Jekyll Island Shrimp and Grits Festival 2027: Dates, Parking, Tips

The Jekyll Island Shrimp and Grits Festival is a free, two-day outdoor food and arts festival in Jekyll Island’s Historic District. The 2026 edition ran October 23-24; Jekyll Island has announced the next one for Friday, October 22, 2027 and Saturday, October 23, 2027 (Friday 4-9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-9 p.m.). Admission has been free — visitors pay Jekyll Island’s regular vehicle parking fee, plus a $5 event surcharge on daily and weekly parking passes in 2026.

Expect food vendors, an artists market, live music on multiple stages, and Friday-night fireworks around 7:15 p.m., spread across 32 acres that past years have drawn more than 45,000 people to.

This guide covers the announced 2027 dates and what the 2026 edition looked like (pricing, strollers, dogs, parking), straight from Jekyll Island’s official event page. Not yet announced for 2027, and not confirmed: parking fees and the event surcharge, the music lineup, and any rule changes. We check the official page weekly and will update this guide when they post. Checked on October 27, 2026.

What should you know before you go?

What is the Shrimp and Grits Festival?

The Shrimp and Grits Festival is a coastal food and arts festival built around Jekyll Island’s Historic District — the cluster of Gilded Age cottages and the Jekyll Island Club that make up the National Historic Landmark District.

It’s not a ticketed sit-down food event; it’s a walk-around festival with vendor booths selling shrimp and grits variations, an artists market, and live music across multiple stages, closing Friday night with fireworks around 7:15 p.m., according to Jekyll Island’s official festival page.

Past editions have drawn more than 45,000 attendees across the weekend over the 32-acre grounds, so plan on walking — the festival’s own guidance says walking is the best way to get around once you’re there. Note: this guide’s assignment brief referenced a chef cooking competition, but the current official festival page does not advertise one for 2026 — see the verification note below.

When is the festival, and what are the hours?

The next festival is Friday, October 22, 2027, from 4 to 9 p.m., and Saturday, October 23, 2027, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., per Jekyll Island’s official event page (read October 27, 2026). The 2026 edition ran Friday, October 23, and Saturday, October 24, with the same hours.

• Recurring pattern: The festival runs one Friday-Saturday each October in the Historic District. Applications for the 2027 festival were not yet open on the official page when we checked — see jekyllisland.com’s festival page for updates.
• Fireworks: Friday night, around 7:15 p.m.

What does it cost to get in?

These are the 2026 edition’s figures. Jekyll Island has not yet published 2027 parking fees or the event surcharge, so treat them as not confirmed for 2027.

Getting into the festival itself is free — there’s no ticket, no wristband, and no gate to the festival grounds. The only fee you’ll pay is Jekyll Island’s standard causeway parking fee, which applies to every visitor driving onto the island, festival or not.

• Standard daily parking$10 per vehicle per day (up to 8 feet), $15 for oversized vehicles, valid until midnight, per Jekyll Island’s parking page.
• Festival surchargeAn additional $5 is added to daily and weekly parking passes during the Shrimp and Grits Festival (also applied during July 4th and Holly Jolly Jekyll). Annual passholders are not charged the surcharge.
• Annual pass$100/year standard, $150/year oversized — pays for itself if you visit the island a handful of times a year and avoids event surcharges entirely.
• PaymentPurchase online in advance or at the parking gate.

Where do you park, and are there shuttles?

If you’re staying on-island, check with your hotel first — Jekyll Island’s official guidance says on-island hotels run direct shuttles to the festival, which sidesteps parking at the grounds entirely. The festival also runs an accessible shuttle fleet with attendants for guests who need it, and shuttles from area airports drop off at the Mosaic Jekyll Island Museum.

If you’re driving in for the day from off-island, you’ll pay the standard parking fee (plus the $5 event surcharge) at the causeway gate and park near the Historic District. With 32 acres of festival grounds and tens of thousands of attendees expected, budget extra time to park and walk in, especially Saturday afternoon.

• Accessible parkingDedicated accessible parking is located at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, close to the festival grounds.
• RestroomsFacilities are spread across the site, including at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, the Wharf area, behind Doc’s Snack Shop, the Morgan Center lot, behind Cotton & Copper on Pier Road, and at the Mosaic and airport shuttle stations.
• First aidA first aid station staffed by Jekyll Island EMTs runs all weekend and doubles as a meeting point if your group gets separated.

Should you go Friday or Saturday?

Go Friday evening for a shorter, less crowded visit, or Saturday morning right at the 10 a.m. opening if you want Saturday’s full schedule with a lighter crowd. Saturday afternoon and evening — especially as fireworks-adjacent Friday-night energy carries into Saturday’s headline music sets — draws the festival’s biggest crowds, so the artists market and food lines get long by early afternoon.

