September starts tomorrow, and around Summerville that means one thing: Sweet Tea Festival month is here.

We shared an early look at this year’s festival a few weeks ago, but more details have started pouring in — including a newly confirmed Kids Zone, the return of the Hold My Tea Bar Crawl, a sweet twist on Third Thursday, festival-day logistics and more.

If you’re planning to spend time in Historic Downtown Summerville during Sweet Tea Festival week, here’s what we know so far.

The Main Event: Sweet Tea Festival

The 2026 Sweet Tea Festival returns to Historic Downtown Summerville on Saturday, September 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., centered around Hutchinson Square.

The free annual festival celebrates Summerville’s claim as the Birthplace of Sweet Tea, turning downtown into a street-fair-style celebration with food, artisans, vendors, entertainment and — naturally — plenty of sweet tea. Visitors will also have the chance to sample tea and help select the Tea of the Year.

Quick info
When: Saturday, September 19, 2026
Time: 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Where: Historic Downtown Summerville / Hutchinson Square
Admission: Free

And while September 19 is the main event, Sweet Tea Festival has grown into much more than a single Saturday.

The Sweetest Kids Zone Is Coming Back

Families now have another confirmed reason to make plans for festival day.

The Sweetest Kids Zone will be set up in Hutchinson Square on September 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Even better: it’s free.

Summerville DREAM’s newly released graphic gives families a peek at the kid-focused fun planned for the area, including inflatables, games and an archery-style activity.

That adds another piece to what should be a very family-friendly festival day — especially for parents looking for something to break up the shopping, food and wandering around downtown.

Hold My Tea Is Back

The Hold My Tea Bar Crawl & Sweet Tea Cocktail Contest returns September 14–20, giving adults an entire week to sample sweet-tea-inspired cocktails from participating Summerville restaurants and bars.

This year’s participating locations are:

• The Azalea Bar & Garden
• Five Loaves Cafe
• Godwin’s Beer Hall
• The Icehouse Restaurant
• Kersey House
• La Chev 208
• Laura
• Low Country Fish Camp
• Lowcountry Public House
• Luxe Bar & Bistro
• Montreux Bar & Grill
• Sweetwater One Twenty Three

Participants can pick up a Hold My Tea Bingo Card, purchase Sweet Tea cocktails at participating locations and mark off their stops. Complete seven spots in a row and you can redeem the card for a free Bar Crawl shirt while supplies last.

Visitors can also vote for their favorite cocktail for the People’s Choice Award, while a judging panel selects a Critic’s Choice winner. In other words, Sweet Tea Festival week has its own very Summerville version of a pub crawl.

The Sweetest Third Thursday Ever

Festival week also includes September’s Third Thursday.

On Thursday, September 17, from 5:30–8:30 p.m., downtown will host what Summerville DREAM is calling “The SWEETEST Third Thursday ever!”

Third Thursday normally brings vendors, local entertainment, extended shopping hours and plenty of activity throughout Hutchinson Square, West Richardson Avenue and Short Central. Adding the Sweet Tea spin just two days before the festival should make downtown especially lively that week.

So, no — you don’t necessarily have to wait until Saturday to start celebrating.

Saturday Morning Starts With the Farmers Market

Before — and as — the festival gets underway, downtown will also have its regular Saturday morning tradition.

The Summerville Farmers Market normally runs Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. behind Town Hall at First Citizens Bank, with farmers, growers, artisans and specialty food vendors.

A “Sweetest Farmers Market” is also being promoted as part of the Sweet Tea festivities, giving festival visitors plenty to explore before they even make their way through the main event.

Come hungry. That’s probably the safest advice we can give you.

Don’t Forget About Mason

If you’re going all-in on Sweet Tea season, you might as well stop by and visit the local celebrity responsible for a whole lot of Summerville selfies.

Mason, the World’s Largest Sweet Tea, sits next to Town Hall at 200 South Main Street.

Summerville earned the Guinness World Record in 2016 with a container holding 2,524 gallons of sweet tea. Mason stands more than 15 feet tall and remains one of the most visible reminders that Summerville takes this whole Sweet Tea thing pretty seriously.

Sweet Tea Mugs Will Be Available Festival Day

If you like collecting Sweet Tea Festival keepsakes, this year’s Sweet Tea mugs will be available during the festival on September 19. The mugs have become a fun collectible for festival regulars — and a pretty appropriate addition to any Summerville kitchen cabinet.

Look for the mugs at the Summerville DREAM tent on West Richardson Avenue during the festival, which runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Historic Downtown Summerville.

Plan Ahead for Parking and Road Closures

If you’ve been to Sweet Tea Festival before, you already know this part: downtown gets busy.

The Town of Summerville currently lists these festival-day closures:

• Little Main Street: beginning at 6 a.m.
• Doty: beginning at 8 a.m.
• West Richardson toward Short Central: beginning at 8 a.m.

The Town’s event listing currently shows those closures continuing until approximately 5 p.m.

Parking immediately around Hutchinson Square will be limited, so plan on possibly parking several blocks away. Summerville DREAM also notes that the downtown parking garage will be available throughout the day.

Official sources have shown slightly different closure times and details in a few places, so check the latest Town and Summerville DREAM information again before September 19.

You May Want to Leave the Dog at Home

Because Sweet Tea Festival brings thousands of people downtown, organizers strongly recommend leaving pets at home for their safety and the safety of festival guests.

Between the crowds, pavement, noise and September weather, this may be one Summerville outing where your four-legged family member is happier enjoying the air conditioning.

Get Into a Sweet Tea State of Mind

We’re getting ready for Sweet Tea season at What’s Up Summerville, too.

Our “Sweet Tea State of Mind” shirts are available in a limited quantity for $20 each, with sizes Medium through XL available while supplies last. Free delivery is available in Summerville.

So if you were looking for something appropriate to wear while wandering downtown with sweet tea in one hand and something from a food vendor in the other, we may know a guy.

Sweet Tea Festival Week at a Glance

• September 14–20: Hold My Tea Bar Crawl & Sweet Tea Cocktail Contest
• September 17: The SWEETEST Third Thursday Ever
• September 19: Sweet Tea Festival, Sweetest Kids Zone and festival-day activities
• September 19: Sweetest Farmers Market

More entertainment details and day-of information may still be announced as September 19 gets closer, and we’ll keep updating our Sweet Tea Festival coverage as those plans are confirmed.

Sweet Tea Festival returns September 19. See you downtown.