Charleston Christmas &
Holiday Festival of Lights 2026

Charleston Christmas & Holiday Festival of Lights 2026

Christmas in Charleston is a magical occasion and the city is the perfect place to escape for a Winter Break. The city's the cobblestone streets, horse-drawn carriages, and the quaint pre-Civil War-era houses are beautifully decorated to get you in the holiday spirit.

• Are you visiting for Charleston Pride parade? Stay in the Restoration Hotel, rated “Fabulous” by guests with a luxurious rooftop pool, high-end amenities and meticulous attention to detail.

The Weather

• For those who want to enjoy a Christmas without the cold, Charleston is the perfect choice. Temperatures range on average a comfortable 61 degrees.

The Festival of Lights

• Next Edition: Awaiting dates
• James Island County Park transforms into a winter wonderland each holiday season, as thousands of massive light sculptures are put up along the perimeter road that circles the park.
• The driving tour—which syncs to an on-site AM station playing holiday music—is the main attraction. There’s also a huge sand sculpture created each year, an Victorian style Sweet Shoppe, carousel, and of course, Santa Claus.
• Open Nightly 5:30pm – 10:00pm

City of Charleston Parade & The Mount Pleasant Tree Lighting

• Next Edition: Sunday 6th December, 2026.
• On the first Sunday of December, 100-plus lavishly decorated floats will take over Coleman Boulevard in Mount Pleasant ,just across the Ravenel Bridge from downtown Charleston.
• The floats will be ‘sailing' past thousands of locals and visitors spending their evenings lining the street to celebrate the holiday season.
• This parade of holiday floats starts at 5:30pm, immediately after the lighting of the Town of Mount Pleasant Christmas Tree and the fireworks display.

Wine under the Oaks

• Awaiting dates – Visit Boone Hall Plantation in December. Admission includes wine samples, bubbles, desserts, food and wine pairing samples, wine and cooking demonstrations with some of Charleston’s finest chefs and live music.
• You can also see the plantation home decorated in all its holiday finest.

The Parade of Boats

• Awaiting dates – Gather on the shores of the Charleston harbor to watch boats of all shapes and sizes decorated for the holiday season.
• The Parade of Boats typically takes place on the second weekend in December.
• It begins about 5 p.m. on the Mount Pleasant side of the Cooper River and ends on the Ashley River about 7:30 p.m.

A Gay Christmas at the Charleston Music Hall

• Each year, Charleston Music Hall hosts some of the fiercest drag queens in a Winter Wonderland Variety Show featuring everything from comedy, to illusion, to dance and song.

Christmas on a Steamboat

• Book your spot on the Keep the Light Shinin’ Holiday Dinner Cruise with Charleston Harbor Tours. Celebrate the holiday in Low country style aboard The Carolina Queen.
• This event features a buffet dinner, cruise around the Charleston harbor and music by The Plantation Singers.

New Year Countdown

• Charleston's largest New Year's Eve celebration is on a giant boat in the Charleston harbor. It's not just any boat, the site of this grand late night bash is none other than the USS Yorktown, a now-retired aircraft carrier that saw action in both World War II and Vietnam.
• Book your tickets for the annual Yorktown Countdown, and get in on a lively, outdoor nightclub type experience, complete with live bands, a DJ, hors d'oeuvres, and amazing views of the Ravenel Bridge and downtown Charleston and the fireworks display. This NYE bash is a 21 & up event, and asks guests to “Dress to Impress.”

Where to stay in Charleston?

Here are the Hotels we recommend that keep you close to all the action,

Hotel Bennett,  The Dewberry,  86 Cannon Historic Inn,   XV Beacon Hotel