Christmas Events for Kids in Aiken (2026)

Christmas Events for Kids
Written by Kelsey Cecil

Updated 3 min read

Rally the corgi has sniffed out the Christmas events for kids in Aiken for 2026. The Downtown Aiken Christmas Parade steps off on Sunday afternoon, December 6, and four nights later the Night of 1000 Lights fills Laurens Street and the Alley with luminaries, carolers and late shopping on Thursday, December 10. We check every date on the host’s own website and link straight there. For the rest of the state, see our South Carolina Christmas events for kids guide.

What Rally found in Aiken

  • 2 Christmas events for kids in Aiken
  • Downtown Aiken Christmas Parade: Sunday, December 6, 2 pm
  • Night of 1000 Lights: Thursday, December 10, evening
  • Both free and downtown
  • Host: Aiken Downtown Development Association

Free Christmas events for kids in Aiken

Sunday afternoon paradeFree

Downtown Aiken Christmas Parade

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The Aiken Downtown Development Association’s Christmas parade rolls through downtown Aiken on the first Sunday afternoon in December.

Registered entries line up at noon and step off at 2 pm, a daytime slot that suits families with toddlers and early bedtimes.

Parent tip: Grab a curb spot downtown by 1:30 pm, then stay for a treat at one of the downtown shops afterward.

Host
Aiken Downtown Development Association (opens in a new tab)
Address
Downtown Aiken, Aiken, SC (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Aiken Downtown Development Association (opens in a new tab)

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Rally’s Christmas research

Rally the corgi has 1 more Aiken event researched for you.

  • New events every week We research new events daily and send you one email a week with the new ones we find in Aiken.
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Luminaries, carolers and Santa downtownFree

Night of 1000 Lights

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For one December evening the ADDA lights up downtown Aiken with strings of lights and rows of luminaries along Laurens Street and the Alley.

In past years carolers, elves and Santa have joined the stroll while downtown shops stay open late for holiday shopping.

Parent tip: Come right at dusk when the luminaries are freshly lit, and keep an eye out for Santa as you walk Laurens Street.

Host
Aiken Downtown Development Association (opens in a new tab)
Address
Downtown Aiken, Laurens Street and the Alley, Aiken, SC (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Aiken Downtown Development Association (opens in a new tab)

New Aiken events every week

Rally researches Christmas events in Aiken daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Aiken.

Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)

We check every event above on the host’s own page for the date, time and cost, plus the things parents ask about, like sign-ups and ages. Looking for a Santa train instead? Those are on our South Carolina Christmas train rides page.

See every event on a December calendar

Plan your December

When each Aiken Christmas event for kids happens

Catch the daytime parade on Sunday, December 6, then come back after dark on Thursday, December 10 to walk the luminaries.

Looking further afield? Our South Carolina Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the state, and we have city guides for Columbia, Saint George, Spartanburg and Summerville. The national search sorts every event by distance from your town.

A story for the drive home

A morning with Santa or an evening of holiday stories tends to end the same way: tired kids, a long drive and one more book before bed. Our picture book follows Rally the corgi on his first train ride to see his grand-paw-rents, and every page is painted by hand. If your family is spending December missing someone, it was written for that too. For the car, print our free corgi and train coloring pages.

Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

A bedtime story after seeing SantaRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi’s first ride on a California train, hand-painted in watercolor. $16.99 on Amazon, ages 0 to 8.

Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

The story of Christmas in Aiken

Every December since the early 1990s, Aiken has strung more than 100,000 lights along about two miles of garden paths at Hopelands Gardens and invited everyone in for free. The 2025 show was its 34th, with Santa waiting in the Rye Patch and families roasting marshmallows by the fire pit.

A free 1992 garden walk that grew to 100,000 lights and two miles of paths at Hopelands

Christmas in Hopelands is Aiken's longest-running holiday light show. The 2019 edition was billed as the 28th annual and the 2025 edition as the 34th, which puts the first one in 1992. The City of Aiken Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department turns Hopelands Gardens into a walk-through exhibit of more than 100,000 lights. In 2015 the lighted paths stretched about a mile and a half, and by 2019 they ran more than two miles.

The show is free, with donation boxes at each entrance helping it grow. Because there is no public parking at the gardens, guests ride a free shuttle from Citizens Park on Banks Mill Road. Along the way families pass the decorated Doll House, the Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and the Rye Patch, where Santa listens to Christmas wishes and kids make a keepsake at the craft table. Carolers stroll the paths on some nights, and others bring live shows to the Roland H. Windham Performing Arts Stage at 7 pm.

