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10 Charleston Holiday Must-Do Events, Tree Lightings, Parades and More

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Our Charleston holiday calendar is filling up fast! The season is full with wonderful ways to celebrate the holiday season here in the Lowcountry. We’ve picked 10 favorites that are sure to have you humming “Jingle Bells” while making your list and checking it twice. We highlighted the 25th annual Holiday Festival of Lights but here are plenty of other favorite events.

Holiday Market at Middleton Place: From Nov. 28-29, 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.

 

Charleston Christmas Special photo/Damon Smith

The Charleston Christmas Special: From holiday classics to spiritual favorites and everything in between, this year’s Charleston Christmas Special has something for everyone. Highlights include a quartet of men singing II Divo’s version of “O Holy Night,” Julie Bell performing Christian artist Sandi Patty’s version of “Angels We Have Heard on High,” and Eddie Wilson playing Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” on piano. Running Dec. 5-21 at the Charleston Music Hall.

Christmas 1860 – On Dec. 5 and 12, celebrate a Victorian holiday season by candlelight at the Edmondston-Alston House on East Bay Street – decorated for the holidays as it would have been in 1860 – as costumed interpreters present dramatic scenes.

Wine Under the Oaks – On Dec. 7, head to Boone Hall Plantation for fine Wine Under the Oaks wines, gourmet foods, a champagne and desserts tent, ice sculptures, wine and cooking demonstrations plus a concert by the band Spyro Gyra at Boone Hall Plantation in Mount Pleasant.

Mount Pleasant Christmas Parade & Tree Lighting: On Dec. 14, watch as more than 100 floats will parade down Coleman Boulevard for the annual Christmas parade. The tree lighting and fireworks display begins at about 5:30 p.m. at Moultrie Middle School, immediately followed by the parade beginning at about 5:45 p.m.

 

Charleston Caroling Co.
Charleston Caroling Co.

2nd Sunday on King Street: Stroll downtown Charleston on Dec. 14 as King Street is closed to vehicular traffic from Queen Street North to Calhoun Street. Enjoy decorations, carolers, holiday promotions, dining and a visit from Santa. While you’re out, be sure to stop by the Belmond Charleston Place to see the grand holiday train display and decorations in the main hotel lobby.

“A Christmas Carol” Walking Tour: On Dec. 18, local storyteller Tim Lowry recounts this time-honored holiday tale on a guided walking tour of historic Summerville. Tickets are $10 per person but availability is limited. Bonus: You can also catch a performance of “A Christmas Carol” Dec. 5-21 by Charleston Stage at the Dock Street Theatre in downtown Charleston. This all new production of Dickens’s classic features dazzling special effects, including ghosts that fly through the air, new scenery, new period costumes and orchestrations.

“A Sweet T. Christmas”: Enjoy some laughs this holiday season with the lovely story of a heavenly stranger, a hapless handyman, a hopeless hostess, a hopping-mad Santa, and their hysterical hunt for the holy grail of wish granting, a winning lottery ticket. Rated PG. Tickets sell out fast for this holiday mystery.

Holiday Magic in Charleston: Block off the weekend of Dec. 6-7 for plenty of holiday cheer and celebrations. Shop for gifts in the Holiday Market from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Marion Square followed by the Charleston tree lighting ceremony from 4:30-6 p.m. The next day, enjoy the 34th annual City of Charleston Holiday Parade. The parade is from 2-4 p.m., beginning at Colonial Lake, making its way up Broad Street, down King Street and ending at Marion Square.

Celebrate on the Charleston Harbor: Join Charleston Harbor Tours for Keep the Light Shinin’ Holiday Dinner Cruise on Nov. 29 and Dec. 12, 19, 26 and 27. Board The Carolina Queen for a gourmet buffet holiday dinner, two-hour harbor cruise plus entertainment from The Plantation Singers. Tickets are $49.95 per person. SpiritLine Cruises hosts its annual Breakfast with Santa on Dec. 6 on the Spirit of Carolina. Cost is $32 per person (one free child with paid adult) and includes a breakfast buffet, a personal visit with Santa Claus himself, a keepsake photo and a special holiday gift for each child from Santa’s favorite elf.

Let us know what holiday events are your favorites and share some photos with us on Facebook!

