Parades, tree lightings and Santa Claus: Christmas events in the Rock Hill area
It isn’t 12 days of Christmas, but the Rock Hill region comes pretty close with more than a dozen parades and community events across eight days. They start Thursday.
Events range from the massive ChristmasVille festival in Rock Hill to small community parades in Chester County. There are tree lightings, Santa visits and boat displays now through mid-December.
Here are the area parades and more to visit this holiday season, across the region:
Thursday
▪ Rock Hill marks the return of the holiday season with ChristmasVille. Events run Thursday through Sunday and include a 6 p.m. opening ceremony with Santa’s arrival, an outdoor singalong, a festival of trees, Christmas storytelling, historic tours, a gingerbread house contest, a gift market and ice skating. The full festival event list with times and locations is at christmasvillerockhill.com.
▪ Fort Mill will host a Christmas Village & Lighting of the Tree from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Elisha Park amphitheater on North White Street. The town will light a 50-foot tree in the park with performances by school choirs, dance teams and other entertainment. Christmas Village vendors, food trucks, kids activities and Santa visits will be part of the festivities. More info: fortmillsc.gov
Friday
▪ The Rock Hill Christmas Parade begins at 6:30 p.m. It starts at Oakland and Stewart avenues, heads down Oakland and turns right onto White Street, left through the parking lot beside Wells Fargo, then left on Main Street before ending at Fountain Park. The parade includes marching bands, mascots and floats, along with Santa. More info: cityofrockhill.com
Saturday
▪ Lancaster hosts Christmas in the City starting at 10 a.m. with a holiday bazaar, trolley rides, crafts and pictures with Santa at downtown locations. The Lancaster Christmas Parade follows at 5 p.m. More info: lancastercitysc.com
▪ The 76th annual Fort Mill Christmas Parade starts at 11 a.m. Marching bands, floats, civic groups and Santa will parade through downtown, from Tom Hall and Unity streets toward and down Main Street, up North White Street to Elisha Park. Judges will pick winners of best car, golf cart, walking group, Christmas theme, holiday spirit and creativity awards.
Former school board and town council member Trudie Bolin Heemsoth is this year’s grand marshal. More info: fortmillsc.gov
▪ The Hickory Grove Christmas Parade begins at 3 p.m. The more than 40-year-old event runs along Wylie Avenue in the westernmost York County town, just east of the Broad River. More info: townofhickorygrove.com
▪ The Chester Christmas Parade & Winterfest runs from 5:30 to 9 p.m. The parade starts at 5:30 p.m. and travels between Joe Collins Stadium and the fire department or aquatic center area in Chester. Winterfest is 7-9 p.m. at the city aquatics and fitness center, with a movie and sweet treats planned. More info: chestersc.org
Sunday
▪ The 53rd annual Clover Christmas Parade rolls off at 3 p.m. Food trucks at the Boyd Tire & Appliance parking lot at 110 N. Main St. will be on hand at noon for guests who want to get their seats early on the southbound side of U.S. 321. The Greater Clover Chamber of Commerce puts on the event that travels along Main Street. More info: cloversc.org
Dec. 7
▪ Tega Cay has its Lighting of the Tree & Santa’s Arrival at 6 p.m. at the Glennon Center. After lighting the Christmas tree, guests can meet Santa in the ballroom and enjoy cookies, cocoa and caroling. The city’s first ugly sweater contest will follow the tree lighting, too, at 7 p.m. More info: tegacaysc.org
Dec. 8
▪ The Hometown Christmas Parade returns to York from 6 to 8 p.m. Food trucks and other activities start at 5 p.m. at City Market, at 55 N. Congress St. Floats, performers and Santa will start at Lincoln Road and take North Congress through downtown, ending at California Street. More info: yorksc.gov
Dec. 9
▪ The Richburg Christmas Parade begins at 11 a.m. It goes along Main Street in the Chester County town just off Interstate 77. More info: chesterchamber.com
▪ The Fort Lawn Christmas Parade starts at 2 p.m. in Chester County. It follows Main Street in town. More info: chesterchamber.com
▪ The Indian Land Christmas Parade begins at 4 p.m. near the intersection of River and Little River roads. It will travel School Service Road behind the middle and intermediate schools, and end behind the Indian Land Elementary School bus parking lot. A tree lighting ceremony will follow at 5:30 p.m. near the intermediate school on U.S. 521, or Charlotte Highway. More info: ilcpo.org
Dec. 16
▪ The Lowrys Old-Fashioned Christmas Parade returns at 1 p.m. The Chester County town of Lowrys holds an event where only farm equipment, farm livestock and walking entries can participate in the parade. The Lowrys community is at 2453 Old York Road in Chester. More info: townoflowrys.org
▪ The Lake Wylie Annual Holiday Boat Parade launches at 5 p.m. Decorated boats will head out from and return to Papa Doc’s Shore Club beside Buster Boyd Access Area. They will travel the North Carolina and South Carolina sides of Lake Wylie’s main channel. More info: lakewyliechambersc.com
