Broadway at the Beach Blog

One of the best things about summer in Myrtle Beach is the entertainment. Whether you buy a ticket to Legends In Concert or The Palace, you're always guaranteed a good time. But did you know that Myrtle Beach is also the place to find extraordinary free entertainment, from fireworks to magicians, to comedians and songsters?

The headquarters for free entertainment in Myrtle Beach is Broadway at the Beach where the 2015 Summer Nights Entertainment series gets underway June 1 and runs through Aug. 30.

So why not take the family to Broadway for dinner, walk off the meal with a stroll around the lake, take in a little entertainment and cap off the evening with an exciting fireworks show?

As South Carolina's largest festival entertainment complex, Broadway seems to bring more entertainment each year. Favorites return to delight new visitors, while new entertainment debuts. From free musical performances, special guests and magic shows to spectacular fireworks displays each week, there's no better place to spend a summer night.

This year's returning favorites include Maddie Hunt, a local singer-songwriter, and Bryan Dangerous, a magical guy with an interactive comedy show. Maddie will perform every Monday at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Bryan takes the stage every Sunday, Monday and Tuesday at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m.

New faces at Broadway this summer include Nick Pike, a juggler, comedian and unicyclist from England who was a semi-finalist on "America's Got Talent." Nick's stunt and comedy show will be amazing fans every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Also new this year is Shelley Sasser, a rockin' pop singer and rhythm guitarist from Dino Capone's School of Rock. Shelley will be performing Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm.

Some nights your kids will have a good chance of running into royalty and super heroes. The Character Company will be bringing princesses in their royal finery on Saturdays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and super heroes on Sundays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. There's no better time to chat with their favorites and take some photos. Kids can also get free face painting done every Tuesday and Friday, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Pint-sized tribute artists take the stage as superstars when the MiniStarz show runs each Saturday and Sunday from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. You'll be delighted by the song stylings of mini versions of Elton John, Katy Perry, Beyonce, and the Spice Girls.

But be sure to keep an eye open for adult-size tribute artists when Legends In Concert's golf cart tour cruises around Broadway on Monday and Friday from 5 p.m. to 6 pm., and enjoy Ripley's Aquarium's percussion band, Ruckus, every Tuesday and Friday, 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Tuesdays are special nights at Broadway as fireworks light up the sky each week during the fireworks extravaganza over Lake Broadway at 10 p.m. Miss that? From June 19 through August 14, there's even a second fireworks display on Friday nights at 10 p.m., all sponsored by our friends at Helicopter Adventures.

So much fun to have all in one place. Don't miss the Summer Nights Entertainment series at Broadway at the Beach!

If your family is like most, they've been planning a trip to Myrtle Beach all winter long. They can't wait to sit on the beach in the warm Carolina sun.

After you've enjoyed the beach for a few days, why not go for a change of pace? Still want to be able to splash in cool water and listen to the sound of waves as you sit in a cabana sipping a frosty drink? Just head over to Myrtle Waves Water Park.

When it opens for the season on Saturday, May 16, the park will be entering its 30^th year of providing guests with the some of the best parts of a beach vacation. There's a 20,000 square foot Ocean in Motion Wave Pool that produces seaside-like surf with waves over 4 feet high.

There's also a world of adventure at Myrtle Waves. Climb 10 stories up and challenge the world's tallest tubular slides. Dare to detour on the Riptide Rockets. Take on Snake Mountain's serpentine chutes in an inner tube. Feel how time seems to stop when you body slide out of the Super Chute suspended in air, then drop dramatically into the pool below.

If you need a break from all that excitement, there's the Layzee River where you can drift in an inner tube at a leisurely 3mph pace winding throughout the park.

For the littlest kids, there's Bubble Bay, designed specially with toddlers in mind. It's 7,000 square feet with water depths from six to 18 inches, and offers three gently cascading water umbrellas and numerous bubble jets to keep the tikes entertained.

Next time your family yearns for a fresh water adventure, join the thousands of families who've enjoyed Myrtle Waves Water Park for three decades.

Spending the day there will give your whole family reason to celebrate.

Mothers are our biggest cheerleaders, always there to back us up and support us. This Sunday, as you celebrate Mom, you can also dazzle her with your knowledge of little-known facts about her special holiday.

