(BPT) - If you're looking for a warm-weather fall escape this year, head to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where coastal traditions, local flavor and memory-making events keep the season glowing. Locals agree that The Beach is at its best during autumn, when the Grand Strand comes alive with surfing witches, music festivals and cook-offs the whole family can enjoy. With unexpected experiences and one-of-a-kind ways to celebrate, fall at The Beach offers a getaway that's wonderfully different from the expected.
Below are just a few of the beloved traditions and new experiences you can enjoy this fall in the Myrtle Beach area.
1. Loris Bog-Off Festival
On Oct. 17, downtown Loris — located at the northern end of The Beach — will host the 47th annual Loris Bog-Off Festival. The festival celebrates the region's signature chicken bog — a Lowcountry dish featuring a flavorful mix of rice, chicken, smoked sausage and closely guarded seasonings. What began in 1980 as a cooking contest has evolved into an annual tradition that brings together family recipes, live entertainment and local vendors, culminating in a grand fireworks finale.
2. Witches Sunrise Surf
That same morning, visitors can head to North Myrtle Beach to witness the fifth annual Witches Sunrise Surf. Costumed surfers will paddle into the Atlantic to ride the waves, flying upon surfboards to greet a beautiful fall day. This playful Halloween twist is one of the area's most delightful and unexpected coastal traditions, and it will have you setting your alarm early to watch the sunrise behind a coven of black hats and broomsticks.
3. Conway: City of Halloween
For more Halloween fun, take a short drive inland to Conway, a historic river town that officially renames itself the City of Halloween, S.C. Throughout October, you can walk Conway's downtown and take in the sights of jack-o'-lantern trees, floating witch hats, oversized creatures, immersive lighting and family-friendly happenings. If you plan to visit on Oct. 17, make sure to take the family to see the town's Graveyard Grand Prix Coffin Race, where locals race homemade, human-powered "coffins" through downtown.
4. Patriots Day Festival
Visit Little River — the oldest of the Grand Strand's 14 communities — on Sept. 12 to celebrate the town's Patriots Day Festival. This event honors service members and first responders while also raising funds for a memorial reef, a diving and fishing destination and coral restoration effort. The reef gives this new event an added sense of purpose that connects celebration, service and coastal environment stewardship.
5. Little River Waterfront Fright Nights
If you're lucky enough to visit Myrtle Beach Sept. 24-Oct. 31, you can be among the first to experience the new Little River Waterfront Fright Nights. This six-week Halloween experience offers visitors plenty of spooky spectacles to choose from, including the Trail of Fear, waterfront decor, a haunted house, a costume contest and pirate-themed 'Boos' cruises along the Intracoastal Waterway.
6. NMB Live!
Music lovers, mark your calendar on Sept. 26 for the inaugural NMB Live! festival. This event brings three stages of free music to Main Street in North Myrtle Beach during the SOS Fall Migration, a celebration of the Carolina Shag dance held Sept. 18-27. The timing connects something new with a tradition that began in Ocean Drive's dance clubs in the late 1930s. Named South Carolina's official dance in 1984, the shag continues to be a vibrant part of North Myrtle Beach through lessons, competitions and celebrations.
7. Purdy Center
Visit Brookgreen Gardens — voted one of the top 10 Best Public Gardens in the U.S. — as it enters its first fall with the newly opened Purdy Center. This spacious venue and conservatory gardens feature a light-filled Great Hall, changing botanical displays and a floor-to-ceiling tropical Green Wall.
8. Harvest Home Weekend
Have double the fun by visiting Brookgreen Gardens Oct. 3-4 for Harvest Home Weekend. Families can enjoy traditional fall activities such as picking their annual pumpkin, building and taking home their very own scarecrow, getting lost in a hay maze, creating a festive craft and enjoying an Autumn Creek Adventure amid the sculpture gardens and Lowcountry landscape.
9. Myrtle Beach Songwriters Festival
Nov. 13-14, head to downtown Myrtle Beach for the new Myrtle Beach Songwriters Festival. This two-day event is a walkable celebration of original music, storytelling and coastal culture. Enjoy musical performances from more than 50 singer-songwriters and poets from across the country performing their original work in intimate listening-room settings in multiple venues. Produced by Songs That Save Foundation, the event will support local children and families through Backpack Buddies.
10. Jazz Fest
This year, jazz enthusiasts can help celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Myrtle Beach Jazz Fest on Oct. 16-18 in Myrtle Beach. During this three-day celebration, the spacious event grounds will feature nearly two dozen live jazz performers, along with a variety of food options and cultural experiences.
11. Crazy Sister Marina
Myrtle Beach's pleasant fall weather means there is still plenty of time for an adventure on the water. Visit Murrells Inlet and book an excursion with Crazy Sister Marina, a fishing charter, water sports and tour company that gives visitors unique ways to stay on the water well into the fall season, including dolphin-and-sea-life cruises, guided kayak tours, jet ski rides and half-day deep-sea fishing trips. Make sure to stay after sunset and experience a children's pirate sunset adventure, a Full Moon Ghost Stories Cruise and a Murder Mystery Dessert Cruise.
Your next beach vacation starts this fall
Whether you're seeking a quick weekend getaway or a longer stay, fall in Myrtle Beach offers every type of traveler a warm-weather escape that celebrates the best of autumn and the Grand Strand's unique communities. For trip ideas, lodging offers and a comprehensive event calendar, visit VisitMyrtleBeach.com.
