Destinations › Which Christmas Town
Pick a South Carolina Christmas town by the kind of Christmas you want: a small-town parade, historic homes by candlelight, a big lights display, a market or Christmas on the coast. 17 towns, sorted into 5 kinds from what each town actually puts on. Filter the list, then open the town's own page for the 2026 dates.
- Towns17on this page
- Kinds5of Christmas
- CheckedOct 262026
- Sources33official pages
Pick by The Christmas You Want
A Small-Town Parade 7
- Bluffton Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting Lowcountry
- Walhalla Christmas Parade Upstate
- Heart of the Holidays, Hartsville Pee Dee
- Summerville Christmas Parade Lowcountry
- Mount Pleasant Christmas Light Parade Lowcountry
- Christmas in Camden Midlands
- Georgetown Christmas Parade Grand Strand
Historic Homes by Candlelight 1
A Big Lights Display 5
A Christmas Market 3
- ChristmasVille Midlands
- Holiday Hop & Christmas Market Upstate
- Christmas in Downtown Conway Grand Strand
Christmas on The Coast 1
- Deck the Hulls Christmas Boat Parade Lowcountry
Every Christmas Town, Side by Side
| Town | Region | What happens | When | Cost | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston: candlelight house tours and Holiday Festival of Lights | Lowcountry | Historic Charleston Foundation runs holiday candlelight tours of the Nathaniel Russell House and the Aiken-Rhett House, Drayton Hall runs candlelight tours of its 18th-century house, and Charleston County Parks runs the Holiday Festival of Lights at James Island County Park with more than 750 illuminated displays. | Nathaniel Russell House candlelight tours: Friday, November 20 and Saturday, November 21, 2026. Aiken-Rhett House candlelight tours: Friday, December 4 and Saturday, December 5, 2026. Drayton Hall Candlelight Tours: November 28, 2026. Holiday Festival of Lights: every night from November 13 through December 31, 2026, 5:30-10 p.m. City holiday parade and boat parade: not published for 2026. HCF tours depart 5:30, 6:00, 6:30 and 7:00 pm each night and last approximately 45 minutes. Holiday Festival of Lights 5:30-10 p.m. | HCF candlelight tours: $45 per person. Holiday Festival of Lights: prices listed per vehicle, set by Green, Yellow and Red nights (amounts not shown in page text); gift passes 1-9 tickets = $25 each, each valid for 1-15 guests per vehicle. | source |
| Wild Lights at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden | Midlands | Riverbanks Zoo and Garden holds Wild Lights, a walk through the zoo past over 60 lantern displays, with s'mores, hot chocolate and visits with Santa; the zoo's site also lists Brew Lights, a new 21+ holiday event. | Select Nights November 20 – January 10, 5:00-9:00 PM; the page calendar covers November 2026 through January 2027. Tickets go on sale November 2. 5:00 – 9:00 PM | not published yet (tickets go on sale November 2) | source |
| ChristmasVille | Midlands | ChristmasVille turns Old Town Rock Hill into a holiday village and outdoor art festival with nearly 70 events, including horse-drawn carriage rides, historic tours, Dickens carolers, a gingerbread house contest, Santa activities and an ice skating rink. | December 3-6, 2026 (Thursday, December 3 to Sunday, December 6). Contests run November 1 – December 2. | Not listed | source |
| Bluffton Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting | Lowcountry | The Town of Bluffton holds its 55th annual tree lighting at Martin Family Park, then a Christmas parade through the Historic District the next morning. | Friday, December 4, 2026: Tree Lighting 5:30 p.m. Saturday, December 5, 2026: parade steps off 10 a.m. Tree lighting 5:30 p.m.; movie 6:30 p.m.; parade 10 a.m. | Not listed | source |
| Walhalla Christmas Parade | Upstate | The City of Walhalla runs an evening Christmas parade judged at the City Green, plus a tree lighting, window contest, Cookies with Santa and a night ride at Stumphouse Mountain Park. | Christmas Parade: Saturday, December 5 (2026) at 5 PM, theme 'Christmas Traditions Through the Decades'. Frosty's Night Ride: the city says to come back in December 2026 for the second annual ride (date not published). Tree lighting: not published for 2026. Parade 5 PM | Not listed | source |
| Heart of the Holidays, Hartsville | Pee Dee | Hartsville holds a three-day Heart of the Holidays celebration with a downtown open house and tree lighting, a Family Jingle Jam, a kids carnival and craft show, and a night Christmas parade in which every unit must be lit. | Heart of the Holidays: November 19-21, 2026. Christmas Parade: Saturday, December 5, 2026 at 5:30 PM. Nov 19 tree lighting 6:00-9:00 PM; Nov 20 Jingle Jam 6:00-9:00 PM; Nov 21 carnival and craft show 10:00 AM-4:00 PM; parade 5:30 PM | Free | source |
| Christmas in Newberry: Main Street Lights | Midlands | The City of Newberry lights a downtown display of lighted garland, figures and a Community Christmas Tree, starting with the Main Street Lights tree lighting, then North Pole Nights on December Fridays with faux snow in Memorial Park. | Begins November 20, 2026 with the Community Christmas Tree Lighting (Friday, November 20, 2026, 5:00-8:00 pm). North Pole Nights: Friday nights, December 4, 11 & 18, 5:00-8:00 pm. Tree lighting ceremony 6:00 pm; festivities until 8:00 pm | Free | source |