Cloggers, s'mores and Santa in the Rye Patch for the 34th Christmas at Hopelands in 2025

The 34th annual Christmas in Hopelands opened on December 13, 2025. On December 22, hundreds of guests walked the two miles of lit paths, according to Augusta Good News. Inside the Doll House stood its own small Christmas tree, Santa posed for photos with children at the Rye Patch, and families roasted marshmallows for s'mores outside. Members of the Southern Elite Cloggers danced on the performing arts stage. December 23 was the last night with activities, with Josh Martin performing at 7 pm, and the lights stayed on for viewing from 6 to 9:30 pm on December 27 and 28.

Downtown, the Aiken Downtown Development Association keeps a December lineup that families plan around. For 2026 it lists First Friday on December 4, the Downtown Aiken Christmas Parade on Sunday, December 6, the Night of 1000 Lights on December 10, a Ladies Night Out Sip and Shop on December 17 and a Downtown Cookie Stroll on December 20.

Horse-drawn carriages, a craft show past its 50th year and a singing tree on Newberry Street

Aiken has long been a winter home for horse lovers, and its Christmas parade shows it. A 2022 preview in Augusta Business Daily described the downtown parade as one that "evokes memories of Christmas past" with vintage horse-drawn carriages alongside modern floats. Only In Your State lists two downtown parades in the season, the Aiken Jaycees Christmas parade and a Hoofbeats and Christmas Carols parade.

Other customs reach back generations. The Christmas Craft Show at the Odell Weeks Activity Center was billed as the 52nd annual in 2022, with handmade gifts from artisans across the Southeast. The city's official start to the season is the Christmas tree lighting on Newberry Street, with live music, a countdown to the singing Christmas tree, a hello from Santa and take-home craft kits for kids. The Chamber of Commerce's Buy Aiken Red Ticket campaign rewards holiday shoppers with a numbered ticket for every $25 spent locally and weekly drawings for $5,000.

A Festival of Trees inside the rebuilt 1899 depot where the parade sets off

Aiken's Christmas has a railroad stop at its center. The City of Aiken Visitors Center and Train Museum sits in a rebuilt copy of the depot that served the town from 1899 to 1954, and each season it hosts the Festival of Trees, where local businesses decorate themed trees and visitors vote for a favorite. In 2022 the festival's tree lighting began at 4 pm on December 2, two hours before the city tree lighting on Newberry Street.

The depot is also where the parade began that year. The 2022 Downtown Aiken Christmas Parade rolled at 2 pm from the Visitors Center down Park Avenue, ending at Laurens Street and Barnwell Avenue. Upstairs, kids can hunt for Aiken's own little depot in nine HO scale dioramas of the old South Carolina Canal and Railroad line as it looked in 1916. The museum is free but keeps short hours, Wednesday to Saturday from 10 am to 3 pm, so call before a holiday visit.

  • Aiken Visitors Center and Train Museum: A free museum in the rebuilt depot with nine HO scale dioramas of towns along the 1916 railroad and two historic rail cars outside, plus the Festival of Trees each season.

Traditions today

  • Christmas in Hopelands: A free walk through more than 100,000 lights on two miles of garden paths, held since 1992, with Santa and crafts at the Rye Patch and a shuttle from Citizens Park.
  • Downtown Aiken Christmas Parade: A Sunday afternoon parade through downtown, known for horse-drawn carriages. In 2026 it rolls on December 6 at 2 pm.
  • Night of 1000 Lights: Laurens Street and the Alley glow with lights and luminaries while carolers, elves and Santa stroll and shops stay open late. In 2026 it is December 10.
  • Festival of Trees: Local businesses decorate themed trees at the Visitors Center and Train Museum, and visitors vote for their favorite.
  • City tree lighting on Newberry Street: The city's official kickoff to the season, with live music, Santa, a countdown to the singing Christmas tree and craft kits for kids.

A fact for kids

At Christmas in Hopelands, Aiken lights up its gardens with more than 100,000 twinkling lights, and even the little Doll House in the gardens gets its own tiny Christmas tree inside.

Questions about Christmas in Aiken

When did Christmas in Hopelands start?

Christmas in Hopelands began in 1992. South Carolina Living billed the 2019 event as the 28th annual, and Augusta Good News reported that the 2025 event marked its 34th year. The City of Aiken Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department runs it at Hopelands Gardens on Dupree Place, and it is free to enter.

How many lights are at Christmas in Hopelands?

