For about 25 years, the third weekend of October in Richmond Hill belonged to the Great Ogeechee Seafood Festival at J.F. Gregory Park. In 2019 it ran Friday through Sunday, October 18 to 20, at 521 Cedar Street. Friday ran from 5 to 11 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. You could decide that afternoon, drive over and pay at the gate. Bryan County News laid out that weekend in its 2019 preview.
This October, nothing fills that weekend. The Bryan County Chamber's big fall event in 2026 is three weeks later, on a Saturday night at a private venue off Belfast River Road. You can't get in on a last-minute decision. Tickets are sold in advance only, so you'll need to commit before Halloween.
The weekend that went quiet
In January 2025, WTOC reported that the Chamber's board had decided not to bring the seafood festival back that year. The board said the decision came "after careful deliberation." Chamber leadership said the 2025 focus would shift to membership, retention, growth and business programs, coming right after the festival's 25th year in 2024. In the same report, Christy Sherman, director of the Richmond Hill CVB, called it a "beloved event" that "showcased the charm and hospitality of Richmond Hill." Bryan County News reported that the Chamber planned to announce a new fall event.
The seafood festival has no date on the 2026 calendar. The Chamber's new event has a different name, a different month, a different venue and a different way of getting in.
Boots & Roots works the opposite way
The Chamber calls the Boots & Roots Music & Food Truck Festival a new tradition, and its ticket page calls this year the inaugural edition. It's set for Saturday, November 7, 2026, at Belhaven, 1000 Belfast River Road. Belhaven describes itself as a rustic event venue on 14 acres, with pines, oaks, magnolias, ponds and open lawn, close to I-95.
The old festival ran over three days with rides, arts and crafts, and seafood vendors. Boots & Roots is one evening built around a single stage:
| Time | On stage |
|---|---|
| 3:30 p.m. | Gates open |
| 4:00 p.m. | Derrick Flowers |
| 5:30 p.m. | Chuck Courtenay |
| 7:00 p.m. | Hannah Dasher |
| 8:30 p.m. | Will Moseley, headliner |
The two official listings give different end times. The Chamber's listing says the night runs until 11 p.m. The Living Richmond Hill listing gives festival hours as 4 to 10 p.m. If you need to book a babysitter, plan for the later time.
The Chamber says proceeds support its work for local businesses, its leadership and workforce programs, and events that bring people together across Bryan County.
You can't buy tickets at the gate
The ticket page says in capital letters that the event is presale only and no tickets will be sold the day of the event. General admission is $77 total, a $75 ticket plus a $2 fee. It covers the live performances, the beer garden, the food trucks, restrooms and the festival grounds. The Chamber also offers a Front Row VIP Experience with premium viewing at the stage, and it comes with every sponsorship.
The rest of the rules on the ticket page are worth reading before you buy:
- All sales are final and non-refundable.
- The festival goes on rain or shine.
- Parking is off-site. A free shuttle runs from McAllister Elementary School, so plan on the shuttle ride instead of parking at Belhaven.
- Lawn chairs are welcome. Outside coolers and drinks are not.
- Beer, wine and seltzers are sold on-site, and you'll need a valid government ID.
Under the old setup, you could check the weather Saturday morning and decide then. This year, you have to decide sometime before November 7, the money doesn't come back, and rain won't cancel it. Anyone in the house who wants to go needs a ticket before the shuttle starts running.
November 7 is crowded before the music starts
The festival shares its Saturday with two other events. The Richmond Hill CVB's events calendar lists Cars and Coffee at the Richmond Hill History Museum, 11460 Ford Avenue, that day. From 10 to 11 a.m., volunteers will be placing and replacing flags for Veterans Day weekend at Oak Hill Cemetery, 1 Oak Hill Road, with work also planned at the Daniels cemeteries.
All three fit in one day. The flag placement finishes hours before the Belhaven gates open at 3:30, which leaves time for lunch and a stop at home for chairs. The night before, Friday, November 6, the calendar lists Live After Five at The Outfitters at Heartwood, 35 Outfitters Drive. That makes the first weekend of November the busiest stretch of the fall.
What still fills late October
Without the seafood festival, the old festival window now has smaller events spread around town. Here's what's still coming up as of Thursday, October 22, from the CVB calendar and local listings:
| Date | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Fri., Oct. 23 | YMCA Trunk or Treat | 154 Thunderbird Drive |
| Fri., Oct. 23 | Fall Festival | Way Station Christian Church, 10770 Ford Ave. |
| Sat., Oct. 24 | Fall Neighbor Fest, 1 to 5 p.m. | Richmond Hill History Museum, 11460 Ford Ave. |
| Sat., Oct. 24 | The Haunting of Savage Island | Fort McAllister State Park, 3894 Fort McAllister Road |
| Wed., Oct. 28 | Oysters for the Ogeechee, 6 to 9 p.m. | Love's Seafood, 6817 Chief of Love Road |
| Fri., Oct. 30 | McDonald's Annual Trunk or Treat | 4454 U.S. Highway 17 |
| Fri., Oct. 30 | Denim & Diamonds Casino Night | Belhaven, 1000 Belfast River Road |
Two things stand out in that table. First, Belhaven appears twice in eight days. Denim & Diamonds on October 30 comes one week before Boots & Roots. The Chamber's big public festival is now at the same rented venue that hosts private events, not in a city park.
Second, the one fall evening that still centers on seafood is held on the river. The Savannah Morning News lists Ogeechee Riverkeeper's Oysters for the Ogeechee for Wednesday, October 28, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Love's Seafood. Tickets are $100, and the night includes oysters, other food, drinks, live music, a silent auction and a Mystery Cooler raffle. The event listing adds what the ticket covers: unlimited steamed oysters you shuck yourself, chicken tenders, fried shrimp, sides, tea and water, and select beer and wine. Raffle tickets are $25 each or five for $100. If you live along the Ogeechee, this fundraiser for the group that watches over the river is about as close to home as a fall event gets. Like Boots & Roots, it's a ticketed evening. You can't just wander in.
Belfast River Road and Heartwood gain ground
The pattern goes beyond this season. The Chamber's listing shows that Hop Atomica broke ground at 110 Heartwood Avenue on April 15, 2026. It's planned as a brewery, distillery and restaurant in Heartwood's Outfitters Village, with opening projected for spring 2027. Live After Five already brings people to The Outfitters at Heartwood on Friday evenings like November 6. Between Heartwood and Belhaven, Richmond Hill's evening plans are moving to newer venues that sell tickets ahead of time. The old setup was a three-day weekend on Cedar Street that anyone could walk into.
For anyone in The Ford or across Richmond Hill who wants to be at Belhaven on November 7, the next step is simple. Buy the ticket now, in October, and plan to catch the shuttle at McAllister Elementary.
If you're working out a fall weekend in Richmond Hill, or which part of town fits the way you like to spend your evenings, Kimberly Pelletier is happy to talk it over. Let's Connect.
