As I hum I’ll Be Home for Christmas, I picture a beach-style Christmas, because I’ll be staying home for Christmas. But I can’t help alternating the tune with our local version of Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow…Just Not HERE! LOL!

While we rarely have a blanket of white to mark Christmas Day, we do hold a record—for one! In 1989, the Grand Strand celebrated Christmas with a beach of white (snow, not sand) when more than a foot of snow covered the coast on Christmas Eve. People were skiing on the beach and even in the streets, towed behind cars.

So, here we are thirty-five years later, still talking about “the time we had a white Christmas at the beach.” On the other hand, I grew up in the foothills of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. There were many Christmases when that wish, whispered in a song, came true. However, I suspect I won’t see another one. I hold many other Christmas traditions near my heart, and I’m happy to share them with you. We do know how to celebrate Christmas on the Grand Strand – beach-style! While you won’t see men made of snow, you may see men made of sand wishing you a Merry Christmas.

Brookgreen Gardens Celebrates a Beach-Style Christmas with Nights of a Thousand Candles

Brookgreen Gardens opened its sculpture garden 92 years ago and is considered one of the loveliest gardens in the south. For the last 25 years, Brookgreen Gardens has been lighting up the winter night. Nights of a Thousand Candles had a meager beginning in 1999 when the luminaries were brown paper lunch bags filled with sand and a candle inside, and twinkle lights were draped through the trees. Today, it is a production that Travel+Leisure Magazine named “Best Christmas Lights in South Carolina.”

A quarter of a century sounds like a long time, but it has passed in the blink of an eye. I’ve lived at the beach since 1996, so I was here when the first Nights of a Thousand Candles filled my nights with shimmering lights and cherished memories.

When you go, you will wander through acres of gardens while sipping hot mulled cider and watching the gardens come alive with 70,000 twinkling lights. The entertainment tents have performances every hour by much-loved locals like The Paul Grimshaw Band, Bill Oberst, Jr., Vocal Edition, and many others. The official tree lighting of an 80-foot fir tree happens at 6:45, and acoustic performances occur at the Leonard Pavilion. Plus, special guests wander the grounds playing bagpipes, caroling, ringing handbells, and, if you’re a very good boy or girl, you may spot old St. Nick.

The holiday exhibit is a collection of traditions and memories of the past. The Mize Gallery is filled with Lionel and American Flyer trains choo-choo-ing their way through landscapes designed for this event, run by volunteer engineers. The Rosen Galleries’ “Amusement Park and Pavilion” beach-style Christmas display stirs memories of Myrtle Beach’s historic pavilion and the rides at Myrtle Beach Pavilion.

Insider Tips

Be sure to dress in layers; the temperature can drop rapidly after the sun goes down. A beach-style Christmas doesn’t guarantee hot temperatures. Over the years, I’ve attended in jeans and a Christmas T-shirt and worn thermal underwear under my pants and sweaters, topped off with a parka.

You can make a reservation for dinner at the restaurant, plan to line up for Lowcountry favorites at the dining tent, or check out one of the scheduled food trucks. My recommendation? Go to the tent for Shrimp and Grits, and a glass of wine.

Atalaya at Huntington Beach State Park Holds a Beach-style Christmas Fair

One Saturday in December, artists and craftspeople descend on Atalaya Castle, filling its rooms with crafts and Christmas décor. The rooms of Atalaya come to life once more, with many of the rooms decorated as if the Huntingtons have returned to the beach to celebrate one more Christmas. Atalaya is located at Huntington Beach State Park.

As wonderful as all the arts, crafts, and tasty delights are, the best part of the day is the concert in Anna Archer Huntington’s sculpture gallery by the Pawleys Island Concert Band.

Motown Celebrates Christmas

GTS Theatre is a cozy venue with a talented team of singers who know how to work a crowd! Christmas songs have that smooth Motown vibe, and there is a touching tribute to artists who made Motown great that brings back many memories. From 1959’s first release, Money, until the eventual sale of the independent label in 1972, the Motor City label turned out some of the most influential music in history.

Show producer Elizabeth Wylde created the Original Motown Tribute Show, and we’re fortunate it found a permanent home in Myrtle Beach. The Christmas Show blends Motown sounds with much-loved Christmas songs, giving them a new rhythm that the audience loved. People were happily singing along and clapping (I was in the Amen corner!), and when invited, the anniversary couples took to the dance floor.) Santa puts in a special guest appearance at most Christmas shows, but for GTS, Santa sent his favorite reindeer, Rudolph, to dance his way into our hearts.

