Myrtle Beach will hold its first-ever sleigh races from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, on Ocean Boulevard. The races are part of the two-day Merry Myrtle Festival, and only 32 teams will get in.
Holidays on the Grand Strand and witness now includes this event!
For years, the Grand Strand’s best-known holiday outings have asked visitors to do one thing: look. At Brookgreen Gardens, you walk slowly past candlelit sculpture. In Conway, you roll your car window down and drive through the lights. The sleigh races ask for something different. You build a team, put on a costume, and run down the Boulevard pushing a friend in a sleigh. Experience the Holidays on the Grand Strand at Brookgreen Gardens, Conway and now Myrtle Beach.
That difference matters for anyone planning a December weekend at the Holidays on the Grand Strand. Brookgreen is open that same Saturday night, and Conway’s lights usually are too. So race night forces a choice among three very different outings.
Teams of four race down Ocean Boulevard. One teammate rides inside the sleigh while the other three move it through a holiday-themed obstacle course.
The spirit division is the key detail. It opens the race to office groups, church friends, and families with teenagers who want the costume and the crowd without the pressure of a stopwatch. The competitive division gives everyone else bragging rights.
The city’s announcement lists no spectator fee, so watching from the Boulevard looks free. That would make it the only one of the three where most of the crowd pays nothing and the participants are the show.
Nights of a Thousand Candles at Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet is the opposite of a sleigh race. This is its 26th year. The draw is more than 2,700 hand-lit candles and millions of lights strung through live oaks and the country’s largest collection of American figurative sculpture.
Visitors walk the garden paths from 4 to 9 p.m. on select evenings, from Thanksgiving weekend into early January. A listing of the 2026 schedule includes Dec. 10–13, so the gardens should be open on race night. Warm cider, live music, strolling entertainers and food trucks fill out the evening. Harvest restaurant takes dinner reservations, but only for guests with event tickets.
Tickets are dated and must be bought in advance, and nights often sell out. Admission is $40 for adults and $20 for children ages 4–12, or $35 and $15 for members. A family of four pays $120 at the non-member rate.
The work behind it is large. Crews start installing lights after Labor Day, and setup runs about three months. The public exhibits crew grows to 12 people, and up to 25 volunteers may help on a given day.
The contrast with the races is clear. Brookgreen is slow, quiet and reflective. The races are loud, fast and silly. At Brookgreen you are a guest moving through someone else’s art. On Ocean Boulevard, you and your teammates are the entertainment.
Conway’s Celebration of Lights is the region’s cheapest holiday tradition. It is also the most hands-off. Families drive about a mile through historic downtown Conway past thousands of lights, illuminated trees and their reflections on the Waccamaw River. Cars enter on Ash Pond Road, reached from Third Avenue.
Last year it cost $2 per person in the car. It ran Thursdays through Sundays, Dec. 4–21, from 6 to 9 p.m. The city has not yet posted 2026 dates. If it follows that same pattern, it will be open Saturday, Dec. 12.
The City of Conway Parks and Recreation Department has run the show since 2016. Facilities staff build it over about 60 days, and police handle safety. The route sits in a flood-prone part of town. The show was canceled in 2018 after Hurricane Florence, and crews have to be ready to pull displays when bad weather threatens.
The lights anchor Conway’s larger Rivertown Christmas. That season includes a tree lighting on Main Street on Thursday, Dec. 3, and Thursday-night shopping events downtown on Dec. 10 and 17.
The drive-through suits young children, older relatives, and anyone who would rather stay warm. It asks nothing of visitors beyond a few dollars and some patience in line. The sleigh races ask for a team, a costume, a $50 fee, and the energy to push a sleigh through an obstacle course.
| Sleigh Races | Nights of a Thousand Candles | Celebration of Lights | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where | Ocean Boulevard, Myrtle Beach | Brookgreen Gardens, Murrells Inlet | Downtown Conway riverfront |
| How you take part | Race on a team of four | Walk the garden paths | Drive through in your car |
| When | Sat., Dec. 12, 5–8 p.m. (one night) | Select nights, 4–9 p.m., Thanksgiving weekend into January | Thurs.–Sun. in December, 6–9 p.m. (2025 schedule) |
| Cost | $50 per team | $40 adult / $20 child ($35 / $15 members) | $2 per person (2025 price) |
| Capacity | 32 teams | Dated tickets; nights sell out | First come, first served |
| Age | 16 and older | All ages | All ages |
| Mood | Loud, competitive, costumed | Quiet, artistic, reflective | Relaxed, nostalgic, warm |
Pick the sleigh races if you have three friends, a costume, and a competitive streak. There are only 32 spots, so sign up early.
Pick Brookgreen for a date night or a dressed-up family outing where the setting is the point. Buy tickets ahead.
Pick Conway for little kids, grandparents, or a cold night when nobody wants to leave the car.
The new race does not replace the old traditions. It adds something the Grand Strand’s holiday season lacked: a way for locals to be part of the spectacle instead of just watching it. If the 32 spots fill quickly, expect Merry Myrtle to bring the races back next year.
Holidays on the Grand Strand – Sleigh-race details: City of Myrtle Beach announcement, as provided
Holidays on the Grand Strand – Brookgreen 2026 dates and prices (Condo World)
Holidays on the Grand Strand – Behind the scenes at Brookgreen and Conway light shows (Grand Strand Magazine)
Holidays on the Grand Strand – Holidays on the Grand Strand – Christmas in Conway (Visit Myrtle Beach)
Holidays on the Grand Strand – Conway tree lighting 2026 (Conway Downtown Alive)
Holidays on the Grand Strand – Rivertown Christmas 2026 (Conway Downtown Alive)
