News - Local Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009 New Year's Eve event planned for downtown Myrtle Beach

Lorena Anderson - landerson@thesunnews.com

rying to maintain the momentum of Oktoberfest and bolster tourism in the shoulder months, Myrtle Beach's Downtown Redevelopment Corp. board on Wednesday voted to give a new promotions group $20,000 to plan and execute a holiday festival that will culminate in a New Year's Eve celebration with music, food and activities.

The corporation's contribution is contingent, however, on the city and the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce giving matching funds and the City Council approving the event - which won't be determined until next month because the Myrtle Beach City Council doesn't meet again until Dec. 8.

Area resident Tom Jones, of Global Attractions Development and Management, presented plans for the "winter-wonderland" themed downtown festival after Christmas, and said he's looking to book a nationally known musical act as well as some regional bands for the New Year's Eve event to be known as "Rock'n the Beach."

But some at the corporation meeting said they doubted he'd be able to get a well-known musical act this late in the year. There's also a question in a recession whether he'll be able to find enough sponsors for the event to pull off the more than $350,000 budget he has planned.

Jones said he has a plan in place to secure sponsors and talent, but did not give details.

Board Chairman Bert Anderson said Jones' group will tap into merchants' 2010 budgets.

"That's money they are looking to spend over the coming year," he said.

Spokesman Tiffany Andrews offered a preview of what the "Myrtle Beach Twenty Ten" festival would feature, including sleigh rides on the beach, arts, music and dance performances, a mixed-media 2010 mural, carriage rides and activities for all ages. The promotions company wants to set up two stages, one at Ninth Avenue North and Ocean Boulevard and the other at 14th Avenue North, to keep people moving along the Boulevard and checking out vendors.

Jones said he wants this to be the biggest New Year's event in the state, and he wants it to become an annual event people will return to year after year. He said his group has already set up a Web site - www.myrtlebeachtwentyten.com - where people will be able to get information, schedules and tickets.

He also wants the name "Myrtle Beach Twenty Ten" to be an umbrella for all of next year's events, from New Year on, including the Fourth of July celebration, the Sun Fun Festival and Military Appreciation Days. The Web site, he said, would act as a virtual guidebook for people who want to plan their visits and activities.

Board members such as Jay Bultz supported the plans and said they hope Jones will be successful in planning the event that's only six weeks away.

"We have to start somewhere turning the downtown into a destination again," Bultz said.

Jonathan Staton, president of the Oceanfront Merchants Association, said he and his group planned Oktoberfest in six weeks, but it was difficult. Jones's plan is much bigger.

Board member Doug Martin expressed doubt that the merchants on Ocean Boulevard who close for the winter would re-open just for the after-Christmas festival, and said he was concerned the plan's costs would outweigh the benefits. His was the lone vote against the corporation's contribution.