Lights. Lasers. Wow. New holiday event finds success first time out

Lights. Lasers. Wow. New holiday event finds success first time out

As the music starts, mist pours into the audience. Then, laser lights form colorful patterns in the air, and live music brings the audience to its feet.

With the success of the inaugural two-day Wave That Flag event, the question is now: Will it be a new Independence Day-centric event in Pawleys Island? Organizers seem to think so.

“People came out and saw that this is what we like to do in Pawleys Island — we like to have fun,” said Blaine Harvey, whose company VibeTime helped organize the event for the Georgetown Parks and Recreation department.

Both nights, on July 2 and 3, a laser light finale wowed audiences at Retreat Park in Pawleys Island on South Carolina’s Hammock Coast®. The Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce and South Carolina’s Hammock Coast jointly sponsored the laser light show.

The event also included live music by Unihorn, The Reckoning and Whiskey Neat, a kickball tournament, vendors, food trucks, and even displays by local nonprofit groups. Both days, local residents and tourists filled the park with folks decked out in red, white and blue.

Harvey, who also handles sales, marketing and promotion for New South Brewing in Pawleys Island, said large attendance on both nights is a clear signal of the event’s success.

“We’ve been fortunate because the weather has cooperated,” Harvey said. “I think the people came out and they saw that this is what we like to do in Pawleys Island — we like to have fun.”

He credits the sponsors, Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce, South Carolina’s Hammock Coast, New South Brewing and Classic Rock Radio Wave 104.1, for making it possible to offer the event free of charge for participants.

“That can only happen with sponsors,” Harvey said, “so, as long as the community, on a corporate level, is willing to support these fun events, there is still a lot of that to be untapped.”

Beth Stedman, president and CEO of the Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce, said she and the Chamber’s board of directors were glad to contribute and help make Wave That Flag possible.

“This fun community event, with live music and a laser light show, is something different and exciting for people who live here or visit the Hammock Coast during the Independence Day holiday,” Stedman said. “We hope this event is held here year after year.”

Elizabeth “Busy” Kimball, a Chamber board member, brought her children to Wave That Flag.

“They were having a great time between kickball games and listening to live music,” Kimball said, “and they were really excited about the laser light show. This was a really cool event, and I hope that it continues.”

Retreat Park was a great location for the event, now and in the future.

“Based on the success we have had this year … we will probably have to make it an even bigger event for next year,” Harvey said.

The laser light show offered people an alternative to fireworks to celebrate the nation’s birthday.

“We showed there are different ways to create that end of the evening wow factor,” Harvey said.

Will Stone, owner of Stone Entertainment, oversaw the laser light show. Previously creating laser light shows in Texas and Florida, as well as Market Common in Myrtle Beach for New Year’s Eve, he said this is the first time he has worked with Harvey and it went very well.

“Being part of this inaugural event was an honor for me,” Stone said. “People are really catching on, and I feel like laser light shows are just going to get better and better.”

Jordan McOmber and his wife, Susan, drove 30 miles from Hemingway to bring their 2-year-old son, Noah, to enjoy what they called a “one-of-a-kind experience.”

“This was our first time seeing a laser light show,” Jordan McOmber said, “so we were very excited to try it out. It was a great experience for Noah, and we didn’t have to worry about loud bangs (fireworks) scaring him.”

Michael Schlegel of Pawleys Island came for the second night of the event and dubbed it “awesome” and “the best.”

“I wanted to come to see the laser light show, because I missed it last night,” Schlegel said. “It was wonderful.”

James and Dawn Sauls, who recently moved to Pawleys Island from Salisbury, North Carolina, thought Wave That Flag summed up the character of Pawleys perfectly.

“We love that Pawleys Island is laid back,” James Sauls said, “and we love live music. This was a perfect fit for us.”

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 addition to the beaches, people are drawn to the Hammock Coast for its nature-centric pastimes such as fishing, boating, kayaking, birding and more. Historic sites, such as the Kaminski House, Atalaya Castle at Huntington Beach State Park and Front Street in Georgetown, are also popular must-do activities for visitors of all ages.

By Clayton Stairs / tourism manager for the Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce and South Carolina’s Hammock Coast®