Ask anyone in Mount Pleasant where the holidays happen and they'll probably name the Christmas Light Parade on Coleman Boulevard. In 2026, the parade route won't light up until Sunday, Dec. 13.
The season starts this weekend at the other end of town. From 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, to 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22, Boone Hall Farms, Mount Pleasant Towne Centre and the Park West Recreation Complex host three holiday kickoffs within 33 hours. One of them, the Merry Makers Market, has never been held before. With that market added, opening weekend now happens entirely on the north side of town.
Saturday Starts at a Farm and Ends in Front of Belk
Boone Hall Farms runs its Christmas Tree Festival at 2434 N. Highway 17 on Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. both days. Boone Hall's event page says admission is free with no ticket required, thanks to sponsors Starling Chevrolet and Beacon Community Bank. Christmas crafts, the photo booth, live music and holiday photo ops are all free. Santa is there from noon to 6 p.m. each day, and families can take as many photos with him as they like on their own phones or cameras at no charge.
The farm bakes Christmas cookies on site and sells them along with other food. Face painting and body art cost extra, and the farm sells fresh-cut trees, handmade wreaths and decorations. Boone Hall asks guests to leave pets at home. Only ADA-compliant service animals are allowed.
That evening, Mount Pleasant Towne Centre holds Lights Up at 1200 Belk Drive. The Towne Centre's event page puts the whole event in front of Belk on this schedule:
- 6 p.m. Pre-lighting festivities begin, with live sets from the East Cooper Baptist Church Choir & Orchestra and Jared Petteys & The Headliners
- 7:30 p.m. The 44-foot Christmas tree is lit, followed by a laser light show and a promised "very special surprise"
- 8 p.m. The event wraps up
Brian Cleary of 92.5 Kickin' Country hosts, and Santa makes an appearance. Volunteers from Camp Rise Above will sell light-up novelties as a fundraiser for the camp, which serves children with serious illnesses, disabilities and other challenges. Visiting food vendors include Zimos Gyros & Lobster, Madrigal Tacos, Holy City Popcorn, Delights Desserts & Coffee, Holy City Homemade Italian Ice, Nothing Bundt Cakes and Pure Fluff Co. Towne Centre's own Malika, Grimaldi's Pizzeria, Burtons Grill & Bar, Sweet Julep's, The Wine Cellar, SAVI Cucina & Wine Bar and Jon Smith Subs are on the list too. Faces by Faith does face painting, Carol's Balloon Art makes balloon animals and The Sparkle Bar does fairy hair.
Starling Chevrolet sponsors both Saturday events. It's one of the partners covering free admission at the farm, and it presents Lights Up alongside Roper St. Francis Healthcare and AV Connections. With Santa at Boone Hall until 6 p.m. and the Towne Centre program starting at 6 p.m., you can do the farm in the afternoon and the tree lighting at night on the same Saturday.
Sunday Adds a Market the Town Never Held Before
Until this year, the Town of Mount Pleasant's holiday shopping event was a single December market. On Aug. 4, the Town announced a second one, the Merry Makers Market, and described it as "new to the East Cooper area." It takes place Sunday, Nov. 22, at the Park West Recreation Complex. Events Coordinator Tracy Richter explained the addition in the Town's announcement:
"We are excited to add a new market to kick off the holiday season. Shoppers can check off their gift lists and connect with local vendors at both markets."
The market runs 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1251 Park West Blvd. Experience Mount Pleasant's listing says to expect booths from local farmers, makers, growers, bakers and artists, plus food vendors and food trucks. The Town recruited vendors selling locally grown produce, homemade preserves, baked goods and hot food. It also sought handmade gifts such as ornaments, glasswork, woodwork, clothing and original art. It does not allow commercial or mass-produced goods.
The market's hours fall within Boone Hall's Sunday hours. That makes Sunday a second chance at the farm festival for anyone who spent Saturday at Towne Centre.