Families with young kids will have an easier time in the first couple of hours after each day’s opening, before the 45,000-plus weekend crowd fully arrives.

Who played in 2026, and who is playing in 2027?

The 2027 lineup has not been announced; we check the official page weekly. Music runs on two stages. Below is the 2026 schedule (now past) as published on the festival’s official live-music page (checked September 19, 2026; Jekyll Island has since removed that page, so the lineup cannot be re-checked). The festival noted that performances were subject to change.

Main Stage, in the center of the festival:

• Friday, Oct. 23: Backbeat Blvd. (4–6 p.m.), 14K GOLD Band (6:30–7:15 p.m.), The Tams (7:30–9 p.m.)
• Saturday, Oct. 24: Hot Banana Coffee (10–11:30 a.m.), The Rider Band (11:50 a.m.–1:20 p.m.), The Young Americans (1:40–3:10 p.m.), Idle Hands (3:30–5 p.m.), Squirt Gun (5:30–7 p.m.), Chris Taylor & the Rumor (7:30–9 p.m.)

Skeet House Stage, on the front porch of the historic Skeet House in the Artists Market on Pier Road:

• Friday, Oct. 23: Scott Pallot (4–5:30 p.m.), Andy Johnson (5:45–7:15 p.m.), Blossomin’ Bone (7:30–9 p.m.)
• Saturday, Oct. 24: Eddie Pickett (10–11 a.m.), Michaele Hannemann (11:15 a.m.–12:45 p.m.), Joe King (1–2:30 p.m.), Alex Bevin (2:45–3:45 p.m.), Paul Ivey (4–5:30 p.m.), The Carpetbaggers (5:45–7:15 p.m.), Ted Stuckey (7:30–9 p.m.)

What is it like with kids and strollers?

The festival doesn’t advertise a dedicated kids’ zone on its current official page, so treat this as a food-and-music festival you bring kids to rather than a kid-programmed event. That said, it’s outdoors, spread across a walkable historic district, and family attendance is common at Jekyll Island’s signature events generally.

• Stroller realityThe Historic District’s paths and lawns are generally flat and stroller-manageable, but with 32 acres of grounds and a large weekend crowd, expect slow going through vendor rows at peak hours — a compact, easy-to-maneuver stroller works better than a full-size one.
• NoiseLive music runs on multiple stages simultaneously, and Friday’s fireworks are loud at close range — bring ear protection for toddlers if you’re staying for the 7:15 p.m. show.
• RestroomsSpread widely enough across the grounds (see Parking and Shuttles above) that you shouldn’t be far from one wherever you are on-site.
• Georgia Sea Turtle Center: Don’t plan around it — it’s closed for the festival weekend, so save that stop for a different Jekyll Island trip.

Dogs

Leave your dog at your hotel or back home for this one. Jekyll Island’s official festival guidance is direct: “We encourage you to leave your pets at home,” citing crowded pathways and the fact that not every attendee is comfortable around dogs. Service animals are the only exception.

This is a real change from Jekyll Island’s usually dog-friendly reputation elsewhere on the island — the restriction is specific to festival weekend crowding, not an island-wide rule.

Want to check the policy at a specific Georgia attraction? See our 303-attraction Georgia dog-policy database.

Where to Stay

Staying on-island puts you within shuttle distance of the festival grounds and skips a second parking-fee decision each day — check with your hotel directly about their shuttle schedule for festival weekend.

If you’re deciding between Jekyll Island and its neighbor for a longer coastal trip, see our Jekyll Island vs. St. Simons Island comparison for how the two islands differ on cost, crowds, and things to do.

If you’re building the festival into a longer coastal Georgia trip, our Georgia coast road trip itinerary covers how to string Jekyll Island together with Savannah, St. Simons, and the rest of the coast. Our coastal Georgia hub and our 3 days in Savannah itinerary cover the rest of that stretch.

What to Skip / Common Mistakes

• Don’t skip the parking fee assuming the free festival admission covers it. Festival entry is free, but Jekyll Island’s causeway parking fee — plus the $5 event surcharge — applies regardless.
• Don’t bring a cooler or outside food and drink.The festival prohibits outside food/drink, large coolers, and a list of other items including tents, large umbrellas, drones, and glass.
• Don’t plan a Sea Turtle Center visit around the festival weekend. It’s closed while the festival runs.
• Don’t bring your dog expecting Jekyll Island’s usual pet-friendly rules to apply. The festival specifically asks attendees to leave pets home.
• Don’t skip comfortable shoes.At 32 acres with tens of thousands of attendees, this is a walking festival, not a park-and-sit one.

