Hatton Gravely

Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and this weekend in the Grand Strand

Turkey Day is almost here, kicking off the official holiday season (at least in my opinion. I think retailers decided Halloween is the new Thanksgiving and kicked off the Christmas season last month!) Here’s a round-up of runs, shopping & events to keep your family busy after you’ve had your fill of turkey tomorrow:

1. Burn off the calories at the annual Myrtle Beach & Surfside Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning!

2. The Market Common hosts its annual Tree Lighting Ceremony on Black Friday with live entertainment! They also host a “holiday bazaar” beginning at 2pm.

3. Enjoy the spectacular lights show this weekend at Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland at the Pelicans Stadium, open every night throughout the holiday season.

4. Did you know Thanksgiving is one of the biggest days of the year to see a movie in the theater? Head to one of the local theaters with your family after you’ve had your turkey, and watch a movie on the big screen! Family friendly movies out this week include Penguins of Madagascar, Kirk Cameron’s Saving Christmas and Big Hero 6.

5. Of course, the Black Friday shopping frenzy will commence on actual Thanksgiving Day for many retailers in the area, but you can always wait until Friday to head out to score some great deals. Check out local shopping center and store hours here.

6. Shop Small this Saturday and support locally owned small businesses! If you have an American Express, you can sign up online to be rewarded for shopping at participating businesses this Saturday.

This post was contributed by Hatton Gravely, founder of Freshmom and Cute Christmas Pajamas.

Want to read more? Check out the latest on the Myrtle Beach for Families blog.

4 seasonal things to do this weekend plus Mockingjay and dinosaurs

By Melissa Byers Leave a Comment

Baby, it’s COLD outside! It’s not just us in Myrtle Beach – did you know all 50 states experienced 32 degrees or lower temps this week? It’s time to start celebrating Christmas this weekend with a few festive events around town:

1. Kick off the weekend at Barefoot Landing’s Annual Lighting of the Landing on Friday with fireworks at 7:00 pm followed by Santa’s arrival in front of Christmas Mouse.

2. May the odds be ever in your favor: Hunger Games – Mockingjay is out this weekend in theaters!

3. Do you have a dinosaur lover in your family? Check out the Discover the Dinosaurs interactive exhibit at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center on Saturday and Sunday.

4. Wear a holiday costume and head over to Broadway at the Beach to participate in the Jingle Bell Run & Walk 5k on Saturday afternoon.

5. The Palace Theater presents Broadway at the Beach’s 20th Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony, which features live performances beginning at 6:00 pm and a fireworks show at 8:00 pm on Saturday evening.

6. It’s not too late to get your tickets for Afternoon Tea with the Sugar Plum Fairy, put on by the Coastal Youth Ballet Theatre.

Hatton is a guest contributor, and writes over at Freshmom. Check out her gift guide for wine lovers if you need some early shopping ideas for hostess gifts or friends that made your nice list this year!

Want to read more? Check out the latest on the Myrtle Beach for Families blog.

4 things to do this weekend in the Grand Strand – crafts, food, and Christmas trees!

By Melissa Byers Leave a Comment

It’s supposed to cool down to the 50’s over the weekend, but little chance of rain! Grab your jacket and head out to these fun events with your family this weekend:

1. Browse Christmas crafts sold by vendors clad in 19th century top hats and Petticoat dresses for 33rd Annual Dickens Christmas Show, held this weekend at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center.

2. Taste the favorite dishes from each of the Marsh Walk restaurants, an oyster station, lowcountry boil, and live music at the inaugural Fall Taste of the Marsh Walk on Saturday and Sunday.

3. Head over to Seaside Elementary in Surfside on Saturday for their annual Fall Festival featuring crafts, inflatables, games, food and live entertainment.

4. Get in the holiday spirit and visit Ripley’s Aquarium to see the Festival of Trees, happening now until the end of the year.

This post was written by the lovely Hatton Gravely, founder of Freshmom. Check out one of her latest projects, Cute Christmas Pajamas! There you can browse and purchase a holiday pair of jolly jammies for you and your littles!

Photo: Ripley’s Aquarium on Facebook

Want to read more? Check out the latest on the Myrtle Beach for Families blog.

6 fun things to do in the Grand Strand this weekend

By Melissa Byers Leave a Comment

Have you noticed it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas? Retailers seem to shove the Halloween in the corner and break out the Christmas deals, decor, and displays earlier and earlier each year. And, truth be told, we’re saying “Let’s add that to your Santa list!” as a good alternative to “no” for every toy request lately.

Here’s a round-up of things to do in Myrtle Beach this weekend!

1. On Saturday morning, the town of Conway hosts their annual Snowball Drop, which sounds like a sight to see: they fire 1,500 ping pong balls into the air using a “snowball canon” for participants to catch, and then redeem the “snowballs” in the local stores for discounts and gifts.

2. Enjoy all-you-can-eat oysters, a Lowcountry buffet (BBQ, chicken bog, hot dogs & more) and live music creek-front at the 11th Annual Murrells Inlet 2020 Oyster Roast. The event is on Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

3. Carolina Forest Elementary School is holding their annual Founder’s Day from noon to 4 p.m. and it will feature inflatables, food, games, prizes, vendors, and more. It’s fun for the whole family and supports a great cause!

4. Pirates Voyage kicks off their Christmas Show this Friday evening! You can get a sneak peek at the show here.

5. The Carolina Opry Christmas Special begins this week, and runs throughout the holiday season.

6. Big Hero 6 & Big Hero 6 HD hit the box office this weekend, and the movie featuring a Marshmallow-Man-Look-Alike Robot looks very entertaining. (Also, if you haven’t seen The Book of Life yet, it’s still in theaters and we loved it!)

This series of local things to do during the weekend is written by Myrtle Beach for Families Contributor Hatton Gravely. Check out her latest post on Handwritten Thank You Note Samples on her blog, Freshmom.

Want to read more? Check out the latest on the Myrtle Beach for Families blog.

Halloween and beyond: 5 fun things to do this weekend

By Melissa Byers Leave a Comment

The Halloween season is nearly behind us, and we welcome November this weekend! Check out this round-up of fun, family-friendly (and food!) things to do in Myrtle Beach this weekend:

1. On Friday, there are plenty of places to trick-or-treat around town including Broadway at the Beach, Barefoot Landing, Murrells Inlet Marsh Walk and Market Common.

2. Burn off all of that Halloween sugar on Saturday at the Dia de los Muertos at the Franklin G. Burroughs – Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum in Myrtle Beach. This family-fun day is free with live music, food, face-painting, and art projects!

3. Head on down to the southend to sample food from local, popular Georgetown restaurants at the annual Taste of Georgetown on Saturday.

4. In case you haven’t heard, Magic Mike XXL is filming in Myrtle Beach next week, and they are casting extras for the movie this Saturday!

5. As a soup-lover, my favorite event of the year is the annual Souper Supper, which features soup tastings from local restaurants. Think that doesn’t sound filling? Think again – you won’t leave hungry!

This series of local things to do during the weekend is written by Myrtle Beach for Families Contributor Hatton Gravely. Have your kids been begging for the Snackeez? Read Hatton’s review of the As Seen On TV all-in-one snack solution on her blog, Freshmom.

Want to read more? Check out the latest on the Myrtle Beach for Families blog.

Hatton Gravely

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