The Merry Myrtle Festival · Part of Winter Wonderland at The Beach

Cocoa Crawl★Sleigh Races★Santa

Ocean Blvd | Plyler Park | Downtown Myrtle Beach

Dec 11 & 125 to 8 PMFree

The snow starts falling in

—Days

—Hours

—Minutes

—Seconds

Snow on the Boulevard. Cocoa in hand. Sleighs under the lights.

The Merry Myrtle Festival brings two nights of free holiday fun to Plyler Park and Ocean Boulevard in Downtown Myrtle Beach, with Ocean Boulevard closed to cars from 8th Avenue North to the SkyWheel. Friday, crawl downtown for hot cocoa and catch live music in Plyler Park. Saturday, cheer on the sleigh races, then bring the kids to Santa’s Workshop. The Winter Wonderland lights glow along the oceanfront Boardwalk both nights, and your four-legged family is welcome too.

Parking: Free at city-metered spaces and the Pavilion Parking Garage, 914 North Kings Highway.

2Festive nights

32Sleigh teams

1.2 miOf holiday lights

100%Chance of snow

Merry Myrtle Festival: two nights, twice the merry

5 to 8 p.m. both nights on Ocean Boulevard, in Plyler Park and along the Boardwalk.

Friday

December 11 · 5 to 8 PM

Cocoa and music night

Hot Cocoa Crawl
Grab a passport and sip your way through participating local businesses along the Boulevard.
Live oceanfront music
Julio & The Saltines in Plyler Park, 5 to 8 p.m.
S’mores and fire pits
Warm up with family and friends.
Free inflatables
For the kids.
1.2 miles of holiday lights
Along the oceanfront Boardwalk.
Sleigh race practice runs
Practice runs on Ocean Boulevard for participating teams.
Ocean Boulevard closed
From 8th Avenue North to the SkyWheel.

Saturday

December 12 · 5 to 8 PM

Sleighs and Santa night

Merry Myrtle Sleigh Races
The first-ever sleigh races: 32 teams push specially built sleighs through an obstacle course on Ocean Boulevard, emceed by local meteorologist Ed Piotrowski.
Santa’s Workshop, a free kids’ event
Make your own wooden toy, write a letter to Santa, visit the “reindeer” petting zoo, take free photos with Santa, go on a scavenger hunt, and warm up with hot cocoa and coffee. Free inflatables too.
Handyman Hal
A special appearance with a 30-minute live show.
100% chance of snow
Snow falls on Ocean Boulevard.

Both nightsRoaming carolers and performers, plus holiday music and special Merry Myrtle messages playing from speakers along the Boardwalk.

Who you’ll see at the Merry Myrtle Festival

Friday · Live in Plyler Park Julio & The Saltines, playing Friday at the Merry Myrtle Festival

Julio & The Saltines

Live music · Friday, Dec. 11 · 5 to 8 p.m.

Bring the cocoa from your crawl and settle in for three hours of live music in Plyler Park, steps from the ocean.

Sleigh race emcee Saturday, Dec. 12

Ed Piotrowski

Local meteorologist

The Grand Strand’s longtime meteorologist calls the action at the finish line as 32 teams race their sleighs down Ocean Boulevard.

30-minute live show Saturday, Dec. 12

Handyman Hal

30-minute Christmas show

The YouTube favorite makes a special appearance Saturday night with a 30-minute Christmas-themed live show.

The sleighs are ready to roll

We took them for a test run on Ocean Boulevard. Your turn is Dec. 12.

Test run of a Merry Myrtle Festival sleigh on Ocean Boulevard — Test run on Ocean Boulevard

A rider laughing in a red Merry Myrtle Festival sleigh

Laughing on the Merry Myrtle Festival sleigh race course

Mapping out the Merry Myrtle Festival sleigh race course

Two officers laughing beside a Merry Myrtle Festival sleigh

A racer in a holiday costume at the Merry Myrtle Festival sleigh race test run

Watch the test run video

Saturday, Dec. 12 on Ocean Boulevard

Grab your crew. Race a sleigh.

Round up three teammates for the Merry Myrtle Festival sleigh races, pick a holiday theme and dress the part. Teams push a specially built sleigh with four-wheel steering through an obstacle course, weaving around Christmas trees and tackling relay-style challenges, with one teammate riding inside. Choose the competitive or spirit (noncompetitive) division. Participants must be at least 16, registration is limited to the first 32 teams, and the entry fee is $50 per team. Practice runs for participating teams are Friday night.

32Teams

4Per sleigh

16+Ages

Red, green, blue and white & silver sleighs

Santa’s Workshop at the Merry Myrtle Festival

Saturday, Dec. 12 · 5 to 8 p.m. · Free for kids. Here’s a look at last season.

Aerial view of Santa’s Workshop in Plyler Park at night — Santa’s Workshop, Plyler Park

Photos: Visit Myrtle Beach

More merry this season

Walking through lit arches on the Boardwalk

NOV25

Nightly through Jan. 2 · 5 to 9 p.m.

The lights come on

1.2 miles of oceanfront lights on the Boardwalk, now with a red, white and blue display for America’s 250th and the Holly Dolly Christmas display.

Crowd at the lit Christmas tree in Plyler Park

NOV28

Saturday · 5:30 to 7 p.m. · Plyler Park

Tree Lighting Ceremony

The 32-foot tree is lit promptly at 6:30 p.m. Carolina Master Chorale and Carolina Youth Chorale, holiday characters, photos with Santa, and snow right after the lighting.

Runners in holiday gear on the Boardwalk

DEC8

Tuesday · 6 p.m. · Plyler Park

Twinkling Two-Miler

Walk it or run it. Starts at Plyler Park.

DEC10

Thursday · 6 p.m. · Nance Plaza

Light Up the Night Slow Roll Bike Ride

Decorate your bike and roll out from Nance Plaza, then finish with trivia at Grand Strand Brewing Co.

DEC31

Thursday · 9 p.m. · 2nd Ave Pier

New Year’s Eve Fireworks

Ring in 2027 with fireworks from the 2nd Ave Pier, visible all along the beach.

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