The Street Fest closed out the 22nd Historic Bluffton Arts & Seafood Festival on Sunday, Oct. 18. That ended ten days of art, oysters and music that had started Oct. 9, according to the festival's official site. For anyone at Gascoigne Bluff who drives into the village for errands and dinner, that's the last of Old Town's big multi-day events this year. From here to the Christmas Parade, the Town's calendar settles into one weekly fixture, Thursday afternoon at Martin Family Park.
This Thursday, Oct. 29, is one of them. Over the next five weeks they carry nearly everything on the schedule. The Thanksgiving holiday falls on a Thursday and picks up two Old Town listings of its own. The first weekend of December also starts on a Thursday, which makes Dec. 3, 4 and 5 three event days in a row. If you plan November around Thursdays, most of the season falls into place.
The market moved to fall hours in September
The Farmers Market of Bluffton runs every Thursday from noon to 4 p.m., or until dusk, September through May. From June through August it shifts earlier, to 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. That schedule is published on the Bluffton SC events listing, which puts the market at 68 Boundary Street, a block off Calhoun Street. The switch shows up on the Town's own calendar. An Aug. 13 listing shows 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the December listings show noon to 4 p.m. The market's own homepage lists "Thursdays 12-4pm."
The "or dusk" clause matters more each week as the days get shorter. If you show up at 3:30 in late November, you'll find less light and fewer vendors than you would at 1 p.m.
The Town of Bluffton's November calendar lists the market at Martin Family Park, noon to 4 p.m., on Nov. 5, 12, 19 and 26. The Bridge Collective Market has a separate listing at the same park during the same hours on each of those Thursdays. Both markets also appear on the Town's events calendar for Thursday, Oct. 29.
Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11, is the one weekday in the month the calendar treats differently. All Town offices will be closed. A Veterans Day Parade also appears on the Town calendar for that date, but so far the listing gives no time or route.
Thanksgiving is a Thursday, so the wharf and the park both have listings
Nov. 26 is the fullest day on Old Town's November calendar. It starts at the river and moves inland.
| Time | Listing | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 8 to 10 a.m. | Historic Bluffton Annual Turkey Chase | Oyster Factory Park, 55 Wharf Street |
| Noon to 4 p.m. | Bluffton Farmers Market | Martin Family Park, 68 Boundary Street |
| Noon to 4 p.m. | The Bridge Collective Market | Martin Family Park, 68 Boundary Street |
The Turkey Chase is the only Town-listed November event at Oyster Factory Park, the waterfront park at the end of Wharf Street. For May River households, that makes Thanksgiving morning the one time this month the calendar points to the riverbank instead of Boundary Street.
The afternoon market listing comes with a caveat. It's on the Town calendar like any other Thursday, but it isn't labeled as a holiday market. Vendors who usually set up may take the day off. If your holiday menu depends on picking something up at Martin Family Park that afternoon, check with the market a few days ahead or shop on Nov. 19.
The Greenhouse sits between the wharf and the market
The newest restaurant in the village is right on the route between those two parks. The Greenhouse is at 1260 May River Road, on the corner of Wharf Street, and the Island Packet reports it is now open. Sisters Jennifer and Melissa Perri run it. It opened later than first planned. A May 2025 Island Packet preview projected a November 2025 opening while the building was still under construction.
According to the Island Packet, the restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner with Lowcountry influences. The menu covers trout, crab, steak and burgers, including a Greenhouse-style burger with chimichurri, grilled onion and white cheddar. A few details matter for planning around the Old Town calendar:
- Days: open every day except Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, the market and parade days, are all open days.
- Seating: walk-ins are welcome in the restaurant and the downstairs bar. The second-floor speakeasy requires a reservation and has its own bar and food menus.
- Parking: free at the restaurant.
Hours vary by day and are posted on The Greenhouse's website. With the corner a short walk from Oyster Factory Park, a Turkey Chase morning or a parade-day lunch can both include a stop there.
Two Promenade shops have expanded outside the village. A January 2026 roundup on Bluffton.com noted that Local Pie and Lettrs both opened second locations in New Riverside and kept their original shops in the Old Town Promenade.
Parade entries close the Friday before Thanksgiving
The next Old Town deadline comes before the holiday week. Entries for the 55th annual Bluffton Christmas Parade are due Friday, Nov. 20. The field is capped at 125 entries, first come, first served, according to the Bluffton Journal's parade guide, updated Oct. 12. Rules carried over from the Town's application:
- There is no entry fee. Entrants are asked to donate any amount to the Mayor's Stay Safe Bluffton Scholarship Fund, managed by the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry.
- Every entry needs a holiday theme, and undecorated vehicles that only promote a business are not accepted.
- Santa costumes aren't allowed, because the parade has one official Santa Claus.
- Nothing is thrown. Walkers hand out candy and giveaways.
- Floats can be no taller than 14 feet and no wider than 12 feet.
Applications go through the Town's online parade application, or by mail, email or drop-off at Town Hall, 20 Bridge Street. The Town of Bluffton Events and Venues team handles questions at 843-227-3873.
Dec. 3, 4 and 5 run back to back
The Town holds its tree lighting and parade on the first Friday and Saturday of December. This year that's Dec. 4 and 5, right after a market Thursday. Here is the sequence as the Town's December calendar lists it:
- Thursday, Dec. 3, noon to 4 p.m.: Bluffton Farmers Market and The Bridge Collective Market at Martin Family Park.
- Friday, Dec. 4, 5:30 p.m.: Tree Lighting, Santa's Workshop and Movie, listed at DuBois Park, 67 Lawrence Street.
- Saturday, Dec. 5, all day: the Christmas Parade.
Friday's location is worth a second look before you head out. In 2025, the Bluffton Sun reported that the tree lighting was at Martin Family Park. Santa's Workshop then opened at the DuBois Park pavilion, followed by a 6:30 p.m. movie screening. This year's calendar puts the whole evening at the DuBois Park address. The two parks are close together, but the Town's final event notice will confirm where the tree itself goes up.
Saturday has the stricter rules. The Bluffton Journal reports that the Town bans parking along the parade route starting at 7 a.m. on Dec. 5. Street closures will cover Old Town, with the route and detours posted closer to the date. The 2026 start time hasn't been announced yet. Last year the parade stepped off at 10 a.m. and went through the Historic District, and the Town says the event follows the same pattern each year. It runs rain or shine. The Town cancels only for unsafe weather and does not reschedule.
For May River households coming in by car, the practical step is to park off the route before 7 a.m. You can also watch from home. The parade is broadcast on The County Channel, with WSAV's Andrew Davis and Town spokeswoman Debbie Szpanka announcing entries from the judges' stand. Judges hand out Best Float, Best Performance and the "State of Mind" award. Anything lost along the route and turned in to Town staff goes to the Bluffton Police Department substation at 1264 May River Road. Owners can pick items up starting at 9 a.m. Monday, Dec. 7. That substation is on the same stretch of May River Road as The Greenhouse.
The next Thursday on the calendar after that weekend is Dec. 10, when the market is back at Martin Family Park, noon to 4 p.m.
The Ussery Group team is based in Bluffton, and Old Town's calendar is part of our own week too. If you're hosting family over Thanksgiving or the parade weekend and want help planning a day around the village, or have questions about your own home on the river, we're glad to talk. Request a Confidential Consultation.
