Sun Fun Festival
Myrtle Beach, SC -The Myrtle Beach area will officially kick off the summer season along the Grand Strand with the 57th annual Sun Fun Festival June 5-9. The fun lasts all summer long with days full of free, family-friendly events, concerts and much, much more. This year’s line-up offers an exciting, new location - Grand Park on the former Myrtle Beach Air Force Base. The emphasis is on the “fun” in Sun Fun this year.
"While we always want to show locals a fantastic time during our festivals, our goal is to put more heads in beds and to promote the Grand Strand through lots of top-notch entertainment and free events" said Brad Dean, president and CEO, Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce. "A family just can't beat all the national acts, activities, events, contests and competitions - all without digging into their wallets."
"The new face of Sun Fun is shining in 2008," said Holly McMillan, festivals director, Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce. "Without a doubt, this year's festival will be bigger and better, with more space to grow the event at Grand Park. Of course, we'll have our traditional events such as the Miss Sun Fun pageants, but we're also introducing many new events, thanks to a growing list of sponsors and presenters."
The Sun Fun Festival will feature hot air balloon and boat rides, celebrity meet-and-greets, food and arts/crafts vendors, a parade of favorite kids' characters, to name a few activities, all free.
Fans of all ages will be thrilled with the celebrity line-up as part of the festivities for the area's 57th annual Sun Fun Festival. Well-known celebrities – Ruben Studdard and Ace Young of FOX's "American Idol," Eric Braeden of CBS's "The Young and The Restless," Cody Linley of Disney's "Hannah Montana" and Demi Lovato of Disney's "Camp Rock" – will be greeting fans on Saturday, June 7, at Grand Park across from The Market Common.
Ruben Studdard, who won the second season of FOX's "American Idol," will be singing the National Anthem at the Sun Fun Festival's Kickoff Ceremony, presented by The Sun News, at 10 a.m. Ace Young, a finalist in the fifth season of FOX's"American Idol," will perform several songs before his meet and greet.
Television and movie stars also will be participating in the festivities. Eric Braeden has starred as Victor Newman on the No. 1 rated daytime drama series "The Young and The Restless" since 1980. Cody Linley has appeared in many hit feature films and guest stars in the popular television shows"Hannah Montana" and "That's so Raven. "Demi Lovato stars as Mitchie Torres in "Camp Rock," a Disney movie scheduled to be released in June.
In addition, Nickelodeon's Jimmy Neutron, Boomerang's Fred and Barney of "The Flintstones" and Scooby-Doo and Shaggy of "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!" presented by Time Warner Cable, will be greeting Sun Fun Festival guests throughout the day.
National recording artists Third Eye Blind will perform on the main stage at 7 p.m. As the perfect ending to a perfect day, a spectacular fireworks extravaganza, presented by Melrose Pyrotechnics, will be displayed over the lake immediately after the Third Eye Blind performance at approximately 9 p.m.
The Grand Strand's summer festival season begins with the 57th annual Sun Fun Festival June 5-9 and ends with the Beach, Boogie & BBQ Festival Aug. 29-30. Sponsored by the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, the festivals offer days full of free, family-friendly events, headline concerts and much, much more. The Sun Fun Festival will offer hot air balloon and boat rides, celebrity meet and greets, sporting events, food and arts/crafts vendors, a parade of favorite kids' characters, to name a few activities. For a complete list of events, visit www.sunfunfestival.com 
