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!
Abbeville, South Carolina
With its charming downtown square aglow all season, Abbeville is the perfect place to start your festive adventure through South Carolina’s Old 96 District. Mark your calendars with these upcoming events.
- Join in for the Christmas Tree Lighting on November 20, 2025 at 6:30PM. And if you love lights, check out their brand new Light of Christmas display that will be up every night through the end of December!
- If you love music, you’ll enjoy Erskine College’s “Lessons and Carols 2025“, which they put on each year as an opportunity for visitors to learn about and participate in Christmas music. This year the event will be held December 2, 2025 at 7:00PM.
- A special attraction for children and adults alike, Walk Through Bethlehem is back this year for two weekends, December 4-7 and December 11-14, 2025. This is a free, immersive experience to walk through Bethlehem as it would have looked at the time of Jesus’s birth. Visitors can chat with the townspeople and artisans, browse shops and displays, and meet the wide variety of live animals!
- Handmade for the Holidays is the perfect time to stock up on unique, artisan gifts for everyone on your list! Located in the heart of Abbeville at the Livery Stable on December 5-6, 2025.
- Victorian Christmas is also making a return this year on December 5-6, 2025! With caroling around the tree, hot cocoa with Saint Nicholas, candlelight tours of Trinity Church, and more, you will truly feel like you stepped into a holiday movie!
- For even more holiday cheer, enjoy the Christmas Parade on December 13, 2025 at 11:00AM, which will be followed by the Cookie Walk!
Stay awhile and enjoy all Abbeville has to offer with accommodations at a local historic Bed & Breakfast like Sharon Manor or Veranda on Main, both located ideally to enjoy all of the festivities in comfort. Enjoy farm-to-table dining, like at Chef Ambassador Erica McCier’s Indigenous Underground, or a casual cafe atmosphere with scratch made sandwiches at Main Street Coffee Company. Don’t leave town without some baked goods from Swartzentruber’s Bakery or donuts from Mama’s Sweet Shoppe! There is so much to enjoy this season in Abbeville!
Edgefield, South Carolina
Located just 45 minutes from Augusta, 1.25 hours from Columbia, 1.5 hours from Greenville, 2 hours from Charleston or Charlotte, and 2.5 hours from Atlanta, Edgefield is ideally situated for an escape from the city without having to go far at all.
- Between November 20, 2025-January 3, 2026, make your way to Sara’s Farm Adventure for the ultimate holiday lights event of the season! Enjoy the walkable trail of lights, farm activities, a petting zoo, live music, and more. Don’t forget to treat yourself to some seasonal treats or roast s’mores over an open fire!
- For some southern “snow” and festive vibes, Edgefield’s annual town Christmas Tree Lighting will be on November 28, 2025 at 6:00PM!
- Cook’s Farm is once again hosting their December Shopping Market in Trenton on December 5, 2025 from 10:00am-6:00pm and December 6, 2025 from 8:00am-4:00pm! Shop a variety of gift baskets, woodworking, Christmas decor, antiques, and food vendors in their open-air market.
- If you’re looking for that small town holiday charm, catch Edgefield’s 52nd Annual Christmas Parade on December 7, 2025 at 3:00PM. A camping chair is recommended!
- In need of a fresh Christmas tree, wreath, garlands, or poinsettias to take home? Stop by Sara’s Fresh Market in Trenton for all the local, South Carolina-grown holiday decor, and don’t miss out on a steamy cup of fresh Peach Cider, or a jar of fresh local Peach Jam while you’re there (Edgefield county is the Peach Capital of the World, after all!).
Minutes from downtown Edgefield, stay at Azalea Inn and relax in a 137 year old farm house turned Bed & Breakfast. Nearby Three Star Vineyard and Orchard is the perfect spot to sip wine surrounded by 100 acres of vineyards. Enjoy farm-to-table fine dining at Christine’s Farm to Fork or Old Edgefield Grille. For casual fare, Mario’s Pizzeria or the Edgefield Pool Room are local staples.
Greenwood, South Carolina
Bustling with locally owned shops and boutiques, history, culture, music, and southern hospitality, visiting Greenwood during the holidays is pure magic.
- Get ready to Deck Your Halls and find all the gifts on your list at Greenwood’s Holiday Open House on November 15, 2025 from 10:00AM-5:00PM! From sparkling window displays to handcrafted goods, exclusive sales, and complementary refreshments, it’s the perfect way to get ahead on your holiday shopping and support local businesses.
- Inn on the Square is hosting their first annual Holiday Market on November 22, 2025 from 9:00AM-2:00PM. This event will be located in the Inn’s beautiful ballroom and is free to the public.
- For a free, family-friendly event, join Connie Maxwell Children’s Home for their annual Christmas celebration December 4-6, 2025 from 6:00-8:30PM each night. Featuring a spectacular live nativity performance, concert series, Christmas village, petting zoo, hot chocolate, wagon rides, and more, it truly is a wonderful time!
