Christmas in Charleston > Events

'tis the season to live it up

The events this season are numerous. Music and tempting aromas fill the air and will tempt all of your senses. Get a taste of our heritage at a small town oyster roast or discover the find of a lifetime at an antique show. With so many events taking place, you'd better mark your calendar now.

<    December 2009    >
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December 2009

24th Annual Progressive Dinners
12/01/2009 - 12/23/2009
The Progressive Dinner is an annual tradition that takes visitors by horse-drawn carriage to three historic and elegant establishments.

Supersized Holiday Card Contest
12/01/2009 - 12/19/2009
Please submit entries to 30 Mary Murray Drive.

Historic Holiday Event at The Charleston Museum
12/02/2009
Deck the halls at the Charleston Museum with our annual Historic Holiday event. Children can sip on hot chocolate and taste yummy cookies as they decorate the little Heyward-Washington house in the Kidstory exhibit.

Preservation Society of Charleston holds “13th Annual Holiday Book Signing”
12/03/2009
Join fellow preservationists as you enjoy refreshments and appetizers on this special evening commencing the 2009 holiday season!

Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony on the Isle Of Palms
12/03/2009
Live entertainment will include the band Two 3 Ways and Sullivan’s Island Elementary School Chorus. Participants are invited to come and visit Santa and celebrate the festive season.

The Preservation Society of Charleston holds its 13th Annual Holiday Book Signing
12/03/2009
Join fellow literary enthusiasts as you enjoy refreshments and hors d’oeuvres on this special evening commencing the 2009 holiday season!

Harbor Specialties and South Carolina Maritime Foundation Host Holiday Spirits Party
12/03/2009
Enjoy cocktails, door prizes, music and hors d’oeuvres as you shop. All net proceeds on Spirit merchandise will support education aboard the Spirit of South Carolina tall ship and South Carolina Maritime Foundation members will receive a 10% discount.

Metanoia’s 2009 Christmas Jubilee
12/04/2009
Metanoia’s Christmas Jubilee is the perfect beginning to the holiday season. Join friends and supporters of Metanoia for this annual gala that is quickly becoming a Lowcountry favorite.

Christmas Candlelight Service for the Lowcountry
12/04/2009
12/05/2009
12/06/2009
Traditional and international favorites are sung, and special highlights include the Procession of Lights.

2nd Annual Holiday Tennis Classic Returns To Family Circle Tennis Center
12/04/2009 - 12/06/2009
The Family Circle Tennis Center has scheduled the second annual Holiday Tennis Classic tennis tournament at Charleston’s premier tennis facility, December 4th - 6th, 2009.

6th Annual Shopping With Friends
12/05/2009
Shopping with Friends is celebrating its sixth year, and we are doing it in Style! Grab your friends and shop til you drop to show your support for Lowcountry AIDS Services.

Annual Spirituals Concert at Drayton Hall
12/05/2009 - 12/06/2009
Drayton Hall presents African-American spiritual music with three concerts by Ann Caldwell and The Magnolia Singers!

Daniel Island Holiday Festival & Tree Lighting Festivities
12/05/2009
The Holiday Festival will come alive with bargains galore and a vast assortment of unique gifts for the whole family!

North Charleston Christmas Festival
12/05/2009
Annual North Charleston Christmas Lighting, Festival and Parade!

Reindeer Run
12/05/2009
A festive fun-filled 5K run/walk (3.1 miles) through the streets of downtown Charleston during the holiday season

21st Annual City of Charleston Tree Lighting Ceremony
12/05/2009
Join Mayor Joseph P. Riley, Jr. and Santa Claus in lighting the magnificent 60-foot Tree of Lights, the official City of Charleston Christmas tree at Marion Square.

28th Annual Charleston Parade of Boats
12/05/2009
Get on board with a Lowcountry holiday tradition as this display of lighted and festive boats proceeds through the Charleston Harbor!

110th anniversary Charleston Symphony Orchestra Gospel Christmas
12/05/2009
Kick off the holiday season with the sweet sound of the CSO Gospel Choir as they share the stage with the CSO musicians.

Holiday Farmers Market
12/06/2009 - 12/21/2009
Under the brightly colored tents at Marion Square, you’ll find everything you need to deck the holidays and fill the panty with baked delights!

Holiday Entertainment & Visits with Santa
12/06/2009 - 12/23/2009
Children’s choirs, church choirs, gospel, classical, folk, storytelling, and other entertainment dazzle audiences at Marion Square

27th Annual Charleston Christmas Parade
12/06/2009
Come and enjoy all the wonders of the season at the Charleston Christmas Parade.

JIRC Christmas Tree Lighting
12/08/2009
Come enjoy the spirit of Christmas with our annual tree lighting.

West Ashley Park Christmas Tree Lighting
12/08/2009
Come enjoy the spirit of Christmas with annual tree lighting.

Elf Stocking Delivery at Wild Dunes Resort
12/10/2009 - 12/19/2009
To add a little magic to the holidays for our youngest guests, we'll send over one of Santa's helpers to hand deliver your child a Christmas stocking filled with kiddie favorites.

Christmas 1860 a Candlelight Tour - The Story of Christmas Past
12/04/2009
12/11/2009
Interact with costumed interpreters as they tell the story of Christmas in the 1860s. Enjoy the sights and smells of the season, and see the house dressed for the holidays and glowing in candlelight.

