50+ Holiday Light Displays Near Greenville, SC

Are you looking for the best places to see Christmas lights near Greenville, SC and throughout the Upstate? This list includes all of the local mega-light displays, light displays large enough to drive to see, and even some local Christmas lights at homes that deck it out for Christmas Griswold style.

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Drive-Thru Christmas Lights: Greenville, SC and the Upstate

Night of Lights at Heritage Park in Simpsonville at Heritage Park is a walk-through light display with rides, ice skating, and a petting zoo. It runs November 22nd, 2024 – January 3rd, 2024. Hours are Sunday-Thursday 5-9 pm and Friday-Saturday 5-10 pm. Tickets are $12 for ages 5 – 15 and $15 for ages 16 and older. Children under 5 are free. Check their website as they have different promotions and discounts nightly.

The Magical Music Holiday Light Show at Seneca’s Norton-Thompson Park is a FREE event and fun for the whole family! Runs from November 22nd, 2024 – December 31st, 2024 from 5:30 pm – 10:30 pm.

Anderson Christmas Lights across from the Anderson Civic Center Thanksgiving, November 28th – December 25th, 2024.
It includes 3.5 million Christmas lights!

• Cost $15 per car
• Opens at 5:30 pm each evening

Upstate Holiday Light Show at District Park in Easley, SC opens Thanksgiving, November 28th through December 31, 2024 for the holiday season. The event moved from the Greenville Pickens Speedway last year into its new home at District Park. In addition to driving through the dancing lights, guests can also visit a winter wonderland and Santa’s free petting zoo. It is one of the best drive Greenville Christmas lights displays to visit by car.

• Cars, SUVs, Trucks, and Minivans – $35
• Sun-Thurs 6 pm-10 pm
• Fri & Sat 6 pm-11 pm
• Out Kidding Around® Review of Upstate Holiday Light Show

Christmas Wonderland and Winterfest Village – This drive-thru light experience at the Tryon Equestrian International Center is a real family treat. There are also live shows on select nights. The drive thru light show runs nightly from November 29th, 2024 – January 1st, 2025, from 6-11 pm. The Winterfest Village is open weekends starting November 29th, 2024 – December 23rd, 2024.

• Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland Weekdays: Starting at $35/cars (before fees), Weekends: TBD
• Winterfest Village: Tickets are $18 per person, with access to Whoville Experience, Cookies with Mrs. Claus, a Petting Zoo, and Bounce Houses. Winterfest happens Friday-Sunday 5-9 pm starting November 29th and ending December 23rd, 2024.

Very Merry Mini Golf at Takeoff Minigolf in Greenville: You can walk through a big holiday light display while playing mini-golf. The special event opens every evening from November 29th, 2024 – December 30th, 2024. Tickets should be reserved online and are $15/adults, $13/kids.

Oconee State Park Holiday Light Show: December 1st, 2024- January 10th, 2025: will be a walk-through or drive-through event! Trees will be lit with beautiful lights and holiday displays. There will be a Santa workshop while you grab hot chocolate and coffee.

Holiday Lights Trolley Tours with Main Street Trolley Dates TBD: operate in Spartanburg, SC in mid-December.

Lighting Displays and Ceremonies

2024 Festival of Trees – Come see the holiday trees on display from November 22nd, 2024 to December 25th, 2024 at the Hyatt Regency Downtown and the Courtyard Marriott Greenville Downtown. FREE

Holiday Lights at Hidden Pasture Unicorn Farm- You can explore the unicorn farm and enjoy the Christmas lights on Fridays – Sundays from November 22nd – December 23rd, 2024 from 11 am – 4 pm. Prices are $12 for 18+ and $14 for kids 3-17 years old.

Holiday Hop: Travelers Rest, SC Tree Lighting and more (November 30th, 2024, 3 pm – 7 pm) There will be a train ride, a kids crafting station, “snow” ball fighting at the gazebo, and more, all on Main Street in Travelers Rest, SC. Oh, and don’t forget Santa! He will be there to help you capture those special memories.

