From Christmas concerts to Santa visits, here are some Augusta-area holiday happenings

It's finally that most wonderful time of the year. Over the next few weeks, there will be no shortage of things to do in the Augusta area.

Visiting local favorites like Lights of the South and Evans on Ice are annual traditions for many families. Santa Claus will be crisscrossing the Augusta area taking photos and hearing gift requests. There will also be a variety of lively entertainment options from caroling concerts to special movie nights featuring holiday classics.

Here's a look at these and more seasonal festivities coming to the Augusta area:

Christmas festivals and parades

Augusta Technical College's Community Tree Lighting Ceremony is 5:30-7 p.m. Nov. 29 outside building 3100 on the Augusta campus at 3200 Augusta Tech Dr. off Deans Bridge Road. In addition to seeing the lighting of their campus Christmas tree, there will be a ton of activities like an ugly sweater contest, cookie decorating, refreshments, and photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus.

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Fort Eisenhower's Christmas Festival is 4-8 p.m. Nov. 30 at Barton Field. There will be hay rides, photos with Santa Claus, free snacks, live music, a local vendor market, and the base's "Trees for the Troops" where service members receive a free live Christmas tree.

Aiken's 35th annual Downtown Tree Lighting is 6-7:30 p.m. Dec. 1 at the Newberry Street Festival Center at 501 Newberry St. SW. Families can get some dazzling photos in front of the massive downtown tree and enjoy live entertainment, crafts, and a visit from Santa Claus and Aiken Mayor Rick Osbon. Admission is free.

Southern Carolina Palms and More's Christmas Festival is 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 2 in Aiken at 22 Gunter Rd. There will be food trucks, live music, a bounce house, and seasonal plants for sale (including Christmas trees). Santa and his photographer will visit noon-3 p.m.

Augusta's Christmas Light Up Spectacular and Tree Lighting is 4-7 p.m. Dec. 2 at the Augusta Common at 836 Reynolds St. There will be crafts, photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, a train ride, and live entertainment; then at 6:15 p.m. will be the lighting of the massive Christmas tree and fireworks.

Grovetown's Christmas Festival is 5-9 p.m. Dec. 2 at Liberty Park at 1040 Newmantown Rd. There will be various vendors, live entertainment, train rides, the city's Christmas tree lighting, and free photos with Santa, Mrs. Claus, and Carol the Elf.

Victory Baptist's annual Christmas Tree Lighting is 6 p.m. Dec. 3 at the North Augusta church at 620 Martintown Rd. W. There will be snacks, carols from a choir, games and children's activities.

Mistletoe Market is 10 a.m. Dec. 9 at Augusta and Co. at 1010 Broad St. There will be multiple pop-up shops from various Augusta businesses.

BoondockFarms' Hometown ChristmasFestival is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 9 at the Jackson farmers market at 755 Foreman St. There will be gift vendors, live music, and food trucks. Admission is free.

Christmas in Harlem encompasses a full day of festivities on Dec. 9 in and around downtown Harlem. There will be a vendor market along North Louisville Street from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., a Twilight Parade at 6 p.m. followed immediately by the city tree lighting and an outdoor holiday movie in the downtown plaza. For more information including a parade route, go to harlemmuseumandwelcomecenter.com/christmas-festival.

The Augusta Christmas Parade is 1 p.m. Dec. 9 along Broad Street between 6th and 13th Streets. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Ronald McDonald House.

The 2nd annual Langley Pond Christmas is 2-6 p.m. Dec. 16 at Langley Pond Park in Warrenville, SC at 127 Langley Dam Rd. There will be food and gift vendors, "snow," live entertainment and Santa Claus sailing in for a visit at 2:30 p.m.

"The Gift of Giving Festival" is 2-8 p.m. Dec. 17 at Gateway Park in Grovetown at 211 Partnership Dr. There will be local artisans, food vendors and trucks, karaoke, bounce houses and interactive games. Tickets are available for about $7 at eventbrite.com.

Light displays

Lights of the South is back now through Dec. 30, except for Christmas Day, and is open every day from 6-10 p.m. Guests can walk or take a hay ride through an outdoor trail of luminous displays featuring everything from superheroes to a Christmas village. There are also snacks available for purchase and picture opportunities with Santa Claus. General admission starts at $16 Sunday-Thursday. For more information and to buy tickets in advance, go to lightsofthesouth.com.

