Christmas in Charleston 

The event will feature floats, marching bands, and an Arts & Crafts Show at the Community Center. It’s the perfect place to get a unique gift you won’t find anywhere else. After the parade, head down to Folly River Park to receive goodies from Santa.

The Holiday Festival of Lights at James Island County Park is known for its three-mile driving tour, decorated with two million dazzling lights. Visitors can also walk the enchanted trail, wander through festival shops, make s’mores and sip on hot chocolate, and explore Santa's village.

Enjoy musical interludes leading up to Mayor Tecklenburg lighting up the tree in Marion Square as part of Illumination Charleston.

Harness some holiday fun and climb aboard our specially decorated carriage driven by one of Santa’s elves. This festive 20-minute ride through downtown – complete with caroling – is sure to make you merry. Last stop is Santa’s workshop (just behind our barn), where you’ll join Old St. Nick, Mrs. Clause, and Rudolph for hot cocoa and cookies. Bring your camera, and we’ll snap photos of you and Santa in his sleigh. A holly, jolly Christmas awaits.

The holiday tradition is better than ever, as miles of bands, floats, marchers, and performers parade through downtown Charleston. 

The Charleston Holiday Parade of Boats is held yearly in Charleston Harbor.  Participants must register and decorate their boat from stem to stern while spectators view the parade from either Mt. Pleasant or Charleston along the harbor. The parade culminates with fireworks display.

Brilliantly lit floats and community groups will march up West Coleman Boulevard as the Mount Pleasant Christmas Light Parade sets sail to the delight of thousands of spectators. The festivities begin at 5:30 p.m. with a fireworks show, immediately followed by the start of the parade. 

This free event at the Visitors Center will feature 25 themed and decorated trees and 16 wreaths, all decorated in honor or in memory of someone who has battled cancer. Visitors will stroll through the event to bid on trees and wreaths online to support Dragon Boat Charleston. 

Experience Drayton Hall at night with these incredibly special candlelight tour experiences. This is a remarkable way to understand the house and lives which touched it from the perspective of a non-modernized colonial home. After the tour, enjoy a warm cup of a seasonal beverage.

The Reindeer Run is a family-oriented, pet-friendly 5k run/walk located downtown Charleston. The #1 priority is the health and safety of everyone. Runners can choose to participate in-person or virtually. We are looking forward to celebrating this milestone year with everyone. 

Enjoy demonstrations, tours of historic houses, a market featuring the Southern Living Tastemakers, inspired vignettes at the historic Aiken-Rhett House, engaging talks from some of the brightest stars in the design world, and fabulous nighttime gatherings. 

Enjoy a special evening at the historic Edmondston-Alston House. Take a self guided tour of the festively decorated house by candlelight, and hear the Charleston Caroling Company. Warm up in the courtyard with a glass of wine or hot cider and Gullah Christmas stories.

Step back in time and witness the romantic light at the day’s end with the flicker of flame in this stately early 19th-century townhouse. Appreciate the challenges of life before modern lighting, while experiencing the beautifully lit house adorned with illuminating holiday decor. 

Boone Hall Plantation and the Charleston Radio Group are excited to present an exclusive black tie optional Christmas holiday event presented at Cotton Dock venue at Boone Hall Plantation. This is the Exclusive Christmas Holiday Kickoff Event for Wine Under the Oaks.

Wine Under the Oaks is a casual and elegant affair that welcomes patrons to sample fine wines and delicious gourmet foods from Lowcountry chefs. Featuring live music, specialty gifts, a fine selection of wines, and edible delicacies.

The Deck the Hall Oyster Roast is the highlight of Charleston’s Christmas season – a Lowcountry tradition and a premiere holiday event. The oyster roast includes oysters with all the fixings, chili, beer, wine and live music on the most beautiful historic landscape in Charleston.

Tours of the plantation home during the Christmas holidays are included, with regular paid admission to Boone Hall Plantation. There is no additional charge to tour the mansion beautifully decorated for the Christmas holidays.

