On Saturday, November 14, two of the south end's biggest fall events happen on the same day. The 12th annual Bob Masteller's Jazz For All Ages festival fills the Sonesta Resort at 130 Shipyard Drive, in Shipyard. A few hours later, the Town of Hilton Head Island's Lantern Parade comes up the beach toward Lowcountry Celebration Park.
At first glance the two look like they compete for the same day. Look at the times and they fit together. The festival's music comes in two blocks, one at noon and one in the evening. The parade steps off in the open stretch between them. For anyone who lives in Shipyard, November 14 can be a single day with three stops, and the timing that makes that possible is easy to miss.
The listing says noon to six. The ticket page doesn't.
The island's visitor guide listing, shows the festival running daily from 12:00 to 6:00 p.m. on November 14 and 15. Anyone reading that would expect an afternoon of music that wraps up by dinner.
The festival's own ticket page tells a different story. Noon is when brunch starts. The headline concerts don't begin until evening, after the "6:00 PM" end time on the listing.
| Saturday, Nov. 14 at the Sonesta | Room | Time | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jazz Brunch with Harper Krimm and her Quartet | Savannah Room | Doors at 12:00 p.m. | $75 |
| VIP reception with cocktails, tapas and live entertainment, plus reserved concert seating | Santee Ballroom | 6:00 p.m. | $175 |
| The Joe Gransden Big Band, general admission | Concert | Doors at 7:00 p.m. | $45 |
Harper Krimm is billed as a Junior Jazz Rising Star, and her quartet's brunch set covers the Great American Songbook. Saturday night is Joe Gransden and his Big Band with "The Good Life: Happy 100th Tony Bennett." The set list includes "The Good Life," "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" and "The Best Is Yet to Come," all in big-band arrangements.
So the festival has a quiet stretch in the middle of the day. The parade happens to fill it.
The parade steps off in that gap
The Office of Cultural Affairs' 2026 parade page has the details. Marchers line up at 5:00 p.m. near the Alder Lane beach entrance, just south of the Marriott Grande Ocean Resort, and step off at 5:45 p.m. The parade leaves the beach through the Tiki Hut and Beach House resort parking lot, crosses South Forest Beach Drive and finishes at Lowcountry Celebration Park. The Town's September 29 announcement confirms the date and the 5:45 start.
Here is how Saturday lines up, using only the published times:
- 12:00 p.m. Brunch doors open in the Sonesta's Savannah Room for Harper Krimm's set.
- 3:00 p.m. Food trucks and drinks open at Lowcountry Celebration Park.
- 5:00 p.m. Parade lineup begins at Alder Lane.
- 5:45 p.m. Step-off. The lanterns head up the beach toward the Beach House.
- 6:00 p.m. The festival's VIP reception opens in the Santee Ballroom.
- 7:00 p.m. General-admission doors open for the Joe Gransden Big Band.
Two things stand out. The $45 general-admission ticket opens 75 minutes after step-off, so it doesn't overlap the parade on paper. The $175 VIP reception starts at 6:00, fifteen minutes into the parade. For a Saturday that includes lanterns, the ticket tier matters.
The parade page says spectators can watch from anywhere along the beach between Alder Lane and the Beach House. You can also wait for the finale at Lowcountry Celebration Park, where Groove Town Assault plays before the parade arrives. Four bands join the festivities: the Black Sheep Ensemble, Soda City Band, the United States Marine Corps Dirty Boots Brass Band and the Atlanta Drum Academy. The parade also features large lanterns by artist Chantelle Rytter alongside hundreds made by residents, visitors, school groups and local organizations. Near the starting point, the Marriott Grande Ocean is open to the public with lanterns for sale, food and live music.
If someone in the house would rather stay put, the parade will be livestreamed on the Beaufort County Channel.
The rules that shape how you get there
The parade rules work well for Shipyard households. Spectators may ride a bike to the parade but not in it. Dogs are welcome along the route as spectators. Marchers can't bring dogs or bikes into the procession, and they're asked to leave pets at home.
For anyone driving, the Town lists these lots:
- Coligny Beach Parking Lot
- Former Wild Wings lot, 72 Pope Avenue
- Former Aunt Chilada's lot, 69 Pope Avenue
- First Baptist Church, 100 S. Forest Beach Drive
- St. Luke's Anglican Church, 50 Pope Avenue
- USCB's Hilton Head Island campus, 1 Sand Shark Drive, with a shuttle running 4:15 to 9:15 p.m.
Part of the southernmost section of the Coligny Beach lot, along the tree line near the South Forest Beach Drive access, is set aside for accessible parking and viewing. Volunteers will check hangtags. Return shuttles from Lowcountry Celebration Park to USCB run until about 9:15 p.m. That matters if your evening ends at the park rather than back at the Sonesta.
The parade page doesn't list a rain date for 2026. The festival's ticket page names its rooms, the Savannah Room and the Santee Ballroom, but doesn't spell out the setup for every performance. Both are worth checking the week of the event.
Carrying your own lantern means booking a workshop first
To march, you have to carry a lantern. The parade page says so plainly, and it points people to community workshops held around town this fall. Two are posted with full details:
- Full Spectrum Studio, 33 Bow Circle. Wednesdays, October 28, November 4 and November 11, 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. $25 per person, materials included. Sign up at [email protected] or 786-371-5494, according to the studio's flyer.
- Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, 14 Shelter Cove Lane. The "Illuminated Parasols – Lantern Parade Workshop" on October 29, 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. $45.
The November 11 session at Full Spectrum is three days before the parade, so it's the last listed chance. The parade bans flaming lanterns, which are illegal in South Carolina, and flying ones. Groups planning to march together are asked to email [email protected] with the group name, number of participants and a contact. Each group then gets a lineup assignment at the beach.
Sunday follows the same pattern
The festival repeats its two-block schedule on November 15, with no parade in between. Brunch doors open at noon in the Savannah Room for vocalist Cynthia Utterbach with the Eric Jones Trio, in a set honoring the "Legendary Ladies of Jazz": Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Nina Simone. Brunch is $75. In the evening, the Jazz Legacy Project All-Stars present "Yes Indeed! The Ray Charles Experience," with "Georgia on My Mind," "Hit the Road Jack," "What'd I Say" and "Unchain My Heart." Ticket tiers match Saturday's: $175 VIP with a 6:00 p.m. reception, or $45 general admission with doors at 7:00.
Sunday is also the easier night for a VIP ticket, since nothing else competes with the 6:00 reception.
Every ticket supports something beyond the weekend. Proceeds go to the Junior Jazz Foundation, a 501(c)(3) that provides instruments to students, grants to school music programs, major support for Hilton Head Jazz Camp and college scholarships for young musicians. Festival director David Masteller summed it up in the festival's announcement: "Jazz For All Ages is about honoring the legends who came before us while investing in the young musicians who will carry this incredible music forward."
Saturday's brunch headliner, Harper Krimm, is billed as a Junior Jazz Rising Star, on the same weekend the festival raises money for young musicians.
Planning to have guests in town for November 14, or wondering which ticket tier suits the day you have in mind? I'm happy to help you plan the Saturday around Shipyard. Tierra Schaffer loves helping neighbors make the most of the island's best weekends. Let's Connect.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
