Winning is ‘sway’ better when it’s tied to National Hammock Day

Winning is ‘sway’ better when it’s tied to National Hammock Day

On a festive day of food, fun and freebies, the Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce and South Carolina’s Hammock Coast named three lucky winners who will now be swaying with the breeze.

The Hammock Coast’s fifth annual celebration of Hammock Day was held Friday, July 21, (Hammock Day Eve). It was extra special as, once again, prizes included three Original Pawleys Island Rope Hammocks from The Original Hammock Shop. This is the second year the shop, an active Chamber member, has generously donated the main drawing prizes for this event.

“We were so excited to give away three Pawleys Island rope hammocks from The Original Hammock Shop,” said Beth Stedman, the Chamber’s president and CEO. “We hope that these hammocks and other prizes will be a reminder of the laid-back, relaxed atmosphere of South Carolina’s Hammock Coast.”

The first two winners, who received a hammock, a special-edition Hammock Coast T-shirt, and free passes to Brookgreen Gardens, were Joy Putman of Pawleys Island and Brady Morton of Canton, Ohio. The grand prize winner, who received those items, as well as a Seakart Adventure outing, was Bridget Findley of Kansas City, Kansas.

“This is the first time we attended this celebration of Hammock Day, and I am feeling pretty lucky,” Findley said when she picked up her prizes.

While it was her first time at the annual Hammock Day event, it wasn’t the first time her family has visited the Hammock Coast. In fact, the Findleys have been vacationing at Litchfield Beach for more than 30 years.

“I’ve been coming to this area since I was 8 years old,” Findley said. “Growing up, my dad and cousins were big golfers and my mom, and my other cousins were big shoppers, so the beach met all of our vacation needs in one fell swoop.”

Now, she and her family keep returning to Litchfield Beach, often renting a different condo each time just to keep things new and exciting. The family has stayed at Litchfield By the Sea area many times, but this year, 10 members of the family gathered at Litchfield Retreat.

“We try to do something different every time,” she said.

She added that they enjoy the beach, but they also spend time doing other activities while they are on vacation.

“We love to check out all the cool restaurants in the area,” Findley said. “We like to go to Murrells Inlet to the MarshWalk and eat at all of the great restaurants there.”

She said their favorite restaurants in the Litchfield area are Local Eat Drink Celebrate and the Hanser House. On the MarshWalk, she said they really liked The Claw House where they enjoyed seeing the large fish tank inside.

“That was our best meal,” she said. “We ate lunch outside, and it was just wonderful.”

During the 2023 Hammock Day event, some Chamber-member food vendors were also on hand to provide free food or beverages to the first 100 visitors. Vendors included Kona Ice, Smoothie King, 7Brew, Chick-fil-A, Sunset Slush, and MyMikeCooks, a local caterer who specializes in creating in-home meals for vacationers, grilled up hotdogs throughout the event.

Relaxation Stations were provided by Chamber members and three of the Hammock Coast’s busiest and best beach-centric members: Cabana Boy Beach Services, Seaside Chairs & Umbrellas and The Original Hammock Shop.

The Long Bay Symphony returned this year with its popular touch-and-play instruments, allowing children a chance to play violins and other instruments. New York Life provided free Child IDs.

The Georgetown Parks and Recreation team and TD Bank offered family-friendly games, and everyone had the chance to meet mascots Forest the Squirrel, Scrubby from Scrubby’s Car Wash, and the Chick-fil-A cow.

Following the Friday Hammock Day celebrations at the Visitor Center, the community celebrated again at The Original Hammock Shop on Saturday, July 22, at noon for a special dedication at the Weaver Shed, where hammocks have been handmade for decades. At Saturday’s event, the shed was dedicated to two longtime weavers: Marvin Grant and Harry Woodbury.

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.

The official Visitor Center is located at 28 Wall St. in the Litchfield community of Pawleys Island and located just outside the gate access to the Litchfield By the Sea resort. 

For more information about the Hammock Coast, visit www.HammockCoastSC.com or follow on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. Or call 843-546-8436.

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