City of Seneca Tree Lighting and Magical Musical Holiday Light Show in Seneca – Join the mayor on December 2nd, 2024 for the annual Magic of Christmas Parade along with the Lighting of the Green at 5 pm. The parade will begin at 6 pm. The Magical Musical Holiday Light Show runs from November 22nd, 2024 – December 31st, 2024 from 5:30 pm – 10:30 pm.

Dickens of a Christmas- (December 3rd, 2024 from 6 to 9 pm) Tree lighting in Spartanburg, SC. The event also includes a Victorican-style Christmas celebration throughout Downtown Spartanburg. Enjoy live music, vendors, horse and carriage rides, living window displays, and more.

A Merry Mauldin Christmas Mauldin Tree Lighting (December 5th, 2024, 5 pm – 8 pm) – Enjoy holiday music and tree lighting at the Mauldin Outdoor Amphitheater behind the Mauldin Cultural Center.

Night of Lights: Greenville Christmas Tree Lighting (December 6th, 2024, 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm) This event will have live music, vendors, food trucks, a visit from Santa, and more starting at 5:30 pm.

Tree Lighting Ceremony at Greer City Park (December 6, 2024 at 5-8 pm) This family-friendly event also includes a visit from Santa. There will be craft stations, train rides, live music, carolers, food vendors, and more. Be sure to head over to Trade Street for dinner before or after the event. The full event starts at 5:00 pm.

Christmas in Gaffney with Laser Light Show– (December 6th – 8th, 2024) There will be a parade, a laser light show, and a Main Street celebration in Gaffney.

Lights at Hope (December 6th, 7th, 13th, 14th, 20th, and 21st): 6:30-8:30 pm, hot chocolate and candy canes are available at this light show in West Union, SC.

Holidays at the Zoo– December 13th – 23rd, 26th – 30th, 2024. Walk through the Greenville Zoo and be dazzled by thousands of lights, festive decorations, and holiday music. Tickets are timed, and advanced registration is recommended. The zoo will be closed from December 24th – 25th. Other dates are open from 4 pm to 8 pm. You can purchase tickets online when they are announced.

Simpsonville Tree Lighting Ceremony (December 5th, 2024 at 6 pm) – Sing-a-longs, free hot chocolate, cookies, and letters to Santa. Free.

Tiny Town Easley, SC– TBD for 2024. A piece of the small town South lives on, in tiny form! Over 80 tiny structures adorned with lights, Christmas decor, and lots of character make up Tiny Town. The display is open nightly from Thanksgiving Day to New Year’s Day (closed when raining). They also have hot chocolate, hot coffee, a bonfire, and select dates of visits with Santa.

Free Light Displays at Organizations

• Bethel Baptist Church | 403 Sulphur Springs Road, Greenville
  Drive-In Light Show with multiple songs, 2 mega trees, thousands of lights, and lasers, synchronized to station 88.9. Runs from Thanksgiving to New Years Eve from 6 pm – 9 pm.
  
• 5 Point Church | 1039 South Pendleton Street, Easley (TBD for 2024)
  Amazing light display with 8 different songs
  

Nearby Christmas Lights: Check Out Free Holiday Light Displays

Our readers love the Kidding Around Christmas Driving Routes. Our 2024 routes is now ready!

• Homes with light shows that include music (and sometimes even hot chocolate and Santa). Expect to wait in traffic to see them. If visiting these displays, park on the sides of the street, being sure to leave room for traffic and not block neighbors’ driveways.
• Also, we recommend that you check the Facebook page of the light display before heading out. That’s typically where you can find current information on traffic rules, parking, and nights off.

