From seafood festivals and live music to harvest weekends, Halloween celebrations and longtime local traditions, October gives you plenty of reasons to get out and explore the Grand Strand.
There’s something different about October at the beach. The summer rush begins to ease, the evenings feel a little cooler, and suddenly spending an entire Saturday outdoors sounds like a very good idea.
It also happens to be one of the busiest months of the year for festivals and community events. From Little River to Georgetown, the October calendar is filled with food, music, art, family activities and plenty of fall traditions.
Whether you live here year-round or you’re planning an autumn trip to the coast, here are some of the events worth putting on your calendar for October 2026.
Myrtle Beach Bike Week Fall Rally
September 25–October 4 | Throughout the Grand Strand
October begins with the final stretch of the Myrtle Beach Bike Week Fall Rally. Riders and motorcycle enthusiasts gather across the Grand Strand for rides, vendors, entertainment and events stretching from North Myrtle Beach to Georgetown. The fall rally officially runs for 10 days, although individual venues may follow their own schedules.
Pawleys Island Festival of Music & Art
October 1–17 | The Reserve Golf Club, Pawleys Island
Music lovers can head south for more than two weeks of performances during the Pawleys Island Festival of Music & Art. The 2026 lineup begins with the annual Wine & Food Gala on October 1 and continues with concerts ranging from tribute performances to touring artists.
This year’s schedule includes Girl Named Tom, The Landsharks, Trial By Fire, The Kings of Queen, a Tony Bennett tribute featuring the Joe Gransden Orchestra, Seals & Crofts 2 and CeCe Teneal’s Divas of Soul.
Vintage Market Days
October 2–4 | Myrtle Beach Sports Center
If your idea of a good fall weekend includes vintage finds, home décor and a little treasure hunting, Vintage Market Days brings its “A Carolina Fall” market to the Myrtle Beach Sports Center. Expect vendors offering everything from clothing and jewelry to furniture, plants, décor and other unique finds.
Surfside Beach Family Festival
October 3 | Surfside Drive
Surfside Beach welcomes fall with one of its longtime community traditions. The Family Festival takes over Surfside Drive from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with more than 125 arts and crafts vendors, festival food, a Kids Zone and live entertainment on two stages. Admission is free, making it an easy Saturday outing for families.
Harvest Home Weekend at Brookgreen Gardens
October 3–4 | Brookgreen Gardens
Pumpkins and scarecrows take over Brookgreen Gardens during Harvest Home Weekend. The annual celebration includes pumpkin decorating, scarecrow building, a hay maze, crafts, live musliic and seasonal activities throughout the gardens.
The event runs from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day and is included with regular garden admission, with additional charges for pumpkins and some activities.
Little River ShrimpFest
October 10–11 | Historic Little River Waterfront
Come hungry. ShrimpFest returns to the Little River waterfront for a weekend centered around fresh local seafood, live music and waterfront fun.
The festival runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days and features two stages of entertainment, arts and crafts, vendors, family activities and plenty of shrimp dishes served by waterfront restaurants and festival vendors.
Fall Taste of The Market Common
October 10 | The Market Common
One of the easiest ways to sample several Market Common restaurants in a single afternoon is back this October. Fall Taste of The Market Common runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with more than 40 appetizers, entrées, desserts and specialty items available from participating restaurants.
Tasting tickets are $1 each, with individual samples costing between one and five tickets. Live music and sidewalk sales add a little shopping and entertainment between bites.
Myrtle Beach Greek Festival
October 15–18 | St. John’s Greek Orthodox Church
For four days, St. John’s Greek Orthodox Church brings the food, music and traditions of Greece to Myrtle Beach.
The festival features Greek dishes and pastries, entertainment, cultural activities and church tours. Admission is $5 for adults, while children 10 and younger are admitted free. Free shuttle service is also planned from off-site parking at Captain George’s Seafood Buffet.
Myrtle Beach Jazz Fest
October 16–18 | 2501 N. Kings Highway, Myrtle Beach
The Myrtle Beach Jazz Fest celebrates its 10th anniversary in a new location this year across from the Myrtle Beach Convention Center.
The three-day lineup includes Patrick Lamb, Althea René, Kevin Jackson, Long Bay Symphony, Daryl Beebe and other performers, along with food, drinks and festival vendors. The festival’s official site lists ticketed admission for 2026, so attendees should check current ticket options before heading out.
Loris Bog-Off Festival
October 17 | Downtown Loris
Few foods say South Carolina quite like chicken bog, and Loris has been celebrating the dish for decades with its Bog-Off Festival.
What began as a cooking competition has grown into a full downtown festival featuring chicken bog recipes, vendors, arts and crafts, entertainment, family activities and an evening fireworks finale. If you’ve never tried one of the region’s most recognizable comfort foods, this is a fitting place to start.
Georgetown Wooden Boat Show
October 17–18 | Historic Downtown Georgetown
Historic Front Street and the Georgetown waterfront provide the backdrop for one of the area’s most distinctive October traditions.
More than 100 classic wooden boats, from kayaks to yachts, are displayed on land and water during the Georgetown Wooden Boat Show. The weekend also includes boatbuilding, maritime arts and crafts, children’s activities, knot-tying, live entertainment and the always-entertaining corrugated boat race.
Admission to the Saturday and Sunday show is free, with proceeds from associated events supporting the South Carolina Maritime Museum.
Grand Strand Kite Festival
October 24–25 | Cherry Grove
Look up when you reach the north end of the Grand Strand this weekend.
The Grand Strand Kite Festival returns to the Point at Cherry Grove from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Hosted by Klig’s Kites, the free event brings kite flyers and spectators together for colorful displays along the beach and a relaxed fall weekend by the ocean.
BooFest! at Barefoot Landing
October 24 | Barefoot Landing
Halloween starts a week early at Barefoot Landing with BooFest!, a family-friendly afternoon featuring costume contests for children and pets, costumed performers and seasonal activities.
BooFest runs from noon to 4 p.m., with costume-contest registration beginning at 11 a.m. It’s also part of Barefoot Landing’s larger WonderFall celebration, which brings seasonal décor, hay bale art and live music to the property throughout October.
Myrtle Beach Jeep Jam
October 30–November 1 | Former Myrtle Square Mall Site
October closes with three days of Jeep culture in the heart of Myrtle Beach. Jeep Jam includes an obstacle course and mud pit, vendors, a Jeep show, beach crawls, meetups and special events throughout Halloween weekend.
Families can also check out the Jeepers Creepers Trunk-or-Treat on October 30, with decorated Jeeps, trick-or-treating and a costume parade.
Halloween Night on the Grand Strand
If you’re saving the costumes for October 31, there are several ways to celebrate.
At the Murrells Inlet MarshWalk, Halloween on the MarshWalk runs from 5 to 10 p.m. with trick-or-treating, children’s and adult costume contests, restaurant specials and more than $4,000 in prizes for the adult competition.
At Broadway at the Beach, The Patch at Broadway continues through Halloween with fall décor, photo opportunities, a hay maze and a Halloween-themed afternoon with characters and treats on October 31.
Barefoot Landing also plans Trick or Treat from 5 to 7 p.m. at participating merchants on Halloween evening.
Fall Looks Good on the Grand Strand
October has a way of showing off a different side of the Myrtle Beach area. You can spend one weekend eating shrimp by the Little River waterfront, the next listening to jazz or sampling chicken bog, and finish the month surrounded by costumes, pumpkins and fall celebrations.
So grab the calendar and start planning. Around here, beach season may slow down in October, but the Grand Strand certainly doesn’t.
Event details, admission prices and schedules may change. Check with individual event organizers before attending.
