Art Center, Moore Farms Botanical Garden, and the local history museum. Entering the competition does have a fee, but viewing the work during the festival is free. Artfields now rotates exhibits throughout the year as part of its mission to bring the transformative power of the arts to the southeast.

#11- Greer Arts & Eats

Now hosted in the fall, the Greer Arts & Eats Festival is a family-friendly festival in the beautiful Upstate. It features an Artist Alley along Greer’s Trade Street with local arts and crafts vendors. At the Creation Station, kids can get hands-on and help create a unique craft. In addition to local vendors, the festival has live music performances, a farmer’s market, and food trucks. It even serves craft beer and wine. The one-day event at Greer City Park is free to attend.

#12- Artisphere

Art enthusiasts passionate about creativity will love one of the South’s leading art festivals, Artisphere. Founded in 2003 as a fine arts festival, the annual celebration has evolved into a signature South Carolina event as visitors come from all over the country to Greenville, SC. A key part of the experience is visiting Artists Demonstration Row, where over 100 visual artists display their creativity. You’ll be amazed by the stunning pottery, glassblowing, printmaking, and metalworking.

Artisphere also delivers performing artists from all genres, including American folk music, opera, jazz, and ballet. Children can express their creativity at Kidsphere, where they can get hands-on to design a unique craft of their own.

The three-day event takes place May 6-8, 2022, at 101B Augusta Street, Greenville, SC, 29601. Admission is free.

#13-Moonshiner’s Reunion and Mountain Music Festival

Brush off your boots and get ready for some high-mountain fun at this authentic folk festival always held the first full weekend in October. Hosted in Plum Hollow near Campobello, the event was inspired by Barney Barnwell, a local with a winding and colorful career as a musician writing about moonshiners in the Prohibition era. The festival keeps those tales and traditions alive with a weekend of mountain music. Gates open at noon on Thursday. Bring a blanket, lawn chair, or tent to sit back and enjoy. Camping is available in the surrounding woods. Some vendors are available; all are vetted for selling true “Southern Heritage articles” and folk artisans. No alcohol is distributed or sold at the venue.

Moonshiner’s Reunion ticket prices are per person and include camping, parking, and all concerts. In 2024, one-day passes cost $65, and the three-day pass cost $100.

#14-South Carolina Jazz Festival

Commemorating the legacy of Cheraw native Dizzy Gillespie, the South Carolina Jazz Festival celebrates the iconic style of music with a week of performances and events spread throughout Cheraw. Venues range from the intimate jazz cafe experience at local coffee shows to outdoor performances on the Town Green. In addition to jazz performances and the Sunday Jazz Mass, the festival is accompanied by art shows, restaurant crawls, and a Bebop Parade. Some events are free; others have a cover charge or admission. Check the event website for performance and ticketing information.

#15- Atalaya Arts & Crafts Festival

A prized annual event at beautiful Huntington Beach State Park in Murrells Inlet, the Atalaya Arts & Crafts Festival has brought the finest artisans to the historic grounds for over five decades. The three-day event includes 100 selected craft vendors selling their creations. The festival pairs with live music and creative food vendors with favorites like hot dogs, kettle corn, ice cream, and barbeque. While there, wrap in a walk through the Brookgreen Gardens; it’s a must for those with an appreciation of sculpture. The festival is held near the end of September, rain or shine.

#16- Bluffton Arts and Seafood Festival

Delicious food and fine art meet in the historic Bluffton for this two-decade-going southern festival. Bluffton is a historic coastal town right on the May River. The October event celebrates the Lowcountry culture, on a plate and through creative expression. Special dinners and art events happen throughout the month. The festival includes fashion silent auctions, road races, and a traditional blessing of the fleet.

Spend a pleasant fall afternoon at the Street Fest browsing the artist market in the beautiful Old Town. The juried art show features hundreds of artists working in multiple art crafts. And it’s all paired with live music and locally harvested seafood. Some parts of the Bluffton Arts and Seafood Festival, like the dinners and special fundraisers, have a fee, but the Art in the Park and Street Fest are free.

#17- MOJA Arts Festival

For over four decades, MOJA has celebrated the creative traditions of African-American and Caribbean artists. It is a multi-modal festival based in Charleston, SC. Over 11 days of events, indulge in food. Go to live performances in music, spoken word, and storytelling. It includes traditional crafts, artist demos, visual arts, and more. The artist list updates every year. It starts in late September, with ticket prices varying by the event and venue.

#18- North Charleston Arts Festival

In the five days of events at the North Charleston Arts Festival, local artists and performers take center stage. All events are free, whether it’s dance, theater, literature, or the visual arts show, although some to require pre-registration due to venue capacity. The festival events take place across North Charleston at community centers, libraries, parks, and local businesses. Program events are tailored to all ages, including children’s workshops for budding artist. This is a spring event, usually kicking off at the end of April.

Art Festivals in South Carolina

Art exhibitions, concerts, and music festivals pack the annual calendar in South Carolina. Our list is a sampling of the larger art shows. It doesn’t include the many small-town events and performances throughout the year. Visit any of these art fairs or performances, and you’ll be impressed with the creative talent in the Palmetto State. Always check the events calendar, as dates can change each year. See even more events in South Carolina.

Updated September 2025