Fun things to do in Beaufort in October

Lot of fall fun all October long in downtown Beaufort. ESPB photo: Carteret Street United Methodist Church Pumpkin Patch
Lot of fall fun all October long in downtown Beaufort. ESPB photo: Carteret Street United Methodist Church Pumpkin Patch

October continues to supply fun all over Beaufort. 

A favorite here in the Lowcountry October (usually) brings cooler temperatures…but it always brings porch parties, fun festivals and tons of local events, oyster roasts and Halloween on it’s way. For autumn lovers, October is a month to be celebrated with always lots going on outdoors in the Beaufort area.

Although the month can start off warm and wet, it’ll get cooler and much more fall-like as it goes on. Average high temperatures in early October are in the low 80s, but by the end of the month they tend to cool down just the right, crisp amount which brings out the spirit of fall.

October kicks off in the Beaufort area with a jam packed event schedule. Here’s a look at some things to do this month…

Start the month by celebrating our savory local shrimp and enjoy the Beaufort Shrimp Festival on Friday & Saturday, October 6th & 7th at downtown’s Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park. Local restaurants invade the park with their best local shrimp recipes lookin’ to win honors for their creative dishes. Spend Friday night and Saturday enjoying local live music, some cold beverages and lots of community fun.

The annual Beaufort Shrimp Festival invades downtown on October 6th & 7th. ESPB photo
The annual Beaufort Shrimp Festival invades downtown on October 6th & 7th. ESPB photo

Embrace everything about fall at the annual Habersham Harvest Festival. The event is Beaufort’s only fall festival and man, is it a load of fun. Bring the whole family on October 21st & 22nd and spend two days browsing artisan vendors, sampling and enjoying great local food, live music, plus plenty of activities for kids of all ages including an ever-popular 3 story tall ferris wheel, a vintage carousel and other rides, a pickle and a pie eating contest, petting zoo, face painters and so so much more. Thousands usually attend…and we know why. It’s probably one of the best times you’ll have all month long.

harvestfestival4444
Thousands usually attend the Habersham Harvest Festival…and we know why. It’s probably one of the best times you’ll have all month long.

Get scared out of your shirt (and shorts, and shoes, and…) with the annual Beaufort Ghost Tours in downtown. Starting October 13th and running several nights up until the day before Halloween, take a walking or a carriage ride through downtown and hear stories of old haunted Beaufort….some from the ghosts themselves. Beaufort is full of haunted history, and these tours really bring the freaks out. Also, the tours benefit CAPA, and we can’t think of anything more important than the kids CAPA helps every day here in our community.

ghosttour3cover
The ghosts are coming to downtown Beaufort starting October 13th with CAPA’s annual Beaufort Ghost Tours.

Enjoy a night of dancing with music and tons of fantastic food and drink at the YMCA of Beaufort’s annual Boots & Bling fundraiser on October 14th. Silent and live auctions along with a golf cart raffle give you another fun way to support the YMCA and it’s many programs. The evening includes cocktail hour with wine, beer and appetizers and bbq buffet.

Combining food with live entertainment and lots of fun things for kids to do is what most of our festivals are made of here in Beaufort. But now it’s a festival all about food at the upcoming Beaufort Food Truck Festival on Saturday, October 14th at the Santa Elena History Center on Bay Street in downtown. Organized by the hardworking volunteer staff at the Lowcountry Jaycees, all proceeds go to benefit Jaycee Camp Hope. The event is planned for 11am to 4pm and you can bring the family and spend the day enjoying lots of great food, live music, a kids zone with games and face painting and lots more.

The fun goes on through the month with the YMCA Boots & Bling Fundraiser, the Beaufort Food Truck Festival and the OktoPRfest celebration over in Port Royal.
The fun goes on through the month with the YMCA Boots & Bling Fundraiser, the Beaufort Food Truck Festival and the OktoPRfest celebration over in Port Royal.

Get ready for some Oktoberfest fun with beer, food and more beer in Port Royal as the Old Village Association is hosting the 4th Annual OktoPRfest “Party Port Royal-style” festival on October 28th starting at 11am. Paris Avenue will be packed with a little bit of everything for everyone including a classic car show, tons of craft vendors, a music stage, dancers, food vendors and one huge OktoPRfest beer garden. Look for some great live music and kids can enjoy the Kids Zone with clowns, face painting and lots more.
Last year’s event was cancelled with the arrival of Hurricane Matthew the same weekend and the local merchants association is raring to go this year with a stellar return to Paris Avenue just before Halloween.

Stretch your dollar by attending a few fun area fall bazaars (and enjoy some seriously great homemade food too!). Both St. Peter’s Church on Lady’s Island and Carteret Street UMC in downtown are hosting their annual Fall Bazaars this month. One offers a huge pumpkin patch for the kids and one offers the area’s largest silent auction. Both offer a good time. Join St. Peters on Lady;s Island on Saturday, October 7th and Carteret Street UMC in downtown on Saturday, October 14th.

You can trespass legally every October during the Historic Beaufort Foundation’s Fall Festival of Houses and Gardens.
You can trespass legally every October during the Historic Beaufort Foundation’s Fall Festival of Houses and Gardens.

You can trespass legally every October during the Historic Beaufort Foundation’s Fall Festival of Houses and Gardens. On October 27th, 28th & 29th visitors are invited to explore Beaufort from a rare vantage point: a selection of private homes , gardens, and plantations normally not open to the public welcomes visitors inside. The houses represent three centuries of Beaufort architecture for which the city is justly famous.

Of course there will be a variety of Halloween costume parties, pumpkin patches, corn mazes, haunted houses and more, and you know we’ll let you know all about them.

There’s never a shortage of things to do in the area. These are just a few things going on, Visit our Event Calendar to see a full slate of things to do.