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Charleston FAQ's

Choosing a hotel and where to stay in Charleston all depends on your budget and goals. Do you want to stay Downtown, at the beach or in the outer areas such as North Charleston where you have to drive to get everywhere? For more help on deciding: https://travelerofcharleston.com/articles/hotels/

Charleston has 3 main public beaches which are: Folly, Isle of Palms and Sullivans. Each beach has it’s own atmosphere. The most common beach that people visit is Folly Beach and then Isle of Palms followed by Sullivans Island. For more info on Charleston’s beaches visit: https://travelerofcharleston.com/guide-charlestons-beaches/

Charleston, SC is full of historical things to do. Everything from museums, to public sites and free landmark sites such as Rainbow Row and the Battery can be seen. For more info on Charleston’s top historical sites visit: https://travelerofcharleston.com/places-to-learn-about-charleston-sc-history/

There are many things that will keep the kids and family entertained and educated in Charleston. There are historic sites such as Fort Sumter, a Children’s Museum, Aquarium and the USS Yorktown…a WWII era aircraft carrier you can tour. For more info visit: https://travelerofcharleston.com/charleston-family-fun-activities/

There’s so many  things you could do in Charleston it can be overwhelming. We recommend that first time visitors, checkout the ultimate first-time visitor guide here: https://travelerofcharleston.com/charleston-first-time-visitors-guide/

Spring in Charleston, SC is an amazing time of year to visit. The flowers are blooming and the weather is mild and sunny. For more info, check-out our spring guide to Charleston here: https://travelerofcharleston.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-springtime-in-charleston/

Summer in Charleston is a great time to visit. There’s plenty of things to keep you busy and visiting the beach will probably….or should be on your short-list. Also water-based activities and tours are popular. Checkout this summer guide to Charleston for more info: 

Our 10 Favorite Summer Activities in Charleston

Fall is one of the best times to visit. The weather cools down a bit and the skies are typically blue and clear. In addition there are many great events, festivals and the large crowds of summer have gone back to school or work. For more info on visiting in the fall, checkout this article: https://travelerofcharleston.com/charleston-12-things-to-do-fall/

There are so many great things to do that it’s difficult to narrow the list down. This article does a great job with figuring out the must do things to do in Charleston

7 Can’t Miss Reasons to Visit Charleston, SC Now

The consensus is a minimum of 3-days is needed to settle in and experience Charleston. For instance, many people take 2 days exploring downtown and another day visiting sites outside of downtown such as the plantations, Angel Oak Tree or beaches. Checkout this page for a list of tours and attractions: 

Charleston’s Top Tours & Attractions | Things to do

Downtown Charleston was made for walking and for sure one of the best way to soak up and experience the history first-hand. This article goes over getting around Charleston with and without a car as well: 

Getting Around Charleston, SC

We’re of course partial to Charleston, but here’s the truth. There are many similarities however there are some differences in our opinion: 

  • Both cities are historic and beautiful. 
  • Both cities are extremely walkable. Savannah, with it’s park-like squares maybe more walkable than Charleston. 
  • Charleston has a more established and food scene with many more options. 
  • Charleston has better hotels and shopping.
  • Both cities have equally good tours.
  • Charleston has better beach options. Savannah has Tybee which is great, however it’s 1 beach vibe versus Charleston which has 3 beaches with different vibes. Checkout this Charleston beach guide article: https://travelerofcharleston.com/guide-charlestons-beaches/
  • In Savannah you can walk with alcoholic beverages on the street. This is not allowed in Charleston. This can be good or bad depending on your stance. 
  • Savannah is more affordable.
  • TourPass offers all-inclusive passes in both cities: https://tourpass.com

There are always great and world-class events happening in Charleston. For a calendar of events and things to do in Charleston, checkout our online calendar of events: https://travelerofcharleston.com/events/

Of course there are free money-saving coupons that you can use. Visit the coupons page for a bunch of ways to save: https://travelerofcharleston.com/coupon/

Charleston has some fantastic can’t miss tours such as Fort Sumter, carriage, ghost, harbor, historic and culinary tours. For a full list with more info visit: https://travelerofcharleston.com/attractions/

Checkout the Charleston Relocation Guide page which will guide you during your move: https://travelerofcharleston.com/charleston-sc-relocation-guide/

Additional Places to Explore

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