If you dont come to Edisto Beach over Labor Day Weekend, youre missing out.
That weekend marks one of the biggest parties of the year with the Edisto Beach Music and Shag Fest and everybody in need of a good time makes it down to the island for days of fun.
If youre on the fence about whether you should come to the fest or not, check out these three reasons that will make you happy you came.
The Music
The party starts at noon on Friday, August 29 and goes until the last shagger dances home sometime after 9 p.m. on Saturday. Of course you will be expected to go home to sleep at some point Friday night.
Music will be pumping from noon to 3 p.m. Friday thanks to DJ Jim Bowers, then the Shem Creek Boogie Band will take the stage from 3-7 p.m. After their set is complete, the Embers featuring Craig Woolard will perform from 7-11 p.m.
On Saturday, DJ Jim Bowers will be playing music again from 10 a.m to 2 p.m. Then Steve Craig and The Out of Towners Band will perform from 2-6 p.m. The East Coast Party Band will play from 7-11 p.m. and will provide music for the shag fest that begins at 9 p.m. Saturday.
The Shagging
Anytime someone unfamiliar with the dance style known as the shag hears about it for the first time, it is inevitable that they will snicker just a little. However, the Carolina Shag, as it is sometimes called, is a partnered dance set to beach music. Its thought to have started sometime during the 1940s in Myrtle Beach. Since then, its trickled all over the South.
The Shag Contest taking place over Labor Day Weekend will highlight some of the best amateur shaggers from all over. Plus, newbies unfamiliar with the dance are encouraged to get up on stage and take a crack at the dance.
Everything Else
There will be an arts and crafts market each day along with various food vendors.
Visitors are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs, but coolers, pets, and smoking are prohibited.
If you dont plan on spending the entirety of the weekend at the festival, you can take advantage of the last official weekend of the summer season by kicking back on the beach, getting out on the water, or doing whatever it is that you love the most about Edisto Beach.
For more information about the event, contact the Edisto Chamber of Commerce at 843-869-3867.
