26 Jul 2024 Hammock Day Festival in Pawleys Island dubbed a great success Folks looking for something special to do on Saturday, July 20, found it in Pawleys Island with a bigger, better and expanded Hammock Day Festival. Free Hammock Coast T-shirts and swag, multiple drawings to win a free Pawleys Island Hammock, shopping, food, live music, kids’ activities, and more welcomed crowds to the Hammock Shops Village on July 20 for a celebration of National Hammock Day. For the first time, three Georgetown County entities came together, along with the Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce, to mark the annual the celebration of National Hammock Day on South Carolina’s Hammock Coast® a very special event for locals and visitors. To make it extra special, live music was provided in the afternoon by legendary bands The Tams and The Embers. The Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce and the county’s tourism officials for South Carolina’s Hammock Coast hosted the Hammock Day Festival with the Original Pawleys Island Hammock Shop and the iconic Hammock Shops Village. Other local groups that participated were St. Frances Animal Center, Midway Fire and Rescue, and state and local police. Over the past five years, the Chamber and the Hammock Coast have held a morning event for Hammock Day at the Chamber’s Visitor Center at 28 Wall St., Pawleys Island, in the Litchfield community, and the Hammock Shops Village has held an afternoon event. The Hammock Day Festival at the Hammock Shops Village in Pawleys Island drew crowds throughout the day. (Photo by Clayton Stairs/Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce “This year, everyone came together for an expanded event all day long and set in the Hammock Shops Village, which traces its origins back to the 1930s,” said Mark A. Stevens, director of tourism development for the Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce and South Carolina’s Hammock Coast. “It was a wonderful celebration of National Hammock Day.” South Carolina’s Hammock Coast, a registered trademark, is the official tourism moniker for Georgetown County. Stevens said the Chamber staff gave out nearly 500 free Hammock Coast T-shirts in three different designs. “Our annual T-shirt giveaway really kicked things off in a big way,” Stevens said. “We gave away our last shirt at 11:17 – that wasn’t even 90 minutes from the start of the Hammock Day Festival!” Trevor Swenson, marketing director for the Hammock Shops Village, said the festival had a huge turnout. The Original Pawleys Island Hammock Shop had record numbers of shoppers during the event on July 20. (Photo by Clayton Stairs/Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce) “There was a wonderfully diverse crowd, from families to older folks, and overall, everyone seemed to be having a great time,” he said. “Many people stayed for a long time so they could enjoy the day.” He said the shops in the village had a successful day. “We are very thankful for everyone who came out, and we appreciate everyone shopping and eating locally,” Swenson said. Todd Nifong, vice president of sales and marketing for The Hammock Source, the parent company that owns the Original Pawleys Island Hammock Shop, said that the success of the festival could be “measured by all the smiling faces, dancing, and embracing of total relaxation of National Hammock Day.” “This year’s event was by far our largest Hammock Day celebration to date and will most definitely lead to an even bigger event next year,” Nigfong said. “The success can be attributed to the hard work and collaboration between everyone at the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce, South Carolina’s Hammock Coast, The Hammock Shops Village and the amazing staff at the Original Pawleys Island Hammock Shop.” Other shops in the Village are Whitmire’s Fine Jewelry, Pawleys Island Shoes, Pawleys Island Wear, Elegantz (women’s and men’s clothing and accessories), Carolina Gourmet, High Country Olive Oil, Woof Gang Bakery and Grooming (pet store), Carolina Nature Nook, Coastal Wine Boutique, Elizabeth Paige Candles, Barefoot General Store, Details by Three Sisters (fashion accessories and onsite engraving), Christmas Mouse, Alter Ego (women’s boutique clothing store), Affordables Apparel, The Beach House (home décor), Pawleys Island Mercantile, LaTierra Mineral Gallery, and Stella & Remi (Southern pecans and confectionaries). Katie Dailey of Spartanburg, right, stands with her family after she won a Pawleys Island rope hammock during the event. (Photo by Clayton Stairs/Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce) Hammock winners Some of the most excited people during the event were the winners of a Pawleys Island rope hammock. There were six drawings, one each hour on the hour starting at 11 a.m. throughout the day. The first three winners were Katie Dailey of Spartanburg, Anthony Xuermb of Myrtle Beach, and Don Beam of Surfside Beach. Dailey, who was attending the event with her family, said she couldn’t believe she won because she never wins anything. “I’m very excited,” she said. “This kind of thing never happens to me.” Don Beam of Surfside Beach, second from left, won a Pawleys Island hammock. Pictured with him and his wife are Mark Stevens and Beth Stedman, both with the Chamber (Photo by Clayton Stairs/Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce) She said she has a spot on the front porch for the hammock. “There is some good shade out there,” Dailey said. Xuermb, who was with his wife, said he was glad he and his wife came down for the event, especially since he won a Pawleys Island rope hammock. “We have always wanted to come,” he said. “My wife saw a post on Facebook that they were having a festival, so we came down.” He said he was planning to put the hammock in his backyard. Anthony Xuermb of Myrtle Beach, third from left, won a Pawleys Island hammock. Pictured with him and his son are Mark Stevens with the Chamber, left, Todd Nifong with The Original Hammock Shop and Beth Stedman with the Chamber. (Photo by Clayton Stairs/Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce) Beam, who was attending the event with his wife, said he was happy that he won a hammock. “It’s a good day here in Pawleys Island,” he said. About the Hammock Coast South Carolina’s Hammock Coast is one of the Palmetto State’s top tourist destinations. Generations of visitors have made Georgetown County their preferred vacation spot. Buoyed by its large selection of vacation rental condos and homes and wide-open, pristine beaches, Hammock Coast beaches routinely make the best-of lists from various media outlets. In fact, Pawleys Island was recently named South Carolina’s Best Beach by USA Today/10 Best. A crowd gathers to watch The Tams perform live beach music on stage. After that, The Embers performed. (Photo by Clayton Stairs/Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce) In addition to the beaches, people are drawn to the Hammock Coast for its nature-centric pastimes such as fishing, boating, kayaking, birding and more. Attractions such as Hopsewee Plantation, Hobcaw Barony, Brookgreen Gardens, Atalaya Castle at Huntington Beach State Park and historic Georgetown with its five museums are also popular must-do activities for visitors of all ages. The Chamber operates Visitor Centers at 28 Wall St. in the Litchfield community of Pawleys Island and at 531 Front Street in historic Georgetown. For more information about the Hammock Coast, visit https://hammockcoastsc.com/ or follow on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. Or call the Chamber at 843-546-8436. For more about the Original Hammock Shop, visit https://pawleysislandhammocks.com/. For more about the Hammock Shops Village, visit https://www.hammockshopsvillage.com/ By Clayton Stairs / tourism manager for the Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce and South Carolina’s Hammock Coast® 0 Pawleys Island, Hammock-All
