Charleston ranks as one of the biggest festival destinations in the Southeast, offering a diverse array of highly popular events that draw millions of visitors from near and far every year.
Notable events in the first half of the year include the Lowcountry Oyster Festival and Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, the Charleston Wine + Food festival, spring house and garden tours, and the Spoleto and Piccolo Spoleto Festivals.
Later on, visitors can enjoy the fall MOJA Arts Festival and another set of house and garden tours, and the Holiday Festival of Lights and New Year’s Eve fireworks displays during the holiday season.
Charleston’s event calendar is further enriched by various food, music, and arts festivals, taking place throughout the year both in downtown Charleston and in nearby communities.
Interested in a specific type of event? See Charleston’s calendars of upcoming:
– Concerts
– Comedy shows
– Musicals
– Food festivals
– Farmers markets
– Marathons, 5Ks and other races
See also:
– Things to do in Charleston
– The best time of year to visit Charleston
– Charleston’s weather by month: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November or December
– MOJA Arts Festival, September 25 - October 5 2025
Big annual festival celebrating African-American and Caribbean arts and culture, with a wide range of music, dance, theatre, spoken word and other performances plus art exhibitions, traditional crafts, food and more. More details
– Mermaids & Mateys, October 4-5 2025
Annual festival in Folly Beach with sand sculpting contest, food and drink, live music on several stages, children’s activities, arts and crafts and more. More details
– Latin American Festival, October 5 2025
Annual festival of Latin and Caribbean food, music and culture at North Charleston Wannamaker County Park, with music and dancing, folk art and crafts, authentic foods, and more. More details
– Oktoberfest Charleston, October 11 2025
Annual Oktoberfest celebration at St Matthew’s Lutheran Church, with authentic German cuisine, live music, biergarten with local craft beers, children’s activities and more. More details
– Kids Are Cool Family Festival + Campout, October 11 2025
Child-centric festival at Woodlands Nature Reserve with child vendors and talent show, nature-based activities, food trucks and more. More details
– North Charleston Harvest Festival, October 18 2025
Annual fall festival in the Olde Village of North Charleston, with live music, trick-or-treating, petting zoo, artist market and more. More details
– Children’s Day Festival, October 19 2025
Free annual festival at Park West Recreation Complex, Mount Pleasant, with carnival rides, inflatables, games, live entertainment, pony rides and more. More details
– Charleston Beerfest, October 25 2025
Annual beer festival at Riverfront Park, North Charleston, with craft beers, live music, food, games and more. More details
→ See more October events in Charleston
– Harvest Festival, November 1 2025
Annual fall festival at Johns Island County Park, with live bluegrass music, pumpkin decorating, southern food, children’s activities and more. More details
– Nuovo Cinema Italiano Film Festival, November 6-9 2025
Annual festival of contemporary Italian film at Queen Street Playhouse. More details
– Overland South, November 7-9 2025
Camping event and overlanding short film festival at Woodlands Nature Reserve. More details
– Charleston Literary Festival, November 7-16 2025
Annual book festival at the Dock Street Theatre. More details
– Holy Smokes BBQ Fest, November 8 2025
Annual food festival in Riverfront Park, North Charleston, with 50+ pitmasters and chefs, live music, and more. More details
– Lowcountry Nosh Jewish Food & Heritage Festival, November 9 2025
Annual festival of Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim, with traditional Jewish foods, music, sanctuary tours and more. More details
– Yallfest, November 14-15 2025
Annual festival of young adult literature in downtown Charleston. More details
→ See more November events in Charleston
– Holiday Street Festival, December 6 2025
Annual holiday festival at Front Beach, Isle of Palms, with arts and crafts vendors, food, children’s activities, live entertainment and more. More details
→ See more December events in Charleston
– Charleston Restaurant Week, January 8-18 2026
Annual winter restaurant week with special prix-fixe menus at local restaurants. More details
→ See more January events in Charleston
– Lowcountry Oyster Festival, February 1 2026
Big annual oyster festival at Boone Hall Plantation, with live music, eating and shucking contests, food from local restaurants and more. More details
→ See more February events in Charleston
– The Charleston Festival, March 18 - April 11 2026
Annual festival of history and architecture, with house and garden tours and other events across downtown Charleston. More details
– Flowertown Festival, March 27-29 2026
Very popular annual arts and crafts festival in Summerville to benefit the Summerville Family YMCA, with local arts and crafts vendors, local food trucks, performances, children’s activities and more. More details
→ See more March events in Charleston
– The Charleston Festival, March 18 - April 11 2026
Annual festival of history and architecture, with house and garden tours and other events across downtown Charleston. More details
– Charleston Jazz Festival, April 13-19 2026
Annual jazz festival featuring concerts by international artists to local musicians at a variety of Charleston venues. More details
– Charleston Cocktail Week, April 20-26 2026
Annual festival featuring special prices on cocktails and food pairings at selected Charleston bars and restaurants. More details
→ See more April events in Charleston
– Charleston Dragon Boat Festival, May 2 2026
Annual dragon boat races to benefit local cancer survivors. More details
– Spoleto Festival USA, May 22 - June 7 2026
Big annual performing arts festival with performances across Charleston. More details
→ See more May events in Charleston
– Spoleto Festival USA, May 22 - June 7 2026
Big annual performing arts festival with performances across Charleston. More details
→ See more June events in Charleston
Events this month to be confirmed.
→ See more July events in Charleston
Events this month to be confirmed.
→ See more August events in Charleston
Events this month to be confirmed.
→ See more September events in Charleston