What happens if it rains?

The festival runs rain or shine, per its official FAQ. Coastal Georgia in late October typically sees mild days in the 70s Fahrenheit and cooler evenings, with an outside chance of a tropical system still lingering that late in hurricane season — check the National Weather Service Jacksonville/Charleston coastal forecast in the days beforehand rather than assuming clear skies, and dress in layers for the temperature swing between Friday’s afternoon start and the evening fireworks. For other annual Georgia events and when they fall, see our Georgia events calendar.

Which plan fits your trip?

Making a weekend of it? Our Jekyll Island visitor guide covers the parking pass, the beaches, biking and what’s free on the island.

FAQ

How much does the Jekyll Island Shrimp and Grits Festival cost?

Admission to the festival itself is free. At the 2026 edition the only required cost was Jekyll Island’s standard parking fee — $10 per vehicle per day, $15 for oversized vehicles — plus a $5 event surcharge added to daily and weekly passes during the festival. Annual passholders skipped the surcharge. 2027 fees are not yet announced.

Do I still have to pay to park on Jekyll Island during the festival?

Yes. Jekyll Island’s causeway parking fee applies to every vehicle entering the island year-round, festival included, and the festival adds a $5 surcharge on top of the standard daily/weekly rate.

Can I bring my dog to the Shrimp and Grits Festival?

The festival asks attendees to leave pets at home, citing crowded pathways, though service animals are still permitted. This is a festival-specific request rather than an island-wide ban — Jekyll Island allows leashed pets in many other areas outside the festival footprint.

Is the Georgia Sea Turtle Center open during the festival?

No. The center closes for the Shrimp and Grits Festival weekend. Plan that visit for a separate trip to Jekyll Island rather than pairing it with the festival.

Is there a chef competition at the Jekyll Island Shrimp and Grits Festival?

The festival’s current official event page does not list a chef or cooking competition for the 2026 edition — its published lineup covers food vendors, an artists market, live music, and fireworks. If a cooking competition returns in a future year, it isn’t confirmed as of this writing, so check the official festival page for the current year’s schedule.

When is the 2027 Jekyll Island Shrimp and Grits Festival?

Friday, October 22, and Saturday, October 23, 2027, according to Jekyll Island’s official festival page (read October 27, 2026): Friday 4 to 9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Parking fees, the music lineup and any rule changes for 2027 have not been announced yet, so those details here are from the 2026 edition and not confirmed for 2027.

Should we go Friday or Saturday?

Friday if you want a shorter, lighter visit and the fireworks, which go up around 7:15 p.m.; the festival runs 4 to 9 p.m. that day. Saturday runs 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. with the full schedule, but afternoon and evening draw the biggest crowds, so arrive at the 10 a.m. opening if you pick that day.

Is the annual parking pass worth it, or should we just pay daily?

It depends how often you come. Daily parking is $10 per vehicle, or $15 oversized, and the festival adds a $5 surcharge to daily and weekly passes. The annual pass is $100 standard or $150 oversized and is never charged the event surcharge, so it pays for itself if you visit the island a handful of times a year.

Can you get to the festival without driving onto the island?

Yes, if you are staying on-island or arriving by air. Jekyll Island says on-island hotels run direct shuttles to the festival, and area-airport shuttles drop off at the Mosaic Jekyll Island Museum. If you drive in yourself, the causeway parking fee applies to every vehicle year-round: $10 a day, $15 oversized, plus the $5 festival surcharge.

What should you do differently with a toddler or a stroller?

Arrive in the first couple of hours after opening, at 4 p.m. Friday or 10 a.m. Saturday, and bring a compact stroller rather than a full-size one. Paths and lawns in the Historic District are flat, but 32 acres and a 45,000-plus weekend crowd make vendor rows slow. Pack ear protection for the 7:15 p.m. Friday fireworks.

How we checked this guide: Dates, hours, admission and parking prices, and access details were verified against the official sources listed below on November 9, 2026. Operators change schedules and raise prices without notice, so confirm anything time-sensitive before you drive. The figures in this guide also feed our Georgia Attraction Transparency Index and Family Day-Out Cost Index.

Sources

• Jekyll Island — Shrimp & Grits Festival (official event page)
• Jekyll Island — Parking
• Georgia Sea Turtle Center — Hours & Admission

About It's Georgia Editorial Team

The It's Georgia Editorial Team writes every answer on this site around the questions a busy family actually asks before a trip: how long is the drive, what does parking cost, can the stroller make it, are dogs allowed. Details are checked against official park, city, and venue sources, and each answer shows the date it was last updated.