Hilton Head Island Community Events

Hilton Head Island Community Events

Anyone looking at a map of Hilton Head can immediately see that the greater Hilton Head Island community is divided into a great number of smaller communities. Some of these are gated and are only open to residents and those staying at a hotel, timeshare, or short-term rental property within the community. Despite appearances, there are a number of things which unite the Hilton Head Island community. Almost all residents and guests share a love of the island itself, including the beaches, waterways, marshes, and stately southern trees. There is a great love for the slower-paced, classically southern lifestyle complete with great amenities such as world-class tennis, golf, fishing, and more. On top of all this, the Hilton Head Island community is brought together every year by a number of events enjoyed by residents and visitors alike. Some of them are longstanding traditions, while others have only begun in the past few years.

One of the island’s longstanding traditions is the Hilton Head Island Celebrity Golf Tournament, which is currently in its 29th straight year. It is a charity event which benefits many different children’s charities, including the Children’s Relief fund and the Child Abuse Prevention Association. Anyone who sponsors the event gets the opportunity to play golf with a different celebrity each day for three days, with a different golf course hosting the event each day. Both local residents and visitors are able to sponsor the event, allowing them to partake in the food provided as well as the opportunity to attend evening events alongside the celebrities.

Not all Hilton Head Island community events have been around this long, however. Now in its 8th year, the Concours d’Elegance & Motoring Festival is one of the island’s most popular events, so large that its four events in one do not all take place on the island itself. There are two competitive showcases of classic cars. The first one is the Car Club Jamboree, an event in which all invited car clubs get the opportunity to showcase their very best cars. The second is the Concours d’Elegance itself, which is widely considered to be one of the best vintage car showcases to be found anywhere in the United States. There is also a noncompetitive showcase known as the Motoring Midway, which includes motorcycles and cars from many different eras as well as some exhibits dealing with the history of motoring in the United States. Finally, the Savannah/Hilton Head Speed Classic consists of vintage racing and “hot lap rides,” giving passengers the opportunity to feel what it’s like to be in a race car by sitting in the passenger seat next to a race car driver. This event is held on Hutchinson Island, located just across the river from Savannah’s historic downtown area.

The single largest Hilton Head Island community event is the Verizon Heritage Classic, the only PGA Tour event in the entire state of South Carolina. It is held at the Harbour Town Golf Links course located in the Sea Pines Plantation community. Students from nearby Hilton Head Island High School work at the event alongside many other residents. The event attracts huge crowds of both residents and visitors every year, truly uniting the Hilton Head Island community in one major event.

There are many other Hilton Head Island community events each year, including several charity marathons, the Seafood Jazz & Brew, and the Native Islander Gullah Celebration. Despite the island’s many gates and subdivisions, Hilton Head Island’s community events truly bring the greater community together as one.