Spartanburg County celebrates Christmas with parades, Dickens, Nutcracker. What to know

Joanna Johnson, Spartanburg Herald-Journal
·4 min read

Christmas is one of the most wonderful times of the year, with holiday parades and events.

You can begin the Yuletide season by celebrating a Victorian holiday at A Dickens of a Christmas from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 5 in downtown Spartanburg.

The holiday street festival includes people dressed in Victorian-style clothing, carriage rides, Christmas carols and Santa Claus. Top off the night at the Christmas tree lighting at 7 p.m. in the Denny's Plaza downtown.

Spartanburg County will keep the spirit going with holiday markets selling crafts. You can also visit the Christmas House in Inman and view the displays with hundreds of colorful lights.

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A Dickens of a Christmas is a Victorian holiday event that was held in downtown Spartanburg on Dec. 6. Many took the chance to take a ride in a horse drawn carriage around the downtown area.
A Dickens of a Christmas is a Victorian holiday event that was held in downtown Spartanburg on Dec. 6. Many took the chance to take a ride in a horse drawn carriage around the downtown area.

Step back in time at Dickens of a Christmas

The Victorian-style outing includes horse-drawn carriage rides, Polar Express train rides, window displays and more. The event is on Tuesday and the evening includes the tree lighting in Denny's Plaza in downtown Spartanburg.

This free, holiday event takes place on Dec. 5, from 6 to 9 p.m. in downtown Spartanburg. The annual tree lighting at Denny's Plaza will begin at 7 p.m.

The Christmas House celebrates 50 years

The Christmas House in Inman is decked out with thousands of holiday lights and displays, a tradition that started 50 years ago.

This is a file photo from December 2021 showing the Christmas House lit up for the holidays in Inman. Owners Bill and Sandra Montgomery continue the tradition of a Christmas lights display at the home, The 1.5-acre display is located at 360 Foster Road in Inman. (Credit: TIM KIMZEY/Spartanburg Herald-Journal)
This is a file photo from December 2021 showing the Christmas House lit up for the holidays in Inman. Owners Bill and Sandra Montgomery continue the tradition of a Christmas lights display at the home, The 1.5-acre display is located at 360 Foster Road in Inman. (Credit: TIM KIMZEY/Spartanburg Herald-Journal)

Visitors will see new displays this year to celebrate the anniversary.

"The main reason we do this is to keep the true meaning of Christmas alive, the birth of Jesus Christ," said Bill and Sandra Montgomery, owners of the house. "Too many times this gets lost in all the hustle and bustle of Christmas."

The Montgomerys decorate their house every year. The tradition began in 1970 by Sandra's father. Sandra and Bill have kept the tradition alive since 2005.

The Christmas House is located at 360 Foster Road, Inman. The light show began on Nov. 23 and runs through Dec. 31. Hours are 5:30 to 10 p.m.

Hollywild is holding a light show, a chance to meet animals

Magic of Lights at Hollywild, 2325 Hampton Road in Wellford, offers visitors a drive-thru experience looking at the display of lights and the chance to meet some animals.

The event begins every evening at 5:30 p.m. and runs through Dec. 31. Tickets are $10 per vehicle. There is an additional cost to feed the animals and visit with Santa.

Market On Main held a holiday open house in downtown Spartanburg, November 10, 2020. Artist Jessica Fleming works on a watercolor painting at the store. .
Market On Main held a holiday open house in downtown Spartanburg, November 10, 2020. Artist Jessica Fleming works on a watercolor painting at the store. .

Get some Christmas shopping done at holiday markets

Holiday markets in Spartanburg provide a range of handmade crafts for gift ideas. Here are some of the holiday markets for Christmas:

  • Artists Collective Spartanburg's 2023 Holiday Artisan Market from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays until Dec. 23 at the Artists Collective, located at 578 W. Main St., in Spartanburg.

  • Drayton Mills Holiday Artisan Market from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 2 located at Drayton Mills, 1800 Drayton Road in Spartanburg.

This file photo shows the Spartanburg Christmas Parade in downtown Spartanburg on Dec. 13, 2022.
This file photo shows the Spartanburg Christmas Parade in downtown Spartanburg on Dec. 13, 2022.

Parades will add a touch of holiday cheer

Spartanburg County parades will feature colorful floats, performances by high school marching bands and appearances from Santa Claus.

Woodruff Christmas Stroll: from 4 to 8 p.m. Dec. 1 and Dec. 2 at South Main Street in Woodruff.

  • Light up Inman, Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting: from 5 to 9 p.m., Dec. 2 on Main Street in Inman.

  • Light up Landrum, Christmas Parade and Stroll: at 6 p.m. Dec. 7 at the Landrum Depot, 211 S. 562 in Landrum.

  • Pacolet Christmas Parade: at 10 a.m., Dec. 9 at 890 SC Highway 150, in Pacolet.

  • Reidville Christmas Parade and Festival: at 3 p.m. Dec. 9 on Main Street in Reidville.

  • Woodruff Christmas Parade: at 3 p.m. Dec. 10 at 231 E. Hayne St. in Woodruff.

  • Spartanburg Christmas Parade: at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 12 on 105 N. Pine St. Spartanburg.

The Nutcracker at Twichell Auditorium

Watch an enchanting performance of The Nutcracker, Dec. 8 through Dec. 10 at Twichell Auditorium, 580 E Main St. in Spartanburg.

The Nutcracker continues to captivate audiences young and old. The combination of beautiful choreography, mesmerizing music and stunning elements creates a magical experience that transports viewers to a Christmas wonderland.

Tickets are available to purchase on their website. Dates and times for the showings are Dec. 8 at 7 p.m., Dec. 9 at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Dec. 10 at 3 p.m.

If there are events we missed, please email Joanna Johnson at jjohnson@shj.com. Be sure to check back for updates during the Christmas holiday

Joanna Johnson covers community news for the Herald-Journal. Reach her via email at jjohnson@shj.com.

This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Christmas in Spartanburg County: Dickens, parades, Nutcracker and more