One Christmas light display in and around Charleston has 2026 dates: 1 drive-thru. None are free. For an early bedtime, the earliest evening start is 10 p.m. at Holiday Festival of Lights. Each card has stroller notes where the venue gives them, the 2026 price and a link to tickets.
Last checked · How we choose
Every card has hours, price and what it’s like with a little one.
James Island County Park · James Island County Park, Charleston, SC
Little-kid take: Stays in the car: the easiest pick with a baby or a toddler who may fall asleep. PJs on, car seat buckled, no stroller needed.
Checked Oct 18 on the official page
Report a problemIn early December the sun sets around 5:15 p.m. in Charleston (the dashed line). Here’s when each display opens, on a scale from 4 to 9 p.m.
10 p.m. start · plan about an hour
5:30–10pm
Pick: Holiday Festival of Lights
No walk-through with 2026 dates in town yet.
Mittens on a stringLittle hands get cold fast after dark.
Warm drink in a thermosA treat to look forward to at the halfway point.
Hat and a blanketFor the stroller, or the car once the heat is off.
PJs before you goSo a car-seat nap can turn straight into bedtime.From each venue’s own page. Check whether a price is per car or per person before you book.
| Display | Price | Little kids | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holiday Festival of Lights | Per car; see the park’s page | See the venue | Drive-thru |
See all 4 Santa outings in and around Charleston: breakfasts, photo spots and evening visits, with 2026 prices.
Santa in Charleston →
None of the light shows with 2026 dates that we found are free. The lowest prices are listed in “2026 prices at a glance”.
With a baby or a sleepy toddler, a drive-thru is easiest: they stay buckled in and warm. One of the 1 displays can be driven: Holiday Festival of Lights.
The earliest evening starts: Holiday Festival of Lights at 10 p.m. The first hour after opening is the easiest with an early bedtime.
Each listing comes from the venue’s or organizer’s own page, and links to it. We list dates, times and prices only when that page shows them for 2026; anything without posted dates goes in “Dates not posted yet” instead. These were last checked Oct 19, 2026, and we recheck them in early November and again in early December. How we choose and check.
Keep planning: This week in Charleston · Charleston city guide · Visiting Charleston
One short email every Friday morning with what works for ages 0–6 in Charleston that weekend, including the Santa and light-show dates worth knowing.