Best Things to do in Myrtle Beach in August
July has come to a close, and August is in full swing. At this time of year, Myrtle Beach is absolutely packed with families hoping to squeeze a vacation in before the new school year begins! The sun shines its brightest and the local vendors put their best foot forward each August, as this is absolutely the busiest time of year along the Grand Strand. The sunny weather and the warm water make for the perfect time to visit Myrtle Beach, even if it is as crowded as it will ever be. From devouring food at the famous local Calabash buffets to relaxing and spending time on the beach with family, there is no shortage of reasons to come and spend time in Myrtle Beach this August.
Don’t get us wrong; August is one of the most popular months to visit Myrtle Beach, and the crowds will be very large. Dinner and activity reservations are always a good idea at this time of year, and there may be long waits to do some of your favorite local activities. However, despite these crowds and potential inconveniences, August is still an incredible month to visit the Grand Strand.
In this post, we will take a look at all of the best things to do in Myrtle Beach in August, ranging from time on the beach to local events and more. Once we’re through with all of that, we will give you the inside scoop on whether or not August is a good month visit Myrtle Beach. If you have any questions once you read this post, don’t hesitate to reach out!
1. Take Advantage of the Vast Entertainment Offerings
At its core, Myrtle Beach exists because of its beach. It is one of the most popular beach destinations in the United States, and the main reason that this ever happened was because of the long stretches of beautiful sand and ocean that make up the Grand Strand. With time, though, popular places get built up and further developed until they are entertainment wonderlands, and Myrtle Beach is exactly that.
Myrtle Beach has so many things to do that you simply will not have time to do them all. Even if you move to Myrtle Beach you won’t have the time to explore each and every attraction in the Grand Strand! From go-karts to waterparks, and from shopping venues to golf courses, Myrtle Beach literally has something for everyone. There is no shortage of entertainment opportunities here, and you are bound to have a great time at any one of them that you choose to visit.
2. Soak Up the South Carolina Sun
While there are endless great entertainment options and other things to do in Myrtle Beach in August, we would be remiss if we excluded going to the beach from this list!, August is one of the sunniest and warmest months of the year in Myrtle Beach, and you are bound to get a great tan if you spend some time laying out on the Grand Strand. Be sure to wear sunscreen, as the UV rays can be very strong here! In August, the weather is consistently warm, and you definitely will not be alone on the beach. Unless you head to a remote corner of the Grand Strand, you will likely have thousands of other people joining you on your beach day! For this reason, it is best to get out to the beach as early as possible to claim your spot.
While it is certainly hot in Myrtle Beach in August, the weather should not stop you from visiting. It is bound to be hot and humid, but what beach isn’t that way? No amount of heat or humidity can’t be fixed by a dip in the pool or the Atlantic Ocean! While there will be a lot of people in the area soaking up the sun with you, you do not really need to worry about space: the Grand Strand is a huge area, and you’re bound to find a stretch of beach with whatever vibe you’re looking for, whether that is calm and relaxing or lively and fun.
3. Check Out A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Baseball Game
Being in August means that the minor league baseball season is starting to come to a close, but you still have plenty of time to go and catch a Pelicans game! Attending a Myrtle Beach Pelicans game is definitely not something you want to miss, as a minor league baseball game is easily one of the best things to do in Myrtle Beach in August. The Pelicans do a great job of making the game of baseball fun to watch; whether you are alone, on a date, out with friends, or watching as a family.
As they are just a Single A minor league team, tickets are quite cheap. Don’t worry, though…the games are just as fun as the major leagues! This August, the Pelicans play at home for 3 of their 4 series. They’ll be at home for two series ranging from August 2nd to the 7th, and again from the 9th to the 14th. Then after a short road trip, they will return from the 23rd to the 28th. Baseball fan or not, this is sure to be a great night out regardless of who you take along. For more information about tickets, be sure to visit the Myrtle Beach Pelican’s website.
4. Dig Into the Local South Carolina Cuisine
Few locales so small have such an esteemed culinary reputation as Myrtle Beach and the rest of the Grand Strand. This area of South Carolina has gained a strong reputation for having great restaurants, as it combines the typical southern food with the local Calabash style seafood, and it offers this all up at a quality level that appeals to tourists from all over the world. From delicious breakfast spots to world-famous buffets, you are definitely not going to go hungry while visiting Myrtle Beach.
While there are fantastic restaurants of all kinds here, the ones you really don’t want to miss are the world-famous Calabash seafood buffets. This is a local style of lightly frying seafood, and people literally come from all over the world to eat at these buffets. The food is incredible, the prices are reasonable, and the memories you will make are well worth the time you will wait in line! On that note, it is best to make a reservation or do call ahead seating when possible, as lines in August can literally be hours long at these places. For more information on Calabash food, be sure to read our blog post all about Calabash food and what makes it special!
5. Stock Up on Fresh Produce For Your Vacation at the Farmers Markets
If you are staying in a hotel, this might be a bit less relevant to you. However, if you are staying in a resort where you will have your own kitchen, there is no better way to use it than by purchasing your favorite fresh produce from local farmers markets! In Myrtle Beach, there are two popular farmers markets: the Surfside Beach Farmers Market and the Farmers Market at the Market Common.
The Surfside Beach Farmers Market is open every Tuesday from 10:00am to 3:00pm through the end of October, and the Farmers Market at the Market Common runs the same schedule, but on Saturdays instead. Whether you want fresh berries to make sangria or some fresh lettuce to throw onto your cheeseburgers at lunch, these farmers markets really do offer up the freshest produce in the area, and are well-worth checking out if you plan on cooking any meals (or even just want fruit in your hotel room) while you visit Myrtle Beach.
