It’s easy to overlook the fact that North Myrtle Beach offers much more than a place to rest and unwind. That’s understandable with miles of pristine sandy beaches and sunshine for days.
What if we told you it’s also a destination full of entertaining things to do? There are so many North Myrtle Beach events to choose from, from large community festivities to holiday spectaculars, unique celebrations to live music, concerts, athletic events, and so much more.
Without further ado, let’s explore the annual North Myrtle Beach festivals and upcoming events you won’t want to miss!
YEAR-ROUND
The Carolina Opry
The award-winning performance combines two hours of high-energy music, humor, and dancing in a beautiful theater with state-of-the-art lighting, sound, and special effects.
This variety program crosses all genres to bring you the best tunes of yesterday, today, and everything in between, with a cast of the country’s most talented performers!
FEBRUARY
ONE The Show at Alabama Theatre
ONE The Show continues to deliver year after year. The Alabama Theatre, voted the #1 Live Entertainment Theatre by visitors and locals in Myrtle Beach, presents this production that runs from February through late October.
ONE The Show combines extraordinary talent, iconic production numbers, sizzling visual elements, and lavish costuming with hit songs from various musical genres, including country, gospel, pop, Broadway, and rock! Dubbed “A Mega Hit” by critics, you’ll be taken on a fantastic musical trip full of song, dancing, and belly-clenching humor.
MARCH
St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival
With approximately 100 parade entries and a long fun tradition, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade is the largest on the Grand Strand. Thousands of people line up on Main Street every year to see a magnificent parade that can only be seen, not described. At 9:00 a.m., the parade begins with the procession route running from Ocean Boulevard to Ye Olde Kings Highway.
After the parade, there’s a street fair to keep the party going! All-day long, three stages of live entertainment will keep you in the spirit of Ireland. Expect to see Irish Pipe Bands, Irish Dancers, and a variety of other live acts. In addition, there will be about 120 vendors displaying their wares. Everyone may enjoy a selection of Irish delights and culinary festival favorites from food vendors and Main Street shops. Keep an eye out for the leprechauns and street performers scurrying throughout this festival.
At 4:00 p.m., the festivities come to a close.
“Nights at Nance” Concert Series
The Nights at Nance concert series, which features local and regional artists, returns to Myrtle Beach’s Arts & Innovation District from March through May. A fresh theme is featured each week, along with a live concert and two food trucks. So, bring your lawn chairs and unwind.
APRIL
Myrtle Beach International Film Festival
In mid-April, networking, forums, food, and events take place against the east coast background of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The Myrtle Beach International Film Festival (MBIFF) is an excellent place to meet your next collaboration partner or a potential distribution arrangement.
Every year, filmmakers, industry professionals, and film fans flock to this festival, and it’s easy to understand why once you arrive.
MAY
Myrtle Beach Sun Fun Festival
Each May, bring your family to Myrtle Beach for the annual Sun Fun Festival parade and events. The Sun Fun Festival, which ran from 1951 until 2011 and returned in 2016, starts off summer in Myrtle Beach with various family-friendly activities such as the Sun Fun Parade and live music and entertainment!
Fiesta 5K at Barefoot Landing
Take part in the annual Fiesta 5K at Barefoot Landing in North Myrtle Beach. Beginning at 7 a.m., the fun and family-friendly event will take place around Barefoot Landing. The race welcomes strollers and leashed dogs!
Enjoy post-race refreshments and trophies. All race participants will receive a t-shirt and a “Made in the USA” finisher medal. In addition, the finest costumes will receive awards.
World Famous Blue Crab Festival
The Blue Crab annual festival, held near North Myrtle Beach on the historic Little River shore, celebrates Southern seafood, beach music, and the arts. Visitors will be able to sample a range of festival foods both at the event and at Little River waterfront eateries. Local crafters and vendors will sell their wares throughout the day, and musicians will provide entertainment.
For the past eight years, the Sun News newspaper readers have voted the World Famous Blue Crab Festival the Best Annual Festival/event on the Grand Strand.
Myrtle Beach Bike Week Spring Rally
Around the Grand Strand, the Myrtle Beach Bike Week Spring Rally features bike shows, vendors, tours, and more. Enjoy day cruises to Charleston or up to Wilmington, North Carolina. Harley Davidson locations and hangouts like Jamin’ Leather, Beaver Bar, Ocean Annie’s Beach Bar, and others are the go-to hotspots throughout the week.
Military Appreciation Days Parade
Myrtle Beach was a military town for about 50 years. In the 1940s, it was home to the US Army Air Corps, and subsequently, in the 1950s, it was home to the Myrtle Beach Air Force Base. The US Air Force decommissioned the base in 1993, and the area has since been redeveloped into the Market Common District.
Myrtle Beach Military Appreciation Days commemorates the city’s military past by honoring those who have served our great country. Various free events, including a JROTC Drill Competition, a parade with Grand Marshal, and a picnic, are part of the month-long celebration in May.
Brookgreen Gardens Memorial Day 5K
Brookgreen Gardens is a sculpture garden and wildlife preserve in South Carolina, located just south of Murrells Inlet. The 9,100-acre site features the Lowcountry Zoo, many themed gardens with American figurative sculptures, and walks through several ecosystems in the property’s natural reserves.
Each year, everyone is welcome, including strollers, runners, and walkers, to this Memorial Day 5K.
