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December | Things to Do in Charleston, SC

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It’s the most wonderful time of the year! There are many celebrations going on around the Charleston area and the cool weather makes it a great time of year to walk the historic streets of the Holy City. Grab your favorite cup of hot cocoa and see what’s going on this month.

Celebrate the Season

Holiday Festival of Lights: Through Dec. 31

Journey through 3 miles of 700 magical light displays of all shapes and sizes at James Island County Park. This much-heralded event brings to life holiday scenes and Lowcountry landmarks outlined with 2 billion lights. USA Today has named it one of the “10 Best Holiday Light Shows in America.” After driving through the lights, stop off for a train ride, roast marshmallows, visit the gift shop and enjoy holiday entertainment. The festival opens at 5:30 p.m. daily and admission is $20 per vehicle (1 to 15 guests). 

City of Charleston Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting: Dec. 1

The City of Charleston will host the 2019 City of Charleston Holiday Parade! The Parade will begin promptly at 2:00 p.m. at Broad Street and ends at Calhoun and Meeting Streets. Then at 4:30 the festivities begin at Marion Square for the official tree lighting.

Light the Lake: Dec. 6

Start your holiday season with the lighting of the Christmas tree in the center of Colonial Lake! Come for an evening of holiday festivities at Light the Lake from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Summerville Christmas Parade: Dec. 8

Join the Town of Summerville for one of the largest parades in the sate. With nearly 3000 participants, this afternoon event is sure to get the whole family in the holiday spirit.

Mount Pleasant Christmas Light Parade and Tree Lighting: Dec. 8

The festivities begin at 5:30 p.m. with the lighting of the Town of Mount Pleasant Christmas Tree and fireworks display at Moultrie Middle School, immediately followed by the parade.

Holiday Parade of Boats: Dec.14

Boats of all shapes and sizes decorated for the holiday season sail the Charleston Harbor, putting on quite a show for those on the shoreline.

Chanukah in the Square: Dec. 22

A free event in Marion Square with music, dancing, and the lighting of the 9-foot menorah by Charleston’s Holocaust survivors. Visitors can enjoy crafts, treats, including latkes and other traditional Chanukah foods.

Be sure to read our blog post on the 15 must-do holiday events in Charleston this season.

Check out our 2019 holiday shopping guide for great Charleston-inspired gift ideas.

New Year’s Eve Celebrations

Happy New Year, Charleston in Marion Square: Dec. 31

Head to Marion Square in downtown Charleston for this non-alcoholic and family-friendly way to celebrate the New Year in Charleston.

Yorktown Countdown: Dec. 31

This unique New Year’s Eve event aboard the USS Yorktown includes Charleston cuisine, top-shelf bar and multiple stages featuring live entertainment.

 

We’d love to see how you’re celebrating the holiday season in Charleston! Tag us on Instagram @TravelerofCharleston, Twitter @Traveler_Mag and on Facebook. Use #CharlestonTraveler

 

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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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