Lowcountry Oyster Festival 2026

The Charleston Restaurant Foundation (CRF) has announced that tickets are now on sale for the 42nd annual Lowcountry Oyster Festival held on Feb. 1, 2026, at Boone Hall Plantation & Gardens. Guests of the world’s largest oyster festival can enjoy over 45,000 pounds of steamed oysters for purchase at market price as well as oyster shucking and eating contests, wine, a selection of domestic and imported beers, specialty cocktails, a “Pluff-a-Palooza” children’s area and a food court showcasing a variety of local restaurants. Multiple live music acts will take the stage throughout the day, including event headliner The Yacht Club, who will captivate guests with the sounds of smooth soul, jazz, R&B, funk and disco.

“We’re thrilled to invite guests from near and far to join us for one of Charleston’s most quintessential culinary traditions, which has been bringing the community together for over four decades,” said Charleston Restaurant Foundation President, Johnathan Kish. “It’s an honor for the Charleston Restaurant foundation to once again host this beloved event and a privilege to support the environment and the charitable organizations that make the Lowcountry so special.”

The festival has raised over $1.5 million for local charities over the years, and as a result of the 2025 festival, a total of $125,000 was donated to beneficiaries including Ronald McDonald House, MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, Coastal Conservation Association, Shriners Hospitals for Children, College of Charleston, Academic Magnet High School, Charleston County School of the Arts and the Culinary Institute of Charleston’s Kathy Britzius Memorial Scholarship.

Festival organizers also prioritize sustainability by working with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Coastal Conservation Association of Charleston to recycle shells in local coastal waters, where they help rebuild fisheries, reefs, prevent soil erosion and mitigate flood risk. This summer, festival organizers joined representatives from Boone Hall Plantation & Gardens, Lowcountry Land Trust, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Coastal Conservation Association of Charleston and Mount Pleasant Waterworks to expand the commemorative oyster reef behind Boone Hall Plantation & Gardens using recycled shells from the annual festival. Originally established in 2024 on Horlbeck Creek, the reef honors the partnership between Boone Hall owner Willie McRae and the late Kathy Britzius, executive director of the Charleston Restaurant Association, which marked the inception of the world-renowned festival more than four decades ago. 

The festival is a rain or shine event. No pets, coolers or outside food and beverages will be allowed. Oyster knives and gloves will be available for purchase. Boone Hall Plantation & Gardens is located at 1235 Long Point Road, Mount Pleasant, SC, 29464.

There are two entrances for the event: the main Boone Hall entrance off Long Point Road and the entrance off Highway 17.