Are you looking for free Christmas things to do in Columbia, SC? The holidays may drain your pockets when it comes to gift-buying and hosting parties, but these free events, parades, and tree-lighting ceremonies will help you feel a little more jolly, merry, and bright! There is also the added bonus of your kid getting to see Santa around town. Check out our list of the best free events in the Columbia area to get the holiday season started.
Looking for more to do during the holidays? Check out our super festive holiday guide!
Free Christmas Lights Driving Routes
Go see some awesome lights for free! We took some of the very best decorated homes in the Columbia area and put them together into Epic Columbia Christmas Light Driving Routes. Our 2025 lists are coming soon!
Free Holiday Things to Do: Columbia, SC
Christmas in Cayce: 46th Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony
December 4, 2025, 6 pm
Cayce City Hall
Live music, Santa, hot chocolate and sweets, and festive Christmas Caroling will be apart of this grand event. School choirs and bands will be there to help spread the Christmas cheer.
Christmas Olde and New
December 6, 2025, 6 pm to 9 pm
Cayce Historical Museum
Take in the sights and sounds of Christmas at the Cayce Historical Museum’s “Christmas Olde and New”. Rooms of the museum will be decorated for Christmas along with live entertainment and refreshments. There will also be a holiday market!
Lexington County Museum Christmas Open House
December 14, 2025, 1 pm to 4 pm
Experience historic Christmas decor, with period decorations and demonstrations. There will be light refreshments that are historically accurate to the 19th century, such as hot cider and gingerbread. There will be blacksmithing on-site, cooking demonstrations, and more!
Crafternoon
December 12, 2025, 11:30 am – 12:30 pm
Richland Library Cooper
This event is for children ages 9 -18. Get in the holiday spirit with a wintery craft! All materials will be supplied.
Holiday Parades Near Columbia
Carolina Carillon Holiday Parade
December 6, 2025, @ 9:45 am
Downtown Columbia
Head downtown for the 72nd annual Carolina Carillon Holiday Parade to enjoy the state-broadcasted parade! There will be marching bands, local churches, drill teams, and decorated floats before Santa Claus comes to town! The parade will start at the intersection of Sumter Street and Laurel Street and will head toward the USC Horseshoe and Senate Street.
Town of Lexington Christmas Parade
December 7, 2025, @ 3 pm
Main Street, Lexington
The Town of Lexington and the Lexington Jaycees will host the annual Christmas Parade, featuring floats and more. The parade will begin promptly at 3 pm.
Holiday Parade of Lights
December 13, 2025, @ 5:30 pm
Cayce, SC
This wildly popular parade features ANYTHING, as long as it’s covered in lights! The parade starts at 5:30 sharp at the front of the Cayce Municipal Complex and will travel down 12th Street until ending at Highway 1 and 12th Street in West Columbia. Crowds are large, so arrive early and plan ahead!
Christmas Parade – Town of South Congaree
December 13, 2025 @ 10 am
669 Main Street, West Columbia
Enjoy the family-friendly holiday parade with lots of sights and sounds for children to enjoy!
December 7, 2025, 2 pm – 4 pm
Main Street, Blythewood
The parade will be held on Main Street, Blythewood Road, and Boney Road. Be sure to arrive early!
Tree Lighting and Caroling Near Columbia
Blythewood Christmas Tree Lighting
November 30, 2025, 5 pm
Blythewood Town Hall
Join the town of Blythewood for the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony. There will be food, lots of fun, and the opportunity to meet Santa!
Town of Pine Ridge Tree Lighting Ceremony
December 6, 2025, @ 5:30 pm
The Christmas parade will begin at 4 pm with a tree lighting ceremony held at Town Hall to follow.
Cheap Holiday Things to do for $5 or less
Coffee Shop Hot Cocoa and Festive Treats
Visit one of our favorite coffee shops in Columbia for a cup of hot chocolate or maybe a peppermint mocha. Much cheaper than going out for a meal, but still loaded with all the holiday cheer.
Sleigh Bell Stroll
November 25, 2025, from 6 pm to 8 pm
Saluda Shoals Park East
6071 St Andrews Road, Columbia
For $7 per person ($2 for children 2 and under), you can explore the park on a 2-mile nighttime walk as it is decorated in festive light displays along the river. Pre-registration is required for this event and must be complete by 11/24/25. There will be bus transportation back to the parking lot available.
Totally Free Christmas Activities Worth the Drive
Day trips are sweeter when they are filled with free things to do. If the free Christmas events and things to do we already listed aren’t enough for you, try one of these awesome, and totally free, holiday events within just an hour or two of Columbia.
- See Santa at Cabela’s or Bass Pro Shops. You’ll leave with a totally free 4×6 professional quality picture with Santa and some fun treats, plus enjoy some activities while you’re there! Head up to Greenville, SC for the nearest Cabela’s.
- Greenville’s Festival of Trees is a not-to-miss Upstate event. Visit beautifully decorated trees throughout Downtown Greenville hotel lobbies, especially the Hyatt on Main Street. It’s totally free.
- Watch Free Holiday Movies at NCG Cinemas. The nearest NCG Cinema is in Spartanburg, SC. So, if you’re heading up to the Upstate for one of the previously mentioned events, catch a movie while you’re there!
- Check out the totally free walk-through light display at Village Park in Kannapolis, NC.
After Christmas! Winter Break and New Year’s
The fun continues with many free and low-cost options in Columbia!
Time to celebrate the start of 2025! We have lots of ideas to help you celebrate and stay busy. Some of them are totally free!
Stay Busy! Columbia’s
Winter Break Bucket List
Don’t be bored over winter break! This bucket list has 20 ways to have fun over winter break in Columbia, SC and some of them are totally free, too!
