Rain, COVID-19 concerns make annual Christmas event in Columbia closed to public
The combination of a rainy forecast and concerns about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has forced another iconic event in Columbia to change.
The 54th annual Governor’s Carolighting on Sunday night will be closed to the public, because of the chance of rain from 5-7 p.m., event organizers said in a news release.
Now the Carolighting will be held from 5:30-6 p.m. inside the upper lobby of the South Carolina State House, rather than on the north lawn on Gervais Street, according to the release.
Even before the event was moved indoors, attendance was going to be limited because of coronavirus-related safety concerns, organizers said.
On Sunday, for the sixth day in a row and the 11th day in the past 13, South Carolina reported more than 1,000 new cases of COVID-19. There have been nearly 194,000 positive coronavirus cases in the Palmetto State since March, and nearly 4,000 people have died.
The holiday event, featuring a speech from Gov. Henry McMaster, will still be streamed live on SCETV, according to the release.
There was no word if McMaster’s lighting of the state Christmas tree will still be accompanied by holiday music from local performers as previously planned.
The official state Christmas tree arrived at the State House on Nov. 12, organizers said. It is a 35-foot-tall sheared Concolor Fir, also known as a white fir, and comes from Pinetum Christmas Tree Farm in Swanton, Maryland.
Dominion Energy used more than 13,000 LED lights to string around the tree, and both the Columbia Garden Club and the Garden Club of South Carolina placed 900 ornaments on the tree, according to organizers.
The Carolighting joins many other events in Columbia and the Midlands that have been scrapped this year. The South Carolina State Fair, Famously Hot New Year celebration, the Columbia Greek Fest, the Okra Strut in Irmo, the Craftsmen’s Christmas Classic Art & Craft Festival, the Rosewood Crawfish Festival, Indie Grits film festival, Columbia’s annual St. Patrick’s Day festival in Five Points, Camden’s Carolina Cup steeplechase races, Bubbie’s Jewish Food Festival, and the Lexington Wine Walk are among other notable events that have been canceled, altered, or held exclusively online because of the ongoing pandemic.
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This story was originally published November 22, 2020 at 2:58 PM.
