North Myrtle Beach positively glows during the holidays. As the birthplace of the Shag (that upbeat and kicky regional dance inspired by the jitterbug), the beachy berg goes all in for merrymaking.

But rather than snow and mistletoe, this South Carolina coastal charmer brings sand and the Grand Strand—and millions of twinkling lights, miles of dazzling vignettes, a Festival of Trees and one seriously splashy Christmas production.

Play: A highlight of my visit to North Myrtle Beach was a drive through the Great Christmas Light Show to see 2 million lights animating trumpeting angles, a fire-breathing dragon, gingerbread houses, musical instruments, the Nativity, shimmery tunnels, scenes from classic Christmas movies and more. With the lights synchronized to traditional holiday tunes we all know and love, it made for a truly magical evening.

The light show is held at the North Myrtle Beach Park & Sports Complex (now through Dec. 30), which is also home to Santa’s Village with petting zoo, photo ops, s’mores and hot chocolate, cozy fires and visits with Santa Claus. You can snap a family photo in a twinkly snow globe setting, find your way through the Christ-maze and board the Santa Express Train Ride for an up-close look at the lights.

Ripley’s Aquarium of Myrtle Beach goes next level with Christmas tree decorating during its Festival of Trees (through Jan. 5), lavishly trimming trees for each of the 55 U.S. states and territories in celebration of the country’s diverse heritage. But that’s not all. As you wind your way through the aquarium’s Tropical Rainforest, Sloth Valley and Penguin Playhouse, you also find themed trees inspired by holiday movie classics like “Elf” and that bad banana with termites in his smile, “The Grinch.”

North Myrtle Beach’s Alabama Theater—located at Barefoot Landing, a waterside shopping, dining and entertainment destination—presents “The South’s Grandest Christmas Show” (through Dec. 31). Heartwarming, funny and at times completely mesmerizing, the show lives fully up to its name with gorgeous sets bedecked in holiday splendor, dozens and dozens of colorful costume changes, soaring vocals and high-stepping dance moves, acrobatics and juggling, and a showstopper finale with Santa Claus flying onto stage in his sleigh.

Stay: Resorts, hotels, motels, ocean and beach-front homes, vacation rentals—North Myrtle Beach has lots of options for overnights. I stayed at Sea Marsh 1 (www.elliottbeachrentals.com), a comfy condo located in the town’s Cherry Grove neighborhood. It was lovely, open and airy with a gleaming kitchen, bedrooms warmed with seaside colors like coral and turquoise, and beautiful, oftentimes dramatic views of the ocean. It was a bit too chilly to spend much time on the balcony, but the views plus four flat screen TVs, WiFi and board games made up for it.

Eat: North Myrtle Beach has so many great restaurants, I wish we had added a couple more days to our visit to sample more of the cuisine scene. Our first stop was at Snooky’s, a local favorite situated on the beach that specializes in fresh seafood. We settled on tacklebox tacos made with steak, black bean salsa and spicy aioli and, given the season, ordered one of the holiday drink specials: the frothy, tequila-based Jack Frost, a sweet blend of Blue Curacao, white crème de cacao and heavy cream topped with a cherry. Talk about a cup of good cheer!

The local favorite at Boardwalk Billy’s, located on the Doc Holidays Marina and overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway, is oysters by the bucket. It was the Boardwalk Burger menu, however—particularly the smokehouse burger with provolone, bacon, fried onion ring and barbeque sauce and served on Texas toast—that grabbed our attention. The mix of casual and flavorful dishes fit the restaurant’s relaxed, laid-back vibe with its happy hour specials, live entertainment and killer ocean views.

Before taking our seats at the Alabama Theater, we dined at the Greg Norman Australian Grille, also located at Barefoot Landing. One of the most popular restaurants on the Grand Strand, it is atmospheric with rich-grain leather and hand-crafted woods imported from Australia, cascading waterfalls and full-length mural of Ayers Rock. The menu is irresistible, showing off an array of seafood including Hokkaido sea scallops and wood-grilled classics like Canadian Coldwater twin lobster tails. I opted for the Greg Norman Kurobuta pork chop with bacon bourbon glaze. As a Kentuckian, I feel it is incumbent upon me to sample any dish that is splashed up with bourbon.

Make time for a tour and tasting, snack and sampling at Twelve33 Distillery, the Grand Strand’s first and only craft production distillery. We paired a flight of signature cocktails with the most divine pretzel bite nibbles and bourbon cheese dip (refer to bourbon note above), then went behind the scenes for a tour of the two stills named Bonnie and Clyde and into the hidden Speakeasy for a tasting. We also picked up a bottle of the distillery’s seasonal special-release, Santa’s Little Helper Liqueur.

Treat: Almost immediately on arriving in North Myrtle Beach, I spied the Beach Bookshop, a used book store with an inviting warmth and outstanding collection of fiction and nonfiction titles. A sale was underway, and I couldn’t resist a stop to browse the stacks. I bought two mysteries—both on my wish list—and could have left with many more. What a nice welcome to town.

I’m not usually a sweet wine drinker, but the family-owned Duplin Winery, which specializes in muscadine wines, makes a Christmas wine with a spicy nip that really captured my fancy—and makes a perfect Christmas gift. Because make no mistake, this winery is a shopper’s utopia, with gifts for everyone on your list: home décor, cuddly socks and hoodies, glassware, serving pieces, stuffed animals and wine—lots and lots of wine. A cozy pair of slippers for a friend, hand-painted drinkware for a holiday host, a pastel colored tote for my sister—shopping in this gorgeous setting and amid the tasting rooms, holiday décor and friendly staff and visitors was heaven.