Aiken's 32nd annual Christmas in Hopelands is 6-9:30 p.m. Dec. 9-22 at Hopelands Gardens at 35 Dupree Pl. Guests will walk through 100,000 lights, enjoying the sights plus refreshments, live music and photos with Santa Claus. Admission is free. For more information, including parking information and a schedule of who is performing, go to cityofaikensc.gov.

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Live entertainment

The Miller Theater has a lot on its calendar. The first is Augusta Players' presentation of "The Snow Queen" at 7 p.m. Nov. 28 with tickets selling for $17.50. Here are the rest:

• "Remembering Luthor Vandross: Every Year; Every Christmas" is 7:30 p.m. Dec. 2 with tickets starting at $31.20.

• Augusta Symphony's "Sounds of the Season" is 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7 with tickets starting at $43.

• "The Prophecy Show - The Music of Trans-Siberian Orchestra" is 7:30 p.m. Dec. 9 with tickets starting at $49.

• "Christmas with C.S. Lewis" is 7:30 p.m. Dec. 15 with tickets starting at $32.

• "Cirque Musica Holiday Wonderland" is 7 p.m. Dec. 18 with tickets starting at $29.

The Miller is located in downtown Augusta at 708 Broad St. Tickets can be obtained at the box office, by calling (706) 842-4080 or going to millertheateraugusta.com.

Imperial Theater has two festive events scheduled: "Christmas with John Berry: The 27th annual Christmas Tour" at 7-9 p.m. Dec. 1 with tickets starting at about $30; and Augusta Players' presentation of Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" at 8 p.m. Dec. 8, 8 p.m. Dec. 9, and 3 p.m. Dec. 10 with tickets starting at $23. The Imperial is in Augusta at 749 Broad St. To buy tickets, call (706) 722-8341 or go to imperialtheatre.com.

Aiken Youth Orchestra, Aiken Youth Ensemble and Beginning Strings are putting together a collaborative Christmas Concert at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 4 at the Aiken Center for the Arts at 122 Laurens St. SW. Admission is free.

"A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols" is 7:30-9:30 p.m. Dec. 5 at Sacred Heart Cultural Center in Augusta at 1301 Greene St. The 34th annual show will feature scripture readings from local leaders as well as carols and hymns from Greenbrier High School Choir and Lakeside High School Choir, under the direction of Saint Paul's director of music and organist Keith Shafer. Tickets are available for $25 by calling (706) 826-4700 or going to sacredheartaugusta.org.

The Hardin Auditorium is offering a lot, too. Its first seasonal show is "Christmas with Atlantic City Boys" at 7:30-9:30 p.m. Dec. 6 with tickets selling for about $45. Here are the rest:

• Augusta Symphony's "Holidays with the Symphony" is 4 p.m. Dec. 10 with general admission costing $32.

• "Merry Country Christmas" is 7:30-9:30 p.m. Dec. 12 with tickets selling for about $45.

• Christmas Recital to benefit Allison's Race is 6:30-8:30 p.m. Dec. 14. Admission is available in return for any donation in-advance or at the door.

• "Celtic Angels Christmas" is 4 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 18 with tickets selling for about $45.

Hardin is located in Evans at 7022 Evans Town Center Blvd. More information and ticket purchases for the non-Augusta Symphony events are available at hardinauditorium.com.

The 45th annual Singing Christmas Tree is 6:30 p.m. Dec. 7 and 8, 2:30 and 6:30 p.m. Dec. 8, and 2:30 p.m. Dec. 9 at Abilene Baptist Church in Martinez at 3917 Washington Rd. About 200 singers will make the harmonious body of a 28-foot tool Christmas tree. Tickets are free and may be picked up at Abilene Christian Life Center in Martinez at 3917 Roberts Rd. or downloaded online from iTickets.com for a $1 convenience fee.

GraceNotes' Christmas Sing-a-long is 6 p.m. Dec. 13 at Grace United Methodist Church in North Augusta at 639 Georgia Ave.

Aiken Singers' "On with the Snow!" Holiday Concert is 7 p.m. Dec. 14 at St. John's UMC in Aiken at 104 Newberry St. NW. They will sing classic carols as well as lesser known tunes. A reception will immediately follow.

"The Elf'n Miracle on 8th Street Sleigh Hello to my Little Friend Holiday Special Play Festival" is 8-10 p.m. Dec. 14-16 at Le Chat Noir in Augusta at 302 8th St. This uniquely titled show will consist of stage play versions of several holiday-themed scripts that were turned into audio plays on "Gather by the Ghost Light," a story-telling podcast. Tickets start at about $27 and are available on simpletix.com.

