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Christmas with kids in Westminster
Westminster began in 1874 as a water stop for steam trains, and today its Christmas centers on Main Street. A small-town parade rolls down Main Street, the same street as the old depot, and a tree lighting follows right after.
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Pictures with Santa
When: Tue, Dec 1, 4:30 to 5:30 pm
Where: Westminster Library, Westminster
Cost: Free
The story of Christmas in Westminster
How Westminster celebrates
Westminster is a small town of 2,353 people in the Blue Ridge foothills of Oconee County. It was founded in 1874 when the Atlanta and Richmond Air-Line Railway was completed, and it began as a water stop on the Southern Railway. Its main Christmas tradition is the city's Christmas Parade on Main Street, followed by the annual tree lighting. Local groups and businesses sign up in advance to take part, using an online form or a paper form from City Hall. The parade has been held at different times over the years, from a Saturday late morning in 2023 to an evening start in 2024 and 2025.
Christmas last year in Westminster
The City of Westminster Christmas Parade took place on Friday, December 5, 2025, at 6 p.m. in downtown Westminster, with floats and local performers, and the annual tree lighting followed. Parade participants had until 5 p.m. on November 26 to sign up. The same day, the Oconee Holiday Market ran from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Shaver Recreation Complex, with photos with Santa from 4 to 7 p.m. Nearby Walhalla lit its tree at 5:30 p.m. that evening and held its own parade the next day, December 6, at 5 p.m.
Fun facts about Christmas in Westminster
The parade rolls down Main Street, and the town's railroad depot sits on East Main Street too. A freight depot was built in 1885 and the passenger depot followed in 1911. Passenger trains stopped coming by 1970, and the depot was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. After a fire, it was restored and reopened in 2009 as the Chamber of Commerce's home. James Arthur King served as station master from 1920 to 1945. Westminster also hosts the South Carolina Apple Festival each September.
Trains and Christmas near Westminster
Westminster started as a railroad water stop, and its Christmas parade is held on Main Street, the same street as the restored depot. For more train time, Anderson County Museum is the closest museum on our list, a free county history museum where you can ask the curator what railroad pieces are on view. In Winnsboro, the South Carolina Railroad Museum runs seasonal rides such as the North Pole Express, and Aiken's depot museum has HO diorama towns of the old Charleston to Hamburg line.
- Anderson County Museum: A free county history museum in Anderson, the nearest on our list, where transportation is one thread among many.
- South Carolina Railroad Museum: Free admission, walk-through display cars and seasonal train rides such as the North Pole Express, which fill fast.
- Aiken Visitors Center and Train Museum: Nine HO scale dioramas upstairs in Aiken's depot show the towns of the old Charleston to Hamburg railroad in 1916.
Traditions today
- Westminster Christmas Parade: A Main Street parade with floats and local performers, held in early December, with the annual tree lighting right after.
- Tree lighting: The city lights its Christmas tree in downtown Westminster right after the parade.
- Sign up to join the parade: Local groups register through an online form or a paper form at City Hall before the parade.
- Oconee Holiday Market: A holiday market at the Shaver Recreation Complex with photos with Santa, held the same day as the parade in 2025.
- Walhalla Christmas events nearby: The neighboring town of Walhalla holds a tree lighting and its own parade the next day.
- Magical Musical Holiday Light Show: A light show synced to Christmas songs in downtown Seneca, a short drive away.
A fact for kids
Westminster started as a place where steam trains stopped to take on water, and its Christmas parade still rolls down Main Street, the same street as the old depot.
Questions about Christmas in Westminster
When is the Westminster, SC Christmas parade?
In 2025, the parade was held on Friday, December 5 at 6 p.m. in downtown Westminster, followed by the annual tree lighting. In 2024 it was December 6 at 6 p.m., so it usually falls in early December. For this season's date, see our Westminster Christmas events guide on this page.
What happens at the Westminster Christmas parade?
The parade features floats and local performers on Main Street, and the city's annual tree lighting follows. Local groups and businesses sign up ahead of time to take part. It is a hometown event, so it is a nice chance for children to watch a parade in a small downtown with the whole community nearby.
How can my group join the Westminster Christmas parade?
Groups register in advance through an online Google form or with a paper form from City Hall. In 2025, forms were due by 5 p.m. on November 26, and the city's phone number for questions was 864-647-3200. Deadlines change each year, so check the City of Westminster website.
What time is the Westminster parade usually?
It has varied. In 2023, the parade ran on Saturday, December 2 from 11 a.m. to noon on Main Street. In 2024 and 2025, it moved to an evening start at 6 p.m. on a Friday, followed by the tree lighting.
Where is the Christmas tree lighting in Westminster?
The city's Christmas tree is lit in downtown Westminster right after the parade. The parade runs on Main Street, so families who watch it can stay for the lighting. For the exact spot and time this year, see our Westminster Christmas events guide on this page.
When was Westminster, SC founded?