More than 100,000. The lights line more than two miles of pathways through Hopelands Gardens, and the paths have grown over the years: a 2015 listing described about a mile and a half of lighted walkways, while the 2019 and 2025 events had over two miles. Visitors walk the whole route, so wear comfortable shoes and bring a stroller for little ones.

Where do you park for Christmas in Hopelands?

General public parking is not allowed at Hopelands Gardens, the Rye Patch or nearby clubs. Instead, free shuttles run continuously from Citizens Park at 1060 Banks Mill Road, and in 2019 they ran from 5:45 to 8:45 pm. Accessible parking is available at 135 Dupree Place and 100 Berrie Road. Animals are not allowed on the shuttles.

Is Christmas in Hopelands free?

Yes. There is no cost to enter or to ride the shuttle from Citizens Park. Donation boxes at each entrance help pay for the show's growth, and donations can also be mailed to the City of Aiken Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department. In past years the only extra cost was optional s'more kits sold for $5, cash only, at the Rye Patch.

Where is Santa at Christmas in Hopelands?

Santa sits at the Rye Patch, the part of the gardens set aside for children's activities. He hears Christmas wishes and poses for photos, and afterward kids can stop at a craft station to make a keepsake. On December 22, 2025, Augusta Good News photographed Santa with children there while families made s'mores outside.

Can you roast marshmallows at Christmas in Hopelands?

Yes. A s'more pit at the Rye Patch lets families roast marshmallows, and in 2019 s'more kits cost $5, cash only. Augusta Good News showed guests toasting marshmallows outside the Rye Patch on December 22, 2025. Hot cocoa and apple cider have also been part of the evening, served in the Hall of Fame courtyard and near the Guest Cottage.

What were the dates of Christmas in Hopelands in 2025?

The 34th annual Christmas in Hopelands opened on December 13, 2025. December 23 was the last night with activities, when Josh Martin performed at 7 pm, and the lights could still be viewed from 6 to 9:30 pm on December 27 and 28. Shuttles ran from Citizens Park each night.

What is the Doll House at Hopelands at Christmas?

The Doll House is a small building in Hopelands Gardens that is decorated for the holidays during Christmas in Hopelands. In 2025 visitors could peek in and see a Christmas tree set up inside it. Nearby, the Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame, the Rye Patch and its stables are also open and decorated during the event.

What shows are on the stage at Christmas in Hopelands?

Live entertainment plays on select nights on the Roland H. Windham Performing Arts Stage at 7 pm, and on other nights carolers sing traditional Christmas songs along the paths. In 2025 the Southern Elite Cloggers danced on the stage. Families can bring a blanket or sit on the natural amphitheater seating.

Does the Aiken Christmas parade have horses?

Aiken's horse history shows up in its holiday parades. A 2022 Augusta Business Daily preview said the downtown parade evokes Christmas past with vintage horse-drawn carriages mixed with modern entries, and Only In Your State lists a Hoofbeats and Christmas Carols parade among Aiken's December events. Bring little ones to the curb early so they can see the carriages pass.

Where does the Downtown Aiken Christmas Parade start?

In 2022 the parade rolled at 2 pm from the City of Aiken Visitors Center and Train Museum on Park Avenue, heading down Park Avenue and ending at Laurens Street and Barnwell Avenue. Routes can change, so check the Aiken Downtown Development Association's website for the 2026 route before the December 6 parade.

What other Christmas events does downtown Aiken have in December 2026?

The Aiken Downtown Development Association lists First Friday on December 4, the Downtown Aiken Christmas Parade on December 6, the Night of 1000 Lights on December 10, a Ladies Night Out Sip and Shop on December 17 and a Downtown Cookie Stroll on December 20, 2026. The cookie stroll is the easiest one to plan around little kids.

Where is the Aiken city Christmas tree lighting?

The City of Aiken lights its Christmas tree downtown on Newberry Street in early December, and it is called the official kickoff to the holiday season. The evening has live music, a hello from Santa, a countdown to the singing Christmas tree, refreshments and take-home craft kits for children. In 2022 it began at 6 pm.

What is the Festival of Trees at the Aiken train museum?

The Festival of Trees, a Christmas tree contest, is held at the City of Aiken Visitors Center and Train Museum, in the rebuilt railroad depot on Park Avenue. Local businesses decorate trees with themes that reflect the community, and visitors vote for their favorite. In 2022 the festival's tree lighting ceremony started at 4 pm on December 2.

Does the Aiken train museum have Christmas trains?

