Celebrate Christmas in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The area is offering a full line-up of events for visitors that are sure to become a holiday tradition.

Brookgreen Gardens is presenting Nights of a Thousand Candles, on select dates from December 4 – December 19. During this event, Brookgreen Gardens is aglow lights shining from the garden paths and trees and live holiday performance are also featured.

Market Common, a premiere shopping and entertainment complex, is presenting a variety of holiday events. The events start on Black Friday with a special tree lighting ceremony and shopping deals, as well as appearances by Santa. Free carriage rides and ice skating are also planned throughout the holiday season.

Christmas Towne comes to Myrtle Beach December 13, from 1pm – 7pm, at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. This event features events that are fun for the whole family, including train rides, ornament making and photos with Santa. An official tree lighting ceremony will take place at 6pm.

Special holiday shows in Myrtle Beach include the Dixie Stampede Christmas Show, a magical celebration featuring toys that come to life, impressive horsemanship, beautiful singing and, of course, a delicious four-course feast. Christmastime, starring The Twelve Irish Tenors, is a festive fun for all. This production highlights the reason for the season with a live nativity scene, accompanied by everyone’s favorite holiday hymns and carols. Legends in Concert Myrtle Beach is presenting a rockin' New Years Eve as well, complete with party favors, entertainment and a live broadcast of the New York City ball drop.

Visitors will also want to visit Ripley’s Aquarium Myrtle Beach. It is beautifully decorated to reflect the holiday season.

If you plan to celebrate the holidays in Myrtle Beach, reserve your Myrtle Beach hotel now.

Annual Treel Lighting Ceremony held at Broadway at the Beach

Broadway at the Beach’s Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony will officially bring to a close the 2009 Holiday Harvest Festival and introduce the Christmas holiday season. The tree lighting ceremony will be held Nov. 7 from 6-7 p.m. on the south side of Broadway at the Beach near the IMAX 3D Theatre. The event will feature special performances by The Palace Theatre, including the Irish Tenors. Folks will also be able to enjoy entertainment from the Socastee Singers, Carolina Freestyle Cloggers and a Gospel Choir.

But the fun won’t end with that entertainment. There will also be a special appearance by Santa Claus, and according to special guest host and WPDE’s Chief Meteorologist, Ed Piotrowski, those attending the ceremony will experience the first “snowfall” in Myrtle Beach this year.

“Our Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony is the first in the Myrtle Beach area for 2009 and has become a yearly tradition for many people in our community,” said Michelle Sutton, vice president of sales & marketing for Burroughs & Chapin Company, Inc. which owns and operates Broadway at the Beach. “It’s the perfect way to end the Holiday Harvest Festival and launch the Christmas season. Together, these two events are a great opportunity for families to enjoy the bounty of fall and transition into the holidays.”

The Holiday Harvest Festival is designed to celebrate South Carolina community pride and showcase the bounty of South Carolina’s agricultural industry, foods, wines and culinary expertise. Broadway at the Beach partnered with the South Carolina Department of Agriculture and the South Carolina Cooperative Extension at Clemson University to stage the 15-day event which runs through Nov. 7.