North Myrtle Beach sits on a salty foundation of sand and shells. Dig a little deeper, though, and you’ll find deep roots in music and dance.  In April, the area holds its annual festival that celebrates Shag, a traditional dancing style popular along the Carolina coast.

The Society of Stranders (S.O.S) will host the Spring Safari festival from April 16–25. Each year, the event draws thousands of shaggers from up and down the East Coast. They come to display their moves and kickoff the official start of Spring.

Throughout the 10-day gala of tunes, food and dance, area lounges welcome visitors with various shindigs, long ago dubbed “tea parties.” The festivities usually include performances by popular beach-music bands, as well as instructors offering classes for everyone from novice to experienced shaggers.

Grand Strand Vacations, a North Myrtle Beach property rental firm, opens its more than 350 luxury homes and condos for the rhythmic guests. This year, Grand Strand is offering the gift of two free nights during a four-night stay.

“We love shag, and the folks who share in the boardwalk memories of couples dancing the night away,” said Nancy Seddinger, owner of Grand Strand Vacations. “After getting down in the sand, we want to give our revelers a comfortable place to kick back, relax and catch up with old friends. There’s no better way to do this than at a Grand Strand property.”

When out-of-towners aren’t sipping cocktails and enjoying the ocean view from their seaside getaway, they’ll most likely be exploring the goings on at North Myrtle.

On Saturday April 25, the Spring Safari wraps up with the beloved parade down Main Street. The tradition is presented by the Association of Carolina Shag Clubs (ACSC). During the parade, floats wow spectators, competing for the most original design and best shag theme.  The street turns into a fairgrounds, with dancers and day-trippers enjoying food, entertainment and tunes.

S.O.S. started in 1980. That spring, the first festival drew roughly 5,000 people eager to compete in dance contests and listen to beach music. Over the years, the bash grew in size and events. Today, the Spring Safari marks a time for getting back to summer and reuniting with friends.

“We absolutely love this time of year,” Seddinger said. “This is a big coup for our region. We’ve become synonymous with something very special to people – beach dancing. It’s more than just the entertainment value. This is people’s memories of the past.”

Aside from free nights, Grand Strand Vacations also is offering golf packages with discounted green fees, as well as girls’ weekend deals. Pets are welcome.

Stay tan,
Grand Strand Vacations

Tuesday August 25, 2009

I just wanted to send you a note to let you know how pleased I am with Grand Strand Vacations after our recent trip to North Myrtle.

It was our first trip to the area and our first time renting a condo. People had told us stories about bad experiences they’d had with other condo companies - I don’t know what companies they used but it certainly wasn’t Grand Strand Vacations. From beginning to end, our experience with you was great.

Your website was one of the easiest to use which made choosing and booking the condo simple.

We arrived at your office after a long, exhausting 17-hour drive and were early for your typical check-in time. Although our property wasn’t ready yet, we were able to check in and were notified when it was ready so all we had to do was stop by and pick up our key. The photos from the website were an exact representation of our condo and the view was awesome. We had a problem with a clogged drain on our first day, and a repair man was sent the same day I called to report the problem! Check-out was a breeze (literally about two seconds) !

 When we got home I realized I had mistakenly brought home one of the mattress covers from the condo. I called and left a message with your head of housekeeping who returned my call promptly, assuring me that I didn’t have to worry about being charged a fee (I’ve heard some companies are sticklers for that kind of thing.) The only negative thing I can say is that the condo could have been a bit cleaner. But this is a very minor negative point - I usually clean hotel rooms I stay in anyway. This condo was as clean as any hotel room I’ve been in. (And even cleaner than some!) So, thank you for a great vacation. We’re hoping to visit North Myrtle again next year and if we do, we will certainly book through you!

Michelle Collins, Business Advisor

SUNY Canton Small Business Development Center