Hilton Head Christmas
Tree lightings, holiday concerts, a market, wagon rides and church services, from Thanksgiving weekend to New Year's Day.
- Season: Thanksgiving weekend to New Year's Day. The first big night is Friday, Nov. 27, 2026, when Harbour Town lights its tree.
- Where: Harbour Town in Sea Pines, Shelter Cove Harbour, Lowcountry Celebration Park, Beach House and churches across the island
- Free: Harbour Town's tree lighting and Gregg Russell's Christmas concert, the Coastal Christmas Market and the Paws and Claus Parade
Christmas on Hilton Head runs on lights and live music rather than snow: a tree lit under the Liberty Oak in Harbour Town on the Friday after Thanksgiving, boats strung with lights at Shelter Cove, a wagon ride to a make-believe North Pole, and a Christmas concert with the island's symphony. Every date below is for the 2026 season.
The cards run in date order within each place. For where to go after dark, see the Christmas lights guide; for New Year's, the New Year's Eve guide. Hilton Head December events are mostly the holiday season, so this page doubles as the December calendar; for weather and what to pack that month, see our December guide.
Where the Christmas trees are lit
Harbour Town tree lighting and Gregg Russell Thanksgiving concert
Friday, Nov. 27, 2026, concert 7:30 to 9 p.m.
Liberty Oak, Harbour Town, Sea Pines
The Harbour Town Christmas tree is lit just before Gregg Russell's concert under the Liberty Oak, and it kicks off Harbour Town Lights. Santa visits from 5:30 to 7 p.m. beforehand. Free.
Town of Hilton Head Island tree lighting
Saturday, Dec. 5, 2026
Lowcountry Celebration Park, 94 Pope Avenue
The Town lights its own community Christmas tree in the park across from Coligny. The Coastal Christmas Market at Beach House (below) runs the same weekend.
Christmas in Harbour Town and Sea Pines
Sea Pines runs the longest-running Christmas program on the island, centred on Harbour Town. Most of it is free; the wagon rides are the exception, and the Polar Pines Express needs a reservation through the Sea Pines Recreation Department on 843-842-1979.
Harbour Town Lights
Friday, Nov. 27, 2026, to Friday, Jan. 1, 2027
Harbour Town, Sea Pines
Illuminated seasonal figures and a big Christmas tree around the harbour, live entertainment and holiday activities through the season. Bring canned goods or an unwrapped toy for the Deep Well Project collection.
Polar Pines Express Holiday Wagon Ride
Saturday, Dec. 19, 2026, 1 p.m.
Heritage Farm, 185 Greenwood Drive, Sea Pines
A wagon ride to Sea Pines' version of the North Pole for crafts, hot chocolate and treats, holiday music and a reading of The Polar Express. Reservations are required.
Gregg Russell Christmas concert
Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2026, 7:30 to 9 p.m.
Liberty Oak, Harbour Town
Gregg Russell's family concert under the Liberty Oak, free. Santa visits from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and again after the show.
Paws and Claus Parade
Sunday, Dec. 27, 2026, 1 to 2 p.m.
Harbour Town, from Quarterdeck Market to the Liberty Oak stage
Dogs of any breed or size dress for the season and parade behind Santa, with a photo with Santa and dog games near the Liberty Oak stage afterward. Free; sign-up is in front of Quarterdeck Market before the parade.
Holiday Fun in Harbour Town
Sunday, Dec. 27, and Monday, Dec. 28, 2026, 5 to 7:30 p.m.
Around the Liberty Oak, Harbour Town
Classic holiday movies and marshmallow roasting from 6 p.m., plus train rides around the harbour. Free with a donation of canned food for Deep Well.
Holiday Lights Wagon Ride
Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2026, 5 to 6 p.m.
Heritage Farm, 185 Greenwood Drive, Sea Pines
An evening wagon ride through the Sea Pines Forest Preserve with a holiday sing-along, hot chocolate and treats. The lights are on the wagon: the preserve itself isn't decorated, to protect wildlife.
Sea Pines posts its full holiday schedule on its events page.
Christmas at Shelter Cove Harbour
Holiday lights on the harbour
Thanksgiving week into early January
Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina, 13 Harbourside Lane
The boardwalk and harbour are strung with lights and boats in the marina are decorated for Coastal Christmas. The seven waterfront restaurants and the harbour's boutiques stay open through the season.
