Celebrate the Holiday Season at North Beach Plantation

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Any time of year is a great time for a relaxing vacation getaway to North Beach Plantation, but the holiday season is extra special thanks to the abundance of special events, festivals and shows taking place around Christmas. North Beach guests can catch a Christmas show at the nearby Alabama Theatre, watch a boat parade down the Intracoastal Waterway, and visit a local winery – all within a short drive of the resort. Here's a full list of fun things to do on the Grand Strand for the holidays:

Nov. 2-Dec. 31, Christmas Shows: Get your entire family in the Christmas spirit by visiting one of our local theaters for their annual Christmas shows. The Alabama Theatre's “The South's Grandest Christmas” opens Nov. 2, and Elvis tribute artist Eddie Miles makes a few appearances in December. Other shows include the Carolina Opry's “Christmas Show of the South,” the Palace Theatre's “Christmas Wonderland,” and Legends in Concert's holiday-themed shows featuring popular Christmas music by tribute artists like Nat King Cole.

Nov. 7-Dec. 31, Festival of Trees: There's something fishy this holiday season at Ripley's Aquarium, like the appearance of trees. The Festival of Trees runs through Christmas and features 50 trees decorated to represent each state in the union. Oh yeah, there are lots of sharks looking for a holiday feast, too.

Nov. 12-14, Dickens Christmas Show & Festivals: A Christmas tradition comes to the Myrtle Beach Convention Center to spread holiday cheer.  Visit a replicated 19th century village market complete with costumed vendors selling period wares. Based on Charles Dickens' classic novel “A Christmas Story,” this event features antique and handmade gifts, arts and crafts, holiday decorations and more. Exhibits highlight the history of Christmas pasts and other holiday novelties, and several off-site events are at local theaters, restaurants and attractions throughout the season.

Nov. 26-28, 46th Annual South Carolina State Bluegrass Festival: Myrtle Beach turns into the bluegrass music capital over Thanksgiving weekend for an event that has become a family tradition on the Grand Strand. Featuring some of the biggest names in bluegrass, acoustic and gospel music performing for three days at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center, this festival attracts large crowds to see such artists as Daly & Vincent, Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, and many others.

Nov. 26-Dec 31: Christmas Wonderland: The new North Myrtle Beach Sports and Recreation Center is magically transformed into a Christmas Wonderland during the holidays. Held from Nov. 26 through Dec. 31, this festival features a wide range of Christmas activities for the whole family, but the highlight is the Hayride Lights Extravaganza. Guests can snuggle up in a wagon and ride through the high-tech light display while holiday music plays in concert with the dazzling light show. Held from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m., the Christmas Wonderland also features a 3D Walk to the North Pole, a Christmas Under the Sea Puppet Show, Rudolph's Buddies Petting Zoo, the Great Christmas Paintball Challenge, and the Cirqu-Du-Elf circus act, as well as live music, Santa photos and fireworks. Admission is free but some activities require a small fee.

Nov. 28, Intracoastal Christmas Regatta: This is one Christmas parade you will never forget. Vessels ranging from small john boats to luxury yachts decorate their ships and line up to light up the Intracoastal Waterway with Christmas cheer. The parade sails out at 5 p.m. and slowly flows downstream from Little River Inlet to Dock Holiday's, arriving at approximately 7 p.m. for a dockside party.

Dec. 3-19, Nights of a Thousand Candles: The holiday event of the year on the Grand Strand features Christmas lights and spirit spread throughout this botanical sculpture garden at night. For nine evenings only, guests can stroll through the scenic sculptures and plant life and enjoy the 5,500 lights, holiday decorations, Christmas caroling and other performances.

Dec. 4-6, 29th Annual Springmaid Beach Winter Arts & Crafts Show: This is the place to shop for those hard-to-find items or something unique for those hard-to-shop-for folks on your Christmas list. Arts and crafts vendors from all over the East Coast come to this traditional event to sell their wares and provide special gift ideas for patrons.

Dec. 5, Broadway at the Beach Tree Lighting: The most popular place in Myrtle Beach for entertainment, dining and shopping also becomes the hot spot for Christmas celebrations Sunday at sunset. Live musical performances and an appearance from the jolly ol' elf himself highlight this holiday event.

Dec. 5-23, Breakfast with Santa: The most important meal of the day is especially critical to Santa, who has to fuel up before traveling around the world with only cookies and milk to snack on. Santa is carbo-loading in Myrtle Beach before he flies the friendly skies, and you can join him at any of these “Breakfast With Santa” events: Hard Rock Cafe in Myrtle Beach, the North Myrtle Beach Community Center on Dec. 12 (9 a.m. to 1 p.m.), Market Common on Dec. 5, 12 and 19 (9 a.m. to 10 a.m.), Surfside Beach at the Golden Egg on Dec. 19 (9 to 10:30 a.m.), and the Childrens Museum of South Carolina on Dec. 23.

Dec. 13, 12th Annual Christmas Towne: The Myrtle Beach Convention Center is the site for a true Christmas celebration with all the trimmings. Free photos with Santa, kids play section, and the city of Myrtle Beach's official tree lighting ceremony, are among the festivities scheduled for this free event.

Dec. 26-31, Beach Ball Classic: For the 35th consecutive year, the biggest high school basketball tournament in the nation comes to the Myrtle Beach Convention Center for six days of fantastic hoops action. The Beach Ball Classic attracts some of the top teams and talent to the Myrtle Beach Convention Center for a showcase so basketball fans can see the future stars of college basketball and the NBA.

Of course, the best part of spending the holidays at the beach is the comfort and luxury of staying at North Beach Plantation. Enjoy the season at our multi-year AAA Blue Diamond award-winning resort and enjoy the holidays in style with our elegant accommodations, heated indoor pool and lazy river, on-site restaurant 21 Main and the relaxing Cinzia Spa.

 

(Posted: 11/2/2015)