Looking for things to do in Myrtle Beach? We love family friendly activities, especially those with food and drink! We will keep updating as we hear of more. Feel free to submit the ones you know about that we don’t have listed. Many of the events are affordable and family friendly but there are a few that the adults would prefer.
Click on each month to see what is happening. We are working on the links now.
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
January:
Restaurant Week – This year it kicks off on the 12th to the 22nd. This is your chance to try out new restaurants or stay with old favorites.
Grand Strand Boat and Sportsmans Expo – at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center from the 6th to the 8th.
Rivertown Wine Around – downtown Conway on the 21st from 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm. Visit a variety of downtown shops offering tastings of 15+ wines.
SOS Mid Winter break – Main Street, NMB on the 13th to the 15th. Enjoy music and activities at the lounges. SOS website: www.shagdance.com
Weekend Freedom rally to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King – Various locations on the 13th to the 16thto celebrate the vision of MLK.
8th Annual Murrells Inlet Soup-Off – on the 21st at Suck Bang Blow from 11:30 am until 4:00 pm.
Annual North Myrtle Beach 5K and 15K Winter Run–
Hotel, Motel and Restaurant Supply Show of the Southeast –
Freezin for a Reason Polar Bear Plunge – at the Sands Ocean Club
February:
Conway Chocolate Walk – downtown Conway on the 4th from 11:00 am – 3:00 pm. Spend a Saturday afternoon exploring the shops and restaurants of Downtown Conway while enjoying chocolate treats prepared by the businesses.
Rivertown Art Stroll –
MarshiGras – The evening will begin with a Costume Contest Parade lead by the Marshi Gras King and Queen. The parade will be accompanied by The Land of Dixie Band playing Mardi Gras-style music. The winners of the contest will be announced at the end of the parade. We are giving away over $1,000 in cash and prizes!
15th Annual KidzTime Festival – There will be face painting, entertainment, activities and special visitors! It’s a perfect event for the young and young at heart! Enjoy FREE admission, giveaways, live performances and more!
Taste of the Marshwalk – Each of the seven restaurants will wow guests with samplings created by their award-winnings chefs. Also, the MarshWalk will be lined from end to end with local and regional artists, businesses, non-profits and more. Don’t worry though, we didn’t forget the kids. Face painting, a mini petting zoo and bounce houses are just a few of the fun activities for your little ones this year. Live music will be played throughout the afternoon and evening at the restaurants.
Surfrider Annual Oyster Roast / Bloody Mary Contest –
GSJWC 7th Annual “Jeans & Jewels” Fundraiser – at Billy the Kids Restaurant/Maxwell’s Lounge. The Grand Strand Junior Women’s Club presents our 7th Annual Jeans & Jewels Fundraiser. Tickets are $100 per couple & include entry into the $4000 reverse raffle, live & silent auction, delicious dinner, complimentary drinks, live entertainment & more supporting local non-profit charities across the Grand Strand.
March
19th Annual Myrtle Beach Marathon – the 2nd through the 4th.
Surfside Beach Barbecue Fest –
7th Annual Irish Fest – at Market Common from 11:00 to 7:00 pm. Great family friendly event, with something for everyone including Great Beer, Irish Food, Live Entertainment, Vendors, Kid’s Activities, including face painting, inflatables and much more.
28th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival – on Main Street, NMB from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm. This one-day, rain or shine event brings approximately 30,000 to celebrate being Irish and welcome the coming of spring. A parade begins the day at 9:00 a.m., followed by three stages of live music and a children’s area with rides and amusements from 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Along Main Street approximately 150 vendors will display their crafts, services, information, products, or serve a variety of treats.
4th Annual Easter Egg Hunt –
Annual Surf Dreams Foundation Mac-N-Cheese cook off –
The Myrtle Beach Highland Games & Heritage Festival presented by The Myrtle Beach Regional Pipe Band. A Family Fun-Filled Day with Heavy Athletics, Live Celtic Music, Kids Games, Whisky Tastings, Authentic Scottish Foods and Merchandise and a lot more! A MUST SEE EVENT!
Family Kingdom season opener . Grab your family and friends and get your coaster riding started for the 2016 season.