| Holiday Hop & Christmas Market | Upstate | The City of Travelers Rest holds a downtown Holiday Hop with a Christmas Market along the Swamp Rabbit Trail, a tree lighting with carols, a Jingle Paws dog parade, a train ride and Santa and Mrs. Claus at the Spring Park Inn. | Saturday, November 28 – 3:00-7:00 pm (page titled '2026 Holiday Hop & Christmas Market'). Christmas Market 3:00-7:00 pm; Jingle Paws Parade 5:00 pm; tree lighting 6:45 pm | Not listed | source |
| Summerville Christmas Parade | Lowcountry | Summerville DREAM runs the Summerville Christmas Parade, a family-friendly parade of decorated cars, trucks, floats and walking groups chosen by committee. | Parade: December 13, 2026 (per the 2026 application form). Start time and route not published. | Entry fees for participants only (e.g. standard business entry $200, nonprofit $100); spectator price not stated. | source |
| Mount Pleasant Christmas Light Parade | Lowcountry | The Town of Mount Pleasant holds its 31st annual night parade down Coleman Boulevard with fireworks, marching bands, a police motorcycle show, lighted floats and Santa on a town fire truck. | Dec 13, 2026, 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm Fireworks 5:30 p.m.; parade runs Live Oak Drive down Coleman Boulevard to Patriots Point Road | Not listed | source |
| Aiken: Downtown Christmas Parade and Christmas in Hopelands | Midlands | Aiken's Christmas in Hopelands lights Hopelands Gardens with 100,000+ lights and free cocoa, cider and cookies, and the Aiken Downtown Development Association hosts a downtown Christmas parade; Aiken also has the Hoofbeats Christmas Parade with horses and carriages. | 2026 Downtown Aiken Christmas Parade: Sunday, December 6th at 2:00PM. Christmas in Hopelands and Hoofbeats parade: not published for 2026 (2025 dates were December 13-23 for Hopelands and December 14 for Hoofbeats). Hopelands (2025): 6:00 pm – 9:30 pm; no parking or entry after 9:00 PM | Free | source |
| Christmas in Camden | Midlands | Camden's tourism office lists a city tree lighting at Broad Street Park, the Kershaw County Tinsel Trail of lighted displays, holiday snow nights downtown, the Kershaw County Christmas Parade and the nighttime Lights of Lugoff Christmas Parade. | not published for 2026 (the 2025 guide listed the tree lighting Dec 4, Tinsel Trail Nov 26 – Dec 31, Kershaw County Christmas Parade Dec 13 at 10 AM and Lights of Lugoff parade Dec 13 at 6:30 PM) | Not listed | source |
| Christmas in Downtown Conway | Grand Strand | The City of Conway is taking vendors for Christmas 2026 for Santa's Village on the Town Green and a new Lower Laurel Market at 104 Laurel Street with a Christmas train station, aiming for 'a festive, traditional Christmas market experience'. | not published for 2026 (Visit Myrtle Beach listed the 2025 Rivertown Christmas Celebration on Thursdays, December 4 – December 18, 2025, 6 to 8 pm, and the 2025 Conway tree lighting on December 4, 2025 at 6 pm, 200 Laurel Street) | 2025 Rivertown Christmas Celebration: 'All of the events are free.' (2026 not stated) | source |
| City-County Christmas Tree Lighting and Holiday Music & Light Show | Pee Dee | The City and County of Florence light the city Christmas tree at Andrew H. Griffin Plaza, followed by the Downtown Development Corporation's Downtown Christmas Magic, and a Holiday Music & Light Show runs nightly through December 31. | not published for 2026 (2025: tree lighting Friday, December 5, 2025 at 5:30 pm; light show through December 31st, 5:30 pm – 10:00 pm each evening, weather permitting) | Not listed | source |
| Winter Wonderland at The Beach | Grand Strand | Visit Myrtle Beach lists Winter Wonderland at The Beach, a free lights display along the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk and downtown, opened by a tree lighting in Plyler Park. | not published for 2026 (2025: lights nightly from November 28, 2025 to January 3, 2026; tree lighting November 29, 2025 at 6:15 pm) | Described as a free lights display (2025 listing). | source |
| Georgetown Christmas Parade | Grand Strand | Georgetown's Christmas Parade on Front Street features decorated floats, marching bands, community groups, Christmas music and Santa Claus; the 12 Days of Christmas Kringle Krawl follows the same evening on Front Street. | Christmas Parade: December 5 (event data shows 2026-12-05), 11:00 am – 1:00 pm, Front Street. Kringle Krawl: December 5, 4:00 pm – 9:00 pm. | Not listed | source |
| Deck the Hulls Christmas Boat Parade | Lowcountry | America's Boating Club Hilton Head presents Deck the Hulls, a waterfront Christmas boat parade of decorated boats along Skull Creek. | not published for 2026 (the organizer page, updated 10/17/2026, still shows the 3rd annual parade on December 14, 2024, 6 – 8 PM) 6 – 8 PM (2024 listing) | Not listed | source |
No rows match.
