This year, the City of Beaufort has put all three of its December traditions on consecutive days. Its 2026 holiday weekend sheet lists Night on the Town on Friday, December 4, from 6 to 9 p.m. The Lighted Boat Parade follows on Saturday, December 5, at 5:30 p.m., and the Christmas Parade closes the weekend on Sunday, December 6, at 3 p.m.
Friday and Saturday are both evening events, and downtown has plenty of dinner options on those nights. Sunday is different. The parade ends around 5 p.m., when people start thinking about an early dinner, and a good share of the restaurants and shops near Bay Street list Sunday as a closed day. Planning the weekend from Sunday backward makes the other two days easier.
Friday Has the Most Options
Night on the Town is the easiest of the three. Main Street Beaufort's listing describes live music on several stages, food from local vendors, and crafts and gifts from local businesses and nonprofits. The downtown tree lighting is set for 8:30 p.m.
From 6 to 8 p.m. that same night, the Historic Beaufort Foundation holds its Holiday Open House at the John Mark Verdier House Museum, 801 Bay Street, with complimentary tours as part of Night on the Town. The tours end half an hour before the tree lighting. That leaves time to walk back onto Bay Street before 8:30.
Friday is also the night when downtown's dinner rooms keep their latest hours, so an early meal or a nightcap is easy to find. Main Street Beaufort's directory listings, some of them a couple of years old, show:
- Old Bull Tavern, 205 West Street: a gastropub with European comfort food, listed open 5 p.m. to midnight on Fridays
- Breakwater Restaurant & Bar, 203 Carteret Street: seafood, steaks and Southern dishes, listed 5 to 10 p.m.
- Hearth Wood Fired Pizza, 802 Bay Street: listed 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- La Nopalera, 906 Port Republic Street: open until 10:30 p.m. on Fridays, according to Explore Beaufort SC's report on its opening
Old Bull, Breakwater, Wren Bistro & Bar and Q on Bay are all listed as closed on Sundays. Friday is a good night to visit them.
Saturday's Boat Parade Has Less Riverfront Space
The City's holiday weekend sheet sets the boat parade for 5:30 p.m. Main Street Beaufort's event page lists the event on the downtown waterfront from 5 to 8 p.m. and says it is presented by the Beaufort Water Festival. Arriving by 5 p.m. gives you time to find a spot before the boats come through.
The waterfront has less standing room this year. The outer promenade at Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park, the walkway right along the river, has been closed since July 2025. The City closed only that outer platform and kept the rest of the park open. In April 2026, The Island Packet reported that the promenade remained closed and that its support piles were deteriorating.
WTOC reported in July that the City had chosen to rebuild the promenade, replacing its support system and raising it to reduce flooding. The design phase alone was expected to take 12 to 18 months. Assistant City Manager Eric Claussen told the station that "about 85% of every visitor that comes to Beaufort visits the waterfront park." On Saturday night, that means more people sharing the open parts of the park, including the lawns and the walkways set back from the river. The City's Preserving the Promenade page tracks the project.
The most recent City update on the riverside path between the park and the Marina Parking Lot is from August. At that point, the path was closed, and visitors were directed to a temporary walkway starting at Bay and Charles Streets. If you plan to park at the marina, check the City's news page that week.
A table with a view of the river is the other way to watch. Saltus River Grill, 802 Bay Street, serves dinner every day from 5 p.m. and describes its outdoor patio as overlooking the Beaufort River. It takes reservations online through OpenTable and asks parties larger than four to call 843-379-3474. Panini's on the Waterfront, 926 Bay Street, is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and has a river deck facing Waterfront Park. Saturday is the last day of the weekend Panini's is open.
Plums at 904 Bay Street is a long-standing waterfront spot, but its own site now lists daily hours of 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., lunch only. It works for a riverside lunch on Saturday, not for the parade itself.
