If a trip to the beach is on your "wish" list but not a possibility due to time or finances, Kings Mountain has a festival just for you.
The 19th annual BeachBlast celebration will take place on Saturday, Aug. 25, 2018, from 10 a.m. - 10 p.m. at Patriot's Park in Kings Mountain.
"This festival is our celebration of coastal Carolina beach music and summer fun," says Christy Conner, special events director for Kings Mountain's Main Street Program.
BeachBlast features a free concert of popular beach music bands from across the area, along with family-friendly activities. Water games, inflatables and rides, a watermelon contest, a beach ball drop, and a "Tiny Tots Swim Wear" contest will all be part of the festivities. A variety of craft and food vendors will also be available.
Musical groups scheduled to perform include The Swingin' Medallions, Too Much Sylvia, Gary Lowder & Smokin Hot, and the Blackwater Rhythm & Blues Band. The day will end with a fireworks finale at 10 p.m.
Earlier this year BeachBlast was nominated for "Event of the Year" by the Carolina Beach Music Association.
"This was the first year Kings Mountain's BeachBlast festival placed in the top five for the Southeast," says Conner. Other top five nominations included festivals in Port Canaveral, FL, North Myrtle Beach, SC; Ft. Lauderdale, FL and Myrtle Beach, SC. Officials from Kings Mountain were invited to the awards show held at the Alabama Theatre in North Myrtle Beach last November.
For more information about the BeachBlast festival, visit www.cityofKM.com or search for "City of Kings Mountain" on Facebook.

By April Hoyle Shauf

Special to Community First Media