Stay and Play in May: Tybee Events You Can’t Miss
May is officially upon us, which means beach season is finally back. It’s time for warm sunny days spent lounging on our sandy shores and getting out and about with family and friends. Locally, our little barrier isle is bustling with activity all throughout the month because there are several sensational events to look forward to. If you want to be where the action is, mark your calendars for these marvelous May Tybee Events.
SCAD Sand Arts
The Savannah College of Art and Design is bringing its sand sculpture competition to Tybee on Friday, May 5. The SCAD Sand Arts Festival attracts multitudes to South Beach to witness hundreds of students representing a variety of majors create spectacular sandcastles, sand sculptures and sand reliefs. There’s also an air category for kites, inflatable or flying sculptural forms and kinetic wind-powered objects. The students will compete for coveted cash prizes ranging from $300 to $3,000. The participating artists begin sculpting at 10 a.m. Judging begins at 2 p.m., and the winners will be announced at 3:30 p.m. The festival will conclude with the traditional ‘sundown stomp’ where students and spectators will restore the beach to its pristine, pre-festival condition. It’s ‘shore’ to be a great time filled with incredible art that you won’t want to miss.
Cinco de Mayo Pier Party
Following the Sand Arts Festival is a lively party on the pier in celebration of Cinco de Mayo. Join Riptide Bar & Grill at the iconic Pier and Pavilion on Friday for a fun, festive celebration from 5 to 9 p.m. Partygoers can enjoy drink specials and free samples of the new Grupo Modelo lineup. And the pier party will be rocking with live music from Bonnie Blue. Celebrate Cinco de Mayo Tybee style and join in on the fun.
Tybee Beach Bum Parade
The world’s oldest, largest and most fun water fight is taking over Tybee on May 19 at 6:30 p.m. Started in 1987, the Beach Bum Parade is a Tybee tradition where float riders and bystanders face off in the ultimate water fight. Bring your best squirt gun and douse fellow islanders and visitors alike – everyone except the police is fair game. If you like to get wet and wild, the Beach Bum Parade is the event for you.
Tybee Tour de Art
Tybee Tour de Art is a local art market spanning several locations throughout the island’s north end, and the fourth edition is set for Saturday, May 20 from 12 to 6 p.m. Boasting more than 70 participating artists and vendors, Tour de Art is a fantastic opportunity to discover unique finds, gifts, décor and more that you can’t get anywhere else. Take advantage of Tybee’s temperate weather and bike to each location with a rental from TIM’S Bikes. Maps and bikes will be available at a discounted rate for the event. Be sure to check off each location on your map to be entered into a drawing for a special Tybee Tour de Art gift basket! All the more reason to go.
Memorial Day Weekend Beach Party
Round out the month of May with a Memorial Day beach party on coastal Georgia’s best barrier isle. Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer when Tybee tourism really takes off. Mix it up with locals and vacationers while enjoying the beauty of the beach. A DJ will be spinning records from the pier to get the party going. The party is set for May 29. And if you’d be so kind, come back to the beach the morning of May 30 for a post-Memorial Day beach sweep. We want to keep our coast clean and pristine so that marine life and beachgoers can enjoy Tybee for years to come.