Sunday Has the Biggest Crowd and the Fewest Open Kitchens
The 2026 Christmas Parade application sets the route. Units line up from 1 to 2:30 p.m. The parade starts at 3 p.m., heads north on Adventure Street to Boundary Street, east on Boundary to Carteret, south on Carteret to Bay, then west on Bay to Bladen Street before returning to the starting point. Groups that want to march must apply by Friday, November 27. Main Street Beaufort promises marching bands, decorated floats and Santa.
The Sunday problem shows up in the published hours. Panini's lists Sunday as closed. So do Sweet Grass Pantry & Provisions at 208A West Street and Sister Sister Deli & Market at 403 Carteret Street, according to their February 2026 Main Street listings. The four Friday restaurants listed as closed on Sundays add to the list. Plums serves until 4 p.m., while the parade is still on Bay Street.
These are the downtown places that list Sunday hours. Several of the listings come from older directory pages, so call ahead during a holiday week.
| Place | Address | Sunday hours as listed | Best fit around the parade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lowcountry Produce | 302 Carteret Street | Brunch 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. | Late breakfast before lineup |
| City Java & News | 301 Carteret Street | 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. | Coffee before or after |
| Lowcountry Cider & Superior Coffee | 102 West Street | 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Warm drink before the start |
| Hop Dog Restaurant | 223 Scott Street | 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Early lunch |
| Lost Local | 705 Bay Street | 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. | Seafood and tacos after |
| Hearth Wood Fired Pizza | 802 Bay Street | 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. | Pizza after |
| La Nopalera | 906 Port Republic Street | 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. | Dinner after |
| Saltus River Grill | 802 Bay Street | From 5 p.m. | Reserved dinner after |
Ribaut Social Club at 1103 Bay Street serves Sunday brunch, but its listing gives two different start times, 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., with a 2 p.m. finish either way. Confirm the time when you book.
La Nopalera is the newest name on the Sunday list. Its downtown restaurant at 906 Port Republic Street is the third Beaufort-area location, after Ribaut Road and Sams Point Road. The building previously housed Jah Lion Grill & Bar and, before that, Emily's Restaurant & Tapas Bar. Explore Beaufort SC reports that management names the Molcajete as its most popular dish. Port Republic Street is one block north of Bay Street, a short walk from the parade route.
Here is one way to plan Sunday around those hours:
- Book a table for 5 p.m. or later at Saltus River Grill, Hearth or La Nopalera before Thanksgiving, since these are among the few kitchens open after the parade.
- Have brunch at Lowcountry Produce before its 2:30 p.m. close. That is also when parade units must be in position.
- Pick a spot along Carteret or Bay by about 2:45 p.m., with coffee from City Java or Lowcountry Cider.
- Walk to dinner as the parade heads west toward Bladen Street.
Getting Into Downtown
The streets are in better shape than they were a month ago. The Bay and Charles intersection reopened to cars and pedestrians on October 23 after the Charles/Craven Street Drainage Project. The City says its signal will keep flashing red until further notice and asks drivers to treat it as a four-way stop. The Duke Street Streetscape Project is still underway. In its October 7 update, the City said contractor J.H. Hiers was installing new storm drainage and would try to keep at least one lane and the sidewalks open.
The City has not posted a 2026 holiday parking plan as of late October. Last year's plan included free all-day parking at the Marina Lot starting November 8, free two-hour ParkMobile parking starting November 10, and free holiday shuttles from November 29, running Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Those were 2025 arrangements, so check the City's news page in November before counting on them.
The Following Saturday
The holiday season continues after December 6. The Olde Beaufort Farmers' Market holds its Olde Fashioned Holiday Market on Saturday, December 12, from 3 to 7 p.m. It is a good time for gift shopping and a downtown errand after the parade weekend crowds are gone.
If you have questions about where to watch, where to eat or how this weekend fits into life in downtown Beaufort, Kim McElman is glad to help you plan it. Let's Connect.