Ripley’s Aquarium Festival of Trees

Ripley’s Aquarium has an over-the-top Christmas display featuring fifty-five Christmas trees, each one decorated to honor the culture of one state or territory. The trees are on display from early November through early January, and you can admire these beauties when you visit the Aquarium. Thirty of the USA’s fifty states touch an ocean, so I always expect beach-style trees from a portion of those states!

Santa Visits Garden City in True Beach-Style

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus; you may spot him on the Grand Strand. We love seeing “Sandy Claus” on the beach; in the summer, he can be spotted on a surfboard (beach-style vacation, anyone?) He listens to special requests in the weeks before Christmas.

Kellie Sams of Sams Photography will be right there to capture your beach-style Christmas visit with Santa for you, too. She has an outdoor living room that is right at home on the sand. Kellie manages to get grins out of grumpy kids and dogs. She also enjoys capturing kids of all ages and family groups while they visit with Santa. Her family Christmas photos will be cherished reminders of meeting Santa on the sand.

Singing Along With Elton John

Elton John sings year-round at the GTS Theatre, but he goes all out for Christmas. The tribute show is fantastic and keeps the audience dancing in their seats, in the aisles, and in the back of the room! GTS is just a few miles from Surfside, in the southern end of Myrtle Beach.

A quick glance at the audience assures you that you aren’t the only one singing along. GTS is a small theater that overflows with energy and a speakeasy vibe. The glittering lights and the sangria will surely put you in a party mood perfect for your Myrtle Beach-style Christmas. You’ll be humming your favorite Elton tunes for days after you go.

Christmas on Main – a North Myrtle Beach-style Christmas

At the Greg Rowles Legacy Theatre, the troupe puts a masterful touch on Christmas entertaining. As an added bonus, Jason Cox is the perfect Danny Kaye to Greg’s Bing Crosby. I’m just gonna leave that right here. You will have to see the show for yourself.

Christmas on Main is a perfect blend of nostalgia and spirit-lifting music with humor sprinkled on top. Throw in a band that crescendos off the rafters of this forty-year-old theater, and you have the hallmarks of a perfect Christmas show. The night ends like a Christmas Eve of your dreams; gathered by the fireplace, they take turns reading the story of the first Christmas from the Rowles’ family Bible.

Insider Tip

When you go, arriving a couple of hours before showtime ensures a great parking spot, and no line at the box office. Then, walk next door, taking a shortcut through the rear parking lot, and have dinner at Ōdōri Japanese Steakhouse. You’ll receive a 10% discount on your meal if you show your ticket (or there is a card at the counter to take along with your meal receipt to receive a special discount on Legacy tickets.)

Ōdōri has special menus for lunch and early birds, and they put out a beautiful spread of sushi, so go hungry. The Cherry Blossom came recommended by our waitress as a house specialty, and she was spot on.

Celebrate a Surfside Beach-Style Christmas

I love my hometown! There is always something to do, especially at Christmas. My favorite local events stretch throughout December, truly making Christmas a season and not just one day.

Tree Lighting – on Thursday, December 5, the Town of Surfside Beach will kick off the season with the Christmas Tree Lighting, surrounded by a chorus from a local elementary school, followed by shagging in the streets to the sound of The Tams. This is a beach-style Christmas party, and we have sand in our shoes, so beach music intermingled with Christmas Carols makes perfect sense to us.

Christmas Parade – synchronize your watches for 2:00 pm Saturday, December 14. Participants in the parade are warned to bring LOTS of candy to throw out to parade watchers. The town police lead off the parade, and of course, the guest of honor, Santa, brings up the rear.

Crafts in the Park – You can do all your Christmas shopping in one spot, and buy from your neighbors. I got the cutest manger scene you ever saw! And it is made with found objects from the beach and trail. The Holiday Market will be held in Memorial Park so after the parade, check it out

Movies in the Park– Saturday, December 14, as the sun goes down on a day filled with fun, the movie credits begin to roll. Locals know to arrive at Martin Field early, toting along a comfy chair and warm blanket. This year’s movie will be Jack Frost, enjoyed with hot chocolate and popcorn the town provides. Merry beach-style Christmas!

Trolley of Lights – Friday, December 20, you can hop aboard a free trolley to view the dazzling Christmas lights in Surfside Beach. While awaiting your turn, you can enjoy free hot chocolate and enjoy a Christmas sing-along.

