Get Busy in Hilton Head as Spring Heads into Summer

Here comes our favorite season! As we head into warmer weather, Hilton Head Island comes alive with a variety of events and entertainment opportunities for locals and visitors.

We’re kicking off this period of perfect weather with live music performance from bands featuring our own Jim Hall. The Chilly Willy crew brings jazz, blues, and classic rock to the Black Marlin on May 2 and June 5. Or catch them on May 3 at HHP Community Park. Plus, they’ll be at Local Legend on May 8 and June 12. You can also groove on over to Kind of Blue on April 29 for an evening with WGB, the high-energy cover band.

If you can’t stop the beat, how about taking in a performance of “Hairspray: The Broadway Musical” at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina? It runs April 22 through May 24. The center will welcome mentalist Matt Cooper on May 18 and follow “Hairspray” with “Mean Girls: The Musical” this summer.

For something more historical, go on a Gullah Heritage Trail Tour and learn about an authentic culture of the Sea Islands established before the Civil War. The two-hour Gullah-narrated tours explore Gullah communities and celebrate the language, music, folktales and more of these longtime Lowcountry residents. Tours are offered every day except Monday.

Be sure to pay a visit to the Coastal Discovery Museum. Not only is this a pick-up spot for the Gullah Heritage Trail Tours, but the museum also features a plethora of engaging events like Blue Crab Discovery, Birding at Pinckney Island, and the Sweetgrass Basket Workshop.

May really heats up when the Gregg Russell Summer Concerts get started Memorial Day weekend under the Liberty Oak in Harbour Town. These concerts are a multigenerational tradition, and everyone is invited to sing along.

If you’re looking for more family-friendly activities, why not make a tie-dyed T-shirt or pet bandana at the Sea Pines Beach Club? Hosted on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, this creative activity is offered from May 27 until August.

Here is an activity that is just for the grown-ups — take in a Tour and Tasting at the Hilton Head Distillery where you’ll learn the history of rum and how it’s made. Don’t forget to stop by the tasting bar! More serious rum-lovers can also book a mixology class.

Of course, in April, May, June, and every other month, it’s the perfect time to enjoy biking around the island. Whether you need to tune up your own bike or rent one of ours, the best way to experience Hilton Head this season is from the seat of a bike.