Rally the corgi has sniffed out the Christmas events for kids in North Charleston for 2026. It all happens at Park Circle over one weekend: Cookies and Cocoa with Santa and the 40-foot tree lighting on Friday, December 4, then the Christmas Parade and Festival on Saturday, December 5. 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 North Charleston
- 3 Christmas events for kids in North Charleston
- Cookies and Cocoa with Santa: Friday, December 4, 4 to 6 pm, free with registration
- Tree Lighting: December 4, 6 pm, Park Circle
- Christmas Parade and Festival: Saturday, December 5, parade at 3 pm
- Every date checked on the City of North Charleston’s site on Nov 11
What are you looking for?
All 3 events
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Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 2 more North Charleston events 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 North Charleston.
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Waiting inside
- 2 Santa
- 1 Lights
- 1 Parades
- 3 Free
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Free Christmas events for kids in North Charleston
Santa visitFree
Cookies and Cocoa with Santa
- When: Friday, December 4, 2026, 4 to 6 pm
- Where: Park Circle Community Building, 4800 Park Cir, North Charleston, SC 29405 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free, pre-registration required
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
Santa comes to town for Cookies and Cocoa with Santa at the Park Circle Community Building, right before the city tree lighting.
It is free, but spaces are limited and the city requires pre-registration, so sign up as soon as registration opens.
Parent tip: Book a late slot and you can walk straight out to the tree lighting at 6 pm.
- Host
- City of North Charleston (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Park Circle Community Building, 4800 Park Cir, North Charleston, SC 29405 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New North Charleston events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in North Charleston daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in North Charleston.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 2 more North Charleston events 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 North Charleston.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in North Charleston before they fill up.
- Unlock the filters Find Santa visits, free events and weekend plans in one tap.
- Rally’s Christmas Eve Express and a free advent calendar Get early access to Rally the corgi’s Christmas Eve tracker, plus a free digital advent calendar to count down to Christmas.
- One-tap add to calendar Save any event to your Google, Apple or Outlook calendar so you never miss it.
Coming up on this page
- 2 Santa
- 1 Lights
- 1 Parades
- 3 Free
Enter your email to get new Christmas events in North Charleston every week.
Tree lightingFree
Christmas Tree Lighting
- When: Friday, December 4, 2026, 6 to 7 pm
- Where: Park Circle Community Building, 4800 Park Cir, North Charleston, SC 29405 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
Mayor Burgess lights the City of North Charleston’s 40-foot Christmas tree outside the Park Circle Community Building, with music from the North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary School Chorus.
The same night, the Lights Around Park Circle switch on, and they stay up for walks and drive-bys through New Year’s Day.
Parent tip: After the lighting, take a slow lap around the circle to see the sponsored trees and light displays.
- Host
- City of North Charleston (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Park Circle Community Building, 4800 Park Cir, North Charleston, SC 29405 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New North Charleston events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in North Charleston daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in North Charleston.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Parade and festivalFree
Christmas Parade and Festival
- When: Saturday, December 5, 2026, 2 to 6 pm (parade at 3 pm)
- Where: Park Circle Community Building and grounds, 4800 Park Cir, North Charleston, SC 29405 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
North Charleston calls its Christmas Festival and Parade a holiday gift to the community, and it fills the green space around Park Circle with lighted snowflakes, trees and holiday scenes.
The festival has kids activities, food vendors and visits with Santa, and the parade rolls around the circle at 3 pm.
Parent tip: No seating is provided, so bring folding chairs. Walking, biking and ridesharing are encouraged because parking is limited.
- Host
- City of North Charleston (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Park Circle Community Building and grounds, 4800 Park Cir, North Charleston, SC 29405 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New North Charleston events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in North Charleston daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in North Charleston.
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 North Charleston Christmas event for kids happens
Make it a Park Circle weekend: Santa and the tree lighting on Friday, December 4, then chairs out for the parade on Saturday afternoon.
- Cookies and Cocoa with SantaNorth Charleston · Dec 4
- Christmas Tree LightingNorth Charleston · Dec 4
- Christmas Parade and FestivalNorth Charleston · Dec 5
Looking further afield? Our South Carolina Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the state, and we have city guides for Charleston, Summerville, Saint George and Myrtle Beach. 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.
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 AmazonKeep 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.
North Charleston Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in North Charleston this year?
Rally Takes the Train has confirmed 3 Christmas events for kids in North Charleston for 2026, all from the City of North Charleston at Park Circle: Cookies and Cocoa with Santa and the Tree Lighting on December 4, and the Christmas Parade and Festival on December 5.
When is the North Charleston Christmas Parade in 2026?
Saturday, December 5, 2026. The festival runs from 2 to 6 pm at the Park Circle Community Building, 4800 Park Circle, and the parade begins at 3 pm.
When is the North Charleston tree lighting?
Friday, December 4, 2026, from 6 to 7 pm at the Park Circle Community Building. The Lights Around Park Circle stay up through New Year’s Day.
Do I need to register for Cookies and Cocoa with Santa?
Yes. It is free, but spaces are limited and pre-registration is required.
Who do I contact about North Charleston holiday events?
The City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at TGillespie@northcharleston.org or (843) 740-5854.
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 North Charleston 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.