Nightlife & Bars
The nightlife in Hilton Head, SC rivals some hotspots you would find in a big city, without the overcrowded dance floors and mile-long lines at the bar. From local bands to national acts, Hilton Head bars and clubs feature live bands that play everything from rock and roll to funk and jazz. If you are not looking to stay out and dance the night away, several local wine bars and low-key venues offer a more intimate setting for a night out in Hilton Head.
The community-style setting of Hilton Head Island makes it easy to stroll down a quiet street and pop into an open bar if the music catches your ear. A number of Hilton Head bars and cafes are located with waterfront dining rooms and patios, allowing patrons to enjoy the coastal scenery while sipping on some spirits or fine wine. Nightlife in Hilton Head can be whatever you choose to make of it. From sharing a bottle of vintage wine while watching the sunset over the waterways to slam-dancing in a jam band mosh pit, Hilton Head's nightlife is full of fun for everyone!
The Sounds of the Island: Music is Everywhere on Hilton Head
There is music everywhere on Hilton Head. Just about every type of music that can be named in just about every venue imaginable is available somewhere at any given time on the island. Visitors here can choose from a plethora of performances ranging from singing mermaids or Elvis impersonators on an outdoor stage, to a Symphony Orchestra in a lavish three-hundred-fifty seat Arts Center. Restaurants, clubs, and bars feature karaoke, country western performers, hip hop, jazz, classic rock and roll, piano artists, and groups that cover everyone from the Beatles to Jimmy Buffett. There is even an annual piano competition with prizes that include $33,000 in cash and an appearance at Carnegie Hall. Beach music plays in some dives while patrons rush to the dance floor to shag. Barbershoppers and dixielanders play and sing their hearts out, and gospel groups perform in churches and auditoriums alike.
Jazz lovers flock by the dozens for entertainment and doggone good food at The Jazz Corner in the Village at Wexford. Beach-music lovers head for the Crown Plaza Resort every Tuesday night to hear their favorite songs and dance the official South Carolina state dance: the Shag. The Shoreline Ballroom hosts a variety of big name entertainers at its Hilton Head Island Beach & Tennis Resort location. The Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra performs October through May on Sundays and Mondays in the sanctuary of the First Presbyterian Church. In March the orchestra hosts a three-night event in Shelter Cove Park - this Concert Under the Stars is an event anticipated by locals and visitors alike.
Shelter Cove Park is also the sight of the Tuesday night Summer Jams, which feature the eclectic sounds of Music Madness from June through early August. The Orchestra comes back to the park for more outdoor entertainment with The Jazz Connection, Picnics in the Park, and their Family Concert Series. Back at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina it's not unusual to see performances by artists such as Marvin Hamlisch, Rita Coolidge, Melissa Manchester, or Chuck Mangione. Even Honey Horn gets in on the act with specially scheduled outdoor performances featuring nationally known artists. Speaking of outdoor performances, don't forget the free concerts by Shannon Tanner (at Shelter Cove Harbour), Gregg Russell (under the Liberty Oak in Harbour Town), or the nightly performances at the outdoor stage in Coligny Plaza.
On practically any summer night, and especially the weekend nights, visitors can literally travel from restaurant to restaurant until they find just what they're looking for. In Coligny Plaza alone there may be as many as five different performers simultaneously entertaining while the docks and piers at Harbour Town, South Beach, Palmetto Bay, and Shelter Cove reverberate with the sounds of all different music styles. If you're in the mood to dance, or just to listen, or if you're just seeking some music to drink beer by, there's no doubt you will find what you're looking for somewhere around Hilton Head.
