Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina hosts the Lowcountry’s largest July 4th fireworks show, lighting up the night in grand style. Throughout the summer the marina also presents weekly Tuesday night fireworks as part of the HarbourFest celebration, giving both locals and visitors a reason to look up. If you’re staying mid-island and hear booms in the distance, no need to panic. It’s just another Tuesday night of summer fun on Hilton Head Island.

July Lowcountry Almanac

Make the most of the busiest month of the year.

July brings the heat, and not just the kind that calls for extra sunscreen. It’s a month of high energy, beach days, backyard barbecues and fireworks lighting up the night. In the Lowcountry summer is in full swing with mornings for fishing, afternoons by the water and evenings that feel magical when the bugs behave. Named for Julius Caesar, July is rooted in celebration and patriotism, with the Fourth of July as its centerpiece. Long days mean more time for swimming, crabbing, ice cream and sunshine. With help from the 2025 Old Farmer’s Almanac and Grow Great Vegetables South Carolina, this guide will help you make the most of it.

Night & day

Summer days begin to shorten slightly, but with the heat, we don’t exactly mind the sun setting a bit earlier. 

  • Sunrise: 6:18 a.m. – 6:36 a.m.
  • Sunset: 8:22 p.m. – 8:35 p.m.

Weather predictions

Brace yourself: July brings the full heat of summer. The Lowcountry is expected to see warmer-than-normal temperatures and the occasional storm.

  • Average temperature: 86 degrees (3 degrees above average)
  • Precipitation: 2.5 inches (2 inches below average)

Forecast by week

  • July 1-10: Isolated thunderstorms, hot
  • July 11-14: Sunny, warm
  • July 15-19: Showers, tropical storm threat; cooler
  • July 20-31: Isolated thunderstorms, turning hot

Tides & currents

Stay in tune with the rhythms of the coast. Click here for updated tide and current predictions from NOAA.

Astronomical events

This month offers more than just fireworks in the sky.

  • July 4: Mercury reaches its greatest elongation
  • July 10: Full moon (Buck Moon), named for the time when new antlers emerge on male deer
  • July 24: New moon begins
  • July 28-29: Delta Aquarids meteor shower peaks

In the garden

July is the hottest month of the year, and hot-weather crops are at peak production. Unfortunately, that also means extra watering and weeding. It’s also time to get fall and winter plants started. 

Prep: Spread compost, turn under spring cover crops, and prepare beds for fall transplants. Weed, mulch, and water perennials. Order winter cover crop seeds now.

Plant: Yes, you can still plant in the middle of summer.

Indoors: Sow small amounts of heat-resistant lettuces every 6-7 days (refrigerate seeds for two days before planting indoors).
Outdoors: In empty beds, sow buckwheat, soybeans or sorghum-sudan grass as cover crops. Sow more cucumbers, zucchini, corn, beans, rutabagas and winter squash. Transplant cabbage, broccoli and other brassicas in late July or early August. Plant chitted white potatoes for fall, and be sure to hill, water well and mulch.

Harvest: Enjoy a bountiful harvest, including beans, beets, blueberries, cantaloupes, carrots, celeriac, celery, chard, corn, cowpeas, cucumbers, edamame, eggplant, figs, hot peppers, lettuce, okra, onions, peppers, plums, raspberries, scallions, squash, tomatoes, watermelons and zucchini.

Best days 

Here are July’s most auspicious days, based on moon phases. 

  • Fishing: July 1-10, 24-31
  • Camping: July 7-8
  • Travel: July 24-26
  • Pick fruit: July 1, 27-28
  • Buy a home: July 4-5
  • Entertain: July 24-26

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