Here’s where and when you can see Christmas light displays in the Columbia area
The holiday season has officially arrived, bringing with it many time-honored traditions.
People will gather with family and friends, partake in a sometimes-troubling amount of food and drink, hit the stores to start checking off that Christmas list, and mumble curses under their breath at the shopping center traffic crawling through Malfunction Junction.
And then there’s another hallmark of the season for thousands of folks in the Columbia area: Getting in close proximity to the electric glow of one of Columbia’s massive, ornate Christmas light displays. While there are certainly plenty of would-be Clark Griswolds in the neighborhoods of Columbia, there are also several professional-grade lights displays you can check out in the area. Here are a few.
Holiday Lights on the River at Saluda Shoals Park
Now through Dec. 31, 6-10 p.m. 6071 St. Andrews Road
Each year, tens of thousands of people visit the Holiday Lights on the River drive-thru holiday lights extravaganza hosted by the Irmo Chapin Recreation Commission. It features nearly 3 miles of lights and animated displays (a pterodactyl soaring over the roadway is a favorite) that wind through the park. There also are a number of activities for kids and families, including hay rides and a winter wonder tube slide. (Those extra activities won’t take place on Thanksgiving night, Christmas Eve or Christmas night.)
Admission is $25 per car; $50 per 12+-passenger van, trucks with trailers and limos; and $75 per bus.
Lights Before Christmas at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden
Select nights now through Dec. 30, check riverbanks.org/events/lights-before-christmas for a calendar. 500 Wildlife Parkway, Columbia.
To be certain, most of the animals at the venerable Riverbanks Zoo are not on display during the nighttime holiday event, but the lights are an amazing show in their own right. This is one of Columbia’s favorite and longest-running Christmas season events. Aside from the lights, there is a Santa Village, and a number of activities you can do for an additional fee, including the North Pole Express train and the Candy Cane Carousel.
Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for children 2-12. Kids under 2 can get in free.
Carolina Lights at the SC State Fairgrounds
Dec. 4-26, closed Christmas Day.; 6-9 p.m. Sun.-Thurs, 6-10 p.m. Fri. and Sat. 1200 Rosewood Dr., Columbia.
The State Fairgrounds are set to light up for the holidays once again. This colorful, drive-thru light show has quickly become a downtown tradition in recent years. It will include numerous individual light displays, and milk and hot chocolate chip cookies will be available for purchase. Attendees are encouraged to turn off their car headlights as they make their way through the light show, but reminded to turn them back on as they leave.
Admission is $20 for cars, $35 for mini-buses (9-24 passengers) and $70 for vehicles with 25 or more passengers. You can get car passes for $15 if you purchase them by Dec. 3 at scstatefair.org/carolina-lights/.
This story was originally published November 22, 2021 at 10:59 AM.