April:
Pelican’s opening day will be
Springfest at Barefoot Landing. Stroll along while enjoying artisan vendors, sidewalk sales, food sampling, live music and more!
SOS Spring Safari –
Horry County Fair –
Loris Spring Festival & Outdoor Expo in Downtown Loris. Artisans, Farmers Market, Plants & Flowers, Duck Calling Competition, Kid’s Area, Classic Car Cruise-In, 5K and 1 mile fun run, Outdoor Items and Equipment. This festival offers something for everyone in the family.
March of Dimes Walk for Babies – Parking located at Myrtle Beach Pelicans Stadium. Festivities will take place at the Myrtle Beach Pelicans Stadium and the three-mile walk will take place at Broadway at the Beach.
The Earth Day Music Fest and 5K –
Risen Christ “Taste of the Coast” – at House of Blues, Barefoot Landing is an annual celebration of the Grand Strand’s best in food, drinks, and fun! Sample tasty specialties from the area’s best restaurants, enjoy top local entertainers, and watch your kids enjoy games and other fun activities! This is the family event of the year and you won’t want to miss it! Proceeds from Taste of the Coast will raise scholarship funds to benefit the students of Risen Christ Lutheran School.
Ground Zero Dragon Boat Festival – at Market Common from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm. This is a fun event to watch and cheer on the teams all for a good cause.
Socastee Heritage Foundation – Family fun for the whole family.
May:
Annual Blessing of the Inlet – at Belin Memorial United Methodist Church, Highway 17-Business, Murrells Inlet. The festival has grown to include a day of entertainment, more than 90 arts and crafts vendors, various Murrells Inlet restaurants and local food purveyors, children’s play area with inflatable rides and fun events.
2016 Rivertown Music & Craft Beer Festival –. On the streets of Downtown Conway, enjoy vendors, great music, a classic car show, good food and a craft beer tasting zone.
11th annual Mayfest on Main festival – will be held on Main Street from 10:00 am until 6 pm. This one day rain or shine event brings approximately 15,000 to celebrate May and the beginning of summer. Along Main Street, approximately 100 crafters will display their crafts and food vendors will serve a variety of treats. Children will be entertained with a kid’s area, while a community stage will offer live music and performances from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. At 12 p.m. the main stage will begin to features some of the best musical talents around until 6 p.m.
35th Annual World Famous Blue Crab Festival – from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm on the waterfront in Little River. The Festival is one of the largest festivals in the Southeast with attendance of more than 50,000. It will feature approximately 200 fine arts and crafts vendors, specialty food vendors, tremendous entertainment and a phenomenal children’s area.
X Con 9 – at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. This year, in addition to amazing guests from film, TV and comics, we also have the East Coasts LARGEST Cosplay Contest, 10,000.00 in cash and prizes will be awarded over 11 categories.
Local Grown Country Music Fest 2016 –
Myrtle Beach Bike Week Festival – Click festival to find out what is going on during the week.
Memorial Day Cookout in Surfside Beach – from 4:00 pm until 8:00 pm. Fun for the family with concessions, live music and fun.
Memorial Day –
June:
Native Sons Salt Games –
Sun Fun Festival – at Plyler Park and will run in conjunction with the Salt Games. This year, Sun Fun will return to its roots with live beach music, shag lessons and a shag contest, kids games, a parade, and more. Click here for the schedule of events.
Myrtle Beach Corvette Club Car Show – will be held on the 4th at Broadway at the Beach by the IMAX theater.
Carolina Country Music Fest from the in Downtown Myrtle Beach. Enjoy a great line-up of country stars.
Rivertown Wine-Around – at the shops of downtown Conway. Spend a Saturday afternoon with our friends exploring Downtown Conway! Along the way visit a variety of Downtown shops offering tastings of 15+ wines. Tickets are $20 in advance/$25 at the door and include a tasting glass. Attendees must be 21 to purchase tickets for this event and IDs with be verified at the check-in.
Festa Italiana – from 11:00 am until 8:00 pm and the 26th from 12:00 pm until 7:00 pm at Market Common. The Sons Of Italy Myrtle Beach Lodge #2662 celebrates 24 years of Italian Festivals with at The Market Common. Featuring authentic Italian foods. Featuring continuous live entertainment, Arts and Craft vendors, an Italian theme gift boutique, free face painting, a spaghetti eating contest, kids activities, and more. Admission $1.00.