- With two seatings on December 5, 2025 at 5:30pm and 7:00pm the whole family is invited to a PJ Party with Santa located at The Museum in Greenwood!
- Cookies & Hot Chocolate with Santa is a reservation-only event for children of all ages on December 5, 2025 from 6:30-7:30PM. Each child’s ticket is $15 and includes cookies, warm hot chocolate, a visit with Santa Claus, and a copy of “The Night Before Christmas” to take home!
- With one of the widest Main Streets in America (true story!), Uptown Greenwood’s Christmas Parade is sure to be a huge success! Mark your calendars for December 7, 2025 at 2:30PM.
- Gather your girlfriends for a special Sip n’ Shop holiday event on December 11, 2025 from 5:00-8:00PM! Enjoy a relaxed night of shopping, sipping, catching up with friends. Explore Uptown Greenwood’s charming shops filled with one-of-a-kind gifts, cozy winter finds, and stylish holiday looks. Snack on seasonal treats and sip something delicious while you shop!
Make a weekend out of it with a stay at Inn on the Square, a boutique hotel located right in the heart of Uptown, or Riegel Hall, a beautifully restored historic Bed & Breakfast about 15 minutes out of town. Warm up at Mill House Pizza & Good Times Brewing with some brick oven pizza and “Winter Lineup” ales. For a fine dining experience, try the French-American restaurant, Pascal’s Cafe.
Laurens, South Carolina
Located ideally between Greenville and Columbia, Laurens offers visitors small town charm, holiday markets, and a nostalgic look into the past. Mark your calendars with these holiday events!
- Between November 1, 2025-January 10, 2026, visitors at the Laurens County Museum have the chance to enjoy the Festival of Trees—a collection of themed trees representing organizations, businesses, locations, and historical periods of Laurens County—throughout the entire museum.
- Bringing the kids? Don’t miss the Yuletide Unicorn Festival every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday between November 21-December 21, 2025! Enjoy festive unicorn rides, bounce house, a Santa meet-and-greet, food trucks and more!
- For Antique and Vintage lovers, this is a shopping event just for you! Broad Street After Dark will be hosted at Broad Street Antiques & Vintage Finds on November 19, 2025 from 5:00-7:00PM with an opportunity to shop their large antique market, and taste local appetizers and drinks.
- Another great shopping event, Merry Market at the Laurens County Museum will take place on November 28-29, 2025. This event will feature music, festive foods, shopping, and crafts!
- Join Laurens for their annual tree lighting on 5, 2025 from 6:00-9:00PM, and their Christmas Parade on December 6 at 4:00PM. Downtown will be aglow both days, and include the Christmas Village and Christmas Market on the downtown square!
- Ready for some holiday magic?! Enjoy a cozy movie night at The Capitol Theatre with a classic family film on December 22, 2025. Popcorn, drinks, and candy will be provided for all attendees!
While visiting Laurens, don’t miss Moultrie Southern Cuisine, serving up elevated Southern food and innovative cocktails. For a sweet treat, Great Crepes and More is perfect for filling any sweet tooth right on the main downtown square!
McCormick, South Carolina
With the highest number of State Parks of any county in South Carolina, McCormick truly is an outdoorsman’s paradise. During the holiday season, it is perfect for escaping the crowds, enjoying the slower pace of life, and experiencing life as a local.
- Blending the loves of nature and holiday spirit, the McCormick County Historical Commission is hosting a free Holiday Story Walk from November 28-December 13, 2025. Enjoy ‘The Night Before Christmas’ in a new and interactive format while in the great outdoors at this attraction for young and old, alike.
- A Reindeer Scavenger Hunt is on for children under 18! Use the flyer to search locations around McCormick, and once you’ve found 7+ reindeer around town, go to the McCormick County Library for a complementary Christmas book and holiday cookie!
- Historic Downtown McCormick is hosting a Sip and Stroll, December 5, 2025 from 4:00-6:00PM. Complementary wine, cider, and punch will be served at this family friendly event. For a map of participating merchants, start at the Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center.
- For the sweetest event in town, check out the 2025 Holiday on Main Cookie Walk. For $10 per person, you can stroll downtown McCormick and collect a delicious cookie or baked treat at each stop around town! Click here for more info and how to buy your ticket.
- The Festival of Trees & Holiday Market is back December 5-6 and 12-13, 2025! Enjoy a winter wonderland as you walk through the 2025 Festival of Trees located in the 1898 Grist Mill. Make sure you visit the 1930 Cotton Gin and enjoy the Holiday Market, as well! This is the perfect opportunity to shop beautiful handcrafted merchandise including jewelry, jellies, jams, baked goods, quilts, glass art, books, and more!
- Capping off the festivities in McCormick, don’t miss the ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’ themed Christmas Parade! It will be on historic Main Street on December 13, 2025 at 4:30PM.
While in McCormick, enjoy the variety of antique shops, the abundant opportunities for nature and fresh air any of the three State Parks, and grab dinner overlooking the water at River Grille in Savannah Lakes Village!