There are few of us who can claim to have grown up here.
But there are a lucky handful of locals who carry fond memories of childhood summers on Hilton Head Island, of making the annual trek down from whatever midwestern or northeastern state we then called “home.” And we owe more to those memories than we know.
Fireworks light up the sky on a Tuesday night in June as guests at ELA’s On the Water enjoy the view at Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina.
It was those remnant thoughts of summer happiness, lingering in our mind, that first nudged us to think about moving. They were the high we chased as we packed up stakes and took the plunge to do what most only dream of – calling paradise “home.” Those memories, ultimately, are what brought us here.
And for a lot of us, those memories sure feel a lot like a Tuesday night at Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina.
As a transplant now in my 23rd year in the Lowcountry, I speak from experience. I don’t remember exactly the first time I experienced HarbourFest, but I still look back on all those childhood visits as a core part of what led me here.
Shannon Tanner interviews a small visitor to Hilton Head Island while a large crowd looks on.
I can remember sitting on the terrace at San Miguel’s, before the Yacht Club Villas were built, enjoying a panorama across the harbour, lit dazzling green by pyrotechnics. I remember seeing a plane flying just above the show, and thinking those people right there were the only ones who had a better view than I did. But, I reasoned, I had easy access to nachos and therefore was ahead of the game.
I was brought back to that memory last month as I brought my daughter down to HarbourFest. By the time we arrived, the terrace at San Miguel’s was full. But just as well. My daughter just wanted to watch Shannon Tanner. She wanted to enter the messy hair contest. She wanted to do the “Flying Purple People Eater” dance. And she wanted a hat.
Children wait patiently for their turn in the unicorn bounce house.
I acquiesced on the hat. And on a few scoops at Frosty’s Ice Cream (and I’m glad I did, as their Peanut Butter Brownie is now an all-time favorite). And yes, I also did the “Flying Purple People Eater” dance.
In between sets, I looked around and wondered how many other parents were in my exact same situation. How many of them, lured by the same nostalgia, were now bringing their own kids to experience HarbourFest. I know of at least one for sure, a gentleman named John Watkins who has been visiting since he was a baby.
CH2 writer Barry Kaufman and his daughter, Charlie, enjoy a creamy treat from Frosty’s Ice Cream.
His parents had been making the trip regularly since 1971, and first introduced him to HarbourFest sometime in the late ’80s. They were there with him, that night, now taking their grandchildren. This evening was the first visit for his own daughter.
“It’s enjoyable. We’re definitely excited,” said Watkins, who now lives in Charleston. “My son has seen the fireworks, but she’s never seen them.”
Palmetto Kettle Corn
And that simple thread that HarbourFest represents might be the single greatest thing about it. For those of us who visited as kids, it’s our Disney World. It’s that place we come back to with our children to recapture some of that magic and hope we can pass it along.
Nana Agyeman sells beautiful baskets from Ghana at his booth near the King Neptune statue.
And like Disney World, the only thing better than the nostalgia of it all is seeing how it has changed. We didn’t have a train that ran through HarbourFest when I was a kid, but I’m glad my daughter can enjoy it. The number of vendors and activities has exploded, giving the next generation even more happy memories.
Brittany, Joyce, Mya, and Marilyn, an extended family from Texas and New Orleans, enjoy their first visit to Hilton Head Island.
You can look to the impact the event has had on our community – how it represents the largest multi-week event on Hilton Head, bringing in untold numbers of visitors. How the merchants within Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina can count on a bustling crowd paying them a visit every week. How the community has in turn embraced it, sponsoring it and helping it grow.
Cappy the Clown
These things speak to an event that plays a pivotal role in defining who we are as a community. For those of us who view Tuesdays at HarbourFest as a chance to be a kid again, the greatest part of being there is feeling that thread again. That thread is what pulled us here, and now we have a chance to pass that along to our own kids.
HarbourFest returns every Tuesday during the summer, with entertainment starting at 6 p.m. and fireworks starting when the sky is dark. For the full summer schedule of entertainment and fireworks, visit ShelterCoveHarbourFest.com. Visit the Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina Facebook page (@ShelterCoveHarbourMarina) for show updates throughout the summer.
Locals Love Fireworks Nights Too! (from left to right) Lauren, Patrick, Emily and Christy Hensley celebrate an average Tuesday in June with the Schroeder family and Noah Hightower.
