Late spring and early summer is a favorite time in Savannah. Memorial Day marks the beginning of the summer season, and the events calendar blooms as bounteously as the flowers in the gated gardens and parks. If you’ve been wanting to visit historic Savannah and nearby Tybee Island, now is the time to book your Savannah vacation rentals and Tybee Island vacation rentals for accommodations with a local flavor. Agents from Luxury Living Savannah can match your needs with dreamy Savannah vacation rentals and Tybee Island vacation rentals that will make you feel like a local. Check in and check out these great Savannah and Tybee Island events for May and June.
Savannah Memorial Day Events
Before the fun and frivolity, take time to attend a somber and impressive Memorial Day service in Savannah.
Fort McAllister pays tribute to soldiers who died in service with an old fashioned Memorial Day service on the grounds of the fort along the banks of the Ogeechee River. The service includes living history interpretations and cannon and musket firings.
Saturday, May 25, 2019, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Admission: $5 – $9)
Learn about Georgia’s role in the war between Britain and Spain and the War of Jenkins Ear. Attend a presentation about the conflict at the Visitor’s Center at Wormsloe Historic Site. Military drills and a black powder weapons demonstration follows.
Saturday, May 25, 2019, 10a.m. to 4 p.m. (Admission: $2 – $10)
The coastal fort at Fort Morris Historic Site in Midway, GA has a stunning vista of the Medway River and St. Catherine’s Sound. The fort will commemorate Memorial Day with Revolutionary War soldier talks and musket and cannon demonstrations. Saturday, May 25, 2019, 10a.m. to 4 p.m. (Admission: $3 – $4.50)
The Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial in Emmet Park is the site of an annual candlelit memorial ceremony on Sunday evening prior to Memorial Day. The Memorial honors the 106 soldiers from Chatham County killed during the Vietnam War and the 25,000 other veterans from coastal Georgia.
The Friends of Fort King George in Darien, GA will commemorate Memorial Day with craft demonstrations and activities depicting the life of a soldier.
Saturday & Sunday, May 25-26, 2019, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Monday, May 27, 2019, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. & 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Admission: $4.50-$7.50)
Festivals and Farmers Markets
The Gullah people of the Lowcountry share a unique and colorful culture that is celebrated through traditional storytelling, music, dance, and food each year at the Original Gullah Festival of South Carolina just across the Savannah River in Beaufort.
This year, the festival takes place on May 24-26 with events starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday and ending Sunday evening at 7 p.m. Ticket purchase required.
Join the Telfair Museum’s 12th annual Juneteenth observance. It’s a free Family Day event that highlights African American history and Gullah culture through storytelling and demonstrations and ending with a musical performance at 3 p.m. The event takes place at the Jepson Center on June 8 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Enjoy a stroll through picturesque Forsyth Park and browse the wares offered at the Forsyth Farmers Market on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fresh and local fruits and veggies, local honey, dairy, craft breads, and other organic, healthy foods are available for purchase.
Tour the Tybee Lighthouse and stop by the Tybee Farmers Market on Mondays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. beginning on May 20. Fresh local produce is available along with education and advocacy programs.
Savannah Tours and Shows
Tea in the Garden is an afternoon tea held on Thursdays and Fridays in May at 5 p.m.in the lovely gardens of the Davenport House Museum. Costumed interpreters teach all about the history of tea and tea culture. Reservations recommended. Admission: adults $18, children (8-17) $14.
Learn some history along with lots of laughs on a zany tour with a comedic twist. Savannah for Morons is a new tour presented by The Trolley Tours on Fridays and Saturdays. Departure times are Fridays at 7 p.m. and Saturdays at 11 a.m.and 1:30 p.m. and last for 90 minutes. Admission: $33. Restricted to age 13+ (book through Trolley Tours)
Take an early morning walking tour to learn about Savannah and its colorful history of the 1820s. Conducted by the Davenport House, Discovering 1820s Savannah takes place on Saturdays in May beginning at 8 a.m. It covers topics like The Great Fire of 1820 and the yellow fever epidemic. Coffee and treats will be served in the Davenport House garden following the tour. Adult tickets $21.
Join in on The Crawl of the South, a Memorial Day-themed bar crawl that’s attempting to break the Guinness World Record for the largest bar crawl anywhere. It takes place on Saturday, May 25th from p.m. to 11 p.m. beginning at Stafford’s Public House. Registration is required at a cost of 4$ to $12.