Watch: It may not be traditional holiday movie viewing, but the 1988 comedy/drama “Shag The Movie,” starring Phoebe Cates and Bridget Fonda, is pure nostalgia—and should be on the watchlist for any visit to North Myrtle Beach. Also called the “swing dance of the South,” the Shag got its start here in the 1940s and, in 1984 was officially designated the State Dance of South Carolina.

For more information about visiting North Myrtle Beach during the holiday and details about the events, activities and shows, restaurants and accommodations, visit www.explorenorthmyrtlebeach.com and www.explorenorthmyrtlebeach.com/events.

RECIPES

#Save Frosty

This festive cocktail, courtesy of Twelve 33 Distillery (www.twelve33distillery.com), features Santa’s Little Helper Cream Liqueur, a specialty seasonal holiday release from the distillery.

Combine:

1 oz Santa’s Little Helper Cream Liqueur

1/2 oz Intemperance Vodka

2 dashes peppermint extract

2 dashes vanilla

1 oz white chocolate

Garnish:

Shake and strain. Top with whipped cream and crushed candy cane.

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Billy’s Lowcountry Boil

A traditional favorite with locals and visitors alike, this recipe, which feeds 10, is courtesy of Chef Rio Stanley of Boardwalk Billy’s (www.boardwalkbillysnmb.com).

Ingredients:

5 lbs easy peel local shrimp (size 21-25)

10 ears of corn (cut in half)

3 lbs small new potatoes (whole)

2 lbs andouille smoked sausage

2 sweet onions

2 lemons, halved

1 whole garlic bulb

8 quarts water

12 oz light beer

1 cup Old Bay seasoning

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley

Instructions:

Fill a large stockpot with 7-8 quarts of cold water and place on the stove over high heat.

Pour in the Old Bay Seasoning, lemons, and garlic, and bring the water to a boil.

Once boiling, carefully drop in the corn and allow the pot to return to a boil.

Boil for 5 minutes and then add the sausage, onions and potatoes into the pot. Allow the water to come to a boil. Cook for 20-25 minutes until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a sharp knife.

Cut off the heat (an important step!) and then slide the shrimp into the pot. Stir and cook the shrimp just until they turn opaque, about 3 minutes. Do not overcook the shrimp as they will become tough and rubbery.

Carefully drain the water out of the pot.

Pour the melted butter over the shrimp and vegetables. Sprinkle the parsley over them as well. With a large spoon, lightly toss the shrimp and vegetables to glaze with the melted butter and parsley.

Scoop the shrimp, potatoes, corn, onions and sausage onto a large platter or turn them out onto a newspaper lined table.

Serve with drawn butter and cocktail sauce and enjoy.

Lowcountry Boil Seasoning Blend

Snooky’s Oceanfront (www.snookysoceanfront.com), another Grand Strand foodie favorite, uses its special secret-recipe Snooky’s seasoning blend for lowcountry boils. If you prefer making your own seasoning blend to using Old Bay seasoning, Snooky’s Lance Denny recommends assembling these ingredients: dried bay leaves, celery salt, coarse salt, black or pink peppercorns, dill seed, paprika, granulated garlic, onion powder, mustard seeds, cayenne pepper, cardamom and all spice. Follow the recipe below for amounts.

Ingredients:

8 dried bay leaves, finely crushed

1 TBSP celery salt

2 tsp coarse salt

2 tsp black or pink peppercorns

2 TBSP ground dill seed

2 TBSP paprika

2 TBSP ground garlic

2 TBSP onion powder

4 tsp ground mustard seeds

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper

1 tsp ground cardamom

2 tsp ground allspice

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, whisking thoroughly. Use in place of Old Bay seasoning.

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Greg Norman’s Lamb for Two

This dish from the Greg Norman Australian Grille (www.gregnormanaustraliangrille.com) is one of the restaurant’s seasonal holiday specials.

Ingredients:

Lamb

2 – 8-oz lamb racks

1/4 cup whole pistachios

1 TBSP coarse salt

2 tsp Dijon mustard

Mashed Potatoes

16 oz red potatoes

2 tablespoons butter

1/8 cup heavy cream

2 TBSP sour cream

2 tsp salt

1 tsp white pepper

2 tsp minced garlic

Corn Mixture

3 whole corn on the cob

1 cup chicken stock

1/4 pound of butter

2 tsp salt

1 tsp white pepper

1 tsp minced garlic

Velouté

1/2 lb butter

1/3 cup of flour

1 cup chicken stock

Directions:

Lamb

Rough chop whole pistachios with salt. Set aside.

Sear lamb racks in neutral oil on medium/high heat.

Lightly brush lamb with Dijon and coat with pistachio mixture.

Bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes; rest for 10-15 minutes.

Mashed Potatoes

Boil whole potatoes in salted water until fork tender. Add to mixer.

Add heavy cream, butter, sour cream and seasonings.

Mix until well blended but still a bit chunky.

Corn Mixture

Cut kernels and squeeze juice off the cob into pot.

On low heat, add chicken stock, butter and seasonings.

Cook until tender, then blend until smooth. Set aside.

Velouté

In a separate pot, melt butter on medium/low heat and whisk in flour.

Cook for 4-6 minutes, being careful not to brown butter.

Slowly whisk in chicken stock until it coats the back of a spoon.

Add the corn mixture and serve warm.