October in North Myrtle Beach: Fall Events, Local Favorites & Car Care
October is one of those months when the Grand Strand has a little bit of everything happening at once.
The summer crowds have eased, temperatures are beginning to cool, motorcycles are still rolling through town, Little River is getting ready for ShrimpFest, Loris is cooking chicken bog, Conway is turning itself into the City of Halloween, and Cherry Grove will fill the sky with kites before the month is over.
And here at Cherry Grove Automotive, we're getting vehicles ready for fall too. Starting October 1st, every odd day in October all of the amazing women that trust us with their vehicles will receive $20 off their oil change.
Whether you live here year-round, recently moved to the area, or are visiting North Myrtle Beach this October, here's what's happening around our corner of the Grand Strand.
Myrtle Beach Bike Week Fall Rally Wraps Up October 4
October begins with the final few days of the Myrtle Beach Bike Week Fall Rally, which runs September 25 through October 4, 2026.
The rally stretches across the Grand Strand from North Myrtle Beach to Georgetown, with riders visiting restaurants, attractions and businesses throughout the area.
That also means drivers should expect to share the road with more motorcycles than usual during the first weekend of October.
Give riders plenty of space, check your blind spots before changing lanes, and take an extra look before pulling into traffic.
Little River Shrimp Fest Returns October 10 & 11
One of our favorite October traditions is right up the road.
The 20th Annual Little River Shrimp Fest takes over the Historic Little River Waterfront on Saturday, October 10 and Sunday, October 11, from 9 AM to 5 PM both days.
This year's festival includes live music on two stages, more than 200 vendors, artists, community organizations, entertainment and, naturally, plenty of shrimp and local seafood from waterfront restaurants. Admission is $10 per person, per day at the gate,
with children 12 and under admitted free.
It's one of those events that feels distinctly like our part of the Grand Strand: local food, local businesses, music, families and a waterfront full of people enjoying October in Little River.
Loris Bog-Off Returns October 17
If you've lived in Horry County for any length of time, you've probably heard someone mention chicken bog.
On Saturday, October 17, downtown Loris celebrates one of our area's most recognizable foods with the Loris Bog-Off Festival.
The festival began as a chicken bog cooking competition in 1980 and has grown into a major community event with food, entertainment, vendors, arts and crafts, children's activities and, of course, the chicken bog cooking contest.
But chicken bog itself has a history here that goes back much further.
What Is Chicken Bog?
At its simplest, chicken bog is a one-pot dish made with chicken, rice and sausage.
But in northeastern South Carolina, particularly Horry County, it's much more than a recipe.
A historic marker in Loris recognizes chicken bog as a regional food that was feeding crowds by the 1920s. It was traditionally prepared after tobacco gathering, when large groups needed to be fed. Ingredients could be cooked together over a wood fire in a large pot, making it practical for feeding everyone who had helped with the harvest.
Unlike some of South Carolina's drier rice dishes, chicken bog is known for its moist consistency. Over the years, families and cooks throughout the region have developed their own versions, seasonings and not-so-secret secret ingredients.
How Did the Loris Bog-Off Begin?
The Bog-Off began in 1980 as a chicken bog cooking contest and eventually grew into the large annual festival held on the third Saturday in October. City planning documents say the event now attracts more than 30,000 people to Loris.
So when thousands of people head to downtown Loris on October 17, they're not simply going to another fall festival.
They're celebrating a food with deep roots in the agricultural and community history of our part of South Carolina.
And yes, everyone has an opinion about who makes the best bog, but we're staying out of that argument.
Conway Becomes the City of Halloween
If October is your month, downtown Conway has apparently decided that 31 days isn't enough unless the entire city participates.
The Conway City of Halloween Celebration runs throughout October, with seasonal events and activities in downtown Conway. Conway Downtown Alive's 2026 calendar includes Witches, Wizards & Wine on October 8 and 22 and the Conway Ghost Walk October 14 through 16.
The Ghost Walk sends groups through Conway's historic district while professional storytellers share Lowcountry ghost stories along the approximately one-mile route. They sell out fast, reservations are required, and tours depart between 6 and 8 PM.
If you haven't been to downtown Conway in October, it's worth seeing what they do with the place.
They commit!
One Big Halloween Saturday in North Myrtle Beach
Saturday, October 24 is going to be a busy one around North Myrtle Beach.
