You’re lucky enough to be on vacation in Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Garden City Beach, Surfside Beach, Murrells Inlet or Pawleys Island for July 4th 2014. What do you do and where are the best places to see fireworks? Fortunately for you, this area has many fireworks displays and has many types of parades…think golf carts and boats.

Salute from the Shore returns for another year!! Salute from the Shore is a non-profit group that organizes a flyover of the beaches in South Carolina. This year is the 5th annual flyover, and each year it is a big hit. Vintage military planes will depart from North Carolina at 1:00 p.m. and head south to Hilton Head. Hit the beach decked out in red, white and blue and watch this beautiful display of military appreciation. Organizers are asking anyone that posts pictures or videos to Facebook and Twitter to use the hashtags #salute5 or #SaluteFromTheShore. These hashtags will also help keep people down the beach updated! Approximate flyover times are as follows…

1:00 p.m. – Cherry Grove Pier
1:02 p.m. – North Myrtle Beach
1:05 p.m. – Apache Pier
1:07 p.m. – 14th Avenue Pier
1:09 p.m. – Springmaid Pier
1:12 p.m. – Surfside Pier
1:16 p.m. – Murrells Inlet Jetty
1:18 p.m. – Litchfield Beach
1:19 p.m. – Pawleys Island

North Myrtle Beach

Check out the fireworks over the lake at Barefoot Landing (4898 Highway 17 South) in North Myrtle Beach starting at 10:15 p.m. Admission is free.

Farther north on the Cherry Grove Pier (3500 North Ocean Blvd.), fireworks will start at 9:00 p.m. or 9:15 p.m.

Myrtle Beach

Starting at 10:00 p.m., Broadway at the Beach (1325 Celebrity Circle, Myrtle Beach) will start their fireworks display. Admission is free.

Family 4th at The Common is a first 4th of July celebration for The Market Common. The event kicks off at 4:00 p.m. and ends at 9:00 p.m. While there will be no fireworks, there will be face painting, musical entertainment, balloon artists, a beer garden for adults and food vendors lining the streets. No 4th of July event is complete without a parade of some sorts. This parade will be in typical beach lifestyle…a parade of golf carts! The event will end with “The Field of Dreams” showing under the stars in Valor Park.

Croissants Bistro and Bakery is again holding their cupcake eating contest. Starting at 4:00 p.m. on July 4th, contestants will have 4 minutes to eat as many cupcakes as they can. The winner will take home $500+ in tickets to Myrtle Beach area attractions and restaurants.

Surfside Beach

The Town of Surfside Beach will be celebrating the 4th of July at the Surfside Beach Pier from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. You will be entertained by “Garth and Friends”, t-shirts will be available for purchase, the first 500 kids get free ice cream and fireworks will start at 9:30 p.m. Be sure to bring a beach chair!!

Murrells Inlet

One of my favorites is the Murrells Inlet Boat Parade. The start time of the parade varies from year-to-year and depends on the tide. This year, the parade will start at The Point in Garden City at noon. The parade will weave around through the inlet and The Marshwalk and end at the Jetty View Walk (behind The Hot Fish Club and King Street Grille). The best places to watch the boat parade are on The Marshwalk, Belin Methodist Church and the Jetty View Walk. Get there early…the spots closest to the water fill up fast!! If you want a t-shirt to commemorate the parade, Boy Scout Troop 396 will be selling them at Booty’s Outdoors and Garden City Realty.

After you enjoy your afternoon and dinner, come back to The Marshwalk for the fireworks display starting at 10:00 p.m. Again, anywhere on The Marshwalk, Belin Methodist Church and the Jetty View Walk are good spots to catch the show. You can also see the fireworks well from the Morse Park Landing (next to The Hot Fish Club) and the Marlin Quay Marina.

Pawleys Island

The 48th annual Pawleys Island 4th of July Parade will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Watch the parade by lining the streets of Myrtle Avenue or enter your “float” (boat, truck or car as long as it is decorated in red, white and blue!!) into the parade. To enter a float in the parade, contact the Pawleys Island Town Hall.

I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe 2014 July 4th!! Where will you be watching fireworks this year? From North Myrtle Beach to Myrtle Beach and south to Murrells Inlet and Pawleys Island, there are plenty of fireworks, parades and flyovers to see!!