Nashville may be known as the Capital of Country Music, but for three days this summer that title will shift to the Sun Fun Capital of Myrtle Beach.
Event organizers and the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce recently announced that the inaugural Carolina Country Music Festival will be held June 5-7 in the downtown district. Headline acts scheduled to perform include Rascal Flatts, Lady Antebellum, Big & Rich, Colt Ford, Eric Church, the Georgia Satellites, the Davisson Brothers and more.
A total of 35 acts are scheduled to take the main stage during the three-day festival, which is expected to attract 20,000 to 25,000 fans each day. The event will serve as a kickoff to the summer tourism season and bring in large crowds from out of town to see some of the biggest names in country music play just steps away from the beach.
“The addition of these fantastic artists proves that this festival is going to a big hit for both country music fans and the entire Myrtle Beach area, Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Brad Dean said. “Early ticket sales have been phenomenal, and we are pleased that so many will be making their way to the Grand Strand to kick off what is shaping up to be a wonderful summer tourist season.”
Already a busy week for visitors, the first weekend in June now promises to be one of the biggest of the summer. A block of early pre-sale tickets sold out within the first two days of the announcement, and other one-, two-, and three-day passes are going fast, according to Bob Durkin, president of the event promoter Full House Productions.
“We are thrilled with the overwhelming response,” Durkin said. “To sell out of pre-sale and early bird three-day general admission tickets proves that country music fans are excited and agree that Myrtle Beach is the perfect location for the Carolina Country Music Fest. With the addition of headliners Eric Church, Lady Antebellum and Rascal Flatts, this event is guaranteed to be the premier country music event of the Southeast.”
Perhaps as big as the news about the festival being held in Myrtle Beach is the selection of the venue. The concert will be held on the site of the former Myrtle Beach Pavilion, a historic oceanfront hot spot that was Myrtle Beach’s top tourist attraction for decades. The large lot has sat vacant since the amusement park’s closing in 2007.
The site will once again be the center of activity in the downtown district, although visitors are more likely to be sporting cowboy boots instead of flip-flops. With the venue located just across from the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk’s Promenade, the festival is expected to be a boon to businesses along the 1.2-mile walkway.
Located on the corner of Ocean Boulevard and Ninth Avenue North, the new music venue has the potential to hold other major outdoor shows in the future, organizers said. Concert-goers are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets to enjoy the show and the ocean breeze, and the Boardwalk’s many attractions, restaurants, and shops are only a short stroll away.
The event is co-sponsored by Full House Productions, Visit Myrtle Beach and the hotels of Britain Management, including Bay View Resort, Breakers Resort, Caribbean Resort, Compass Cove Resort, Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort, Long Bay Resort, North Beach Plantation, Ocean Reef Resort and Paradise Resort.
Tickets are on sale now and one-, two-, and three-day passes are currently available at www.CarolinaCountryMusicFest.com., with VIP options available.
Just as important as securing your tickets in advance is booking your hotel room early. Guests at Bay View Resort will be able to take a short trolley ride to the downtown venue, and nearby parking is available although in high demand. Visit www.boardwalkparking.com for a close, convenient and safe spot to leave your car.
(Posted: 2/23/15)