July
Craftsmen’s Summer Classic Art & Craft Festival – at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center.
August:
South Carolina’s Largest Garage Sale – returns to the Myrtle Beach Convention Center from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, the 20th in the exhibit hall.
September:
Beach, Boogie & BBQ Festival – on the HGTC Market Common campus and is sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS) with over $8,600 in cash and prizes up for grabs by 25+ BBQ teams competing for points and lots of bragging rights! The festival will once again be a host event for the ‘250KCBS’ Meals Mission, where we will be donating around 30 cooked pork butts to a local food kitchen.
Coastal Uncorked Food and Wine Festival – returns for a unique culinary adventure over Labor Day Weekend. This year’s festival events will be located in the parking lot behind Pavilion Park Central, near the Welcome Center on the 21st Avenue side of Broadway at the Beach. The festival includes Brews ‘N the Beach Craft Beer Event, Chocolate Under The Moon and Grand Wine Tasting Tent.
SOS Fall Migration –
SeptemberFest! – will feature “Flavor of the Landing”, a tasting event benefiting Lowcountry Food Bank and highlighting Barefoot’s restaurants & eateries. Plus enjoy kids activities, sidewalk sales, live music, cars on display & much, much more!
Aynor Harvest Hoe-Down Festival – will be from 10:00 am until 10:00 pm and features musical entertainment throughout the day, children’s entertainment, street dances and hundreds of vendors. Enjoy chicken bog, funnel cakes and other festival treats.
The Pawleys Island Festival of Music & Art – at The Reserve Golf Club of Pawleys Island, has become one of the East Coast’s most beloved music and arts festivals and anticipated things to do in the Myrtle Beach area. The Festival continues to add events and include new artists and there is a great line-up of performers this year.
Rivertown Dine-Around – from 11:30 am to 3:00 pm in Downtown Conway! The Rivertown Dine-Around is a great opportunity for locals and visitors to sample the fabulous fare available in Downtown. Participating restaurants will offer a sampler menu featuring house specialties that reflect the spirit of the establishment. Mini-entree items on the sampler menu start at $2 and most items are not more than $4.
Fall Bike Rally – up and down the Strand.
Brew at the Zoo – from 5:30-8:30 p.m. This craft beer tasting will feature over 30 regional and national selections and offers a rare opportunity after-hours to see Brookgreen’s Native Wildlife Zoo. Guests receive a signature tasting glass and enjoy a silent auction hosted by The Friends of Brookgreen Gardens. Food and wine are available for purchase.
13th Annual Irish Italian International Festival – in North Myrtle Beach. The festival begins at 10:00 am and continues until 4:00 pm with fun for the whole family featuring food from local restaurants, two stages of live entertainment, street performers, art and craft vendors and more!
41th Annual Atalaya Arts & Crafts Festival – will be held at Huntington Beach State Park near Murrells Inlet.Featuring more than 100 of the finest artisans, the Atalaya Arts & Crafts Festival provides aesthetic beauty against a background of natural beauty. Enjoy fine art, quality crafts and food, along with the musical offerings of several of the area’s finest musicians.
Seacoast Artists Guild – will be sponsoring it’s semiannual arts and crafts festival at Valor Park from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. You can shop handcrafted items including photography, jewelry, pottery, glass and more.
Annual St. John’s Greek Festival on the at the St. John’s Greek Orthodox Church. Enjoy Greek culture along with the food and dance.
Annual Grillers Cup Benefiting Backpack Buddies. This event is open to the public and all proceeds of the cook-off, which is sanctioned by the South Carolina Barbeque Association (SCBA), will once again benefit local nonprofit Backpack Buddies of Horry County.
October:
Annual Myrtle Beach Wine Fest at Market Common – at Valor Park, Market Common. Free Admission but all guests sampling wine must purchase a wine glass – $5 and are “pay as you go.”Samples range from 2 to 4 tickets and all samples are 2 ounces.
