A to Z About Hilton Head

Annual Hilton Head Festivals & Events 

The events calendar on Hilton Head Island is filled with amazing community celebrations, events and festivals. Here are just a few of our favorites: 

Gullah Celebration. Held in February, the Gullah Celebration features the descendants of West Africans brought in bondage to the coastal islands. Step into living history and learn more about the struggle, spirituality, perseverance and traditions of these people. 

Website: www.gullahcelebration.com 

Hilton Head Wine and Food Festival. One of the premier wine and food festivals in the nation, the festival showcases more than 1,500 domestic and international wines as well as world renowned chefs. Held in February and March, it is one of the biggest events of its kind in the country. 

Website: www.hiltonheadhospitalityassociation.com/WFEvents.aspx 

HarborFest. From June through August, head to Shelter Cove Marina for arts and crafts, live entertainment and fireworks at sunset. It’s a great place to spend the evening with family, friends and neighbors on the island. 

Heritage Golf Classic. For more than 40 years this golf tourney has graced Harbour Town Golf Links, drawing national attention every spring. 

Website: www.theheritagegolfsc.com/ 

WingFest. Held at Shelter Cove Community Park, WingFest is Hilton Head Island’s biggest one-day event. Each year local restaurants compete to see who has the best wings. Family entertainment and wings are the watchwords here, as is community service. The event benefits the Island Recreation Scholarship Fund. 

FoodFest. The local hospitality industry is showcased with the Best Bartender Drink Making Contest, the Hospitable Waiter’s Race and the Tailgate Gourmet Challenge. 

Concours d'Elegance & Motoring Festival. Featuring world-class vintage, antique and muscle cars, the event is a motorhead’s dream. It has quickly become one of the island’s most popular events, drawing international attention. 

Website:  www.hhiconcours.com. 

Hilton Head Plantations & Neighborhoods 

For a relatively small island, Hilton Head Island has an amazing array of communities and neighborhoods, all with different personalities and lifestyles. Here are a few of the larger communities, including plantations (gated communities). 

Forest Beach

A mix of beachfront homes, villas and rentals as well as hotels, Forest Beach offers something for nearly everyone. It is a very active community on Hilton Head’s south end and is a favorite of locals and tourists alike who want to kick back and “go island”, whether it’s for a day or a lifetime. Lots of quaint shops, cafes and places to get a tall cool one on a hot South Carolina day. 

Hilton Head Plantation 

Links to: http://www.hiltonheadplantation.com/ 

With 4,000 sprawling acres, this is Hilton Head’s largest plantation community. It is the home to a semi-private golf course as well as three other courses, including the private Dolphin Head. There are two miles of beach in Hilton Head Plantation as well as a community center, swimming pools, a marina and the Old Fort Pub restaurant. 

Indigo Run 

Links to: http://www.indigoruncoa.org/ 

The home of two Jack Nicklaus golf courses, Indigo Run was recently named a “Top 10 Community for Baby Boomers.” Its 1,700+ acres near the north end has a wide range of architectural styles and is popular with younger homeowners. The neighborhood also has a pool, recreation center, tennis and basketball courts, playground and leisure trails. 

Leamington  

Links to: http://www.leamingtonpoa.org/

This is an upscale community is a neighborhood within Palmetto Dunes. It has 250+ single-family homes as well as the Oceanfront Townhomes. The neighborhood was designed in 1988 and has 460 acres. In addition to the 18-hole Arthur Hills Golf Course you’ll find the historic Hilton Head Rear Light in Leamington Plantation in Hilton Head Island. 

Palmetto Dunes 

Links to: http://www.pdpoa.org/ 

Located mid island, this 1,800 acre community is home to hotels, vacation rentals and spacious homes. The Hilton Resort and the Hilton Head Marriott Beach and Golf Resort are here along with 3 championship golf courses. 

Palmetto Hall Plantation 

Links to: http://www.palmettohallhhi.com/ 

This an intimate 750-acre community that is located mid island. Homes here have a consistent Southern Style to them, featuring decks, porches, dormers and large columns that are signatures of the old south. The plantation features two of the best golf courses on the island as well as lots of recreational facilities, including the antebellum-style clubhouse. 