Augusta Ballet's presentation of "The Nutcracker" is 7 p.m. Dec. 15 at Columbia County Performing Arts Center in Evans at 4599 Market St. Tickets start at $25 and are available on ticketmaster.com.

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Merry markets for the perfect gift

Aiken's 52nd annual Christmas Craft Show is 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 1 and 2 at the Odell Weeks Activities Center at 1700 Whiskey Rd. There will be food and gift vendors inside and outside. Admission is free.

Scott Family Farm's Holiday Market is 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 2 and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 3 at the Waynesboro farm at 432 Barnhart Dr. More than 100 artisans will be on site in addition to food trucks, pony rides, a petting zoo, a gem mine, inflatables, and Santa Claus. The Shepherd Blood Mobile will also be present and anyone who donates will receive 50% off a Christmas tree. Admission is free, but parking is $5.

Evans High School's annual Holiday Bazaar is 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 2 in Evans at 4544 Cox Rd.

St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church's Artisan Fair is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 2 in Augusta at 3321 Wheeler Rd.

K and B Apparel's 2nd annual Holiday Market is 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 2 in Aiken at 940 Dougherty Rd. The graphic T-shirt shop will be joined by other vendors, food trucks, and Santa Claus taking free pictures with families.

Ales and Artisans Holiday Market is 5-9 p.m. Dec. 2 at Savannah River Brewing Co. in Augusta at 813 5th St. In between shopping from 20 different vendors, guests can get some dinner from Villa Wagen and wash it down with some newly-released small-batch beers.

Holiday Market at the Marina is every Sunday, noon-4 p.m. now through Dec. 24, at the 5th Street Marina along the Savannah River in Augusta. There will be a variety of vendors plus live music and $20 boat tours starting at 2:30 p.m. There will be a golf cart to help shuttle guests between the market and the 6th Street Train trestle.

The10th Annual Auggie's Holiday BUZZar is 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 9 at SRP Park in North Augusta at 187 Railroad Ave. There will be more than 50 local vendors selling gifts, photos with Santa Claus, concessions available for purchase, an ugly sweater competition, Toys for Tots donation bins, and a 1-mile race around the warm up field. Admission is free.

Jessye Norman School of the Arts' 8th Street Holiday Artisan Market is noon-8 p.m. Dec. 9 in Augusta at 322 8th St.

Bedford Greenhouses' 4th annual Holiday Market is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 16 in Augusta at 1023 Oleander Dr.

River City Events' Vintage Holiday Market is noon Dec. 16 in Augusta at 1601 Winter St.

Photos with Santa and friends

Augusta Mall's Pictures with Santa is back Nov. 24 through Dec. 24. Santa will be in his usual on the first floor in the hall across from Dillard's. Photo sessions can be booked at various times during normal mall hours. There are also some "pet nights" available. For more information, go to whereissanta.com.

"Sensory Santa" returns 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 2 to Flack Family Chiropractic in Evans 4246 Washington Rd. This event is accommodating to children with autism and similar diagnoses by minimizing lights and sounds and offering weighted blankets and similar tools. Their Santa Claus is also very experienced and accommodating. Ten-minute slots can be reserved by calling (706) 305-3241. No walk-ins will be allowed.

Meet Ellie and Snowflakes the elves 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 2 at Cheeseburger Bobby's in Martinez at 212 Bobby Jones Expy. There will also be treats and a prize wheel. Admission is free.

CENTURY 21's Pictures with Santa is 5:30-7:30 p.m. Dec. 5 at the real estate branch's office in Augusta at 432 South Belair Rd. Families can RSVP their spots at eventcreate.com.

Visit with Santa at Storage Sense 9 a.m. to noon Dec. 9 at the Martinez storage facility at 4080 Washington Rd. Families can also make ornaments while enjoying cookies.

Cold Creek Nurseries' Visit with Santa is 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Aiken garden nursery at 398 Hitchcock Pkwy. Santa will take complimentary photos and have a mail box to keep children's letters. There will also be crafts, refreshments, and an adoption event put on by the SPCA Albercht Center.

Santa visits Orange Otter Toy Store at 2:30 p.m. Dec. 10 in North Augusta at 336 Georgia Ave.

"Cookies and Picture with Santa" is 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 16 at Friendship United Methodist Church in Augusta at 3027 Tobacco Rd.

There are also some chances to have breakfast with Santa:

• On Dec. 9 at 8:30 a.m. at the Lessie Price Aiken Senior and Youth Center at 841 Edgefield Ave. NW.