Private Home Light Displays

Every year we create several driving routes in the Upstate to showcase homes that are totally decked out for Christmas. In 2024, we have 8 holiday routes and they are all free to see! The routes and a map can be found on our 2024 Christmas Light Driving Routes story. Photos are below of some of the homes you’ll see on the routes.

Greenville Area Light Displays

Spartanburg Light Displays

Anderson County Light Displays

Christmas Light Displays That Are Worth The Drive

Speedway Christmas Lights – The annual drive-thru Christmas lights at the Charlotte Motor Speedway is super popular. More than 4 million lights over 3.75 miles adorn this display, which runs from Friday, November 22nd, 2024 to January 5th, 2025. They are closed on Christmas Day.

• Tickets for cars are $35 – $45 and $140-$175 for buses. Fast passes are available for $75 per car (including ticket).

Want more Charlotte area lights? We have that! Here’s our list of Christmas Lights in Charlotte, NC.

Holiday Lights on the River at Saluda Shoals Park in Columbia, SC (November 27th, 2024 – December 31st, 2024) Over a million lights on the 2-mile loop of the park. Includes a laser light show, hayrides, tube slide, Santa, and more.

• Admission is $25 – $35 for a family car (depending on the date)

Looking for more lights? Check out the Christmas Lights Displays Around Columbia, SC plus more ways to celebrate the holidays in Columbia, SC.

Winter Lights – This popular light show at the NC Arboretum in Asheville is a walk-through garden lights experience. The show runs from November 15th – December 31st, 2024 nightly from 6 pm – 10:30 pm.

• Here’s our Kidding Around review of Winter Lights
• Ticket prices vary by date and start at $40 per car. You can purchase tickets for Winter Lights online for the best price.

Garden Lights at Atlanta Botanical Garden (November 16, 2024- January 12, 2025) This massive light display includes colored orbs, model trains, and a glittery rain forest.

Christmas Town, USA in McAdenville, NC (December 2nd – 26th, 2024) This nearby town decks out completely for Christmas. You can either park and walk around the town or drive through (the 1.3 miles takes approximately 30-40 minutes to drive through). The lights are on nightly from 5:30 – 10 pm.
Read our review of Christmas Town, USA here.

World of Illuminations is taking place at one Atlanta area location this year, the Six Flags White Water park in Marietta (November 15th, 2024 – December 29th, 2024). This light display boasts over two million lights synchronized to music and has been named to the Forbes magazine list of Best Light Displays in the US. This years theme is “cosmic slay ride)

Christmas Wonderland and Winterfest Village – This drive-thru light experience at the Tryon Equestrian International Center is a real family treat. There are also live shows on select nights. The drive thru light show runs nightly from November 29th, 2024 – January 1st, 2025, from 6-11 pm. The Winterfest Village is open weekends starting November 29th, 2024 – December 23rd, 2024.

• Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland Weekdays: Starting at $35/cars (before fees), Weekends: TBD
• Winterfest Village: Tickets are $18 per person, with access to Whoville Experience, Cookies with Mrs. Claus, a Petting Zoo, and Bounce Houses. Winterfest happens Friday-Sunday 5-9 pm starting November 29th and ending December 23rd, 2024.

Holiday Light Show at Oconee State Park (TBD for 2024) Take a spin through the campground to enjoy light displays provided by the local community and businesses. Included with park admission.

Wine in Winter Wonderland at Marked Tree in Hendersonville, NC ( November 29th, 2024 – January 5th, 2025) This FREE display of lights is perfect for a romantic drive. For the rest of the year, you can enjoy a lit holiday landscape drive-thru, holiday music, and more.

• Free Things to Do at Christmas in Greenville
• Free Holiday Things to Do in Spartanburg
• Upstate, SC Holiday Events and Things to Do
• Christmas Light Displays Near Greenville, Spartanburg and the Upstate
• Best Christmas Tree Farms Near Greenville
• Santa Sightings In The Upstate
• Parades Near Greenville SC
• Live Nativities Near Greenville

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