25 Fun Things to Do with Your Family at Christmas

Are you looking for some Christmas family fun? Look no further. The Lowcountry has no shortage of exciting Christmas activities your whole family will love!

1. “A Christmas Tradition” – This performance held nightly November 22-December 24 at the Historic Savannah Theatre brings you Christmas standards that you know and love as well as comedy and audience participation.

2. December Nights & Holiday Lights – Held on selected evenings, November 22 - December 23, you and your whole family will enjoy the self-walking tour of the Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens’ annual holiday lights show with more than a million lights. Adults $10, children ages 4-12, $5. Event does not run on rainy evenings.

3. Harbour Town Tree Lighting – Harbour Town kicks off the holiday season with its tree lighting which will be held prior to the Gregg Russell concert under the Liberty Oak on November 29, at 7:30 p.m. at Sea Pines, Hilton Head Island. 

4. Harbour Town Lights – Stroll along the harbour and enjoy the illuminated seasonal figures as well as a towering Christmas tree, November 29-January 1, at Sea Pines, Hilton Head Island. 

5. Holiday Gospel Dinner & Entertainment Cruise – Experience local Holiday Gospel entertainment and enjoy the savory flavors of the South while you cruise the Savannah River, December 2 and December 9. For more information, call (912) 232-6404 or visit the website.

6. Festival of Trees – There is something for everyone at this festival benefiting Friends of Caroline Hospice, December 3-7, at Tabby Place in downtown Beaufort. Come and see the beautifully decorated Christmas trees, December 3-5, have fun at the Gala on December 5, and get some exercise at the Gingerbread 5K and Snow Day in Port Royal on December 7.

7. Bluffton Tree Lighting Ceremony – Bring the whole family and enjoy music, refreshments and a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus as the town of Bluffton lights up its Christmas tree on December 6 at 5:30 p.m. in Dubois Park. 

8. Lights on for Tybee Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting Celebration – Get into the holiday spirit at Tybee’s nighttime Christmas parade and the annual Christmas tree lighting on December 6. The parade begins at 6:30 p.m. at the corner of Butler Avenue and 8th Street and follows an illuminated trail from Butler to Tybrisa, ending at the pier and roundabout where Tybee’s mayor will light the 18-foot tree.

9. Beaufort Holiday Weekend – Enjoy a weekend of holiday cheer featuring local choirs, dance groups, community organizations, parades and the annual Christmas tree lighting, December 6-8.

10. Historic Holidays on Hilton Head Island – You will love these Sea Island traditions, featuring authentic food, historic church experiences, holiday market, trolley and bike tours, ancestry research and a community tree lighting. Held in various locations, December 6-9, reservations are required.

11. “A Charlie Brown Christmas” – The Savannah Children’s Theatre presents this holiday special for families every weekend in December leading up to Christmas: December 6, 13, 14, 20 at 7 p.m. and December 7, 8, 15, 21, 22 at 3 p.m. Begin your holiday fun with cookie decorating, ornament making and caroling, then get cozy in the theater to watch “A Charlie Brown Christmas” while sipping hot chocolate from a create-your-own cocoa bar. Call (912) 238-9015 or go online to purchase tickets.

12. Christmas on the River – Check out this arts and crafts festival held December 6-8 on River Street in Savannah and enjoy music as well as a full-length live performance of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” The highlight of the festival is the annual Lighted Christmas Parade held on Saturday evening, December 7.

13. City Market Christmas for Kids Celebration – Your kids will enjoy making ornaments and decorating cookies at Savannah’s City Market, December 7, 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Face painting, Cinderella Carriage Tours, Father Christmas, and choir music add up to a day of fun for the whole family.

14.  Bluffton Christmas Parade – Come join your neighbors and watch the parade as it winds through the Historic District and the Bluffton Park neighborhood on December 7, beginning at 10 a.m.

15. Odyssey Jazz & Swing Orchestra Christmas Concert - Ring in the holidays with the smooth sounds of the 18-piece Odyssey Jazz & Swing Orchestra at a special Christmas concert, December 8, 6 p.m. at LowCountry Community Church.

16. Tybee Island Lighted Boat Parade – Watch as dozens of festive boats show off their lights and decorations at the Crab Shack‘s many docks. The boats will set sail through Tybee Island’s coastal waterways for all to see on December 8 at 7 p.m.

17. Breakfast with Santa – Santa Claus is coming to the town of Ridgeland on December 14, 9:00-10:30 a.m., at the Morris Center for Lowcountry Heritage! Families can enjoy story time with Ol’ Saint Nick and a hot breakfast, too. Participants will be able to pose for pictures with Santa and make a craft. Tickets are $5.

18. Little Elf Workshop – Bring your little ones to Harbour Town on December 14 for reindeer games, crafts, hot chocolate, cookies, and a surprise visit by Sea Pines mascot Albert the Alligator! Call (843) 842-1979 to make a reservation and receive priority check-in. $8/child (ages 15 and younger) for preregistrations; $10 on day of event. Complimentary for adults with a canned good donation to Deep Well Project.

19. Reindeer Run 8K – Get active this holiday season and run an 8K race for charity December 14 at 8:45 a.m. at the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center on Hutchinson Island. There will also be a kiddie race and lots of post-race games and activities for all ages. Registration required. 

20. Gingerbread Cookie Decorating Contest – Enjoy a full hot breakfast and decorate a gingerbread cookie at the Holiday Inn Express in Hilton Head Island on December 14, 9-11 a.m. Enter the cookie decorating contest with prizes ranging from toys to two-night hotel stays. Get your picture made in the Gingerbread Cottage and shop local artisans at the Holiday Pop Up. $5 cash donations to The Sandbox. Children under 5 are free. Furry friends welcomed. 

21. 2nd Annual Bluffton Coffee and Chocolate Fest – Sample and Savor the Lowcountry's Best Chocolates and Coffees from noon to 4 p.m., December 14, on Calhoun Street in Old Town Bluffton. It’s Every Coffee-and Chocolate-Lover’s dream come true.

22. Colonial Christmas at Wormsloe – Learn what Christmas was like for Savannahians during colonial times. On December 14, you and your kids can participate in activities such as caroling, burning of the yule log, dancing to live period music and other holiday observances of the colonial period, including games and refreshments. Holiday crafts at the museum throughout the day, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Holiday festivities start at 1 p.m. $2 - $10. For more info, call (912) 353-3023.

23. LowCountry Community Church Family Christmas Party – Make lifelong memories and catch the Christmas spirit at the LowCountry Community Church Christmas Party, December 15, 2-4 p.m. Get free photos with Santa and friends, make crafts with the kids, and enjoy hot chocolate and goodies for the whole family.

24. LCC Christmas Services – Bring the whole family and start a new tradition by celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ at LowCountry Community Church at one of six identical services: December 22 at 8:30, 10:00 and 11:30 a.m. and December 24 at 2:30, 4:00 and 5:30 p.m.

25. Holiday Evening Tours by Candlelight – Experience how early 19th century Savannahians celebrated the holidays at the Davenport House Museum, December 26-30. Reservations are recommended. Tickets are $12 in advance for adults and $8 in advance for children.