Family Yuletide at Middleton Place
12/12/2009
Families can enjoy storytelling around a warm fire, Christmas caroling, and ornament and wreath making. See craftspeople working in their shops by candlelight and a live nativity scene featuring many of the plantation’s animals.

2009 Mount Pleasant Holiday Farmers Market and Craft Show
12/12/2009
The Festival includes locally grown fresh produce, baked goods, hot food and homemade preserves, and crafted gifts by more than 75 local artisans.

The Charleston Men’s Chorus Christmas Concert at the Sottile Theatre
12/12/2009
The concert will be a combination of sacred music as well as joyful holiday lyrics.

Mount Pleasant Holiday Parade
12/13/2009
More than 100 floats will march down Coleman Boulevard as the Mount Pleasant Holiday Parade set sails to the delight of thousands of residents and visitors.

The 14th Annual Town of Mount Pleasant Christmas Light Parade
12/13/2009
Join Town dignitaries for an exciting fireworks display sure to rocket viewers into the holiday spirit. Following the fireworks will be the 14th Annual Christmas Light Parade.

Dickens Dinner at Circa 1886
12/16/2009
Circa 1886 will take guests back to Victorian England for storyteller Tim Lowry's lively retelling of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" while they enjoy a four-course dinner inspired by the novel.

Heyward-Washington House Tours shine for the holidays!
12/03/2009
12/10/2009
12/17/2009
Attend a special 18th Century Wining and Dining focus tour this holiday season at the Charleston Museum's Heyward-Washington House.

Middleton Place Grand Illumination
12/18/2009
An exciting new holiday event at historic Middleton Place will give visitors a chance to experience the plantation by torchlight, candlelight, and starlight.

Breakfast with Santa at Wild Dunes Resort
12/12/2009
12/19/2009
Juniors can't resist the combination of Rudolph's pancake buffet with its loads of sweet-tooth toppings and chocolate milk.

Gingerbread House Workshop at The Inn at Middleton Place
12/20/2009
All ages are welcome for the third annual Gingerbread House Workshop at The Inn at Middleton Place. All materials will be provided for you to come up with a tasty Christmas treat and decoration!

Chanukah Menorah Lighting and Klezmer Party
12/21/2009


Gymnastics Holiday Drop & Shop Camp
12/22/2009 - 12/23/2009


Moscow Ballet Presents Its Great Russian Nutcracker
12/23/2009
World-renowned Moscow Ballet will celebrate its 16th anniversary presenting its Great Russian Nutcracker in over 70 cities this 2008 holiday season.

Christmas Eve Dinner at Circa 1886
12/24/2009
Circa 1886 is open for dinner this Thursday evening to celebrate Christmas Eve.

Spend the Holidays at Magnolias, Blossom, and Cypress!
12/25/2009
Enjoy a holiday feast including classic Christmas dishes as well as signature menu items!

Kwanzaa Festival
12/29/2009


Happy New Year, Charleston!
12/31/2009
This community celebration offers a non-alcoholic and family-oriented alternative program to celebrate the New Year in Charleston.

Woodlands Resort & Inn New Year's Eve Gala
12/31/2009
Ring in the New Year with Woodlands at our annual Gala.

Lesesne Tours Presents The Holiday Pub Crawl
11/01/2009 - 12/31/2009
Nothing represents the holiday season better than the idea of friends, family, warm cider & spirits, and tables topped with plates of different hor's doerves and cookies to enjoy!

Holiday Festival of Lights
11/13/2009 - 01/03/2010
Find your magic in the millions of sparkling lights and hundreds of displays at the Holiday Festival of Lights.

Poogan's Porch Holiday Style
12/01/2009 - 12/25/2009
The Christmas holiday season never tasted so good as Poogan’s Porch restaurant in historic Charleston!

The Holiday Walking Tour by Charleston Strolls
12/01/2009 - 12/31/2009
Charleston Strolls invites you to enjoy Charleston's holiday spirit and decorations.

Camellia Christmas at The Magnoila House
12/01/2009 - 12/31/2009
Enjoy the full bloom of America’s most extensive outdoor camellia display!

Charleston Sleigh Ride Aboard The Thriller
12/01/2009 - 12/31/2009
Christmas in Charleston is a magical time and it has just gotten better. THRILLER Charleston announces its’ plans for a Charleston Sleigh Ride!

17th Annual Christmas Made In The South - Ladson Fairgrounds
12/04/2009 - 12/06/2009
Get a head start on your gift list and enjoy the Christmas shopping experience of the season.

Celebrate the holiday season at the Joseph Manigault House
12/05/2009 - 12/31/2009
Each year, the Garden Club of Charleston uses this Adam-style house as a backdrop for their creative arrangements, using only live plant materials that would have been available in the Lowcountry during the 19th century. This year's theme is "From the mou

Holiday Events by Charleston Symphony Orchestra
12/05/2009
12/06/2009
12/10/2009
12/11/2009
12/19/2009
12/20/2009
Celebrate the Holidays with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra!

Christmases of Yesterday
12/06/2009 - 12/31/2009
The public is invited to experience Christmas in the Lowcountry at two of Charleston’s premier historic house museums!

The Charleston Christmas Special
12/10/2009 - 12/20/2009
Broadway veteran’s Brad and Jennifer Moranz present 20 of the country’s finest singers, dancers, and musicians in a fun filled 2 hour musical extravaganza for the whole family! Dazzling costumes, hilarious comedy, and Santa himself all join in to make thi