3rd annual Waccamaw Sportmen’s Expo brings spring to life in downtown Conway

Adriana Cotero
·2 min read

CONWAY, S.C. (WBTW) — Spring on the Grand Strand officially began on Tuesday, so the timing is perfect for this weekend’s 3rd annual Waccamaw Sportsmen’s Expo in Conway.

Some people refer to the Expo on Friday and Saturday as the unofficial start to spring. By this time of the year, people are typically itching to get outdoors and explore, said Hillary Howard, executive director of Conway Downtown Alive.

“The Sportsmen’s Expo is a celebration of things outdoors, a celebration of life along the banks of the Waccamaw River here in Conway,” she said.

The friendly dog competitions are among the most popular events, because who doesn’t love dogs? Plus, new this year is a performance by the Purina Flying Disc Dogs.  

“One of the highlights of the event is the dock dog, dock diving, jumping championship,” Howard said. “It’s a big, big draw.”

There’s little doubt that the Expo is a dog-friendly event.

“Well-behaved leashed vaccinated dogs are invited to attend, and so many people bring their dogs,” Howard said. “We have really skewed several events towards dog lovers [and] our vendors are on the doggy-friendly side.”

Those who attend the Expo can also expect to see cooking demonstrations, games and reptile programs. There will also be about 50 vendors.

The Expo began from discussions between Waccamaw Outfitters and Conway Downtown Alive. The collaboration sprung out of that initial conversation.

“We are just introducing a new audience to downtown Conway, and what we found is once they’ve discovered downtown Conway, they just have to come back,” Howard said. “So it benefits our residents and our visitors alike.”

Howard said the Expo grows a little bit each year each and that it could become a three- or four-day festival in the future.

The Expo will be happening throughout downtown Conway. A complete schedule and map are available on the Conway Downtown Alive website.

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Adriana Cotero is News13’s weekend evening anchor and a morning reporter. She joined the team in July 2023 after working in the island of Guam. Adriana is from Saline, Michigan, and graduated from Central Michigan University. Follow Adriana on Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram and read more of her work here. 

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