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Christmas in Charleston on a Dr Pepper Budget: Free Lights, Parades & Holiday Fun
15
items Charleston at Christmas doesn't have to cost a fortune. I'm a born-and-raised South Carolina girl, and these are the holiday spots I'd send a friend to before they spend a dime. These 15 picks are mostly free: tree lightings, lighted parades on land ...
Sections
4
Downtown Charleston, All Lit Up
Mount Pleasant & the Islands
North Charleston & Summerville
Worth the Gas Money (Almost Free)
Downtown Charleston, All Lit Up
Start downtown, where most of the big free stuff happens. Park once, wear comfortable shoes and walk between these. Most land on weekends in early to mid-December.
Y'all, this is the big one. Find a spot near Marion Square early, watch the parade roll up Meeting Street, then stay put for the giant tree lighting right after. Two events, one parking spot, zero dollars. It's usually a Sunday afternoon in early Dec...
City of Charleston Holiday Parade & Marion Square Tree Lighting
Grab a blanket and a thermos of hot chocolate and head to the Battery or Patriots Point. Watching lit-up boats float across the harbor is one of the prettiest free things Charleston does all year. It's usually a Saturday night in mid-December, and it...
Charleston Holiday Parade of Boats
Tuck this into a King Street evening. The big oaks in the Cistern Yard light up and dance to Christmas music, and nobody charges you a thing. Walk in at George and St. Philip, plop down on the lawn and let the kids twirl.
Cougar Night Lights at the College of Charleston
December's 2nd Sunday is the one to catch. They close King Street to cars, the shop windows are all dressed up for Christmas, and you can stroll right down the middle of the road. Window shopping is free. What happens after that is between you and yo...
2nd Sunday on King Street
Come hungry, friend. There are latkes and donuts, live music, kids' crafts and the lighting of a giant menorah right in Marion Square, and every bit of it is free. Everybody's welcome. Last year it was a Sunday afternoon in mid-December, so check thi...
Chanukah in the Square at Marion Square
Skip the mall Santa line and the pricey photo package. This Santa sits in the little train museum next to the Visitor Center downtown, and the visit and photo are free. Book a time slot early because they fill up, and bring a new, unwrapped toy for T...
The Charleston Santa at the Best Friend Train Museum
Mount Pleasant & the Islands
Across the bridge and out to the islands. Parking is easier than downtown, and the Mount Pleasant light parade is a local favorite.
If you only do one parade, make it this one. It kicks off with fireworks, then lit-up floats roll down Coleman Boulevard after dark. This year it's Sunday, December 13, at 5:30. Put your chairs out early, because folks claim their spots way ahead of ...
Mount Pleasant Christmas Light Parade
Go after supper on a weeknight, grab a Dr Pepper and wander under the light canopies and that big tree. The tree-lighting show kicks off the season, and after that the lights stay up so you can come back any evening. Looking is free, and so is the Ch...
Lights Up at Mount Pleasant Towne Centre
A sweet, easy way to kick off the season without fighting downtown traffic. The tennis stadium on Daniel Island lights its tree for free, usually on a Friday night in early December. Last year the gates opened at 6 and the tree lit at 7, so get there...
Daniel Island Tree Lighting at Credit One Stadium
For the friend who'd rather have sand in her shoes than fight a crowd. Folly lights its community tree at Folly River Park and throws its own little Christmas parade, and it's every bit as laid-back as you'd expect. Check the Folly site for this year...
Folly Beach Tree Lighting & Christmas Parade
Christmas with a beach breeze, and I'm here for it. Ocean Boulevard turns into a street party with music, local crafters, Santa and free rides for the kids, and they light the island's big tree around sunset. It's usually a Saturday afternoon in earl...
Isle of Palms Holiday Street Festival & Tree Lighting
North Charleston & Summerville
Small-town Christmas without leaving the Lowcountry. Park Circle packs a whole free weekend into one spot, and downtown Summerville is about as cute as it gets.
Park Circle is the sweetest free Christmas weekend in the Lowcountry. Come Friday, December 4, for the tree lighting with cocoa and live music, then come back Saturday, December 5, for the festival and parade. Bring your own chairs. The lights stay u...
Park Circle Christmas: Tree Lighting, Lights, Festival & Parade
If you want that cozy, Hallmark-movie small-town Christmas, go to Summerville. Santa and the mayor light the tree in Hutchinson Square, the square fills up with decorated trees, and the parade loops around downtown. Window shop on Main Street while y...
Christmas in Downtown Summerville: Tree Lighting & Parade
Worth the Gas Money (Almost Free)
Not free, but you pay by the carload, so split it with the whole family and it's still cheaper than a movie. Go on a weeknight to skip the long lines.
Load up the whole family, dog included, put on the Christmas playlist and drive through the lights at Old Santee Canal Park. It's been $10 a carload, and the ticket money goes to local charities, so it's a good deed with a side of twinkle. It runs ni...
Celebrate the Season Holiday Lights Driving Tour, Moncks Corner
The big one everybody talks about. Go on a weeknight, roll the windows down and crank up the Christmas music. You pay by the carload, so pack everybody in. It's open every night from November 13 through New Year's Eve this year, and you can park half...
Holiday Festival of Lights at James Island County Park