Exuma events through the year
The National Family Island Regatta, the Music and Heritage Festival, Junkanoo and the summer homecomings, and when they happen.
Exuma's calendar turns on a few big gatherings that fill every room on the island. If you want to be here for one, book early. If you want a quiet beach, know the dates and plan around them.
National Family Island Regatta, late April
The biggest event in the Out Islands has been sailed in Elizabeth Harbour since 1954. Traditional Bahamian wooden sloops from across the country race for a week, usually the last full week of April, while Regatta Park in George Town turns into a fairground of food stalls, music and dancing. The 2026 regatta ran from 21 to 25 April. Accommodation and rental cars sell out months ahead.
Bahamian Music and Heritage Festival, March
Two days of rake 'n' scrape, Junkanoo, storytelling, crafts and Bahamian food at the Regatta site in George Town, usually in the second week of March. In 2026 it took place on 13 and 14 March.
Junkanoo
The national street parade of costumes, cowbells, goatskin drums and brass is held nationwide on Boxing Day and New Year's Day. George Town holds its own Junkanoo rush-out around New Year, smaller than Nassau's but close enough to touch. Check locally for the date and start time, which is usually before dawn.
Homecomings and summer regattas
Through the summer the settlements hold homecoming festivals that draw Exumians back from Nassau and abroad, with sailing races, food and music. Rolleville's regatta over the Emancipation Day holiday weekend at the start of August is the best known. Dates move from year to year, so ask around or watch local notices.
Public holidays
Bahamian public holidays include New Year's Day, Majority Rule Day in January, Good Friday and Easter Monday, Whit Monday, Labour Day in early June, Independence Day on 10 July, Emancipation Day on the first Monday of August, National Heroes Day in October, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Shops, banks and government offices close, and ferries and flights can be busier either side.