Where 2026's New Restaurants Sit Along the Route
Several of the restaurants that opened this year are on this same side of town, so the weekend's stops come with new places to eat between them.
- Revolving Sushi Kingdom, 1594 Palmetto Grande Drive, at Mount Pleasant Towne Centre. The Post and Courier reported that it opened in September, which makes Lights Up its first holiday season at the center.
- Eggs Up Grill, 608A Long Point Road, in Belle Hall Shopping Center. The Post and Courier reported that it opened to the public Aug. 26.
- Paris Baguette, 656-G Long Point Road, also in Belle Hall Shopping Center, opened in February.
- Steel City Pizza, 401 Faison Road in Carolina Park, opened April 23.
- Marion's Gelato, 901 Warrior Way, Suite 104, opened Feb. 4.
Holy City Sinner's running list of 2026 openings, updated Nov. 5, covers the Long Point Road, Faison Road and Warrior Way openings above. Two of the five are on Long Point Road, between the farm festival and the rest of town.
Three Weeks Later, the Season Moves to the Harbor End
After opening weekend, the north side has one more listed date, Boone Hall's Wine Under the Oaks on Dec. 6. Three weeks after the kickoff, the older end of Mount Pleasant takes over, near the harbor and along Coleman Boulevard. Experience Mount Pleasant's events calendar lists the December events in this order:
- Sunday, Dec. 6. Wine Under the Oaks at Boone Hall Plantation & Gardens, 1 to 5 p.m., with wine tastings, complimentary oysters and desserts, and wine and cooking demonstrations. This is the last listed Boone Hall date of the season.
- Saturday, Dec. 12. The 27th annual Holiday Market & Craft Show at the Farmers Market Pavilion, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with free admission and free parking. Santa visits, and there's balloon art and caricature drawing.
- Saturday, Dec. 12. Oysters on the Point at Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina, 2 to 6 p.m., with steamed local oysters and live music from Sol Driven Train. Tickets are $15 online and $18 at the door, and kids 12 and under get in free.
- Sunday, Dec. 13. The 31st annual Christmas Light Parade begins at 5:30 p.m. It starts at Live Oak Drive and runs down Coleman Boulevard to Patriots Point Road, and Santa arrives on a Mount Pleasant firetruck.
The Holiday Market and Oysters on the Point overlap from 2 to 4 p.m. that Saturday, and the parade follows the next evening. That puts three events on the harbor end of town within about 30 hours, much like the north side's opening weekend.
The parade also closes the roads. The current 2026 listing gives this schedule for Dec. 13:
- Coleman Boulevard from Whilden Street to Pherigo Street closes at 4 p.m. for parade lineup
- Coleman Boulevard from Whilden Street to Patriots Point Road closes at 5 p.m.
- The Ravenel Bridge off-ramp onto Coleman Boulevard closes at 5 p.m., and all traffic is sent to Highway 17
- Patriots Point Road from Coleman Boulevard to Harry Hallman Boulevard closes at 5 p.m., and traffic for Patriots Point, the hotel and the golf course goes to Harry Hallman
The Town says it will post the latest parade updates on its Facebook event page, so check there that week. Parade entries were on a waitlist as of the latest listing, and the Town asks drone pilots not to fly over or along the route.
Dim sum is a new dinner option before the parade. Loong Yan, a restaurant serving Shanghai soup dumplings and Cantonese dim sum at 341 Johnnie Dodds Boulevard, held its grand-opening ribbon cutting in early November, the Town reported.
Kimberly Lease and the Charleston Hot Properties team will be out for both halves of the season, from Lights Up in front of Belk to the parade on Coleman Boulevard. We follow how these events, new restaurants and road closures play out on each side of town. If you're curious how that local calendar fits into what your own home is worth, we'd love to talk. Request Your Free Home Valuation, and we'll share what we're seeing in your part of Mount Pleasant.
