With all of the great malls, outlets and specialty stops in Myrtle Beach, we thought that our area already was a shopper's paradise.  Well this weekend Myrtle Beach takes shopping to another level as South Carolina will be holding its annual Tax Free Days beginning on Friday morning, August 1 and lasting through Sunday night, August 3.

 With gas prices stabilizing (even going down a few cents at some area stations!), this weekend is a perfect time to take care of school clothes and supplies for the kids, a new family computer and even that pair of shoes that you've had your eye on!

A general list of tax-exempt items includes:

• Clothing and footwear.
  
• Clothing accessories including hats, scarves, hosiery, and handbags.
  
• School supplies including pens, pencils, paper, binders, notebooks, books, bookbags, lunchboxes, and calculators.
  
• Computers, printers and printer supplies, and computer software.
• Bath wash clothes, blankets, bed spreads, bed linens, sheet sets, comforter sets, bath towels, shower curtains, bath rugs and mats, pillows, and pillow cases.

Items not tax-exempt includes:

• Jewelry, cosmetics, eyewear, wallets and watches.
  
• Furniture.
  
• Layway or similar deferred payment and delivery.
  
• Rental of clothing or footwear.
  
• Sale or lease of an item for use in a trade or business. 

For the full list of items included and excluded in the sale, Click Here to visit the South Carolina Department of Revenue page.

Looking for the finer side of Myrtle Beach?  Well you don't have to look too far.  The Long Bay Symphony has announced a 2008-2009 season that "brings you The Power and Brilliance of the Orchestra with some of the symphonic world's most exciting repertoire by Tchaicovsky, Brahms, Debussy, Verdi, and more."

The Symphony Series will kick off on October 5, 2008 with the performance entitled Rhapsody.  The second leg of the series, Great Romantics will be performed on November 9, 2008, followed by Pictures at an Exhibition on January  25, 2009 and the series concludes with The World of Dance on March 8, 2009.  The symphony will also hold a Chamber Concert series beginning with Handel's Messiah on December 6, 2008.

Tickets to the events 2008-2009 season start at $35 per person (student and senior rates also available) and will sell quickly.  For more information, please Click Here to visit the symphony web site for more information or call direct at 843-448-8379.  You surely won't want to miss these amazing performances!