Things to Do in Charleston SC in December 2026

South Carolina events › Lowcountry › Charleston in December

Charleston things to do in December 2026 include the Holiday Festival of Lights at James Island County Park (nightly through Dec 31, from $15 a vehicle), the City of Charleston Holiday Parade on Dec 6, the Mount Pleasant and Summerville parades on Dec 13, three Stingrays home games, and a month of shows at Charleston Music Hall, from the South Carolina Ballet’s Nutcracker on Dec 1 and 2 to Futurebirds on New Year’s Eve.

Event	When	Where	Price
Holiday Festival of Lights	Nightly through Dec 31, 5:30-10 p.m.	James Island County Park, 871 Riverland Dr.	$15-$30 online per vehicle, $25-$45 at the gate
The Nutcracker (South Carolina Ballet)	Tue, Dec 1 and Wed, Dec 2, 7 p.m.	Charleston Music Hall	Not shown on the calendar
Stingrays vs. Atlanta (Ugly Sweater Night)	Fri, Dec 4, 7:05 p.m.	North Charleston Coliseum	Not published
City of Charleston Holiday Parade	Sun, Dec 6, 3 p.m.	Charleston	Not published; no ticket mentioned
Stingrays: Sing for Santa	Fri, Dec 11, 7:05 p.m.	North Charleston Coliseum	Not published
The Charleston Christmas Special	Dec 11-22 (see below)	Charleston Music Hall	Not shown; kids free Dec 16
Mount Pleasant Christmas Light Parade (31st)	Sun, Dec 13, 5:30 p.m.	W. Coleman Blvd., Mount Pleasant	Not published
Summerville Christmas Parade	Sun, Dec 13, 2-4 p.m.	Downtown Summerville	Not published
Stingrays: Teddy Bear Toss	Sun, Dec 13, 3:05 p.m.	North Charleston Coliseum	Not published

Week by week

Tuesday, December 1 to Saturday, December 5

The South Carolina Ballet’s Nutcracker is at Charleston Music Hall on Tuesday, Dec 1 and Wednesday, Dec 2 (doors 6 p.m., show 7 p.m.). Tommy Emmanuel plays Thursday, Dec 3 (doors 7 p.m., show 8 p.m.), and Winter Nights with Matteo Bocelli on Friday, Dec 4 is listed as sold out. Also on Friday, the Stingrays host Atlanta for Ugly Sweater Night at 7:05 p.m. at North Charleston Coliseum. On Saturday, Dec 5 the Music Hall lists the 2026 Holiday Swing with Tommy Brown Jr. and the Charleston Jazz Orchestra; no start time is shown and tickets are sold through charlestonjazz.com. The Old Time Christmas Tree Celebration in Summerville is listed for Tuesday, Dec 1; the town calendar does not give details we could confirm. See the Music Hall calendar and the Stingrays schedule.

Sunday, December 6

The City of Charleston Holiday Parade steps off at 3 p.m. The city notice does not name a route, and entry applications for floats closed at 5 p.m. on Nov 5. See the city notice.

Friday, December 11 to Sunday, December 13

This is the busiest weekend. The Stingrays play Sing for Santa on Friday, Dec 11 at 7:05 p.m., which includes a mental health awareness Hockey Talks segment. The Charleston Christmas Special, a Moranz Entertainment show at Charleston Music Hall, runs Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec 12 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sunday, Dec 13 at 3 p.m. On Sunday the Summerville parade runs 2 to 4 p.m., with an artisan market from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Hutchinson Square; the Stingrays host the Greenville Swamp Rabbits for Teddy Bear Toss at 3:05 p.m. (with a Christmas ornament giveaway); and the 31st Mount Pleasant Christmas Light Parade starts at 5:30 p.m. on W. Coleman Blvd., after dark, with floats required to use electric lights. Several of these overlap, so pick one before the afternoon. Sources: the Music Hall calendar, Stingrays schedule, Mount Pleasant and Summerville.