• On Dec. 9 from 9 a.m. to noon at Columbia County Exhibition Center in Grovetown at 212 Partnership Dr. Admission is free, but registration-in-advance is required at breakfastwithsanta.net.

• On Dec. 16 from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Millbrook Baptist in Aiken at 223 South Aiken Blvd. SE. Registration is $10 and can be made on millbrook.cc.

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Holiday movie nights

The Flashback Cinema series brings a classic movie to Evans Cinemas every Wednesday and Sunday at 1:30 and 7 p.m. This time of the year, they start offering holiday classics. Here is the upcoming schedule:

• "White Christmas" on Nov. 29.

• "Elf" (20th Anniversary) on Dec. 3 and 6.

• "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" on Dec. 10 and 13.

• "It's a Wonderful Life" on Dec. 17, 20 and 24.

Fathom Events is bringing two holiday classics to Regal Augusta Exchange at 1144 Agerton Ln. The first is Jim Carrey's"How the Grinch Stole Christmas" at 1:15 and 7:15 p.m. Dec. 3 and 7:15 p.m. Dec. 6, then "A Christmas Story" (40th Anniversary) at 4 and 7 p.m. Dec. 10 and 7 p.m. Dec. 13. To buy tickets, go to fathomevents.com.

Augusta GreenJackets' Dugout Theater will be back 6:45 p.m. Dec. 12 with a screening of "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" on SRP Park's Jumbotron. Guests can watch from the stands or on blankets from the field. Concessions will be available for purchase and there will be a visit from Santa and "Auggie Claus." Admission is $6, but for an extra $14, guests can get unlimited popcorn and soda. SRP Park is located in North Augusta at 187 Railroad Ave. For more information and to buy tickets, go to bit.ly/AGJ-Dugout-Theater.

Movies at the Miller's screening of "The Muppet Christmas Carol" is 4 p.m. Dec. 17 at the Miller Theater. Snacks and drinks, including cocktails, will be available for purchase. Admission is free, but guests will need to RSVP themselves ahead of time.

More holiday hijinks

Evans on Ice is back now through January at Evans Towne Center Park in Evans off Ronald Reagan Drive. Families can ice skate to their hearts' delight, and when they need a break, they can relax with some roasted marshmallows and take a stroll around the park to check out the various light displays. Guests that visit 4-9 p.m. Nov. 30 can also treat themselves to "Sip N Stop," where families can eat and shop from a range of local vendors selling their merchandise.

Hours of operation for the ice rink vary by day. Tickets start at $13. For more information, go to evansonice.com.

Rally Point Grill's Ugly Sweater and Holiday Trivia Night is 7 p.m. Nov. 30 at the Evans restaurant at 4446 Washington Rd. Festive trivia will be provided by Dr. Factenstein's followed by an ugly sweater contest. There will be prizes for the top three trivia teams and those with the best/worst sweaters. Those interested should sign up at shorturl.at/cryJ8.

Holiday Tea is 3-5 p.m. Dec. 2 at Aiken County Historical Museum in Aiken at 433 Newberry St. SW. There will be refreshments, raffles and a holiday decorating program. Tickets are available starting at $40 at achmfriends.org/events.

Ugly Holiday Sweater Trivia Night is 6 p.m. Dec. 4 at the Grovetown Library at 105 Old Wrightsboro Rd. Participants will compete in best/worst sweaters and general knowledge trivia. Refreshments will be provided as well as prizes in both competitions.

Grace United's "Return to Bethlehem" is back Dec. 6-9 outside the North Augusta church at 639 Georgia Ave. The church has a tradition of putting together an immersive, detailed recreation of a Biblical community in order to properly illustrate the story of Jesus Christ's birth. Families will get to hear the story as they make their way through Bethlehem via drive-thru or on foot. The drive-thru is open 6-6:30 p.m. followed by guided tours until 8:30 p.m. Admission is free, but donations to the church are welcomed.

Plantation Blood, a local haunted attraction that's primarily open around Halloween, will have its special Haunted Christmas at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 15 and 16 in south Augusta at 127 Wallie Ave. General admission is $30 and fast passes are $50. For more information, go to plantationblood.com.

Twisted Christmas is 10:30 p.m. Dec. 22 at Joe's Underground in Augusta at 767 Broad St. There will be a drag show, drink specials, and an ugly sweater contest.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Christmas concerts, Santa pictures, holiday things to do in Augusta