A Guide to Tybee Island Beach Bum Parade

The South’s Ultimate Water Fight!

An annual Tybee tradition is fast approaching, and it’s a special opportunity to get super soaked with community members from every corner of the island. What started almost forty years ago as a team rivalry between softball players has since grown to become the wettest, wildest water fight in the region. The Tybee Island Beach Bum Parade is a local parade, made all the more splash-tacular with water guns! This year’s parade is set for Friday, May 15 at 6:30 p.m. and you won’t want to miss it!

Children use water guns to spray people on a parade float on a wet street, with banners and decorations visible in the background.

Decked-out floats will travel down Butler Avenue with water guns loaded to soak passersby along the parade route. But pedestrians don’t take those sprays lightly, they return fire — or well, water — with their own aquatic blasters and bazookas! The Beach Bum Parade is incredible fun for the whole family where everyone arrives dry, leaves drenched and enjoys delightful excitement in between.

The water fight gets bigger and bolder each year, and whether it’s your first time attending or your fifth, there are a few things to keep in mind:

Do not bring water balloons and pressure washers; they are prohibited to keep everyone safe.

Bring plenty of water for ammo, but do not use ice water in your water guns.

Do NOT spray police; they are there to protect and their equipment is susceptible to water damage.

Be sure to keep track of your children as the parade route will be packed with people.

Protect your electronics and valuables in a plastic zip-lock bag or sealed, waterproof container.

Beyond the watery battle, the Beach Bum Parade is a celebration of community — a time for locals to come together before the influx of tourists arriving for Memorial Day and subsequent summer getaways. In the spirit of community, each year, the parade crowns local honorees. Our 2026 Beach Bum royalty include Grand Marshall David Jones, Queen Debbie Pagan, Princess Moana Lauri Kinkel, and Big Kahuma Jamie ‘Bama’ Davis. Of course, heavy are the heads that bear the crowns — be sure to spot these honorees and soak ‘em at the parade!

People on a decorated truck and on the street spray each other with water using large water guns during a parade on a palm-lined road.

The Beach Bum Parade is free and open to the public, so there’s no reason not to participate. To learn more about the 2026 event, visit tybeebeachbumparade.com.