Join actors in period costume as they take you back to the Christmas of 1782. This event celebrates the return of Arthur Middleton from Philadelphia, the end of the Revolutionary War in the South, and the departure of the British troops from Charleston. Feast on early American cuisine. 

Aquarium Aglow is a one-of-a-kind holiday experience. This immersive holiday light spectacular brings forth the joy and magic of the season, with tens of thousands of lights displayed throughout the Aquarium. Enjoy food, beverages and live entertainment. 

Shop Local this Holiday Season at the Annual Charleston Holiday Market in Marion Square on Saturdays & Sundays, 9am-2pm for the first three weekends in December. Enjoy a bounty of fresh local produce & homegrown creativity with additional vendors and decorations!

The Garden Market & Nursery and Museum Shop kick-off the shopping season with an open-air market including local artisans and vendors, live musicians performing festive carols, complimentary hot cider and treats, and featured items in both shops.

Enjoy the holiday spirit and seasonal decorations on the 2-hour Charleston Strolls Holiday Walking Tour. Tour where carriages and motor-coaches are not allowed, and take a fascinating walking tour with stories and traditions revealing Charleston’s colorful past. 

Based on pub crawls in Europe, it’s a unique spin on a holiday city experience – through the local taverns brimming with stories and legends of Charleston’s culture and class. This 2.5 hour adventure visits 3-5 historic pubs where you can have your favorite beverage and appetizers.

Celebrate the holiday magic of Mannheim Steamroller in 2022, when they bring their annual holiday tour to fans in the Lowcountry. Experience the music that has become the hallmark of the holidays and a tradition for multi-generational families.

The Sound of Charleston Holiday Edition features rich musical heritage, from gospel to Gershwin, including selected holiday songs of the period. The Circular Congregational Church will be decorated for Christmas to provide a beautiful backdrop for this enchanting evening. 

Back by popular demand! After sold out performances in 2019, Elf The Musical returns to the Historic Dock Street Theatre! Based on the beloved and hilarious 2003 Will Ferrell film, Elf The Musical tells the story of Buddy, who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole. Raised as an elf and unaware that he is actually a human, Buddy realizes he is different when he grows up to tower over the other elves and finds he is a disastrous toy-maker. With Santa’s permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his true identity.  

This holiday season, the beloved tradition that has captured the hearts of families everywhere returns to the live stage. The Elf on the Shelf: The Musical is the thrilling spectacle of music and dance that transports audiences to the North Pole to glimpse the magical lives of Santa’s Elves.

The Charleston Jazz Orchestra always looks forward to this holiday concert. Maestro Robert Lewis and the 18-piece big band will swing you into the holiday spirit with big band arrangements of holiday favorites. Add a little jazz to your holiday with this popular Charleston tradition.

Let's get Hip to the Holidays, as Under the Streetlamp celebrates with a joyous performance of your favorite holiday tunes plus songs from the American Radio Songbook. Oh what fun it is to dance in the aisles while merrily singing along to songs from their live specials and studio album. 

A holiday mash-up for the whole family returns to the stage for its seventh season. The Hip Hop Nutcracker is a re-mixed and re-imagined version of the classic, smashing hip hop dance and Tchaikovksy’s timeless music into a heart-stirring and inspirational holiday event.

Performed in the beautiful George W. McDaniel Education Center at Drayton Hall, this traditional Charleston holiday concert is a rare opportunity to experience music that could have been heard centuries ago in the surrounding fields and praise houses. 

Charles Dickens edited his book, A Christmas Carol, into a public reading format and performed this reading himself in both Europe and America to sold out houses. Traveling Literary Theater brings the same edited, 70 minute version. English stage actor James Dyne leads the cast.

All new for 2021. Brad and Jennifer Moranz have delighted audiences of all ages with their holiday musical show featuring some of the country’s most talented singers, dancers and musicians – now in it’s 26th spectacular year.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Bring your family and friends to enjoy the annual holiday tradition, which has become a spectacular celebration. Holiday Pops will include choirs, dancers, guest vocalists, pipers, and special appearances by Frosty, Saint Nick, and more.