BooFest! at Barefoot Landing
BooFest! runs from noon to 4 PM at Barefoot Landing, with costume contests for children and pets, costumed stilt walkers, vendor booths and children's activities.
Contest registration begins at 11 AM, followed by age-group costume contests at noon, 1 PM and 2 PM, with the pet costume contest at 3 PM.
Barefoot Landing also has its separate Trick or Treat event scheduled for Halloween, October 31, from 5 to 7 PM.
Halloween BOOnanza
Then you can head over to the North Myrtle Beach Park & Sports Complex for Halloween BOOnanza from 5 to 8 PM.
The City of North Myrtle Beach Parks and Recreation Department turns the soccer fields into a Halloween event with a Monster Mash DJ, marshmallow roasting, games, inflatables and trick-or-treating.
Admission is $5 cash for ages 3 and older, including adults. Children 2 and under are free.
In other words, if the kids still have energy after BooFest, North Myrtle Beach has you covered! Good luck.
Look Up: The Grand Strand Kite Festival Is Coming to Cherry Grove
Also happening October 24 and 25 is one event especially close to home for us.
The 9th Annual Grand Strand Kite Festival will be held at The Point at Cherry Grove from 11 AM to 4 PM both Saturday and Sunday.
Hosted by Klig's Kites, the free festival brings kite flyers, families and spectators to the northern end of Cherry Grove for two days of colorful kite displays over the beach.
If you've never seen The Point filled with kites, this is a good weekend to make the trip.
And since it's happening right here in Cherry Grove, we couldn't leave this one off the list.
October in North Myrtle Beach Is a Good Time to Check Your Vehicle
Fall in North Myrtle Beach doesn't bring the dramatic temperature change you'll see farther north, but your vehicle still notices the changing season.
After months of South Carolina heat, October is a good time to pay attention to a few basics.
Check Your Battery
Summer heat is hard on automotive batteries, and sometimes the effects don't become obvious until temperatures begin changing.
If your engine is cranking more slowly than usual or you're noticing electrical issues, don't automatically assume the battery needs replacing. The battery, starter and alternator work together as part of the starting and charging system, so proper testing can help determine what's actually causing the problem.
Want to understand how that system works? Read our Alternators 101 article in the Understanding Your Vehicle series.
Check Your Tires
Tire pressure changes with temperature, so don't be surprised if your tire-pressure warning light makes an appearance as cooler mornings arrive.
Check your tire pressure when the tires are cold and use the pressure recommended for your vehicle, usually found on the driver's-side door jamb label.
This is also a good time to look at tread condition and uneven wear.
Don't Ignore That Check Engine Light
And since we're talking about warning lights...
If your check engine light comes on, remember that retrieving the trouble code and diagnosing the actual problem are not the same thing.
A diagnostic trouble code tells you what the vehicle's computer detected. Additional testing may be necessary to determine why it detected it.
We've got an entire Understanding Your Vehicle article explaining exactly what happens between seeing the check engine light and finding the actual cause.
See what we did there?
Did You Know?
Your vehicle may actually tell you quite a bit about how it was operating when certain problems occurred.
When some diagnostic trouble codes are stored, the vehicle may also preserve freeze-frame data, which can capture operating information from around the time the fault was detected.
That information can help a technician understand the circumstances surrounding a problem, particularly when the issue doesn't happen all the time.
A trouble code is information. The diagnostic process is how we determine what that information means for your vehicle.
Veterans: Save the Date for November
We're getting close to one of the most important weeks on our calendar.
Cherry Grove Automotive will once again offer free oil changes for veterans November 2 through November 13, while supplies last and by appointment. Please call 843-249-6563 to make your appointment. These sold out super fast last year, so please don't wait.
We'll have more information as Veterans Day approaches, but if you or a veteran in your family would like to participate, please don't wait until the last minute to call.
Hello October!
Whether you're heading to Little River for shrimp, Loris for chicken bog, Conway for Halloween, The Point for the kite festival, or simply enjoying a quieter afternoon in Cherry Grove, there's plenty happening around the Grand Strand this month.
And if your October plans include getting your vehicle caught up on maintenance or having something checked before a road trip, we're here.
link to request appointment
Cherry Grove Automotive
1012 Sea Mountain Highway
North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582
843-249-6563
Serving North Myrtle Beach, Cherry Grove, Little River, the Grand Strand, new residents and visitors from across the country.
