The Days at the Docks Festival, typically a two-day event held on the last weekend of April, takes place along the docks under the Holden Beach Bridge. Sponsored by the Holden Beach Merchants Association and founded in the 1980s, the family-friendly festival usually has about 50 arts and crafts booths, a dozen food vendors, live entertainment and a number of other family-friendly activities. Admission is free and plenty of free parking is available.
The Days at the Docks Festival is perhaps most known for its bopple races, an event in which "boat apples" can be purchased for a nominal fee and entered into an eclectic competition. The pieces of fruit are placed on popsicle sticks with entry numbers and tossed from the Holden Beach Bridge into the Intracoastal Waterway. The first apple to bob its way across the finish line wins a cash prize.
In addition to the bopple races, the Days at the Docks Festival has a number of other contests, such as a king mackerel and flounder fishing tournament that hands out cash prizes for the top fish in each category. Past festivals also have included a 5K race, corn hole and horseshoe competitions. You can shag or line dance to a parade of live bands that play everything from oldies and beach music to Southern rock. Other activities and features include a motorcycle show and a children's area with inflatable rides, face painting, a crafts workshop and other games. After you've worked up your appetite, sample the festival fare that includes funnel cakes, fresh seafood and Greek cuisine.
One of Holden Beach's most popular places to fish and shell is along McCray Street at the island's far east end. The town also has put together an "Olden" Holden bike tour with three loops ranging from 3.5 to 10 miles and encompassing the beach and many of the island's points of interest such as parks, a butterfly garden, the Holden Beach Chapel, an old ferry site and popular fishing areas, including the Holden Beach Pier. Several companies offer bike rentals in the town. Most visitors to Holden Beach stay in rental houses and villas, but other accommodations include the 17-room Gray Gull Motel and RV campgrounds within 3 miles of the Holden Beach Bridge. Other lodging options are available within a 30-minute drive.