Tuesday, December 15 to Tuesday, December 22

The Charleston Christmas Special continues at Charleston Music Hall on Dec 15, 16 (Kids Free Night), 17, 18, 21 and 22 at 7 p.m., and on Saturday, Dec 19 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec 20 at 3 p.m. Doors open an hour before each show. The Festival of Lights switches to red-night pricing on Dec 18 to 23 ($30 online, $45 at the gate per vehicle), so book earlier in the month if you want the lowest price. See the Music Hall calendar and the Festival of Lights page.

Tuesday, December 29 to Thursday, December 31

Blue Dogs play Charleston Music Hall on Tuesday, Dec 29 (doors 7 p.m., show 8 p.m.), and Futurebirds with Arts Fishing Club play on Thursday, Dec 31 (doors 8 p.m., show 9 p.m.). The Festival of Lights closes for the season on Dec 31, a yellow night. Music Hall ticket prices are not shown on its calendar.

Holiday Festival of Lights, in detail

The Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission’s drive-through lights show at James Island County Park opens Nov 13 and runs nightly from 5:30 to 10 p.m. through Dec 31. Prices are per vehicle and depend on expected crowds: green nights $15 online or $25 at the gate, yellow nights $25 or $35, and red nights $30 or $45, for up to 15 people. A vehicle with 16 to 30 people pays $50 and one with 31 or more pays $150. Advance tickets save money, admission is valid only for the date you book, advance purchases are not refundable, and Gold Pass members get one free standard-vehicle entry per booked date. Tour buses should call 843-406-6990 ahead of arrival. See the park’s event page.

Looking for more? See Lowcountry events, concerts and sports and festivals and fairs.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the Holiday Festival of Lights in December?

Admission is per vehicle (up to 15 people). On green nights it is $15 online or $25 at the gate, on yellow nights $25 online or $35 at the gate, and on red nights $30 online or $45 at the gate. Larger vehicles pay $50 for 16 to 30 people and $150 for 31 or more. Admission is valid only for the date you book, and the festival runs rain or shine.

Which nights at the Festival of Lights are cheapest?

Green nights: Dec 1 to 4, 7 to 10 and 14 to 15. Yellow nights are Dec 5, 6, 11, 13, 16, 17, 24, 25 and 27 to 31, and red nights are Dec 12, 18 to 23 and 26, per the park’s ticket page. Hours are 5:30 to 10 p.m. nightly.

When are the Charleston area Christmas parades?

The City of Charleston Holiday Parade steps off at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec 6. On Sunday, Dec 13 the Summerville Christmas Parade runs 2 to 4 p.m. downtown and the Mount Pleasant Christmas Light Parade starts at 5:30 p.m. on W. Coleman Blvd. The organizer pages we read do not list ticket prices, route details for the city parade, or spectator rules.

Where can I see hockey in Charleston in December?

The South Carolina Stingrays play three home games at North Charleston Coliseum: Fri, Dec 4 vs. Atlanta (Ugly Sweater Night), Fri, Dec 11 vs. Savannah (Sing for Santa) and Sun, Dec 13 vs. Greenville (Teddy Bear Toss and an ornament giveaway). The Dec 4 and Dec 11 games start at 7:05 p.m. and the Dec 13 game at 3:05 p.m.

Is there live music in Charleston on New Year’s Eve?

Charleston Music Hall lists Futurebirds with Arts Fishing Club on Thursday, Dec 31, doors at 8 p.m. and show at 9 p.m. Its page does not show ticket prices.

Keep planning

Sources

Everything above was read at the organizers’ own pages and last checked 2026-10-19 (park, city and town pages on Oct 17). Dates, hours and prices change, so confirm on the linked page before you go. See our editorial standards.

Cite this page: It's South Carolina, “Things to Do in Charleston SC in December 2026”, itssouthcarolina.com/charleston-things-to-do-in-december/ (updated 2026-10-20). By the It's South Carolina editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.