6. Catch a Free Outdoor Concert
While the August sun makes the days pretty hot in Myrtle Beach, the nights are often very cool and refreshing. This means that the evening is often the best time to go out and explore several of the events that the Myrtle Beach businesses and locals put together. One of the best of these is the outdoor concerts that take place on Main Street every Thursday throughout the summer. There is really something special about live entertainment, especially when it is family-friendly and easily accessible in a popular part of the city!
This concert series is called Music on Main, and it is easily one of the best things to do in Myrtle Beach in August. Attendance is free, and the concerts run from 5-9pm every Thursday evening. After a long day lounging in the sun on the beach, this is a great way to rest and recharge, especially before or after dinner at one of Myrtle Beach’s famous restaurants!
Is August A Good Month To Visit Myrtle Beach?
Out of all of the months of the year, is August an ideal month to visit Myrtle Beach? This depends heavily on how you feel about the heat, the crowds, and the events that are going on. Honestly, everyone has different preferences and opinions, and these predispositions are what will determine if you will enjoy Myrtle Beach in August. The weather in August in Myrtle Beach is definitely hot – like, very hot. This means that you can get a great tan and have a great time laying out in the sun, but it also means that you may be limited in doing certain activities that do not involve the beach. Golfing, for example, is usually much more enjoyable in May weather rather than August weather. If you don’t mind the heat (or you seek it out, even!), then August is a fantastic time to visit Myrtle Beach!
The other main thing to consider about visiting Myrtle Beach in August is the large crowds, as the crowds are usually at their largest between July and August. Many restaurants will have long waits, popular entertainment venues will likely be crowded, and hotel rates will probably be higher. It is not uncommon for popular restaurants to have waits of over two hours at dinner time on a weekend. While this is a drawback in many ways, it is worth noting that this is the busy time for a reason. There are simply a lot of things going on in Myrtle Beach in August, and this is what causes so many people to make the trip to the Grand Strand during the year’s hottest month.
Is Myrtle Beach Worth Visiting In August?
August is definitely a great month to visit Myrtle Beach, but it doesn’t come without its headaches. As this is the peak of the busy season, you are likely to face wait times and congestion levels that don’t exist at other times throughout the year. We have mentioned that some popular restaurants sometimes have waits that are over two hours long, and the buck doesn’t stop there. Traffic can get pretty congested, popular places like Broadway at the Beach can be shoulder to shoulder, and hotel prices are likely spiking because of the increased demand.
With that being said, these things don’t need to prevent you from visiting Myrtle Beach in August. They don’t stop the hundreds of thousands of travelers that visit Myrtle Beach each August, so why should they stop you? While these things are certainly inconvenient, they’re not unbearable. Especially if you are patient and flexible, you are bound to always find something to do or somewhere to eat.
While there will always be somewhere for you to eat, the best restaurants - like Crabby Mike’s and Original Benjamin’s - are likely to have several hour long waits. If you visit in August, your odds of going to these restaurants go down, at least without any additional planning or some patience and flexibility. If you are willing to have dinner at 4:00pm, you shouldn’t have much trouble finding a table anywhere, even at the most popular places.
While you can find a way around the wait times at restaurants, there is no way to get around the traffic. The traffic, especially during rush hour, is bound to be bad. The main roads that cut through the area were not designed to handle immense traffic, and the flow tends to move slowly during busy times. To be fair, we’re not talking about anything as crazy as New York or Washington D.C. rush hour traffic. This is nothing in comparison to that. However, when you’re on vacation, you likely do not want to sit in traffic. This is just another inconvenience that comes with visiting Myrtle Beach in August.
With all of that being said, these inconveniences really should not deter you from visiting Myrtle Beach in August. Again, these inconveniences only exist because so many people think that August is the best month to visit Myrtle Beach. These long wait times and the increased traffic are the results of people who make the decision to visit Myrtle Beach in August. So, even with the knowledge that things will be backed up, hundreds of thousands of people still decide to come. That in and of itself should answer the question “is Myrtle Beach worth visiting in August?” for you. Yes!
That is all we have for you about visiting Myrtle Beach in August. Hopefully this list of the best things to do in Myrtle Beach in August was helpful for you as you plan your trip to the Grand Strand this summer! Depending on what you want to do, August is actually one of the best months to visit the Grand Strand's shining star. There are countless great and unique things to do, the weather is great, and while the crowds are certainly at their largest, there are still plenty of places to eat at where the lines will be manageable. Crowds can’t be avoided, but you can certainly take actions to minimize the size of the crowds that you need to walk into and the lines that you need to wait in. While the traffic is unavoidable, it really isn’t that bad compared to major cities. If you’re wondering if Myrtle Beach is worth visiting in August, the answer is absolutely! While the experience will be a bit different from what you may experience in April or May, that doesn’t have to be a bad thing!
If you decide to visit Myrtle Beach or any other place in South Carolina and fall in love, reach out to us for help. We at The Boyd Team are always here to help you figure out whether Myrtle Beach is your next home or not, and we are committed to helping you find the right property for your needs and dreams. Any question that you have about moving to the area and finding your dream home by the beach is our pleasure to answer. Feel free to send us an email at eddie@boydteam.com or text or call us at (843) 222-8566, and we will get back to you as soon as we can. Being true natives of the Grand Strand and Horry County and with over 25 years of experience in the local real estate market, whether buying or selling, we can help you make your dreams a reality.
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