Digging in the dirt at the Fossil Fair

October 31st might signal Halloween treats to you, but for South Carolina science fans it’s also a day of archeological fun at the South Carolina Fossil Fair hosted at the Ocean Lakes Family Campground’s Recreation Building in Myrtle Beach.  The day-long event features a mock dig site, PCS Phosphate Mine, a fossil hunt and lots of bones.  Experts from the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of Natural History will dust off your discoveries and identify the fossils.

Start at the mock dig site where a museum specialist will illustrate how to create a plaster cast to move a specimen from the dig site to a museum.  You can observe how the fossil is removed from the plaster and prepared for display. The fun part is that you get to help clean the specimen.

Next, hunt for sharks teeth at the PCS Phosphate Mine. Kids will love digging through the phosphate material and turning up pointy shark teeth. If digging and dirt doesn’t amuse you,  members of the Myrtle Beach Fossil Club and the Grand Strand Shell Club will showcase an array of fossil and shell collections. Peruse whalebones, horse teeth, giant sand dollars and specimens from the South Carolina lowcountry, North Carolina and Florida area.

Make it an adventure weekend and camp out on the campgrounds 893 campsites. No tent or RV?  Then consider a beach house or trailer rental. Ocean Lakes Properties offers a range of  price and size options. Spend the rest of your weekend diving into the ocean and lounging at the Sandy Harbor Family Fun Center, a 2-acre complex featuring a pool, game center, mini golf course and cafe.  The whole family can also enjoy volleyball, basketball, shuffleboard and bike rentals along the oceanfront.

The Fossil Fair runs on October 31 from 9AM-3PM and all events are free.

Photo courtesy of the Ocean Lakes Family Campground