Conway, the county seat of Horry County, will once again transform into Halloween, South Carolina, starting October 1. This marks the fifth consecutive year the city has adopted the seasonal identity by mayoral proclamation, a tradition that has garnered national attention and significantly increased tourism.
The transformation involves new signage, a rebranded city website, thousands of plastic pumpkins adorning live oaks, and a haunted pirate ship docked near the marina. While the name change holds no legal authority—water bills and postal services still recognize Conway—its economic impact and strain on local infrastructure are substantial. What began in 2019 with about 500 trick-or-treat buckets hung by city employees has evolved into one of Horry County’s largest single-month tourism events.
City Administrator Adam Emrick has stated that the strategy was developed to create a unique holiday attraction, as Conway struggled to compete with established Christmas light displays in other Southern cities. The city spends approximately $225,000 annually on holiday decorations across all seasons, funded entirely by the city’s hospitality fee, a point-of-sale collection on prepared food and beverages. This revenue, restricted by South Carolina law to tourism-related expenditures, cannot be used for general operations or property taxes.
However, the full public cost extends beyond decorations. Expenses such as police overtime for crowd and traffic management, public works crews reconfiguring parking, sanitation, fire and EMS coverage, and wear on municipal infrastructure are budgeted departmentally. The city has not yet published a consolidated, all-inclusive cost of the Halloween celebration, which would account for decorations, personnel, and services, against the hospitality fee revenue generated.
Downtown hospitality fee collections have reportedly increased by about 20 percent year-over-year since the celebration expanded, with many downtown restaurant owners describing October 2025 as their best month on record. While these claims are considered believable, they are currently largely anecdotal. A comprehensive financial accounting would provide a clearer picture of the event’s overall economic impact.
Attendance figures for October 2025 varied across reports, with one television station citing over 466,000 visitors and another reporting more than 450,000. A summary of the November 3 council meeting recorded Emrick stating 456,900 downtown visits, with a peak day of about 37,500 on October 18, and an October daily average of 14,800. It is important to note that these figures represent visits, not unique visitors, as the city’s pedestrian tracking system counts foot traffic volume. This distinction is crucial when comparing Conway’s 2.8 million downtown visits in 2025 to Hilton Head’s approximately 2.5 million annual visitors, as the measurement methodologies are likely different.
By the third week of October 2025, downtown Conway experienced significant traffic problems, with attendance running 46.2 percent ahead of the previous year. The city implemented temporary measures, including banning left turns, opening Marina Drive for parking, restricting Fifth Avenue parking, closing Sixth Avenue to non-local traffic, and reserving the City Hall lot for staff and accessible parking. Council Member William Goldfinch reported widespread constituent complaints about traffic from residents.
Traffic congestion extends to county and state roads feeding into Conway from Highway 90, Highway 905, Loris, and the beaches. City officials have directed through-traffic to the U.S. 501 Bypass. Suggestions for satellite parking with shuttles have been made, which would require land, buses, and funding, potentially involving county cooperation.
For other Horry County municipalities, Conway’s success demonstrates the potential for inland areas to generate significant tourism during off-peak months, at a lower cost than building comparable attractions. However, the replicability of this success is limited by Conway’s unique assets, such as its compact, walkable historic district with mature live oaks. Attendance has consistently climbed, with Conway planning for nearly 3 million downtown visits in 2026. The city has not publicly identified a capacity ceiling or a plan for when the crowds outgrow the historic district.
