The biggest is the Holiday Festival of Lights at James Island County Park, a three-mile drive-through with more than 750 displays, open nightly from 5:30 to 10 p.m. between November 13 and December 31, 2026. North Charleston lights Park Circle from December 4 until New Year's Day, free.
Charleston does Christmas lights in two quite different ways. One is a ticketed drive-through that takes an evening and a car. The other is a free neighborhood display you can walk around. Knowing which is which before you set out saves a wasted trip.
Every date, time and price below comes from Charleston County Parks or the City of North Charleston, checked on October 5, 2026.
What Is the Holiday Festival of Lights?
A three-mile drive-through at James Island County Park with more than 750 illuminated displays. You stay in your car for the route, then park and walk around the festival area.
Charleston County Parks runs it nightly from 5:30 to 10 p.m. between November 13 and December 31, 2026. Santa visits run from November 13 to December 23. The park is at 871 Riverland Drive, Charleston, and the county's directions are to come off Folly Road onto George L. Griffith Boulevard or Grimball Road, turn right onto Riverland Drive, then take the final left into the festival.
It is presented by Boeing and South Carolina Credit Union, and the county says this is its thirty-seventh year.
How Much Does It Cost?
Admission is priced per vehicle, not per person, and it changes night to night. As of early October 2026 the exact prices are not out yet.
Charleston County Parks runs the festival on Green, Yellow and Red nights, with the price set by how busy it expects each night to be. Red nights are the ones it expects to be busiest. The park's own page currently says tickets will go on sale soon, so the 2026 figures are not published.
Two things are already clear. Prices are per vehicle, so a full car is better value than a half-empty one. And Gold Pass members get a one-time free admission in a standard size vehicle of one to fifteen people per annual membership period.
What Else Is Inside the Park?
The drive-through is the headline, but most of the evening happens after you park. These all sit inside the festival area and are charged separately from admission.
- Santa visits, November 13 to December 23, free once you are inside.
- A holiday train ride, $5 per person, about fifteen minutes.
- A carousel, $2 per person.
- A climbing wall, $4 for two climbs.
- A holiday sand sculpture, built from more than fifty tons of sand.
- A marshmallow roasting area, a Reindeer Workshop, gift shops and holiday greeting card displays.
The train, the carousel and the climbing wall are paid with tickets bought inside, so the admission price is not the whole cost of the evening if you are bringing children.
Where Else Can You See Christmas Lights Around Charleston?
North Charleston lights Park Circle, and all of it is free.
The city switches the lights on at its tree lighting on Friday, December 4, 2026, from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Park Circle Community Building on 4800 Park Circle, and the lights then stay on until New Year's Day. Cookies and Cocoa with Santa runs the same evening from 4 to 6 p.m. at the same building, free, with pre-registration required and limited spaces.
The Christmas Parade and Festival follows on Saturday, December 5, 2026, from 2 to 6 p.m., at the Park Circle Community Building and grounds, with the parade starting at 3 p.m.
There is also Howlidays in the Park on Thursday December 17, 2026, from 6 to 7 p.m. at Mixson Dog Park on 4856 Mixson Avenue.
| Holiday Festival of Lights | Park Circle, North Charleston | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | James Island County Park, 871 Riverland Drive | Park Circle, North Charleston |
| When | Nightly, November 13 to December 31, 2026 | Lights on from December 4 until New Year's Day |
| Hours | 5:30 to 10 p.m. | Tree lighting 6 to 7 p.m. on December 4 |
| Cost | Per vehicle, tiered by night. 2026 prices not yet published | Free |
| How you see it | Drive the three-mile route, then park and walk | Walk around |
| Best for | An evening out with children, and the full festival area | A short free stop, or a parade on December 5 |
Do You Need a Car to See the Christmas Lights?
For both of these, yes. James Island County Park and Park Circle are both off the downtown peninsula, and the Festival of Lights is a drive-through, so the car is the point rather than an inconvenience.
That is worth planning for if you are staying downtown without one. Our guide to getting around Charleston without a car covers when a car earns its keep, and this is one of the clearer cases. If you are driving down and wondering where to leave the car the rest of the time, the guest guide to downtown parking covers that.
Each CHC property page states how many off-street parking spaces that home includes, which matters more in December than it does in June.
FAQs
The Holiday Festival of Lights at James Island County Park is the largest, a three-mile drive-through with more than 750 displays. North Charleston lights Park Circle from early December until New Year's Day, which is free. Both sit off the downtown peninsula, so you will need a car.
Charleston County Parks prices admission per vehicle and runs Green, Yellow and Red nights, costing more on nights it expects to be busier. As of early October the park says tickets will go on sale soon, so 2026 prices are not published yet. Check before you drive out.
It opens at 5:30 p.m. and closes at 10 p.m. every night from November 13 to December 31, 2026. The drive-through route is three miles, so leave more time than you think on a busy night, particularly in the weeks before Christmas.
Yes. North Charleston runs a free tree lighting on December 4, 2026, a free Christmas parade and festival on December 5, and the Park Circle lights stay on until New Year's Day. Santa visits inside the Festival of Lights are also free once you are in.
For the two biggest displays, yes. James Island County Park and Park Circle are both off the downtown peninsula, and the Festival of Lights is a drive-through, so a car is the point rather than an inconvenience. Each CHC property page states how many off-street parking spaces that home includes.
Planning a Charleston Stay in December?
Tell us your dates and how many people are coming. We will tell you which homes are open over the holidays, what the minimum stay is, and how many parking spaces come with each one.
Check availability or call 843.329.2040 or email bookings@chcvacationrentals.com