Plantation Lakes' Fall Friday Nights Start on Carolina Forest Boulevard
October 8, 2026
October 8, 2026
For years, Carolina Forest Boulevard was the road Plantation Lakes residents used to get somewhere else. This October, it's also a place to go. The widening project is done, and South Coast Beer Project at 5020 Carolina Forest Blvd is heading into its first fall with a pumpkin ale on tap, a fire pit in the beer garden, and Friday music that ends at 9 p.m.
Each of those details was planned separately. Taken together, they make a weeknight-friendly evening out that doesn't involve the beach corridor.
The Carolina Forest Boulevard widening to River Oaks Drive is complete. In a September 23, 2026 status roundup of Horry County's road program, The Sun News called it one of the finished successes of the Ride III program. Horry County's Carolina Forest Boulevard project page also lists the project as completed.
The other roads around Carolina Forest are still waiting. That same Sun News report says the four-lane widening of River Oaks Drive is still in preliminary design with no completion date. The U.S. 501 widening between Myrtle Ridge Drive/Gardner Lacy Road and S.C. 544 has slipped from a November target to spring 2027.
That timing shapes a Friday night out. The road nearest Plantation Lakes is the one that's finished, while the main route toward the rest of Myrtle Beach still has construction ahead. A plan that stays on Carolina Forest Boulevard avoids most of it.
South Coast Beer Project opened in spring 2026. When The Sun News previewed it on April 10, the target was the end of May. The Sun News preview placed it "just down the street from The Sneaky Beagle." It also noted that head brewer Brock Kurtzman is well known in Myrtle Beach craft brewing for his work at New South Brewing and Southern Hops Brewing Company. The brewery's own site calls him its Brew Master.
"He knows his stuff. He's like a kid in a candy store."
That's how Evans described Kurtzman to The Sun News in April. The opening lineup had names that sound like they came out of a neighborhood group chat:
The fall list is up now. The brewery's drink menu, marked updated October 1, includes Gourd of the Rings, a seasonal pumpkin ale, and Brocktoberfest, a Festbier. The Festbier shows up on the tap list, but the October calendar doesn't have a separate Oktoberfest event. If you want the seasonal beer, the regular Friday sets are when to go.
The layout says a lot about who the brewery was built for. When The Sun News photographed the building near completion in April, the plans described more than a dozen craft brews, outdoor spaces, kids' play areas, and a restaurant with a full menu. Today the South Coast Beer Project homepage lists these beer garden features:
The food menu is built for the same mixed crowd. It has Detroit-style pizza, wings, sandwiches, and salads, plus a Little Surfer kids' meal for ages 10 and under.
Every October music set runs 6 to 9 p.m. That's early enough for families with young kids and early enough to get home before a Saturday morning on the water. Plantation Lakes has 15 miles of lake, and the POA describes pontoon boating as part of community life. A set that ends at 9 leaves the next morning open.
The April preview reported planned hours of 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Those were the planned hours before opening, so check the brewery's site before a late visit.
Today is Sunday, October 4, so the first Friday on the calendar is five days away. Here's the full month from the brewery's events page:
The Halloween event falls on a Saturday this year, and the brewery's invitation is to "bring your best costume." The calendar lists it from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., so families can stop by in costume at whatever hour works around trick-or-treating, with no school night to plan around.
The boulevard has one more recent addition. In August, the Carolina Forest Recreation Center opened a new all-inclusive, ADA-accessible playground to the public. MyHorryNews covered the opening on August 14, 2026, and reported that the first public day was the Thursday before. According to MyHorryNews, the playground has wheelchair transfer stations and caregiver-and-child expression swings, which let a child swing together with a caregiver.
Put the two together and you have a full weekend close to home. Friday evening is pizza and a Festbier by the pond at South Coast Beer Project. Saturday morning is the new playground at the rec center. The pools, clubhouse, and lake at Plantation Lakes cover the rest. None of it requires the U.S. 501 construction zone or a beach-season parking hunt.
The tap list will keep changing. Gourd of the Rings is a seasonal beer, and the October menu update suggests the brewery rotates its list as the weather changes. If the pumpkin ale is the reason you're going, the next few Fridays are a safe bet.
Kim Brooks keeps an eye on what opens and changes in Carolina Forest, from new spots like South Coast Beer Project to road projects that affect your drive. If you're curious how this new pocket of evening options around Plantation Lakes fits into your plans for your home, Kim Brooks is happy to talk it through over a quick call. Schedule a consultation whenever it suits you.
She is more than an agent; she is your neighbor and guide to the beach lifestyle. Kim leverages over a decade of real estate experience and a genuine passion for service to help families create lasting memories. Reach out to her for a friendly, results-driven experience.