If you’re looking for holiday festivities and events without the crowds and chaos of the season, visit South Carolina’s Old 96 District! Slow down and enjoy the holidays by staying in a romantic Bed and Breakfast, enjoying a meal from award-winning local chefs, and shopping locally from an array of artisan vendors. Encompassing the counties of Abbeville, Edgefield, Greenwood, Laurens, and McCormick, there are so many opportunities to enjoy the upcoming events and step into a small-town holiday movie!
This is one of the most magical times of year in the Old 96 District! Here are some upcoming events you won’t want to miss.
- Kick off the season in Abbeville with their Christmas Tree Lighting on November 21, 2024. See their “Christmas in Abbeville” calendar for a full list of all the fun and festive activities happening throughout the season including a Breakfast with Santa and the Annual Cookie Walk!
- Ringing in its 23rd year, the Connie Maxwell Children’s Ministries in Greenwood, SC is once again donning a beautiful display of lights and holiday decorations December 5-7, 2024. Experience the magic on a horse-drawn wagon ride through the campus, sitting around a bonfire, and enjoying a complimentary cup of fresh hot chocolate.
- You won’t want to miss the Festival of Trees and Holiday Market in McCormick, SC running for two consecutive weekends—December 6-7 and December 13-14, 2024. This is the perfect spot to pick up those locally made Christmas gifts for everyone on your list.
- For the picture-perfect family movie night, head to The Capital Theater in historic downtown Laurens on December 23, 2024 for a holiday-inspired film complete with free popcorn, drinks, and candy for all attendees.
- And finally, shop at Sara’s Fresh Market in Trenton, SC for all the holiday decorations your heart could desire—trees, wreaths, garlands, bows, poinsettias, and more! Santa’s Southern Lights at Sara’s will be running from November 22-December 29, so make a day out of it by enjoying the walkable trail of lights, meeting santa, roasting s’mores, and more!
All those festivities making you hungry? We’ve got you covered with yummy eats and seasonal treats in SC’s Old 96 District! Stop by Mill House Pizza and Good Times Brewing in Greenwood, SC to warm up with some brick oven pizza and “Winter Lineup” ales. For a nice dinner in a quaint historic home-turned-restaurant, make a reservation at Old Edgefield Grill in Edgefield, SC (pictured). Afterwards, grab a warm cup of coffee at Main Street Coffee Co. in McCormick, SC, and a sweet treat of fresh donuts at Mama’s Sweet Shoppe in Due West, SC or crepes at Great Crepes and More in Laurens, SC!
And don’t forget to get your holiday shopping in! Remember holiday shopping in person? Before two-day shipping and lines around the building, holiday shopping used to be a fun time of picking out unique gifts for the whole family and patroning locally owned shops up and down holly-lined main streets. Well, in the Old 96 District, we still have that! Check out our holiday shopping guide for some great inspiration to get you started filling stockings this season.
For a special, one-time experience, shop the December Shopping Market at Cook’s Farm in Edgefield County, SC. Shop produce, gift baskets, arts and crafts, woodworking, handcrafted items, antiques, Christmas decor, local honey, and do all of your holiday shopping in one place! This year the market will take place December 6-7, 2024.
Bringing the kids? Don’t miss the Yuletide Unicorn Festival every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday between November 22-December 22! Enjoy festive unicorn rides, bounce house, a santa meet-and-greet, food trucks and more!
Still need more trees and lights? Take home a tree from one of several Christmas tree farms in the region! Take a ‘Walk Through Bethlehem’ in Abbeville! Looking for more ideas? Read our blog post on ‘7 Things to do in Christmas in Abbeville and Greenwood‘!
All this, and lots more to discover, make a weekend out of your trip to the Old 96 District of South Carolina by cozying up at one of our local Bed and Breakfasts! We can’t wait to see you and for you to Discover the Unexpected Wonders of the Old 96 District.
