Beaufort Water Festival heats up with music and Frogmore stew. Are there new ticket rules?

Dangerously hot conditions are suffocating the South Carolina Lowcountry but the shows continue this week at the 10-day Beaufort Water Festival, which is just beginning to heat up after a rain-delayed launch on Friday.

New this year: There are no ticket sales at the gate. All tickets need to be purchased online in advance of arriving.

Each day this week, the arts and crafts market at the promenade along Waterfront Park continues from noon to 7 p.m. daily.

And h ere’s what’s on tap for the nightly entertainment this week:

▪ Motown Monday, featuring Deas-Guyz, was scheduled at at 8 p.m. Children age 5 and under get in free.

▪ Island Time Tuesday featuring Yvad Davy is at 8 p.m. Tuesday. First responders and the military get in free with an active duty ID.

▪ The talent show is at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

▪ The Lowcountry supper is from 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 18, with the headline entertainment Stuck in Time Band. The traditional South Carolina dish called Lowcountry Boil or Frogmore Stew, made of shrimp, sausage and corn, is served. The supper typically attracts 2,500 to 3,000 people.

Rain delayed the start of the 68th annual festival, which is expected to attract some 50,000 people over its 10-day run. Now hot and humid conditions are forecast through Thursday, with temperatures in the 90s and heat index values as high as 110 possible, according to the The National Weather Service in Charleston .

The heat index, also known as the apparent temperature, is what the temperature feels like when relative humidity is combined with the air temperature.

Heat related illnesses increase significantly during extreme heat and high humidity events, says the Weather Service. It’s advice: Don’t leave young children and pets in unattended vehicles, and take extra precautions like wearing lightweight loose-fitting clothing. Also, limit strenuous activities to early morning or evening.

High temperatures in the upper 90s, with heat index values as high as 112, were forecast on Monday.

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