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 21st, 2025 – December 31st, 2025. Hours are Sunday-Thursday 5-9 pm and Friday-Saturday 5-10 pm. Tickets are $9 for ages 5 – 15 and $12 for ages 16 and older. Children under 5 are free. Check their website as they have different promotions and discounts nightly. Note: Some attractions like the skating rink, petting zoo, and photos with Santa require extra fees.
The Magical Music Holiday Light Show at Seneca’s Norton-Thompson Park is usually a FREE event and fun for the whole family! Kidding Around has yet to confirm if this event is happening in 2025 and what the dates are.
Anderson Christmas Lights across from the Anderson Civic Center Thanksgiving, November 27th – December 25th, 2025. It includes over 400 Christmas light displays across the 2.5 mile drive!
Upstate Holiday Light Show at District Park in Easley, SC opens Thanksgiving, November 27th through December 31, 2025 for the holiday season. In addition to driving through the dancing lights, guests can also visit a winter wonderland, carnival rides, and Santa’s petting zoo. It is one of the best drive Greenville Christmas lights displays to visit by car.
Christmas Wonderland and Winterfest Village are very popular options in Tryon, NC, not too far from the Upstate. The drive-thru light experience at the Tryon Equestrian International Center runs nightly from November 14th, 2025 – January 4th, 2026. New this year, you can experience the lights walking through on foot as well. The Winterfest Village is open weekends beginning November 28th at 5pm with activities like bounce houses, carriage rides, petting zoos, shops, and visits with Santa.
Very Merry Mini Golf at Takeoff Minigolf in Greenville: You can walk through a big holiday light display while playing mini-golf. Santa also visits select nights. The special event opens every evening from November 21st, 2025 – December, excluding Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. Tickets must be reserved online and are $15/person.
Oconee State Park Holiday Light Show will be a walk-through or drive-through event from 6-10pm nightly December 1st, 2025- January 10th, 2026! Trees will be lit with beautiful lights and holiday displays free with park admission.
Dates TBD – operate in Spartanburg, SC in mid-December.
Lighting Displays and Ceremonies
– Come see the holiday trees on display from November 21st, 2025 to December 25th, 2025 at the Hyatt Regency Downtown and the Courtyard Marriott Greenville Downtown. FREE
Holiday Lights at Hidden Pasture Unicorn Farm – You can usually explore the unicorn farm and enjoy Christmas lights during the holiday season. Event dates are still TBD for 2025.
Holiday Hop: Travelers Rest, SC Tree Lighting and more (2025 Dates still TBD) Usually – 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 1st, 2025 for the annual Magic of Christmas Parade along with the Lighting of the Green. The Magical Musical Holiday Light Show runs from November 21st, 2025 – December 31st, 2025. Follow their Facebook for more information.
Dickens of a Christmas- (December 2nd, 2025 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 4th, 2025, 5 pm – 8 pm) – Enjoy holiday music, a holiday market, pictures with Santa, train rides, and tree lighting at the Mauldin Outdoor Amphitheater behind the Mauldin Cultural Center.
Night of Lights: Greenville Christmas Tree Lighting (December 5th, 2025, 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm)This FREE event in front of M. Judson Booksellers will have live music, vendors, food trucks, a visit from Santa, and more starting.
Tree Lighting Ceremony at Greer City Park (December 5th, 2025 at 5-8 pm) This family-friendly event also includes a visit from Santa. In years past, there have been craft stations, train rides, live music, carolers, food vendors, and more.
Christmas in Gaffney with Laser Light Show– (December 5th – 7th, 2025) In years past, there has been a parade, a laser light show, and a Main Street celebration in Gaffney.
Lights at Hope (December 12th, 13th, and 19th): 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 – January 4th 2025 (various nights). More information to come. 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. You can purchase tickets online when they are announced.
Simpsonville Tree Lighting Ceremony (December 4th, 2025 at 6 pm) – Great Lawn at Gracely Park. In past years there has been sing-a-longs, free hot chocolate, cookies, and letters to Santa.
Tiny Town Easley, SC– TBD for 2025. They usually open nightly from 5:30-10pm starting on Thanksgiving. 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. In years past they have had hot chocolate, hot coffee, a bonfire, and select dates of visits with Santa.
Free Light Displays at Organizations
Nearby Christmas Lights: Check Out Free Holiday Light Displays
Our readers love the Kidding Around Christmas Driving Routes. Our 2025 routes will be ready soon!
Every year we create several driving routes in the Upstate to showcase homes that are totally decked out for Christmas. In 2024, we had 8 holiday routes and they were all free to see! Our 2025 routes are still being created. The routes and a map will be found on our Christmas Light Driving Routes story. Photos are below of some of the homes we’ve seen on the routes in the past.
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 5 million lights over 4 miles adorn this display, which runs from Friday, November 21st, 2025 to January 4th, 2026. There is also a Christmas Village where you can stop and enjoy an illuminated walking trail, photos with Santa, market vendors, food, and smores by the fire.
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 26th, 2025 – December 31st, 2025) Over a million lights on the 2-mile loop of the park. Includes tube slide, letters to santa, smores, and more.
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 2025 – January 4th, 2026.
Garden Lights at Atlanta Botanical Garden (November 15, 2025- January 11, 2026) This massive light display includes colored orbs, model trains, and a glittery rain forest.
Christmas Town, USA in McAdenville, NC (December 1st – 26th, 2025) 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). This experience is free. We recommend checking out the tree lighting ceremony, the Christmas parade and Yule Log Ceremony, or visiting during the week to avoid long lines and cars. Learn more on the Christmas Town USA Website.view of Christmas Town, USA here.
is taking place at one Atlanta area location this year, the Six Flags White Water park in Marietta (November 14th, 2025 – January 4th, 2026). 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 “candy rush”. Tickets start at $40 per vehicle and must be purchased online.
Christmas Wonderland and Winterfest Village – This drive-thru light experience at the Tryon Equestrian International Center is a real family treat. The Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland drive-thru light experience at the Tryon Equestrian International Center runs nightly from November 14th, 2025 – January 4th, 2026. New this year, you can experience the lights walking through on foot as well. The Winterfest Village is open weekends beginning November 28th at 5pm with activities like bounce houses, carriage rides, petting zoos, shops, and visits with Santa.
Holiday Light Show at Ocon (December 1st 2025 – January 10th 2026) 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 28th, 2025 – February 12th, 2026) This FREE display of lights is perfect for a romantic walk or drive. Wine can be sipped along the way if desired. Festive music also compliments the experience in collaboration with the Hendersonville Symphony on select Saturdays.