Westminster was founded in 1874 with the completion of the Atlanta and Richmond Air-Line Railway and was incorporated in March 1875. It began as a water stop on the Southern Railway, and shops, stores and factories grew around it. Its greatest expansion came in the 1920s.
How big is Westminster, South Carolina?
Westminster is a small town. The 2020 census counted 2,353 residents, down from a peak of 3,120 in 1990, and it covers about 3.4 square miles in the Blue Ridge foothills of Oconee County. With a downtown this size, the Main Street parade and the tree lighting that follows are easy for families to find.
What happened in Westminster at Christmas last year?
On December 5, 2025, the city held its Christmas parade at 6 p.m. with floats and local performers, then the annual tree lighting. The Oconee Holiday Market ran that day from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Shaver Recreation Complex, with photos with Santa from 4 to 7 p.m.
Is there a holiday market near Westminster?
In 2025, the Oconee Holiday Market was held on December 5 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Shaver Recreation Complex, with photos with Santa from 4 to 7 p.m. It was the same day as the Westminster parade. See our Westminster Christmas events guide on this page for this year's details.
What is the Air-Line Railway in Westminster's history?
The Atlanta and Richmond Air-Line Railway was the railroad whose completion in 1874 gave birth to Westminster. The town began as a water stop on what became the Southern Railway, and it was incorporated in March 1875. For kids, it is a good story of a town that grew up around a train stop.
What do Walhalla and Westminster do for Christmas?
Neighboring Walhalla held its tree lighting on Main Street at 5:30 p.m. on December 5, 2025, and its Christmas parade on December 6 at 5 p.m. Westminster's parade was on the evening of December 5. That schedule let families in Oconee County see a tree lighting and a parade on two nights in a row.
What is the Westminster depot?
The Westminster Depot is the town's railroad station at 135 East Main Street. A freight depot was built in 1885 and a passenger depot in 1911. Passenger service ended by 1970, and the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. It reopened in 2009 as the Chamber of Commerce's home.
Why was Westminster built around a railroad?
Westminster began in 1874 when the Atlanta and Richmond Air-Line Railway was completed, as a water stop where steam trains refilled. The railroad drove its growth, and a freight depot opened in 1885. The depot remains a local landmark today, restored after a fire.
Who was the Westminster station master?
James Arthur King served as station master at the Westminster depot from 1920 to 1945, according to a historical marker. The station master oversaw the trains and the depot in town. Kids may like hearing that a person once ran the station as the trains came through.
Where can kids see trains near Westminster at Christmas?
The South Carolina Railroad Museum in Winnsboro has free admission, walk-through display cars and seasonal rides such as the North Pole Express, which fill fast. Anderson County Museum is closer. Check each website before you go, and see our Westminster Christmas events guide on this page for this season's options.
Is there a train museum with models near Westminster, SC?
Yes. The Aiken Visitors Center and Train Museum, upstairs in Aiken's depot, has nine HO scale dioramas of the towns of the old Charleston to Hamburg railroad as they were in 1916. It is free and open Wednesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., but it is a long drive.
What festivals does Westminster have besides Christmas?
Westminster hosts the South Carolina Apple Festival each September and the South Carolina Bigfoot Festival each October. It is also known as a car-cruising destination. These are separate from the Christmas parade and tree lighting, which come in early December and are the town's main Christmas tradition.
How can I explain a small-town parade to my toddler?
Tell your toddler that the whole town gathers on Main Street to wave at floats, neighbors and performers, then turns on the Christmas tree together. Bring a blanket and a warm drink, and pick a spot near the curb. The 2025 parade began at 6 p.m., so plan for a cool evening.
Is there a Christmas parade in Westminster this year?
Westminster holds a Christmas parade and tree lighting every December, and in 2025 it was on Friday, December 5 at 6 p.m. on Main Street. Groups sign up ahead of time. For this season's confirmed date, time and sign-up details, see our Westminster Christmas events guide on this page.
Where can kids see Christmas lights near Westminster?
Westminster lights its tree after the parade, and nearby Seneca has a Magical Musical Holiday Light Show with lights synced to Christmas songs from November 21 to December 31 in 2025. Our Westminster Christmas events guide on this page lists this season's confirmed dates.
Sources
- City of Westminster 2025 Christmas Parade, City of Westminster, SC
- City of Westminster 2024 Christmas Parade, City of Westminster, SC
- 2023 Christmas Parade Details and Registration, City of Westminster, SC
- Small Town Holiday Magic in Oconee County, SC, Visit Oconee SC
- Westminster, South Carolina, Wikipedia
- Westminster Depot, Historical Marker Database
- 2025 Upstate SC and Northeast GA Holiday Parade and Event Schedule, WSNW Radio
- Anderson County Museum, Rally Takes the Train
- South Carolina Railroad Museum, Rally Takes the Train
- Aiken Visitors Center and Train Museum, Rally Takes the Train