The holidays are here, and the South is shining brighter than ever with twinkling lights, festive traditions, and seasonal cheer. From small-town Christmas parades to dazzling light displays, there’s something magical happening around every corner. Whether you’re looking to sip cocoa under the stars, shop for one-of-a-kind gifts, or take the family on a holiday adventure, we’ve rounded up the best events to make your season merry and bright.
So, grab your calendar and make plans to experience the warmth, wonder, and charm of holiday celebrations across the South!
Georgia
Holly Jolly Jekyll
Jekyll Island is home to more than a million lights during the Holly Jolly Jekyll season. The Great Tree alone has more than 45,000, which is more per square foot than the NYC Rockefeller Center Christmas tree! Purchase tickets online for the guided tram tours that take place on select nights. Trolley riders will enjoy festive holiday beverages, music, and a one-of-a-kind tour souvenir. Don’t miss the light parade, holiday fireworks, and special drive-in movie presentations. Check the Jekyll Island events calendar for a full lineup of holiday fun! Nov. 29 – Jan. 5, 2025
Fantasy In Lights at Callaway Resort & Gardens
Callaway Resort & Gardens’ Fantasy In Lights is not only the South’s most spectacular holiday light and sound show, it is one of the world’s “Top 10 Places to See Holiday Lights,” as named by National Geographic Traveler. Journey through the seven-mile scenic drive, featuring 17 brilliantly illuminated Christmas scenes, and then explore the Callaway Christmas Village, where a forest of twinkling lights, gigantic snowflakes and larger-than-life ornaments enchant your whole family. The Field of Lights scene is nearly two football fields long, featuring a Christmas tree more than 10 stories tall, making it the tallest Christmas tree in the South. Make the most of your night of lights with an overnight stay in a cozy cottage, villa, or The Lodge & Spa.
Garden Lights, Holiday Nights at the Atlanta Botanical Garden
The annual electrical extravaganza features spectacular light displays throughout the Atlanta Botanical Garden. The massive Tunnel of Light along with favorites such as the Orchestral Orbs, Glittering Galaxy, Radiant Rainforest and Model Trains continue to make the exhibition a must-see holiday tradition.
Rock City’s Enchanted Garden of Lights
This award-winning light extravaganza at Rock City Gardens features more than 30 holiday scenes that transform the gardens’ natural daytime splendor into a nocturnal fantasyland. Explore the Arctic Kingdom Aurora Lights, the Magic Forest and more, while also enjoying holiday shopping and visiting with Santa.
Winter WonderLights at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia in Athens, Georgia
Winter WonderLights
This walk-through light show at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia in Athens features illuminated displays along a half-mile path that is certain to delight and inspire. At Winter WonderLights, wander through a Winter Wondercave, along Jingle Bell Lane and through a Cone Tree Forest while you enjoy hot chocolate and cookies, and shop for gifts in the holiday market. The half-mile trail takes 45-60 minutes to complete and is fully ADA-accessible.Select nights Nov. 24 – Dec. 30, 2024 Then, in January, the garden will offer a special event for the new year, WonderLights Disco Nights. Disco Nights will allow visitors to experience the light show trail while grooving to disco hits. Ticket prices and entry times for Disco Nights will be the same as Winter WonderLights. Jan. 2-5, 2025
Holiday Lighting Events
Join magical festivities throughout the state in dramatic holiday lighting ceremonies with music, performances, food, and much more family fun. Mark your calendars for these hometown favorites:
Season of Celebration in Alpharetta Nov. 23, 2024
The Lighting of Avalon in Alpharetta Nov. 19, 2024
Lights! Lights! Thanksgiving Night! in Moultrie Nov. 28, 2024
Light Up Blue Ridge in Blue Ridge Nov. 30, 2024
Christmas Jubilee & Parade of Lights in Woodstock Dec. 8, 2024
Old Fashioned Christmas in Dahlonega
Don’t miss the Lighting of Downtown Dahlonega and Lighting of the Tree, the Christmas Parade and visit with Santa various dates. Enjoy Christmas lights, carriage rides, music, wine tastings, extended shopping hours and more holiday festivities through the end of December. Experience the holidays in Dahlonega, which has been named one of the Top 25 Hallmark Christmas Towns!