Port Royal Plantation 

Links to: http://www.portroyalplantation.net/ 

The site of Fort Walker, a confederate station during the Civil War, Port Royal plantation is well known for its tranquil, natural surroundings. It offers residents 12 miles of beaches and is the only exclusively private residential plantation on Hilton Head Island. Port Royal has three golf courses, two championship croquet courts and a 16-court racquet club for resident use. 

Sea Pines Resort 

Links to: http://www.seapinesliving.com 

This plantation has three terrific and very challenging golf courses. Its 5,200 acres is a mix of homes, resorts, beach, nature trails and scenic vistas. It is also home to a 605-acre wildlife preserve as well as the Sea Pines Racquet Club and Lawton Stable Equestrian Center. The homes here are large and expensive. 

Shipyard Plantation 

Links to: http://www.shipyardhhi.com/ 

Located on 800 acres between Palmetto Dunes and Sea Pines, Shipyard Plantation on Hilton Head Island offers a mix of residential living and vacation properties, including the Crown Plaza Resort. The homes here are a mix of patio homes, tennis and golf villas, oceanfront town homes and private residences. 

Spanish Wells Plantation 

Links to: http://www.spanishwellsplantation.com/ 

Surrounded by live oaks, Spanish Wells Plantation is a mix of older homes and modern estates. It is very secluded. Its private golf course is considered by many to be the best on the island. There are also tennis courts and beach access. Some homes have private docks with deep-water moorage. 

Wexford Plantation 

Links to: http://www.wexfordplantation.net/ 

Uncrowded and undiscovered, this 525-acre plantation is a haven for sportsmen, including golfing, yachting and tennis. There is a nice 18-hole golf course but the real star of Wexford is the large harbor and the services of an elegant club there. 

Windmill Harbour 

Links to: http://www.windmillharbour.org/ 

Homes here range from patio homes and harbor front townhouses to villas and estates. It is the first plantation that you see as you come into Hilton Head Island. Many of the homes have spectacular water views. Windmill is home to the South Carolina Yacht Club and has a marina that is linked directly to the Intracoastal Highway. 

Bluffton 

Links to: http://www.townofbluffton.sc.gov/Living/ 

Bluffton is the community that is just before the bridge to Hilton Head Island. It is a nice blend of a small town with lots of modern conveniences. The area has a mix of antebellum homes, historic churches and sites and the historic downtown district of Bluffton. It is a classic Lowcountry town with plenty of charm and a very strong sense of community. It is also one of the state’s fastest growing areas and serves as an extension of Hilton Head Island. There are many neighborhoods in Bluffton and the price ranges on homes here is varied.

Hilton Head Dining 

Though you’d expect Hilton Head Island to have superb seafood, you may be surprised to find that it features and eclectic mix of cuisines, from Greek and Italian to Chinese, Thai and Mexican.

 Of course, the seafood restaurants here are some of the best on the East Coast. But you’ll also find world-class steakhouses that would rival those in Kansas along with innovative Mediterranean cuisine and even some Creole. 

If you’ve never had the chance to enjoy a Lowcountry Boil, it doesn’t get any better than on Hilton Head Island. The mix of fresh seafood and garden fresh vegetables is simply divine. In fact, there are so many restaurants in Hilton Head Island that you could dine in style for months and never order the same thing twice. 

Rest assured that if you’re used to fine dining, you won’t go hungry in Hilton Head Island. From four-star restaurants to hole-in-the-wall eateries serving up deep fried gator tail, you’ll find the food and drink here on Hilton Head Island to your liking.

Hilton Head Daycare 

If you’re looking for daycare, either on the island or in Bluffton, there are several highly respected providers. Here are the most well-known daycare providers in Hilton Head Island and in Bluffton. 

