Oktoberfest Plans Underway in Myrtle Beach

Myrtle Beach is planning its 2nd Annual Oktoberfest, complete with German food, beer and entertainment. Hundreds of people are expected to attend the Downtown Myrtle Beach event.
The event is being organized by the Oceanfront Merchant’s Association. They have scheduled Oktober fest for October 9 from noon to 11pm on Ocean Boulevard between Eighth Avenue North and Mr. Joe White Avenue.

Authentic German food, beer and wine will be available. There will also be an alcohol-free kids zone, inflatable entertainment, bratwurst eating contest and a fireworks display. Entertainment includes music from Lee Travis and The Bounty Hunters, The Mulletts, Machine Gun, American Aquarium, Bloodkin, Passafire, Carolina Liar and Cowboy Mouth.

A portion of the proceeds from the event will benefit the Horry County Chapter of the Special Olympics.

Other area Myrtle Beach attractions will be open as well, including Ripley's Aquarium and their sister attraction Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum.

Biggest Loser Races to Myrtle Beach for Event Challenge

Myrtle Beach has been chosen to kick off NBC’s inaugural Biggest Loser Event Challenge on September 25, 2010. The Biggest Loser Event Challenge is a series of nationwide 5K and one mile events designated to inspire Americans of all fitness levels to get moving with others. The series kicks off in Myrtle Beach, with 16 more events to be announced for 2011. The event will be filmed by NBC for a two hour Biggest Loser special, airing in November 2010.

The Myrtle Beach 5K will start at 8am on Ocean Boulevard between 8th and 9th Avenues North and run south along Ocean Boulevard through Family Kingdom Amusement Park with the finish line on the brand new Myrtle beach boardwalk between 8th and 9 Avenues North. The one mile challenge starts at 8:30am and will be a shorter version of the same start and finish pattern.

Bob Harper, one of the Biggest Loser’s trainers, and previous contestants will be on hand after the challenge for a meet and greet with guests. All participants will receive a Biggest Loser Event Challenge t-shirt and finisher medal. In addition, the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce will host a free Fall Fitness Festival and Expo open to the public following the event activities until 7pm.

Myrtle Beach Boardwalk Named One of America's Best

Travel & Leisure Magazine has named the new Myrtle Beach Boardwalk as one of America's best boardwalks. Among the top Boardwalks are:

Coney Island Boardwalk - Brooklyn, NY
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Santa Cruz, CA
Atlantic City Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ
Hollywood Beach Broadwalk, Hollywood, FL
Ocean Front Boardwalk, San Diego, CA
Virginia Beach Boardwalk, Virginia Beach, VA
Myrtle Beach Oceanfront Boardwalk & Promenade, Myrtle Beach, SC
Huron Boardwalk, St. Ignace, MI
Kemah Boardwalk, Kemah, TX
Long Beach Boardwalk, Long Beach, WA
Old Orchard Beach Pier & Boardwalk, Old Orchard Beach, ME

This new addition to the beach scene on the Grand Strand provides a great way to see the sights and take in the beauty of the Myrtle Beach area.

Beach, Boogie & BBQ Festival Cooks Up Some Fun in Myrtle Beach

The 5th Annual Beach, Boogie and Barbeque Festival in Myrtle Beach is scheduled for September 3 & 4, 2010. The family-friendly festival will feature live entertainment, a kid’s zone, wake board demonstrations, beer gardens, arts/crafts vendors, delicious barbeque and a fireworks finale.

On Friday, September 3, from 6:30pm-10pm, the official barbeque cooking competition of South Carolina will take place. The event is sponsored by the Omar Shrine Temple. The barbeque festival will include an “Anything Goes” contest and festival attendees will have the opportunity to sample and purchase mouth-watering food and barbeque after judging for $1 per sample.

On Saturday, September 4, the festival will begin at 10am and last until 10pm. More live entertainment will be available, as well as a kid's zone, wake boarding competitions, arts and crafts vendors and beer gardens. The fireworks finale will take place that night. From 11:30am-4pm festival attendees will be able to sample from more than 60 local and regional barbeque teams.

The prices for the event are as follows:

$10 Wristbands – Unlimited Barbeque Samples (Kids 10 and under are FREE)
$7 Barbeque Dinners – Includes barbeque, baked beans, coleslaw, etc.
$6 Barbeque Combos – Sandwiches, chips and drink

Book from our selection of Myrtle Beach hotels now to get the guaranteed lowest rates.

Soar & Explore Opens at Broadway at the Beach

Broadway at the Beach has opened Soar & Explore, a family-friendly attraction featuring two outdoor adventures. The Myrtle Beach attraction includes a Ropes Challenge Course and a Zipline Adventure. The attraction is operated by WonderWorks Management. Soar & Explore offers the first and only zipline in the Myrtle Beach area, and is the only zipline over water in the east coast. The zipline adventure reaches across Lake Broadway, a scenic lake located at Broadway at the Beach. Riders will soar at a height of 50-feet above 23-acres of water.