Victorian Christmas in Thomasville
Carriage rides with jingle bells and twinkling lights set the stage for a truly unforgettable experience in Thomasville during Victorian Christmas. Carolers sing traditional favorites while colorful characters capture your imagination with street theater. Community sing-alongs, chestnut roasting, and marshmallow toasting will put you in the mood for Christmas. Festival favorites include live musical entertainment, carriage rides, a live nativity, and a winter wonderland for children!
Christmas at the Old Governor’s Mansion in Milledgeville
Embrace the smell of fresh-cut Fraser firs and chestnuts on the fire as the Old Governor’s Mansion in Milledgeville transforms into a beautiful representation of what Christmas looked like in the time period before the Civil War. During Christmas at the Mansion, every room is dressed with authentic period decorations — from streamers in the children’s room to poinsettias, holly branches and gorgeous ribbons in other rooms and parlors. For an especially unique experience, take a candlelight tour.
Madison’s Holiday Tour of Homes
It’s the perfect seasonal delight for adults or a grand Georgia welcome for out-of-town visitors. The Holiday Tour of Homes invites visitors to explore Madison’s most beautiful and iconic homes decked out for the holiday season. Even more spectacular: explore the grandeur by candlelight!
Plum Orchard Christmas Tour on Cumberland Island
Experience what Christmas on Cumberland Island looked like on a special holiday tour of Plum Orchard mansion. Stroll through rooms decked in traditional early 1900s decorations. Learn about holiday customs of the time from volunteers and staff dressed in period costumes. In addition to the tour, enjoy seasonal refreshments, play some old-fashioned lawn games, and create a souvenir of your visit. You may even hear a Christmas carol or two! Space is limited, so advance reservations are highly recommended.
Hills & Dales Estate
Celebrate the season at the Hills & Dales Estate in LaGrange. The halls of this Georgian Italian villa are decked with fresh plants, flowers and evergreens. In the living room is a Christmas tree decorated circa 1940s, and a special display adorns the Palm room. Tour the home, and learn to make your own greenery at wreath workshops.
Holiday Express in Blue Ridge
Enjoy a daytime fun-filled train ride on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway. Lasting only an hour, the ride is great for families, and all children get a traditional bell and a candy cane.
Santa Special Christmas Train in Kingsland
On the Georgia Coastal Railway, the magic of Christmas comes alive when Jolly Old St. Nick himself and his elves board the train. Enjoy entertainment all along the 70-minute journey.
Holiday Train Rides on SAM Shortline
Reserve your tickets on the Historic SAM Shortline Railroad for several special holiday train rides. Join the ride to Plains in late November to see the annual Christmas Lighting, ride the Candy Cane Express and more.
Stone Mountain Christmas
Have a holly jolly Christmas at Stone Mountain Park, where the true magic of the season is in the air. Enjoy the glow of more than 2 million lights, festive music and visits from some your favorite holiday characters at Stone Mountain Christmas. Start a new tradition and create memories that will last a lifetime for the whole family.
IllumiNights at Zoo Atlanta
Wildlife lights the night at the IllumiNights at the Zoo: A Chinese Lantern Festival. Experience Zoo Atlanta after dark and be inspired by animal lanterns — some more than 20 feet tall — depicting some of Earth’s most charismatic creatures. Each lantern is made and hand-painted by Chinese artisans, representing thousands of hours of work.
Holiday in the Park at Six Flags Over Georgia
Enjoy festive holiday shows, scrumptious treats, and your favorite thrill rides and roller coasters at Six Flags Over Georgia in Austell during the holiday season. The park will transform into a winter wonderland, featuring festive holiday lights and themed decorations!
Wild & Bright at Wild Adventures Theme Park in Valdosta
At Wild Adventures Theme Park, step into the enchanting Twinkling Timbers, where thousands of lights hang from 40 feet in the air. Wander through Glimmer Grove, which transforms the frosty ground into a vibrant wonderland of brilliant colors, and discover the magical Woodland Outpost, featuring woodland creatures in dazzling displays of light. The Carol of the Animals Lake Show is the event’s largest attraction, featuring an animated musical light show on seven towering Christmas trees floating in the center of the lake. And don’t miss the Wonder Walk, where thousands of light strands and sweeping laser lights bring the forest to life. The Candy Cane Express offers a festive train ride with holiday characters and illuminated displays.
