Rally the corgi has sniffed out the Christmas events for kids in Sumter for 2026. More than a million lights fill Swan Lake Iris Gardens for the free Fantasy of Lights every night in December, and Santa’s Village opens beside the Visitors Center on three Friday and Saturday weekends for free photos with Santa. 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 Sumter
- 2 Christmas events for kids in Sumter
- Fantasy of Lights: nightly December 1 to 31, free
- Opening ceremony: December 1, 6 pm
- Santa’s Village: December 4, 5, 11, 12, 18 and 19, 6 to 8 pm
- Both: Swan Lake Iris Gardens, 822 W. Liberty Street
What are you looking for?
All 2 events
Nothing matches yet. Try another kind of event, or .
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 1 more Sumter 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 Sumter.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Sumter before they fill up.
- Start your magical Christmas season now Every event appears the moment you enter your email.
- 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.
Waiting inside
- 1 Santa
- 1 Lights
- 2 Free
Enter your email and all will appear instantly.
The Christmas magic awaits
Enter your email to get Christmas event notifications all season long and unlock the details on 1 Christmas event in Sumter.
- New events in Sumter every week
- Exclusive access to free events
- Your magical Christmas season starts now
- Christmas Eve Express and free advent calendar
- One-tap add to calendar
Free Christmas events for kids in Sumter
Free drive-through lightsFree
Swan Lake Fantasy of Lights
- When: Nightly December 1 to 31, 2026, opening ceremony December 1 at 6 pm; open until 9 pm Sunday to Thursday and 10 pm Friday and Saturday
- Where: Swan Lake Iris Gardens, 822 W. Liberty Street, Sumter, SC 29150 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
More than one million lights turn Swan Lake Iris Gardens into South Carolina’s largest free Christmas light display, with a floating Christmas tree and characters from songs and stories.
It is set up as a drive-through along Liberty and Garden streets, but families can park to take photos, and the season opens with a countdown ceremony beside the Visitors Center on December 1.
Parent tip: Enter at Liberty Street and exit onto Oakland Avenue, and park in the lot across from the Heath Pavilion if you want to get out for photos.
- Host
- City of Sumter (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Swan Lake Iris Gardens, 822 W. Liberty Street, Sumter, SC 29150 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Sumter events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Sumter daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Sumter.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 1 more Sumter 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 Sumter.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Sumter 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
- 1 Santa
- 1 Lights
- 2 Free
Enter your email to get new Christmas events in Sumter every week.
Free Santa visitsFree
Santa’s Village at Swan Lake
- When: Fridays and Saturdays, December 4, 5, 11, 12, 18 and 19, 2026, 6 to 8 pm
- Where: Swan Lake Iris Gardens, beside the Visitors Center, 822 W. Liberty Street, Sumter, SC 29150 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free, food and cocoa for sale
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
Santa’s Village sets up beside the Visitors Center on three December weekends, with free photos with Santa and holiday music and entertainment each night.
Food, hot cocoa and treats are sold on site, and the village sits right at the start of the Fantasy of Lights route.
Parent tip: Bring your own camera for the Santa photo, then drive the light display afterward while the kids are still buzzing.
- Host
- City of Sumter (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Swan Lake Iris Gardens, beside the Visitors Center, 822 W. Liberty Street, Sumter, SC 29150 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Sumter events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Sumter daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Sumter.
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 Sumter Christmas event for kids happens
Time your drive through the lights for a Friday or Saturday Santa’s Village night, so the kids can see Santa and the display in one trip.
- Swan Lake Fantasy of LightsSumter · Dec 1 to Dec 31
- Santa’s Village at Swan LakeSumter · Dec 4 to Dec 19
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, Summerville and Goose Creek. 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.
Sumter Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in Sumter this year?
Rally Takes the Train has confirmed 2 Christmas events for kids in Sumter, South Carolina, for 2026: the Swan Lake Fantasy of Lights and Santa’s Village at Swan Lake Iris Gardens.
When is the Sumter Fantasy of Lights open?
Nightly from December 1 to 31, 2026, until 9 pm Sunday to Thursday and 10 pm on Friday and Saturday. The opening ceremony is December 1 at 6 pm.
Is the Fantasy of Lights free?
Yes. Admission to the Fantasy of Lights and to Santa’s Village is free.
When is Santa at Swan Lake?
Santa’s Village is open from 6 to 8 pm on Friday and Saturday, December 4, 5, 11, 12, 18 and 19, 2026, beside the Visitors Center.
Who do I contact about Sumter holiday events?
The Sumter Visitors Center at tourism@sumtersc.gov or 803-436-2640.
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 Sumter 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.