Golf Cart Parade – Saturday, December 21, locals decorate their golf carts and line up to drive along on Ocean Boulevard and down the town’s main street, Surfside Drive. Yes, this is the second Christmas Parade—we Southerners will use any excuse for a parade. Since Surfside Beach is, at most, eight blocks wide, many residents use golf carts as their means of in-town transportation, so there are plenty of carts for the parade—and the 4^th of July gives another excuse to decorate and hold a parade.

Breakfast with Santa – Friday, December 21, local pancake house The Golden Egg feeds Santa before his big day. It is not a well-kept secret, so children of all ages gather around and claim “I ate breakfast with Santa.”

Santa Hitches A Ride on a Fire Truck – On four dates before Christmas, the local fire truck drives up and down the streets of Surfside Beach, handing out candy canes to good girls and boys (and a few of us who are a bit questionable.)

Walk-through Lights on the Marshwalk

The Murrells Inlet Marshwalk is fun any day of the year, but wandering along the water’s edge under blinking Christmas lights can only be described as “magical.” In fact, they guarantee it will be the most wonderful time of the year. A nighttime stroll on the half-mile-long wooden boardwalk allows you to sip a hot drink and listen to music filtering out of various waterfront bars. The Marshwalk lights up the night every night, but on December 12, it will be even more unique as they host the 10th Annual Santa Crawl. All this and Santa, too? I’ll be there with jingle bells on!

Intracoastal Christmas Regatta Boat Parade

The Intracoastal Christmas Regatta takes place the Saturday after Thanksgiving each year. It is an eagerly anticipated event that starts at sundown. The parade of boats of every size and description leaves Little River and slowly glides down the Intracoastal Waterway lighting the way to Dock Holidays Marina.

Sit Back and Enjoy the Shows

So many shows, so little time. But several have matinees, so (with a bit of planning) you may be able to see two shows in a day.

Alabama

For two months every year, the Alabama Theatre is transformed into The South’s Grandest Christmas Show, a Myrtle Beach holiday tradition. The show blends music, vocal talent, beautiful scenery, and special effects to create an unforgettable evening of holiday entertainment.

For the rest of the year, Alabama entertains Grand Strand visitors with ICONIC, a show filled with country, classic rock, Broadway, pop musical hits, comedy, and aerial acts while embracing our unique beach vibe.

Carolina Opry

Calvin Gilmore, a legend in country music, opened the first live theatre in the area right here, Surfside Beach, in 1985. The show has become a fantastic entertainment venue, and the spectacular Carolina Opry Christmas Special is stunning. Billed as The Christmas Show of the South, it is in its 39th season. The performances move you from laughter to tears.

Thirty-five Christmas trees, covered in five miles of Christmas lights, ornaments galore, snow banks, and a 30-foot tree in the lobby illuminated by more than 25,000 glowing lights, fill the theatre–all for the Christmas extravaganza. The Opry photographers are ready to take your family photo under the tree.

GTS Theatre

The 9 Best Live Theater Venues in South Carolina lists  GTS Theatre as one of the best live performance venues at the beach. They say, “The performances you’ll find at GTS Theatre aren’t like anything else you will see on the Grand Strand.” Tripadvisor ranks GTS as #3 of 109 Things to Do in Myrtle Beach.

GTS has a week’s worth of shows: the Original Motown Tribute Show, Sound Tracks of Soul, The Stage Magic Show with Michael Bairefoot, and the Elton John Tribute Show. Then, Elton John and the Motown troupe revise their performances at Christmas, weaving in Christmas music.

Greg Rowles Legacy Theatre

Founder Greg Rowles may have a name that sounds familiar to you if you were a Star Search fan. Greg appeared on the show from 1994 through 1995, earning the Male Vocalist of the Year distinction. Santa, in his all-seeing wisdom, brought four-year-old Greg a guitar and amplifier. The rest, as they say, is history. Performing at Opryland USA and Alabama Theatre in North Myrtle Beach, he is now in his own venue. The beach-style Christmas show is moving and remarkable and is not to be missed. But if you do, never fear; you can make plans to see their variety show any time the rest of the year.

More Myrtle Beach Information to Make Your Visit Beach-Style Perfection

This article will help you learn more about the Grand Strand and plan your visit. And if you’re in search of great food in Myrtle Beach, this article will give you all the pointers you need.