Gadsden GAB Featured Article
Written by Resident Linda Dove
Bishop Gadsden residents have waited all year for the arrival of the holiday season, always The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!
For many of us, the shimmering lights, holiday music, and tantalizing aroma of those chocolate and marshmallow s’mores at the neighboring Holiday Festival of Lights at the James Island County Park is the signal that celebrations can begin.
The Post and Courier calls the Festival the premier holiday attraction in the Charleston area. USA Today went even further, labeling it one of the top three holiday events in the country one year — a well- deserved accolade and an honor for our close neighbor.
But such honors also bring challenges. The more than 60,000 visitors who visit the Festival each year are also BG neighbors who drive down Camp Road on busy weekends and make it a challenge to leave the campus.
Time to go behind the scenes at the Festival to learn what makes it so special, when and how it can be best enjoyed, and how Bishop Gadsden plans to help residents conquer the traffic it brings.
First, a little background: The Festival, which will celebrate its 35th anniversary this year, is quite different from the original concept for the Park layout. Original plans in 1989 envisioned a largely pedestrian experience, with lighted trees throughout the Park. Plans changed in September 1989 when Hurricane Hugo swept through the area, downing 90% of the trees in the Park. County planners then came up with the idea of a series of lighted installations along a three-mile drive through the woods, the look of the Festival today.
The redesigned plan put particular emphasis on lighted displays of Charleston landmarks. Visitors see Rainbow Row, Fort Sumter, St. Michael’s Church, and the USS Yorktown among others. The local emphasis, along with the traditional holiday features, has contributed to the unique spirit of the Festival.
WHEN TO GO
The Festival, which began on November 15, closes on December 31. The gates open at 5:30 p.m. each evening, although cars often begin lining up earlier. Gates close at 10:00 pm.
Park officials urge visitors to consider visiting on weeknights, especially on a Monday or Tuesday. Weekends, including Sunday nights, are very busy and can mean longer waits in traffic on roads leading up to the Park. The ten days around Christmas are especially busy so plan carefully.
IMPORTANT HINT: Purchasing tickets online can speed up entrance through the gate and the tickets are discounted.
Two years ago, the Festival instituted a new pricing structure for tickets. The price of tickets varies depending on how many visitors might be expected on a particular night. Tickets are per carload, which can cover up to 15 people.
Check the Festival website for the calendar outlining the ticket categories and the list of special events for each night.
https://ccprc.com/3665/Holiday-Festival-of-Lights
Green Nights -- $15 online; $20 at the gate
Yellow Nights -- $25 online; $30 at the gate
Red Nights -- $30 online; $40 at the gate
WHAT TO SEE
There is more to visiting the Festival than the ride through the lights.
New additions and attractions have been added each year, with the aim of providing a full evening of holiday activity. Park officials recommend that visitors make the half hour ride through the Park first and then visit the expanded Winter Wonderland. Note that some of the added experiences require an additional fee.
Three parking lots are centered around the Wonderland complex, which contains a range of activities. All three lots are carefully marked.
Don’t miss:
Santa’s Village. A virtual sign-up station allows families to enjoy the Park until notified of their assigned time with Santa. No lines.
Old Fashioned Carousel. Fanciful animals and holiday lights. Good for all ages. Holiday Train. Takes riders around the Park on a special lighted trail.
Giant Sand Sculpture. Over 50 tons of sand create a festive holiday sculpture. The sand is transferred to the Park’s dog park at the end of the Festival.
Climbing Wall. Especially popular with kids. Food Outlets including Blitzen’s Burgers, Donner’s Delights (s’more kits and funnel cakes); Comet’s Kettle Corn, Santa’s Sweet Shop (ice cream). And, of course, the fire pit where enthusiastic groups create those s’mores.
Holiday Shopping Area. Santa’s Attic and the Incredible Gift Shop.
Lifesize 4 x 8 feet Holiday Cards. Designed by local school children in a county-wide art competition.
Dragon Boat Tours. Cruise through special lighted displays. Available on certain nights. Check the website for the boat schedule.
Live Performance Stage. Music. Storytellers. Games.
DID YOU KNOW?
-- Festival installations contain over 2 million lights, arrayed in 750 separate displays in a series of themed sections, including Sea Land, Dinosaur Land, Candy Land, and Toy Land.
-- All but 18 of the light displays were constructed on-site by a year-round crew of Park staff. The displays are stored in 28 trailers on Park property in the off-season.
-- There are 2,500 breakers and 40 transformers that power the displays. It takes a full hour to turn the lights on and off each night.
-- The largest, most popular display is the Ravenel Bridge, which has been expanded and reconditioned in 2024. The bridge, outlined in shimmering white lights, is 30 feet tall and the length of a football field. The giant oak tree near the entrance, another popular stop, is composed of 10,000 lights, which require almost 100 hours each year to install.
-- The Festival relies heavily on volunteers for checking and replacing the estimated 180,000 light bulbs that burn out during the 6-week event.
-- Over 100 local businesses and organizations contribute to the creation of the displays and events each year.
-- Each year, the Festival staff records visitors from all 50 states. Since 1990, more than 5 million people have toured the Festival of Lights.
