Charleston’s 30th Annual Holiday Festival of Lights 2019

Smiles are all around as parents and loved ones carry on a tradition that relishes the spirit of giving. Christmas season is now upon us! And where better to celebrate than at Charleston’s own Holiday Festival of Lights? Located at the James Island County Park on Riverland Drive, the venue features 750 glowing light displays with more than 2 million shining bulbs!

Admission is $20 at the gate for carpools of 1-15 passengers and $40 for carpools of 16-30. You can save $5 by donating a canned food item of your choice to the Lowcountry Food Bank, a non-profit organization working in Charleston. In 2012 alone, festival attendees donated 8,201 pounds of canned goods—delivering meals to over 6,000 people in need! Your ticket provides a front row seat to a three mile tour that can be enjoyed many times over with an added returnA lane.

Many light works are on display throughout the park, each owing to a unique mixture of color and framework. The Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge light display is a full football field in length—perfect for viewing from the comfort of your own vehicle. A handful of other designs pay homage to winners of past light design contests. The latest to claim the top prize is a six-year-old girl’s rendition of a penguin sliding down an iceberg.

After wrapping up the driving portion of the tour, head over to any one of three parking lots (A, B & C) and make your way through the Enchanted Walking Trail. From there, you will navigate earthy pathways illuminated by majestic colors that captivate your most precious senses. Continue the journey until reaching the coveted Winter Wonderland—where you can survey a 50-ton sand sculpture and four different shops including a children’s toy emporium.

Hungry? Pay a visit to Blitzen’s for a hamburger or hotdog to pair with a mug of hot chocolate from Santa’s Sweet Shoppe. Open fire pits are stationed in and around Winter Wonderland and Santa’s Village, giving you a break in the action to roast marshmallows and tell the perfect campfire story.

A festival train nearby gives you an up-close view of the lights hidden away from the driving tour, and an old-fashioned carousel is the perfect source of fun for the whole family! And don’t forget to take pictures with Santa! Get professionally photographed from now until Dec. 23 just in time for the annual holiday cards. Avoid long wait times and enter a virtual queue so you can make the most with your time at the park.

Rival the glitz and glam of the festival by booking an exclusive Charleston Party Bus fit with panoramic views from the inside that encourage you to gaze at the stars. Bask in the luxury and comfort of any of two dozen party buses for groups of any size, and aid the viewing experience with wet bars stocked with drinks of your choice and a killer sound system with Bluetooth connection. So sip on your frosty beverage, kick back and soak in the gleaming lights!

The 30th annual Holiday Festival of Lights is open every day rain or shine from now until Dec. 31. And if you think you can run out of things to do, think again. Cherish the Christmas season by listening to Christmas carolers and storytellers, or by tuning into any of several live musical performances to add a proverbial “cherry on top” to the night! Carry on into the fun of the Festival of Lights by giving our team a call at (843) 216-2627 or visit us online to learn more about our mission and special offers. There is nothing we can’t do, so don’t hesitate to make a special request.