Brookgreen Gardens Harvest Home Weekend Festival– More scarecrows, more animals and more fun from 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., and is filled with outdoor activities the whole family will enjoy. We’ll have favorite activities such as scarecrow building, pumpkin painting, hayrides, live entertainment, and more.
Conway Fall Festival – from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm in downtown Conway. Arts and crafts, car show, food and entertainment for the whole family.
Live Art and Music Fest – from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on the steps of the Court House. Presented by CREATE! Conway October is Arts & Humanities Month and CREATE! Conway kicks off the month with a community celebration of creativity. The Live Oak is a fun, family art event presented under the oaks and on the lawn of the Horry County Courthouse. Enjoy the Artisan Market with fine arts & crafts for sale while the kids visit the CREATE! Maker Zone. Bring a chair and enjoy a day of music performed by local songwriters and musicians. Coolers welcome.
Annual Chilympics Chili Cookoff and Festival- a. This event draws thousands of residents and visitors to raise money for the Grand Strand Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, and has become a staple of Grand Strand events. This year’s benefit, free and open to the public, begins at noon with chili samples available to purchase from over 40 area self-proclaimed “Chilimasters”. In addition to trying some of the most inventive chili recipes, people come for the music, art, local crafts, and vendors.
Annual Little River Shrimpfest – at the Historic Little River Waterfront. Festival goers can expect to enjoy a children’s area, face painting, stilt walkers, balloon artists, 2 stages of live music, and approximately 150 different vendors- including a variety of art and craft vendors, business expos, and community organizations. Fresh local seafood will be served by the local waterfront restaurants and your festival food favorites will be available from a variety of talented food vendors.
Annual Myrtle Beach Octoberfest – Oktoberfest beer, pumpkin patch, food, and a variety of vendors! Kid’s activities include face painting, inflatables, and much more!
Myrtle Beach Seafood Festival – will be a one day culinary extravaganza located downtown Myrtle Beach between 8th and 9th Avenues North along Ocean Boulevard. From fish to shellfish, and oysters, crabs and all things crustaceous, including music and fun for the kids.
Loris Bog-Off – from 9:00 am to 10:00 pm. Over 200 craft, retail and food vendors, 35,000 plus in attendance. Chicken Bog Cooking Contest, live music, fireworks, Free concert by National Country Artist, car & tractor show and much more.
Coastal 5K and Doggie Dash – Starting at The Market Common, the Coastal 5K features a loop course through this beautiful village setting, finishing at majestic Grand Park at 7:30 am. You can also bring out your four legged friend and participate in the 1 mile Doggie Dash. Designed specifically for dog-owning participants, the Doggie Dash lets you support the Grand Strand Humane Society with your pet by your side.
Annual Taste of the Town – at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center from 4:00 pm – 10:00 pm. 50+ Restaurants under one roof!
Endless Summer Festival – on Main Street in North Myrtle Beach. Enjoy fabulous entertainment, lots of vendors with one of a kind specialty craft items, food vendors, and children’s area with community stage and carnival rides. The festival will be held from 10 am – 4 pm. Best of all, this is a FREE concert, so don’t forget to bring your beach chair and enjoy the music. Music begins at noon.
Halloween –
November:
Souper Supper – from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm at Broadway at the Beach. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 11 and under and include all the soup you can eat plus baked goods, desserts and a live cupcake decorating station. Proceeds benefit the American Chef Culinary Federation education and students with scholarships.
Dickens Christmas Show – at the Convention Center. Shopping for the whole family to enjoy.
21st Annual Tree Lighting Celebration –
Intracoastal Christmas Regatta –
December:
Nights of a Thousand Candles – See Brookgreen Gardens come to life amid the soft glow of more than 5,500 hand-lit candles and countless sparkling lights from 3 – 10 p.m. Walk the paths with a warm cup of cider, hear the sounds of hand bells ringing, carolers singing, and celebrate the season with family and friends
New Year’s Eve ‘Garden by Candlelight’ Pre-Party. Begin your New Year’s Eve celebration at Brookgreen when the sculpture garden will open from 6 – 9 p.m. with thousands of hand-lit candles, holiday lights, and music. Space is limited for this special evening in the gardens and advanced tickets are required.