North Carolina
CHRISTMAS AT BILTMORE Nov. 2, 2024 – Jan. 5, 2025; Asheville
America’s largest home has a larger-than-life tradition that involves more than 100 decorated Christmas trees; hundreds of wreaths, bows and poinsettias; 100,000 twinkling lights; and more than 10,000 ornaments. The grandeur reaches a crescendo in the seven-story-high Banquet Hall, where books, dolls and other toys hang from a 35-foot Fraser fir. (800) 411-3812
POLAR EXPRESS TRAIN RIDE Select dates Nov. 7 – Dec. 31, 2024; Bryson City
The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad had already achieved stardom by the time “The Polar Express” came out, but the animated film added to the luster with an annual excursion booked by thousands of passengers. The read-along ride features Chris Van Allsburg’s 1985 book, clips from the movie soundtrack, warm cocoa and a treat as the train of pajama-clad children clacks to the North Pole, where Santa awaits with a gift. Christmas carols will be sung as they return back to the Bryson City Depot. (800) 872-4681
WINTER LIGHTS AT THE NORTH CAROLINA ARBORETUM Nov. 15 – Dec. 31, 2024; Asheville
Experience this 3-acre nightly tour of the arboretum’s nationally known gardens, including its Quilt Garden and Bonsai Exhibition Garden. Designed to showcase the natural landscape, the displays feature colorful native butterflies and winter wildlife with a special insect-themed lantern exhibit on view. (828) 665-2492
TWEETSIE CHRISTMAS Select dates Nov. 29 – Dec. 30, 2024; Blowing Rock
Catch the arrival of Santa Claus as he enters on the train, or meet him in his home made of gingerbread and filled with candied furnishings. Enjoy holiday lights throughout the park and along the 3-mile track. Roast s’mores and devour other handmade goodies from Tweetsie Railroad’s fudge shop. (800) 526-5740
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS Nov. 29 – Dec. 31, 2024; Hendersonville
Experience small-town charm as the stores along Main Street in Hendersonville go all out with Christmas decorations and the area fills with holiday activities. Enjoy wagon rides, holiday concerts and visits with Santa. (828) 693-9708
WINTERFEST AT CAROWINDS Select dates Nov. 15, 2024 – Jan. 4, 2025; Charlotte
Carowinds, one of the South’s most popular theme parks, transforms into WinterFest with thousands of shimmering lights, a large Christmas tree, lavish displays, live shows and strolling performers, and special holiday dishes and desserts fill the midways. (704) 588-2600
NORTH CAROLINA CHINESE LANTERN FESTIVAL Nov. 16, 2024 – Jan. 12, 2025; Cary
The North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival includes all-new displays, each one comprising hundreds of parts and thousands of LED lights. A variety of ticket options – including Twilight and Any Night – make planning your visit a breeze. A sensory-friendly night is also on the calendar for Dec. 3. (800) 514-3849
SPEEDWAY CHRISTMAS Nov. 22, 2024 – Jan. 5, 2025; Concord
One of America’s largest holiday light shows, Speedway Christmas features more than 4 million lights over a 4-mile course that includes the oval, pit road and infield road course. (800) 455-3267
KERSEY VALLEY CHRISTMAS Select dates Nov. 29 – Dec. 23, 2024; Archdale
From the same folks who bring to life one of the top haunted attractions in the country comes Kersey Valley Christmas. This huge family-friendly event features a village of 1 million Christmas lights, train and wagon rides, jumping pillows, Santa’s workshop – and even a Grinch Cave. Pro tip: Purchase a photo package online beforehand to guarantee meeting both Santa and the Grinch, and join the virtual queue as soon as you arrive so you can spend more time exploring. (336) 431-1700
CHRISTMAS TOWN USA Dec. 2-26, 2024; McAdenville
In this mill town west of Charlotte, the hundreds of Christmas trees on display outnumber the households in a celebration that started in 1956 with nine evergreens. From modest (6-foot tree, 500 lights) to dazzling (90-foot tree, 5,000 lights), the displays blaze a trail to the heart of town. With about 600,000 visitors traveling the 2-mile route, be prepared to relax and enjoy a very slow ride, especially on weekends.