There is no holiday train ride at the museum, but it is a fun December stop. The free Train Museum upstairs in the Visitors Center has nine HO scale dioramas of towns along the South Carolina Canal and Railroad as they looked in 1916, and the building hosts the Festival of Trees. It is open Wednesday to Saturday, 10 am to 3 pm.

How old is the Aiken Christmas Craft Show?

The Christmas Craft Show at the Odell Weeks Activity Center was billed as the 52nd annual in 2022, when it ran Friday and Saturday, December 2 and 3, from 9 am to 4 pm. It features handmade crafts and treats from artisans across the Southeast, which makes it a good place for kids to pick out small gifts for grandparents.

What is the Buy Aiken Red Ticket campaign?

It is a holiday shop-local promotion from the Aiken Chamber of Commerce. Starting in early November, shoppers get a numbered red ticket for every $25 spent at participating businesses, and weekly drawings award $5,000 cash prizes. In 2022 the campaign ran through December 19, and shop owners said it brought new customers through their doors.

Does Santa visit the Willcox hotel in Aiken?

Yes. The historic Willcox hotel offers Christmas visits for its guests, with Santa one-on-one visits and an elf who tucks children in at bedtime. Only In Your State lists it among Aiken's holiday traditions. These are for hotel guests, so families staying elsewhere can see Santa at Christmas in Hopelands, the parade or the Night of 1000 Lights.

What Christmas shows play in Aiken?

Aiken's December stage calendar includes The Nutcracker by the Aiken Civic Ballet, Home for the Holidays by the Aiken Symphony Orchestra, Elf the Musical by the Aiken Community Theatre and a Christmas concert by the Aiken Concert Band. There has also been a showing of The Polar Express movie at the Amentum Center for the Performing Arts.

Is there a Breakfast with Santa in Aiken?

Yes. Aiken's holiday calendar includes a Breakfast with Santa and Mrs. Claus with holiday crafts, Christmas story readings and a free book for each family. Pre-registration is required, so watch the city's parks and recreation announcements in November and sign up as soon as registration opens.

What can kids do in Aiken at Christmas?

Walk the two miles of lights at Christmas in Hopelands and meet Santa at the Rye Patch, wave at the horse-drawn carriages in the Downtown Aiken Christmas Parade, stroll the luminaries at the Night of 1000 Lights, vote at the Festival of Trees in the train museum, and count down to the singing tree on Newberry Street.

Sources

  1. In pictures: Christmas at Hopelands Dec. 22, Augusta Good News
  2. Christmas in Hopelands 2019, South Carolina Living
  3. Christmas in Hopelands, South Carolina Living
  4. Downtown comes alive at businesses tomorrow/this weekend, Augusta Business Daily
  5. Christmas town Aiken, SC, Only In Your State
  6. Upcoming Events, Aiken Downtown Development Association
  7. The City of Aiken's Visitor Center and Train Museum, Friends of the Aiken Railroad Depot

Keep the Christmas magic going: track Rally the corgi on Christmas Eve, print free Christmas coloring pages, learn how to say Merry Christmas in 100+ languages, find train museums to visit with kids, or browse Christmas events in every South Carolina city.

Aiken Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask

What are the best Christmas events for kids in Aiken this year?

Rally Takes the Train has confirmed 2 Christmas events for kids in Aiken, South Carolina, for 2026: the Downtown Aiken Christmas Parade on December 6 and the Night of 1000 Lights on December 10.

When is the Aiken Christmas parade?

Sunday, December 6, 2026, at 2 pm in downtown Aiken. Parade entries line up from noon.

What is the Night of 1000 Lights?

A downtown Aiken evening on Thursday, December 10, 2026, when Laurens Street and the Alley are lined with lights and luminaries and shops stay open late. Past years have included carolers, elves and Santa.

Are the Aiken downtown Christmas events free?

Yes. Both the parade and the Night of 1000 Lights are free to attend.

Who do I contact about Aiken downtown Christmas events?

The Aiken Downtown Development Association at info@downtownaiken.com or 803-649-2221.

Are there Christmas train rides for kids in South Carolina?

Yes. Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s South Carolina Christmas train rides page.

How do you confirm these events?

We list an event only after we find this season’s date on the host’s own website or an official city or tourism calendar. We last checked Aiken on November 11, 2026. Rally is also contacting each organizer to confirm details like parking, restrooms and bad-weather plans.

Event names belong to their hosts. Rally Takes the Train is a family picture book and is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by any host listed here. Confirm dates, times and prices on each host’s own site before you go.

Kelsey Cecil
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