The Ropes Challenge Course has a pirate theme and extends 40 feet into the air. It stretches over three levels and extends over Lake Broadway. It features 33 different challenges including swinging steps, a tremor bridge, tightrope walk and vertical angle stairs.

Soar & Explore is open from 12pm-11pm, seasonally. The price for the Ropes Course is $11.99 per person and the Zipline Adventure is $19.99 per person. There is a combo pass available for $26.99.

In addition to the great fun that is available at Soar & Explore, WonderWorks plans on opening one of its unique attractions known as “amusement parks for the minds.” The WonderWorks interactive attraction will be a 35,000 square foot upside down attraction with dozens of hands-on activities for people of all ages. There are currently WonderWorks located in Pigeon Forge and Orlando.

10 Things to Do in Myrtle Beach

1) Enjoy the new boardwalk which opened on May 15. The 1.2 mile boardwalk is a great place to stroll the beach and catch street performers.

2) See a Legend perform at Legends in Concert. Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, Martina McBride, The Beatles and Diana Ross all put on a legendary show.

3) Experience life under the sea at Ripley’s Aquarium, where more than 10,000 exotic sea creatures create incredible water-based displays.

4) Visit Broadway at the Beach, one of the most popular Myrtle Beach attractions. A 350-acre complex, Broadway at the Beach offers dining, shopping and entertainment.

5) Catch a stampede at the Dixie Stampede Dinner and Show. It features 32 magnificent horses, a talented cast of trick riders, hilarious racing pigs, a stampede of Longhorn steer, plus a fabulous four-course feast!

6) Play Golf in Myrtle Beach, where there are over 100 beautiful courses to choose from.

7) Head to the beach. The 60-mile are known as the Grand Strand offers sandy shorelines perfect for soaking up some sun and swimming.

8) Feel the need for speed at NASCAR Speedpark. Featuring eight action-packed tracks, this speedpark races to bring families together.

9) Visit the L.W. Paul Living History Museum, a 17-acre farm dedicated to re-creating life in Horry County in the early 1900s.

10) Fishing in Myrtle Beach is great fun. Rent a charter for the day or fish off of one of the eight piers located along the beaches and backwater areas of Myrtle Beach.

Broadway at the Beach Presents Summer of Live Entertainment

One of the most popular Myrtle Beach attractions, Broadway at the Beach, is hosting a “Summer of Live Entertainment” now through Labor Day Weekend.

The event will feature a series of concerts, contests, fireworks, mascot meet and greets and more for the entire family.

The 2010 Broadway at the Beach Concert Series is co-sponsored by the Hard Rock Café and Celebrity Square. It will run throughout the summer on Thursday Nights. Fifteen popular performers, including Everclear, Pat Benatar, Cowboy Mouth, Little River Band and Blues Travelers will perform. Tickets are required for these performances.

Each Tuesday night at 7pm, now through August 31, Broadway at the Beach will also host the free "Sprite Under the Stars” Concert Series featuring hit acts like Tokyo Joe, Hot Sauce, The Paul Grimshaw Band, Jah Creation and Liquid Platinum. These concerts will take place at the Heroes Harbor Stage and a Fireworks Spectacular will follow each concert at 10pm.

Appearances by the Margaritaville stilt-walkers, the Dixie Strolling Performers and live performances by Gabbie Rae and the Wow Factory are also scheduled. Mascot meet and greets are scheduled for Wednesday nights at 6pm.

Broadway at the Beach will also be celebrating its 15th birthday on June 26. Numerous free activities are planned as well as a fireworks show.

Myrtle Beach is the place to be for summer fun. Reserve a Myrtle Beach hotel now for the guaranteed lowest rates.

Discover Myrtle Beach this Summer!

The summer season is officially here and that means one thing – time to go to the beach! And, there’s no better place to explore the beach than Myrtle Beach, home to more than 60 miles of pristine beaches. Plus, there are great oceanfront hotels like the Hampton Inn Oceanfront to put you just steps away from the ocean.

Of course, there are other things to do in Myrtle Beach too. A golfer’s paradise, the area is home to more than 120 championship courses designed by some of the top names in golf, including Jack Nicklaus, Tom Fazio and Arnold Palmer. Ocean Boulevard is also a top draw as it has an assortment of shops and attractions to explore. Fishing from Myrtle Beach piers is also a favorite pastime, as is engaging in water sports like jet skiing, parasailing and body surfing.