Santa and Shopping Day
The day after Thanksgiving, Friday, Nov. 27, 2026, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Neptune Statue, Shelter Cove Harbour
Santa arrives by fire truck at noon and stays until 2:30 p.m. for photos, with live holiday music and, for an extra charge, bounce houses and train rides. The first 300 children get a gingerbread cookie, and the harbour collects unwrapped toys and canned goods for the Deep Well Project.
Christmas shops
Two island shops sell Christmas year-round. A Coastal Christmas, at Shelter Cove Harbour, is open all year with ornaments, Santas, nutcrackers and holiday decor. Harbour Town Christmas is a shop in Harbour Town, not an event: its own page has the details.
A Coastal Christmas Hilton Head, a year-round Christmas shop at Shelter Cove Harbour: ornaments, Santas, nutcrackers and coastal holiday decor.
Harbour Town Christmas is a year-round ornament and nutcracker shop on Lighthouse Road in Sea Pines. Hours, address, phone and what shoppers say.
The Christmas market and holiday concerts
Holiday Pops with the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra
Sunday, Nov. 29, 2026, 4 p.m., and Monday, Nov. 30, 2026, 7:30 p.m.
First Presbyterian Church, 540 William Hilton Parkway
The symphony's holiday program, conducted by John Morris Russell, with the symphony chorus and singer Melinda Doolittle. A third performance is Saturday, Nov. 28, at 7 p.m. at St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church in Bluffton.
Coastal Christmas Market
Saturday, Dec. 5, 2026, 4 to 9 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 6, 2026, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Beach House, 1 S Forest Beach Drive
Local vendors, food and drinks, live music, Santa and festival lights, with free admission. The Porch's all-day menu stays open, and the Sky Room hosts Coastal Christmas dinner parties for groups of up to 10 on Dec. 5 and 19.
Hilton Head Choral Society: A Holiday Tapestry
Friday, Dec. 11, 2026, 7 p.m.
First Presbyterian Church, 540 William Hilton Parkway
Christmas classics, secular favourites and Hanukkah selections from the island's choral society. Tickets $15 to $40.
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day church services
Island churches hold Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services, and each congregation sets its own times. Our church directory lists the island's congregations, so you can find one near where you are staying and look up its holiday schedule on its own website.
Find a congregation near you and check its Christmas Eve and Christmas Day schedule.
Restaurants open on Christmas
Most island restaurants close on Christmas Day, so book early. Our Christmas dining guide lists the restaurants serving on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, what each serves and how to reserve.
Restaurants on Hilton Head Island open for Christmas Eve and Day: Links' prix fixe dinner, Bowdie's and HH Prime. What each serves and how to book.
More winter holiday guides
Where to see Christmas lights, from Harbour Town to Shelter Cove's harbour.
Harbour Town's two ball drops, a dinner cruise and the Polar Bear Swim.
Harbour Town Lights in Sea Pines run nightly from the Friday after Thanksgiving to New Year's Day. Tree lighting date, free concert, Santa and gate fee.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Harbour Town Christmas tree lit in 2026?
Friday, Nov. 27, 2026, just before Gregg Russell's 7:30 p.m. Thanksgiving concert under the Liberty Oak. Santa visits from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Harbour Town Lights then runs through Friday, Jan. 1, 2027.
What is there to do on Hilton Head at Christmas?
Harbour Town Lights and its concerts, the Polar Pines Express and Holiday Lights wagon rides at Heritage Farm, the Coastal Christmas Market at Beach House on Dec. 5 and 6, holiday concerts by the symphony and the choral society, and the lights at Shelter Cove Harbour.
Where can I see Santa on Hilton Head?
Santa is in Harbour Town on Nov. 27 (5:30 to 7 p.m.) and Dec. 23 (5:30 to 7 p.m. and after the concert), leads the Paws and Claus Parade on Dec. 27, visits Shelter Cove Harbour on the day after Thanksgiving, and is at the Coastal Christmas Market at Beach House on Dec. 5 and 6.
Which Christmas events on Hilton Head are free?
Harbour Town's tree lighting and Gregg Russell's Christmas concert, the Paws and Claus Parade, the Coastal Christmas Market and the lights at Harbour Town and Shelter Cove are free to enjoy. Holiday Fun in Harbour Town is free with a canned-food donation for Deep Well. The wagon rides, the Holiday Pops concerts and the choral society concert are ticketed or reserved.
Are restaurants open on Christmas Day on Hilton Head?
Some are. Our Christmas dining guide lists the restaurants open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and how to book.
Where can I see Christmas lights on Hilton Head?
Harbour Town in Sea Pines and Shelter Cove Harbour are the main displays, and Sea Pines runs a lit wagon ride on Dec. 29. The Christmas lights guide has the details.
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