FAQ
Which South Carolina town is best for Christmas?
It depends on what you want. Use the picks above: towns sorted by parade, candlelight homes, lights, markets or the coast, from what each town lists.
Are the 2026 dates confirmed?
8 of 17 towns had posted 2026 dates when we checked on October 26, 2026. The others say not published for 2026.
What We Could Not Confirm
Not confirmed: we looked for these on official pages and did not find them. Check with the town or operator before you rely on them.
- Beaufort (Night on the Town, Light Up the Night lighted boat parade, Christmas parade): no 2026 dates found on cityofbeaufort.org (calendar, news), beaufortsc.org/events/holidays (images only, no text) or downtownbeaufort.com (empty page). explorebeaufortsc.com is a private media site, not used. Beaufort left out of items.
- Georgetown lighted boat parade on the Sampit River: not on discovergeorgetownsc.com or georgetownsc.gov; only in older Post and Courier unofficial summary. Georgetown is tagged 'small-town parade' because only the Front Street parade is confirmed.
- Greenville Poinsettia Christmas Parade and Ice on Main: greenvillesc.gov pages load their content by script, so no date or price could be read; visitgreenvillesc.com event URL did not load for us. Greenville left out of items.
- 2026 dates (Nov. 27, 2026 – Jan. 3, 2027) and prices appear only in a WMBF news report, so not used. Left out of items.
- City of Charleston Holy City Holiday Parade and Holiday Parade of Boats: only 2025 city notices found (parade December 7, 2025; boats December 13, 2025); 2026 not published.
- Historic Charleston Foundation 2026 candlelight event pages show 'This event has passed' next to the 2026 dates; likely a page template error, but dates should be rechecked.
- Drayton Hall Candlelight Tours: page lists November 28, 2026 but no price or times in the page text.
- Riverbanks Wild Lights 2026 ticket prices: not published (tickets on sale November 2). Riverbanks county left blank (zoo spans the Richland/Lexington area).
- Rock Hill region left blank (York County does not fit the five-region list cleanly); ChristmasVille prices not shown on the home page.
- Aiken: Christmas in Hopelands and Hoofbeats Christmas Parade 2026 dates not posted on visitaikensc.com (pages still show 2025). Downtown parade date comes from the organizer's (ADDA) entry form.
- Summerville: parade date from Summerville DREAM's 2026 entry application (jotform); no start time, route or tree lighting date found on summervillesc.gov or visitsummerville.com.
- Camden, Florence, Myrtle Beach, Conway: official pages show only 2025 dates; 2026 schedules not yet published.
- Abbeville, Cheraw: no official holiday pages found (abbevillecitysc.com/christmas 404; cheraw.com has no holiday text). Left out.
- Hilton Head Deck the Hulls: organizer page shows the 2024 date; hiltonheadisland.org listing for a later edition blocked (403).
- lat/lon left null for all items: no coordinates given on the source pages.
Sources
- Charleston County Parks – Holiday Festival of Lights
- Holiday Festival of Lights Tickets
- Explore Charleston – HFOL Fun Run & Walk
- Historic Charleston Foundation – Nathaniel Russell House candlelight 2026
- Historic Charleston Foundation – Aiken-Rhett House candlelight 2026
- Drayton Hall – Candlelight Tours
- City of Charleston – 2025 Holiday Parade notice
- City of Charleston – 2025 Holiday Parade of Boats
- Riverbanks – Wild Lights
- ChristmasVille Rock Hill
- Visit York County – ChristmasVille
- Visit Bluffton – 55th Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting
- City of Walhalla – Christmas Parade
- City of Walhalla – Frosty's Night Ride
- Visit Hartsville – Heart of the Holidays 2026
- Visit Hartsville – 2026 Christmas Parade
- Newberry Christmas
- Newberry Christmas – Our Lights
- City of Newberry – Christmas in Newberry
- Travelers Rest – Holiday Hop & Christmas Market
- 2026 Summerville Christmas Parade application
- Experience Mount Pleasant (Town of Mount Pleasant) – Christmas Light Parade
- 2026 Downtown Aiken Christmas Parade (ADDA)
- Visit Aiken – Christmas in Hopelands
- Visit Aiken – A Very Aiken Christmas press release
- Experience Camden – 2025 Holiday Events
- Experience Camden – Christmas in Camden
- City of Conway – Santa's Village Vendors Needed
- Visit Myrtle Beach – Things to do in December
- City of Florence – 32nd City-County Christmas Tree Lighting
- Discover Georgetown – Christmas Parade
- Discover Georgetown – Kringle Krawl
- ABC Hilton Head – Deck the Hulls
Read on October 26, 2026. How we check: editorial standards; spot a mistake? Tell us.
Cite this page: It's South Carolina, “Which South Carolina Christmas Town Should I Pick?”, itssouthcarolina.com/destinations/which-christmas-town/ (updated ). 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.