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5 iconic food festivals that define Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand

If you’re a bon vivant on a quest to excite your taste buds or on a mission to create memories with family and friends, you’re going to want to note these Myrtle Beach food festivals on your calendar.

And bonus: The Myrtle Beach area keeps the food festivals going year-round.

“Our mission is to bring tourism into the area during the shoulder seasons, that’s why our festivals are in May and in October,” says Jennifer Walters, president and CEO of the Little River Chamber of Commerce. Her team is responsible for organizing Little River’s World Famous Blue Crab Festival and Little River ShrimpFest, events that draw in crowds upwards of 35,000 people each year, about half of which are visitors to the small town north of Myrtle Beach.

These food festivals celebrate culinary professionals, bring the community together and are a huge draw for tourism, especially in the smaller towns of the Grand Strand.

Many of these events are also part of people’s family traditions. “[Many of] us that came as kids with our parents and grandparents are now parents and grandparents bringing our children and grandchildren,” Walters says.

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Here’s a look at some of the most popular festivals along the Grand Strand:

Myrtle Beach Food Truck Festival

For one weekend in the spring, over 60 food trucks from around the country converge on Myrtle Beach to dish out delightful bites.

“We’re just trying to bring food to everybody and give them a fun atmosphere to hang out,” says Henry Bresadola, an event manager with NS Promotions and Events.

Along with unique food truck dishes, the Myrtle Beach Food Truck Festival will have local bands, arts and craft vendors as well as beer from Wicked Weed Brewing Co. Roughly 20,000 guests went to last year’s festival, but considering the event has more space and more food trucks than in past years, Bresadola thinks 2023 will be even bigger.

“It’s right around spring break time, so I imagine it’ll be busy,” he says.

Dates: March 31 - April 2, 2023

Price: Admission is free; food from vendors is an additional cost.

Website: www.nspromos.com/mbfoodtruckfest

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World Famous Blue Crab Festival

For over 40 years, Little River has celebrated its history as a fishing town with two shellfish-centric festivals: The first one being the World Famous Blue Crab Festival that takes place the weekend after Mother’s Day.

“We have over 250 vendors,” says Jennifer Walters, president and CEO of the Little River Chamber of Commerce. “And they do mix between arts and crafts, community organizations, local businesses, and sponsors, of course.”

Not only is it the biggest festival in Little River, it’s one of the biggest in the Grand Strand, bringing in around 35,000 attendees. Because it’s such a popular event, Walters advises that if you want to eat some local blue crab (crab cakes, crab soup and crab gumbo are among the most popular dishes at the festival), you’re going to have to do it early in your visit.

“Pretty much every year we run out,” she says. “It’s a very high demand item.”

Parking is also tricky at this event, but Walters has a fun solution. “We work with the Myrtle Beach Watersports with their Sea Screamer and Sea Thunder Dolphin cruise boats. People park at harbor gate and take the boat to the festival, which is a really cool option,” she says.

Dates: May 20 - May 21, 2023

Price: $5 per person; free for children 12 and under

Website: www.bluecrabfestival.org

Beach ‘n Chili Fest

The Beach ‘n Chili Fest is not an average chili festival. It is the official International Chili Society World Championship Chili Cook-Off.

About 200 teams of professional “chiliheads” come to Myrtle Beach to see who has the best chili. That’s a whole lot of chili, which is why it takes upwards of 150 judges to eat and rank the competition.

If you love chili and have purchased a ticket to taste these competition-style chilis, Mike McCloud, president of the International Chili Society, has some advice: “This is a very flavor-forward environment. Typically, what professional chili competitors do is make their chili very flavorful and sometimes spicy. So that first bite really packs a punch.”

Aspiring “chiliheads” can even learn how to become a professional chili judge during a class held the Thursday before the event. Successful completion of the course means they can be seated as a judge during the chili competition.

“Chili America’s dish,” McCloud says. “It’s one of those things that can be modified in any number of ways whether you want to add sour cream, or cheese or hot peppers or cornbread. There is no wrong way to make a great bowl of chili. We just happen to have 200 professional teams who think they do it the best way.”

Dates: Sept. 29 - Oct. 1, 2023

Price: Gate admission is free, but tasting will be an additional cost.

Website: www.eatgreatchili.com

Little River ShrimpFest

The slightly smaller but still mighty ShrimpFest is another Little River classic.

Following the same blueprint as the World Famous Blue Crab Festival, ShrimpFest celebrates shrimp with food, arts and crafts vendors and live music. “We’re all about the shellfish,” Walters says. “We have a direct pathway out to the ocean for the shrimp boats.”

Little River’s festivals are in a distinct setting. Unlike other festivals that may take place in convention centers or fairgrounds, ShrimpFest and the World Famous Blue Crab Festival take place right in the heart of town.

“We actually close down the streets on the Little River waterfront,” Walters explains. “We close them off to vehicular traffic, and the streets are just lined with vendors.”

Dates: Oct. 7 - Oct. 8, 2023

Price: $5 per person; free for children 12 and under

Website: www.littlerivershrimpfest.org

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Loris Bog-Off

If there’s one dish that defines Loris, it would be chicken bog.

The aromatic chicken, sausage and rice dish hits the spot with its comforting, starchy texture and satiating spices. Starting in 1980, the Loris Bog-Off is now one of the oldest food festivals in the Grand Strand and brings in around 35,000 attendees. For locals and visitors, it’s a fun way to celebrate this Pee Dee delicacy. The festival features about 200 vendors, live music, a beauty pageant and a whole lot of chicken bog.

Dates: Oct. 21, 2023

Price: Free

Website: www.facebook.com/events/1149024519324048

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