Top 5 Fall Events on the Grand Strand
Between festivals, live music, and one very good Halloween night on the water, fall keeps a full calendar. These are the five events we build our own plans around.
The Five:
1. Atalaya Arts & Crafts Festival September 25 to 27, 2026, at Huntington Beach State Park. More than 100 artisans set up around Atalaya Castle, the historic winter home of sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington, with live music and food running all weekend. Adult admission has run around $10 in past years, with kids 15 and under free and park entry waived during the festival. Confirm hours and pricing on the South Carolina Parks official Atalaya Festival page before you go.
2. Brookgreen Gardens' Harvest Home Weekend Saturday and Sunday, October 3 and 4, 2026. A pumpkin patch, scarecrow building, and live music, all included with regular garden admission. It's an easy, unhurried day, good for families and good for anyone who just wants a break from the sand. Details are on the official Brookgreen Gardens events page.
3. Pawleys Island Festival of Music & Art October 1 through 17, 2026. A run of concert nights spread across the month rather than one single weekend, so it's easy to build a night out into a longer stay. Check the festival's official schedule for specific performance dates.
4. Surfside Beach Farmers Market Every Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the corner of Surfside Drive and Willow Drive. This one runs from April through mid-December, so it's not tied to a single weekend. Local produce, honey, eggs, baked goods, and handmade goods, all an easy stop on any Tuesday of your stay. Confirmed on the Town of Surfside Beach calendar.
5. Halloween on the MarshWalk Saturday, October 31, 2026, along the Murrells Inlet MarshWalk. Trick-or-treating starts at 5 p.m., with a kids' costume contest at 6 at the pirate statue by Drunken Jack's, and an adult costume contest at 7 that's drawn over $4,000 in prizes in past years. Details are on MyrtleBeach.com's event listing.
Where to Stay
Both of our properties sit oceanfront in Garden City Beach, an easy drive from all five of these. Ocean Currents has a king bed, elevator access, a pool, and a living room built around a 100-inch electric fireplace and 85-inch TV, an easy place to land after a night out. Salty Mermaid, our original property, also sits oceanfront with a fireplace, hot tub, and pool of its own.
Fall on the Grand Strand isn't just a quiet stretch between summer and the holidays. It's some of our favorite weeks of the year, and these five events are a good place to start planning yours.