You know she'll be proud.

After several false starts in the 1800s, Mother's Day finally made it onto the roster of national holidays in 1914. President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation officially establishing the second Sunday in May as national Mother's Day. Today, official Mother's Days are celebrated in about 50 countries — but not always in May.

The first Mother's Day cards were designed and sold by Hallmark in the early 1920s. Today, about 130 million cards are sent each Mother's Day — more than at any other time of the year, with the exception of Christmas and Valentine's Day.

Flowers are also big business for Mother's Day. Interestingly, roses are not the most popular flowers. That distinction goes to the humble carnation.

Today's American families often live far apart, so it's no surprise that a lot of folks reach out to their mothers via phone on Mother's Day. Last year, approximately 122 million phone calls were made to moms throughout the U.S.

Celebrating Mom's special day is important to us. Mother's Day is the third most popular holiday in the world, second to only Christmas and Easter. So make your plans for May 10 now.

Mother's Day is the perfect day to treat Mom to a day of shopping, food and fun at Broadway at the Beach. Challenge Mom to some mini golf at Dragon's Lair — and let her win. Through Monday, May 11, Moms get one round of golf for free. Or stop by Old Tyme Portraits By Treadway and get a photo taken together. She'll treasure this forever.

If Mom loves jewelry, surprise her with a Brighton necklace and bracelet from Gemini Boutique. As an added bonus, you'll get a pair of earrings free. She'll be impressed with this lovely gift set. For Moms who love the Pandora jewelry line, you'll want to stop by The Mole Hole. While supplies last, there are a variety of charms and a gift set made especially for Mom. With inscriptions like "first my mother" and "always my friend,"and "always in my heart," she'll know just how much she means to you.

Of course you can't go wrong if you spoil Mom by picking up the tab for a nice lunch or dinner. Over some scrumptious food, casually charm her with your grasp of five fun facts about Mother's Day. She'll probably assume you took the time to find such nuggets just to see her smile. And, you'll make her happy.

Since the 1960s, people all over the United States have celebrated Mexican foods and heritage on Cinco de Mayo.

A relatively minor holiday in Mexico, Cinco de Mayo marks a Mexican victory over the French in 1862 — a much bigger cause for celebration in that country is September 16 which is Mexican Independence Day.

For the last 50-plus years, America has embraced Cinco de Mayo with the focus on celebrating the foods, drinks and people of Mexico.

Again this year, Carlos' n Charlie's presents its 3^rd Annual Cinco de Mayo Fiesta 5K Run on Sunday, May 3. When the race starts at 8:30 a.m., it will be just the beginning of a day full of fun. This year, the race features a Mascot 1-mile fun run right before the 5K. At 10 a.m. there will be an awards ceremony and a Mexican-themed breakfast buffet.

Bonus prizes will be awarded to those runners who dress "in the Cinco de Mayo spirit."

Carlos' n Charlie's will be the headquarters for all the festivities including live music, great margaritas, door prizes and even a contest for best sombrero.

Click here to register online and get all the details.

Its time for the 10th annual Myrtle Beach International Film Festival at Carmike Cinema 17 at Broadway at the Beach.

Sometimes called "The East Coast's answer to the Sundance Film Festival," the Festival has earned well-deserved praise over the years. It's been the recipient of numerous awards, including a spot onMovie Maker Magazine's list of the "Top 25 Film Festivals To Submit To In The World."

From April 22 through 25, short films, documentaries, comedies, horror films, and other genres will be lighting up the Carmike screens.

Tickets are $10 to attend scheduled blocks of films. But an all-access pass ($50) gets you four days of films, plus complimentary food and beverages on Friday and Saturday nights. And you won't want to miss the awards ceremony, immediately after the last film is shown on Saturday.

The participating films — and many of the filmmakers — are from all over the world. Over the years, this event has grown to be a popular stop on the festival circuit for up and coming filmmakers, as well as seasoned professionals. Several of those creators will be on hand so that fans can learn more about them and their films during Q & A sessions.

Don't miss the 10th annual Myrtle Beach International Film Festival at Carmike Cinema 17. It's four days of movie magic at the beach!