Events
What’s happening while you’re here
Tybee and Savannah both run on a real event calendar, and the biggest dates change the character of a stay — in a good way, if you plan for it. Lodging on Tybee and in Savannah books up fast around the largest events, so if your dates overlap with one below, it is worth reserving earlier than you otherwise would. Dates below are the most current we could verify; small towns move their own festivals around from year to year, so always confirm specifics before you build a day around one.
St. Patrick's Day weekend, Pirate Fest, and the Savannah Music Festival are the three biggest demand spikes on this list — if your stay overlaps with any of them, book direct as early as you can.
On the Island
Tybee Island Events
Beach Bum Parade
Mid-May annually (2027 date not yet announced)
Tybee's signature event: decorated floats roll down Butler Avenue while a city-block-long water gun fight breaks out along the route. It started as a rivalry between local softball teams decades ago and is now one of the South's biggest water fights.
High-energy and extremely popular — expect Butler Avenue closed and the whole island livelier than usual.
July 4th Fireworks
July 4 annually, after dark
A roughly 45-minute fireworks show launched near the Pier & Pavilion, visible from any beach on the east side of the island.
Free and easy to watch from the beach, but parking fills early — plan to be settled in by mid-afternoon.
Labor Day Beach Bash
Saturday, September 6, 2026, 7–10pm
A free, family-friendly concert at the Pier & Pavilion — live band, beachfront crowd, fireworks after dark to close out the weekend.
A relaxed, local-feeling way to end summer without the crowds of the bigger festivals.
Tybee Island Pirate Fest
October 8–11, 2026 (parade Saturday, October 10)
One of the biggest events of the year on Tybee: four days of costumes, vendors, live entertainment, and historical reenactments, anchored by the Pirate Victory Parade.
This is the one to plan around if you can — the island is at its most festive, and also its most booked. Reserve early.
Tybee Island Seafood Fest
Mid-November (exact 2026 dates not yet confirmed by Visit Tybee at time of writing)
A week built around Tybee's seafood: restaurant specials island-wide plus a festival day with food, live music, vendors, and cooking competitions.
A good excuse for an off-season trip — fewer crowds, and the restaurants are showing off.
New Year's Eve Fireworks
Midnight, December 31
Fireworks over the Pier & Pavilion and South Beach at midnight.
A quieter, local way to ring in the new year without a Savannah-sized crowd.
Tybee Island Farmers Market
Mondays, 4–7pm, roughly early March through late October
A weekly market at the Lighthouse grounds — produce, seafood, and local vendors. Small, but a genuinely local scene worth a Monday evening.
The easiest one to casually catch — no planning required, just show up on a Monday.
Tybee Island Restaurant Week
Typically early-to-mid August (2026 ran August 3–17)
Special menus and promotions at restaurants across the island.
A good window to try places that usually have a wait, at a better price.
Tybee Post Theater
Ongoing — a real calendar most weekends, year-round
A restored 1930s theater with live music almost every weekend — tribute bands, touring and local acts, films, and comedy.
Worth a look regardless of when you visit — check their calendar for your dates.
Thirty Minutes Away
Savannah Events
Savannah St. Patrick's Day Parade
March 17 annually (2027 falls on a Wednesday — the parade is typically held on the day itself)
One of the largest St. Patrick's Day parades in the country, anchoring a multi-day "St. Pats Weekend" celebration across downtown Savannah.
Extremely high demand for lodging across the whole region, Tybee included. If your stay overlaps, book as far ahead as you can.
Savannah Music Festival
April 2–17, 2027
A prestigious multi-genre music festival across dozens of concerts and venues throughout Savannah, running about two weeks.
A major draw for a specific kind of guest — worth checking the lineup if you are one.
Savannah Jazz Festival
September 18–20, 2026 (main weekend), primarily Forsyth Park
Free outdoor jazz concerts, mostly at the Forsyth Park bandshell, with related events around the city.
Free and low-key — an easy add to a Savannah day trip if the dates line up.
SCAD Savannah Film Festival
October 24–31, 2026
A major film festival with screenings, panels, and industry guests across SCAD and Savannah venues — genuine red-carpet energy for a city this size.
Books up hotels and restaurants across Savannah — plan ahead if you want to be downtown that week.
Savannah Waterfront Independence Day Celebration
The Saturday nearest July 4 (2026 fell on July 4 itself)
Live music on three riverfront stages and a fireworks barge show over the Savannah River, free, downtown.
A bigger, more produced show than Tybee's — worth the drive if you want the full display.
Savannah Lighted Boat Parade & DNA Holiday Tour of Homes
Boat parade: Saturday, November 28, 2026. Home tour: Saturday, December 13, 2026
The Lighted Boat Parade sends 30-plus illuminated boats past River Street, free to watch from the Riverwalk. The Downtown Neighborhood Association's Holiday Tour of Homes opens real private historic homes to visitors for the day, in two sessions.
Savannah leans into the holidays — either makes a good excuse for an off-season trip.
Savannah Bananas at Historic Grayson Stadium
Scattered weekends through the season (2026 included dates in March, May, June, July/August, and September)
Banana Ball, the Savannah Bananas' unconventional take on baseball, still plays home games at Grayson Stadium alongside their much larger touring schedule.
Genuinely worth knowing about, not planning around: tickets are lottery-based and effectively sold out well ahead of time. Do not expect walk-up or last-minute tickets — if you are a fan, enter the ticket lottery on their site months out.
Forsyth Farmers Market
Every Saturday, year-round, 9am–1pm
A year-round market at the south end of Forsyth Park — produce, food, and local makers.
The easiest Savannah event to build a day trip around, any Saturday you visit.
Dates can shift year to year. Everything here was verified as current at the time this page was last updated, but confirm specifics — especially exact dates — before you plan a day around any one event.
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