Lowcountry Oyster Festival at Boone Hall Plantation runs the first Sunday of February. The world's largest oyster festival, 80,000 pounds of steamed Lowcountry oysters.
Tip: Buy tickets before they sell out in early January. Bring your own oyster knife and gloves.
Spoleto Festival USA runs 17 days of opera, theatre and music across Charleston's historic venues from late May into early June. 2026 marks the festival's 50th season.
Tip: Book accommodation 6 months ahead; restaurants book up. Free Piccolo Spoleto runs in parallel.
Charleston Restaurant Week runs 10 days each January with prix-fixe menus at over 100 participating restaurants. Two- or three-course menus, no special ticket.
Tip: Book your top picks on the operator's site weeks ahead. Menus run alongside the regular menu.
Second Sunday on King closes King Street to traffic from Queen to Calhoun on the second Sunday of every month. Restaurants spill onto the street, the city walks.
Tip: Free to attend, no ticket. Most King Street restaurants run special outdoor service from 12:00 to 17:00.
Charleston Wine + Food runs five days of dinners, talks and tastings across the city, anchored at Marion Square. 2026 is the festival's 20th edition.
Tip: Book single-event tickets on chswf.org. The Marion Square grand tasting sells out earliest.