JUNE
Corvettes at the Beach Car Show
At this family-friendly Myrtle Beach area event held at Broadway at the Beach, visitors will be able to meet Corvette aficionados and see a variety of old and new automobiles.
Best of Show, Best Engine, Best Interior, Best Custom, Most Extreme, Modified, and Myrtle Beach Mayor’s Choice will all receive trophies.
Carolina Country Music Fest
Carolina Country Music Fest® (CCMF) is an annual outdoor country music festival held in June along the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk with oceanfront views and at the Chapin Pavilion Place in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The McDonald’s® Thursday Night Kick-Off Concert kicks off the three-day (Friday through Sunday) country music event.
The inaugural event in 2015 drew over 20,000 people and has continued to grow each year. The most recent edition of CCMF, held in 2021, drew 35,000 attendees to a SOLD OUT concert.
Carolina Country Music Fest® delivers more than 30 of country music’s hottest artists to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, every year.
JULY
4th of July Independence Day 5K
This is one of the most popular races in Myrtle Beach! The 5K takes place in Myrtle Beach’s picturesque Market Common neighborhood, with attractions including the historic Myrtle Beach Air Force Base. Participants will receive a high-quality race jersey, a finisher medal, and other goodies after the event!
AUGUST
Sounds of Summer
Bring your beach chairs or blankets and your friends and family to the Sounds of Summer concert series at the North Myrtle Beach Park and Sports Complex. The Sounds of Summer concerts, which occur every third Friday of the month from May to September at 7 p.m., include family-friendly tribute bands that will have you dancing in the moonlight. You can even learn the local dance, the Carolina Shag, which undoubtedly will be seen.
Grab a refreshing beverage or a delectable snack at the North Myrtle Beach Park & Sports Complex Amphitheater while you relax under a setting summer sun.
OCTOBER
Little River ShrimpFest
Festival-goers can expect to see live music on two stages, stilt walkers, balloon artists, and more than 100 vendors, including art and craft merchants, business expos, and community organizations. In addition, local oceanfront restaurants provide shrimp and fresh seafood, while festival food favorites will be available from mouthwatering food vendors.
St. John’s Greek Festival
One of the most popular Myrtle Beach fall events is the annual St. John’s Greek Festival, which celebrates Greek culture, cuisine, and family fun. Grab-and-go goodies will be available for your favorite Greek foods and pastries.
Loris Bog-Off Festival
Rice, chicken, onion, sausage, and a specific blend of spices are used to make chicken bog, a Lowcountry meal.
Over the years, many variations on the original recipe have emerged, and the Bog-Off is a terrific opportunity to test them all.
The Loris Chamber of Commerce sponsors the annual event, which began in 1980 and attracts spectators from all around the state. A chicken bog cooking competition, live musicians, arts and crafts vendors, and more are part of the family fun festivities.
BooFest! at Barefoot Landing
In late October, Boofest! at Barefoot Landing offers all the seasonal fun. Expect costume contests for children and pets. In addition, there’s a DJ Dance Party and stilt walkers.
Stick around for a free showing of one of your favorite films, including Hocus Pocus in past years, on the Dockside Village Amphitheater Lawn.
NOVEMBER
Dickens Christmas Show and Festivals
The Myrtle Beach Convention Center hosts the annual Dickens Christmas Show. This one-of-a-kind Christmas festival includes a Victorian Holiday Marketplace and other shopping options and entertainment.
The Victorian Holiday Marketplace features more than 300 vendors dressed in period costumes selling jewelry, crafts, gourmet delicacies, holiday decor, and more. Music, tea leaf readings, Punch & Judy acts, and a live Santa Claus is among the entertainment options.
Participants in the Victorian Snow Globe Challenge and Scrooge’s Hunt for the Missing Presents can win fantastic prizes.
The Great Christmas Light Show
With a nearly 2-mile drive-through, The Great Christmas Light Show brightens up the Horry County night. This holiday tradition features over 2 million lights and 500 displays. It is a must-see during your vacation to North Myrtle Beach.
Thirty animated figures and holiday scenery come to life with the help of some Christmas magic. A rockin’ musical section timed to the sounds of the season are included in the displays!
From late November to December 30th at the North Myrtle Beach Park & Sports Complex, the merrymaking doesn’t end with the light show. Visit Santa’s Village after the dazzling light display for hot chocolate, s’mores, photo ops, and the big man with the beard himself! Take a ride on the Santa Express Train Ride to get a closer look at the lights, and then navigate your way around the Christ-maze!
Carolina Beach Music Awards
To promote Carolina Beach Music, the Carolina Beach Music Awards (CBMA) present a first-class program that highlights the influences and offshoots of the unique Carolina lifestyle. The Carolina Beach Music Awards are held in North Myrtle Beach to celebrate songwriters, producers, performers, engineers, promoters, DJs, dancers, and others contributing to the music.
Furthermore, the overarching goal is to keep this music alive by providing it the distinction, respect, and exposure it deserves. As a result, the Carolina Beach Music Awards have become a symbol of the genre, particularly in the heart of southern heritage.
DECEMBER
Holiday Golf Cart Parade
Families, friends, businesses, and individuals get into the holiday spirit for a chance to win prizes by decorating a golf cart for the holidays. The Humane Society of North Myrtle Beach benefits from the $10 registration fee.
For special events happening on your next vacation to North Myrtle Beach, keep an eye on our events page. This page highlights the specifics of our annual festivals, events, and plenty of family fun.