WINTERLIGHTS AT ELIZABETHAN GARDENS Select dates Nov. 22 – Dec. 28, 2024; Manteo
Peacocks, butterflies, deer and other enchanting creatures take up temporary residence at the Elizabethan Gardens. Created with flowers, seeds and other natural elements, the lighted displays join permanent art elements – which include the world’s largest bronze statue of Queen Elizabeth I of England. (252) 473-3234
HOLIDAYS AT TRYON PALACE Begins Nov. 25, 2024; New Bern
Overtaxed colonists had a bad case of humbug in December 1770, when Gov. William Tryon threw the first party at the fancy Georgian-style structure where he would live and run the government. Two-and-a-half centuries later, Tryon Palace historic site recreates the effect of the event with holiday-themed tours offered during the season. Plus, the annual Candlelight Nights take place Dec. 14 and 21 with festivities illuminated by the glow of candlelight and fireworks, along with traditional circus performers. (800) 767-1560
NORTH CAROLINA HOLIDAY FLOTILLA Nov. 30, 2024; Wrightsville Beach
Wilmington and neighboring beaches launch the holiday season with a boat parade on the Intracoastal Waterway. More than two dozen boats, from personal watercraft to yachts, channel their owners’ creativity into delightful light displays against the night sky. The annual event includes an all-day festival and the main event, complete with fireworks afterward. (910) 256-2120
South Carolina
Anderson Christmas Lights, Anderson
Experience 2.5+ Miles of Holiday Magic in an Unforgettable Drive-Through Light Display and Santa’s Village Fun for All! Open Daily Thanksgiving to Christmas, 5:30PM to 10:30 PM weather permitting.
Governor’s Carolighting, Columbia
Celebrating the official start of the yuletide season in South Carolina, this popular event is held each year on of the steps of the Statehouse. The evening features holiday music performed by choirs and artists from around the state, photos with Santa, complimentary hot chocolate, the governor’s seasonal message and, of course, the lighting of the state Christmas tree.
Candlelight Tour of Homes, Camden
Don’t miss the opportunity to visit some of historic Camden’s finest private homes decorated in holiday splendor. The self-guided tour begins at Camden Archives & Museum and includes refreshments and musical performances.
Holiday festivities at Rock Hill’s ChristmasVille are overseen by Old St. Nick. ChristmasVille, Rock Hill
Old Town Rock Hill comes alive as a charming holiday village with horse-drawn carriage rides, strolling Dicken’s carolers, decorated shop windows, a gingerbread house contest and an ice-skating rink. More than 70 events are planned for the four-day festival, including historic tours, art exhibits, theater, dance, music and lots of Santa activities.
Holly Hill Christmas Festival, Holly Hill
Bring folding chairs and prepare to stay awhile for this fun, family-friendly event featuring musical performances, a DJ, live nativity, story time, puppet show, shag dancing, food and craft vendors, a fire pit, pictures with Santa and a Christmas parade.
Poinsettia Christmas Parade, Greenville
A holiday tradition for more than 75 years, this must-see spectacle stretches along Main Street from Augusta to North streets with some 90 floats, marching bands, dancers and walking units.
Sea Island Holiday Celebration, Beaufort
Celebrate the holidays with historic Beaufort’s Gullah community. Festivities include a presentation of the musical, “Gullah Kinfolk Christmas Wish, Freedom Comin’,” Gullah reconstruction tours, a Gullah Christmas buffet with an artist showcase, vendor’s marketplace and Christmas variety show, Christmas high tea and storytelling and the Gullah Jazz Café Christmas Dinner Theater and Gullah Soul Food Buffet.
WinterFest at Carowinds, Fort Mill
Carowinds transforms its amusement park into an enchanting winter wonderland with five million shimmering lights, a 70-foot Christmas tree, live shows, strolling performers, hands-on holiday activities, artisan vendors and special holiday dishes and desserts. As many as 24 rides will be operating during the event.
Mount Pleasant Christmas Light Parade, Mount Pleasant
This holiday parade will offer brilliantly lit floats and community groups that will march up Coleman Boulevard, complete with high school marching bands. There will even be fireworks. Enjoy the beautiful gardens in the soft glow of more than 4,500 hand-lit candles and countless sparkling lights. As you walk the winding paths through the lush foliage, enjoy a cup of warm cider and the sounds of holiday music and carolers singing. The schedule of entertainment also includes Celtic Christmas music, a brass quintet, a Gullah Christmas presentation and a wide range of live music from country, pop and rock to R&B, soul and dance.
Santa on Main, Greenwood –
This three-day festival has it all – a PJ party with Santa, Christmas movie, wagon rides, Christmas parade, crafts with Ms. Claus, Christmas cookie crawl, holiday light display, Christmas market, tree lighting and a magical train ride to the North Pole on a 1930s “American Flyer” car.
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