MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – The Carolina Country Music Festival has brought tens of thousands of people to the city’s oceanfront, which is helping nonprofit groups make extra money.
Many of the country music fans were rocking out on Sunday for the final day of CCMF.
“This is something you definitely can’t miss,” said Anna Watters of Wilmington, North Carolina.
“Yeah, it’s been a lot of fun,” said June Wilkinson of Wilmington, North Carolina.
“This is going to be a tradition from now on,” Watters said.
“We’re definitely coming every year,” Wilkinson said.
Traffic around Myrtle Beach’s oceanfront can get very busy during CCMF, so some decide not to drive at all.
“Yeah, we just “Uber-ed,” but it’s been really easy to get them,” said Wilkinson.
“It makes your life so much easier,” said Watters. “No drinking and driving.”
For those who are able to drive, parking lots off-site made money. Some sold spots for charitable causes.
First Baptist Church Myrtle Beach raised money with its parking lot on Kings Highway.
“We have a parking lot that’s only about five blocks away,” said First Baptist Church youth pastor Richard Floore. “So I figured we could use what we already have to try to raise money for kids who need help going to camp.”
Floore says the church raised $1,500 in the first three days of the festival.
He says it’s been a successful weekend that will help kids have fun this summer.
“Well, it’s awesome,” Floore said. “I’ve got a lot of kids in the youth ministry who come and whose parents either both work a full-time job and make minimum wage, so they can’t really afford much for them. Then, I’ve got a lot of kids who have single parents at home.”
New Directions of Horry County was another nonprofit raising money with parking lots for the CCMF weekend.
CCMF ended Sunday night with the Zac Brown Band as the closing act.
Also at CCMF, a member of the extended News13 family performed Sunday.
Dan Parks, who’s the brother of News13 sports anchor Chris Parks, plays the electric guitar for Runaway June. It’s a band from Nashville, which played on the main stage in the afternoon.
Dan Parks has played with several country bands for about 12 years.
“Mainly being by the beach, because we don’t get to by the beach much,” Parks said. “So there’s a nice breeze, the smell of the salt water. What more could you ask for?”
Dan Parks also played at CCMF with Runaway June last year.