Amazing Creations Child Care & Preschool

4464 Bluffton Park Crescent West

Bluffton, SC 29910

Phone: (843) 837-KIDS (5437)

Website: www.amazing-creations.net/ac/index.php 

Opened in 1998, Amazing Creations is operated by a mother/daughter team and their program offers daycare for children six weeks to 20 months, preschool for children up to 4 years of age and after school, summer camp and intercession programs for kids K through 5. 

Island Lutheran Preschool                                    

4400 Main Street

Hilton Head, SC 29925

Phone: (843) 342-2500 ext. 13

Website: http://www.islandlutheran.org/ 

A faith-based program designed for preschoolers, Island Lutheran Preschool is designed for children 3 to 4 yours of age. The program involves plenty of play and learning opportunities, ensuring that your children will be ready for kindergarten. 

The Children’s Center, Inc.

145 Mathews Drive

Hilton Head Island, SC 29926

Phone: (843) 681-2739 

20-B Bridge Street

Bluffton, SC 29910

Phone: (843) 757-5549

Website: www.thechildrenscentersc.org 

The Children’s Center operates two different facilities, one in Hilton Head and the other in Bluffton. It is the second oldest non-profit in Hilton Head Island and has been offering children pre-school early learning opportunities for 40 years. The two centers care for more than 250 children daily.

 Culture and Entertainment in Hilton Head

Hilton Head Island may seem like a small community, but it’s big on culture and entertainment. From a 120 person choral group to a year filled with festivals and celebrations, your calendar will be filled from the moment you get to the Hilton Head area. 

Arts Center of Coastal Carolina 

The Arts Center not only serves as a showcase for touring acts and performances, but it also offers residents community education, cultural events, educational outreach, workshops and much, much more. Recent theatrical productions include the Man of La Mancha, Hairspray, Hello Dolly! and more. 

14 Shelter Cove Lane

Hilton Head Island, SC  29928

Phone: (843) 842-28787

Website: www.artshhi.com/ 

Coastal Discovery Museum 

Located on a property with a history dating back 300 years, the Coastal Discovery Museum is fun for the whole family. The natural history center has salt marshes, open fields, stands of ancient oaks and some of the oldest buildings on Hilton Head Island. A second museum at Mile Marker #1 just over the bridge has a small exhibition gallery and gift shop specializing in South Carolina items. 

70 Honey Horn Drive

Hilton Head Island, SC 29926

Phone: (843) 689-6767

Website: www.coastaldiscovery.org 

Hilton Head Choral Society 

Founded in 1975, the Hilton Head Choral Society is open to all community members who love to sing. The choirs of the society perform an eclectic mix of music, from the classics and pops to lighter fare, including musical theater. There is a 20 voice chamber choir and a youth choir in addition to the 120 member full chorus, which performs four major concerts a year, including a Pops Concert in the fall and the annual Christmas Concert which is always a sell out. 

P.O. Box 22235

Hilton Head Island, SC 29925

Phone: (843) 341-3818

Website: www.hiltonheadchoralsociety.org/ 

Hilton Head Shore Notes

Woman’s a capella chorus group which performs in barbershop style. A chapter of Sweet Adelines International, the group performs regularly, featuring a mix of Broadway, theatrical, pop, standards and swing styles – all with a four-part harmony twist. 

Website: www.hiltonheadnotes.com 

Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra 

For nearly 30 years the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra has been delighting audiences on the island with its first rate performances at the First Presbyterian Church on Hilton Parkway. In addition to the symphony, the organization has a youth symphony as well as educational programs for children. 

214 The Courtyard Building

32 Office Park Road

Hilton Head Island, SC  29928

Phone: (843) 842-2055

Website: www.hhso.org 

Main Street Youth Theatre 

The theater isn’t professional, but you’d never know it by the quality of the shows they perform. Each year, MSYT puts on four to five amazing Broadway productions that will save you a trip to New York. The talent is first class. The theater also provides acting, dance and vocal instruction for your children after school and during the summer. 

25 New Orleans

Hilton Head Island, SC 29928

Phone: (843) 689-MAIN

Website: www.msyt.org