We don’t wait long in Sea Pines for the return of spring. When the calendar says “March,” we are done with our gentle, subtropical version of winter, and this means that fans of food and wine and good times are already making plans to take part in the Hilton Head Wine & Food Festival, March 23-29. Tickets move fast, and the festival has a nationwide following, so it’s not too early to visit hiltonheadwineandfood.com and arrange your tickets.

The festival’s Sip & Stroll will take place here from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 26, in the lovely plaza amid The Shops at Sea Pines Center. We are proud and grateful to be chosen once again for the event that is said to set the tone for the Festival, this joyful celebration of the good life.

Noteworthy wines, craft beers, and spirits are here to be savored in an atmosphere enriched by local musicians, local artists, local restaurants, and local businesses. Discerning browsers gather from near and far for an evening that creates the mood for this six-day celebration.

To the Next Level

Sip & Stroll joined the festival lineup in 2015.

“It has been a hit ever since,” said Jeff Gerber, the festival’s executive director, “and the move to The Shops at Sea Pines Center in 2021 helped us take the event to the next level. They are a tremendous partner and spearheaded us being able to add artists and live music to the experience.

“This took a solid event and moved it up about three levels, to what has now become an amazing evening. We look forward to building on the success in years to come.”

Too Important to Cancel

The festival was postponed from March to September in 2021, responding to pandemic precautions.

“It was just too important to cancel,” said Jeff. “The festival brings about $3.5 million to the local economy each year, and the efforts of our organizers and volunteers raise tens of thousands of dollars for charity. There are folks nearby and across the country who say it is just not to be missed.”

Local Attractions and Local Causes

Local boutiques and restaurants make The Shops at Sea Pines Center a drawing card for the Festival’s national following.

“We provide scholarships for deserving students at the University of South Carolina–Beaufort and at the Technical College of the Lowcountry in their hospitality management and culinary programs,” said Jeff, “so ‘local’ is vitally important to us.”

Over the past eight years alone, the Hilton Head Wine & Food Festival raised more than $155,000 for scholarships to students in hospitality and tourism. The festival added a $20,000 donation to TCL to help build their new culinary program kitchen.

A Weeklong Festival

Sip & Stroll at The Shops at Sea Pines Center is part of a six-day series of events that make up the Hilton Head Wine & Food Festival.

The largest of the seven festival events, the Public Tasting, will unfold, fittingly, at Celebration Park, off Pope Avenue, from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 29. The Public Tasting will feature more than 250 wines from all over the world. Known simply as “WineFest” among longtime Islanders, the Public Tasting will feature live entertainment, chefs in action, and a beer garden featuring local craft beers are added attractions. A silent auction will benefit the John and Valerie Curry Scholarship Fund.

Where Interesting Things Happen

The Shops at Sea Pines Center are grateful to be selected as the setting for another longstanding Hilton Head Island tradition.