Attractions for kids in Myrtle Beach are also plentiful. Ripley’s Aquarium is a highlight of any visit to the Grand Strand, as it features touch tanks, an underwater tunnel and beautiful exhibits that capture the attention of the youngest vacationer. Myrtle Beach attractions like NASCAR Speedpark, Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum and Ripley’s Moving Theater are also great ways to spend time with the kids away from the beach. Myrtle Waves, the area’s largest waterpark, is another great way to spend your time on a Myrtle Beach vacation. Featuring over 20 acres of swerves, curves, waves and chutes, it’s sure to be a hit with the kids. Plus, if you reserve Myrtle Waves tickets in advance you can take advantage of discount tickets available.

This summer, discover why Myrtle Beach is one of the top East Coast vacation destinations.

Ocean Boulevard's Hot Summer Nights Returns to Myrtle Beach

Ocean Boulevard’s Hot Summer Nights returns to Myrtle Beach this summer. Scheduled for June through September, this event offers great family fun, live concerts and street performers. The event is located in Pyler Park on Ocean Boulevard, and offers something to do in Myrtle Beach every night of the week.

The schedule is:

Monday Nights: 7pm-10pm
Kids Carnival with inflatables, bounce houses, face painters, jugglers, caricature sketchers, balloon artists, stilt walkers and more.

Tuesday Nights: 8pm-10pm
Live Concerts:
June 1 – The Jerry Cooper Band (Adult Contemporary)
June 8 – Tammy’s Tangent (Classic Rock)
June 15 – Quarterfly (Rock)
June 22 – The Lazy River Band (Rock/Blues)
June 29 – Mystic Vibrations (Reggae)
July 6 – The Jerry Cooper Band (Adult Contemporary)
July 13 – The Root Soul Project (Blues/Reggae)
July 20 – Tammy’s Tangent (Classic Rock)
July 27 – The Lazy River Band (Rock)
August 3 – The Root Soul Project (Blues/Reggae)
August 10 – The Jerry Cooper Band (Adult Contemporary)

Wednesday Nights: 9:30pm
The Beach’s Best Fireworks Display, located off 2nd Avenue Pier.

Thursday Nights: 8pm-10pm
Strolling Bagpiper on the Boardwalk

Friday Nights: 8pm-10pm
Strolling Dixieland Band on the Boardwalk

Saturday Nights: 8pm-Midnight
Live Concerts:
June 5 – American Aquarium with the Root Soul Project (Blues/Rock)
June 12 – Chris Hurt & Friends (Country/Pop)
June 19 – Crowfield (Americana)
June 26 – John Wesley Satterfield (Americana/Bluegrass)
July 3 – Lyndsay Wojcik (Folk/Americana)
July 10 – Leslie (Rock)
July 17 – Face to Face (Billy Joel & Elton John Tribute Show)
July 24 – Crowfield (Americana)
July 31 – Crucial Fiya (Reggae)
August 7 – Bloodkin (Americana/Jam)
August 14 – Chris Hurt & Friends (Country/Pop)
September 4 – Parmalee (Rock)

Sunday Nights: 7pm-10pm
Juggling, acrobatics, fire show, stilt walkers, human statues and more.

Note: Quarterfly will also perform on Sunday, July 4. The Lazy River Band will also perform on Friday, September 3.

Have a Blast on a Budget in Myrtle Beach

It’s easy to have a blast in Myrtle Beach! There are plenty of things to do in Myrtle Beach, many of which are easy on a family’s budget. This summer, don’t skip a vacation because you think you can’t afford it. With the guaranteed lowest rates on Myrtle Beach hotels and low prices on Myrtle Beach vacation packages, it’s easy to plan an economical trip to the Grand Strand.

The new $6 million dollar Boardwalk is now complete, and is a great way to walk the beach. The mile-long boardwalk has stunning beach views and is a fantastic place to find street performers and free concerts.

Broadway at the Beach is one of the most popular Myrtle Beach attractions. It is home to Ripleys Aquarium, IMAX, Margaritaville and numerous specialty shops. Free concerts are also scheduled for the summer, as is a new ropes course and zipline ride over Lake Broadway.

The Market Common is another great place to visit as they offer a KidsZone on Mondays, free concerts on select dates and plenty of shopping.

If you’re looking to relax, you can visit the Murrells Inlet March Walk where you’ll witness beautiful views of wildlife and fishing boats as well as access some delicious seafood restaurants.

The Family Kingdom Amusement Park is another great way to spend time in Myrtle Beach. This seaside attraction boasts the biggest Ferris Wheel in South Carolina and a wooden roller coaster called Swamp Fox.

Golfing in Myrtle Beach is a favorite pastime. There are about 100 courses in the area, so it’s a great place to practice your game.

Staying on the Grand Strand is easy, as there are a variety of place to choose from. Myrtle Beach hotels include Sheraton Myrtle Beach and the Hampton Inn Oceanfront.