The rink, the tree lighting and the parade make December look like the month to plan Anderson's holidays around, yet on the 2026 calendar nearly all of it is free and open to walk-ups. The ticket windows and capacity limits come earlier, between Nov. 7 and Thanksgiving. By the time Ice in the Park opens at Carolina Wren Park on Monday, Nov. 30, the decisions that need lead time are mostly made. What's left to manage in December is the clock.
November Is When the Tickets Are
The season starts on a Saturday morning at the Anderson County Museum. The Mistletoe Market runs Saturday, Nov. 7, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. It's a Christmas shopping market for local artists and craftspeople, and it's the earliest dated holiday event on Anderson's calendar this year.
The next weekend brings the first real deadline. The Holly Jolly Holiday Fair takes over the Anderson Civic Center at 3027 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Nov. 13 through 15. It mixes holiday, handmade and vintage vendor booths with acapella groups, dancers, DIY classes with the artists, food and drink trucks, and an appearance by Santa. The organizer warns that tickets are limited because of capacity restrictions.
The fair's hours and prices differ by day:
| Day | Hours | Price on the fair's site | Price on Etix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, Nov. 13 | 3 to 9 p.m. | $15 | $17.25 for Friday VIP |
| Saturday, Nov. 14 | 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. | $8 | $9.20 for general admission |
| Sunday, Nov. 15 | 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. | $8 | $9.20 for general admission |
The two sets of prices don't match. The fair's own page shows the lower numbers, and the Etix ticket page shows the Etix prices above. Ticket tiers or fees may explain the difference, so check the total at checkout. Etix's Sunday listing also carries a Nov. 16 date, while the fair's own site says Nov. 15, so confirm the day before buying a Sunday ticket. Online sales close entry by entry. Etix lists Friday sales ending at 3 p.m. or 6 p.m. on Nov. 13, depending on the entry time. On Saturday, Nov. 14, sales for the 9 a.m. entry end at 11 a.m., for the noon entry at 3 p.m., and for the 2 p.m. entry at 4 p.m. Each window closes a few hours after its doors open, so a ticket for the entry you actually want is the safest way to plan the day.
The last thing to open in November is a gate fee that carries into December. Anderson Christmas Lights, run by the nonprofit Anderson Lights of Hope, is open Thanksgiving through Christmas at 150 Rose Valley Blvd, with the event listing giving Nov. 26 through Dec. 25. The event listing describes more than a drive-through. There's also a Santa Village, wagon rides, hot chocolate and vendors. Tickets are sold at the entrance, $15 per car or $30 per bus. The organizer's own site says the route covers more than 2.5 miles of lights. There's nothing to reserve ahead, but it's the one regular holiday outing in town that charges per carload. With a month-long run, you can choose a weeknight over the weekend crowds.
After Thanksgiving, the only advance decision left is which night to drive Rose Valley. Everything downtown in December is free, with one exception that costs $5.
The Rink Sets December's Schedule
Ice in the Park comes back to Carolina Wren Park at 111 E. Whitner St. for its third season. WSPA reported that 2025 was the rink's second year, when it ran Dec. 1 through Jan. 4. This year the City of Anderson has moved both ends up by one day, to Nov. 30 through Jan. 3. Admission is still $5 for ages 6 and up, including skate rental and a skate aid if needed. Children 5 and under skate free.
The rink runs on two schedules, and the switch comes on a Monday:
- Nov. 30 through Dec. 20: weekdays 5 to 9 p.m., Saturdays 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sundays 2 to 6 p.m.
- Dec. 21 through Jan. 3: weekdays 1 to 9 p.m., Saturdays 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sundays 2 to 6 p.m.
- Closed: Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
For the first three weeks, a weekday skate is an evening skate. From Dec. 21 on, weekday afternoons open up. Sundays end at 6 p.m. the whole season, which is easy to forget after a long Saturday that runs until 9. On the 2026 calendar, the three closed days all fall on weekdays. Christmas Eve is a Thursday, and Christmas and New Year's Day are both Fridays. That takes two Fridays out of the last two weeks of the season.
Friday, Dec. 4 Stacks Four Things Into One Evening
The rink opens on a Monday, and its first Friday is the busiest night of the season. Here's the order of events for Dec. 4:
- 5 p.m. The Downtown Anderson Holiday Market opens and runs until 9. Local makers and small businesses sell gifts, with hot chocolate on hand.
- 5 to 7 p.m. Carolers appear around downtown, as they do every Thursday and Friday in December.
- 6 p.m. The annual Anderson County Tree Lighting takes place at Courthouse Plaza, 100 S. Main St.
- 7:30 p.m. Professional figure skater Olivia Pellerin performs on the rink at Carolina Wren Park.
The evening's order already works as a route. Start at the market, walk to the plaza for the tree at 6, browse again and get something to eat, then head to the park for the 7:30 skating. The city hasn't published an exact spot for the market downtown yet, so check its page that week before deciding where to park. The city also offers a downtown parking map linked from its Christmas page.
If you skated at the 2025 tree lighting, a couple of things may look different. Anderson County's 2025 event page listed a Chamber Cookie Crawl from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. and put the ceremony at 7 p.m. The 2026 city listing has the tree lighting at 6 p.m. and doesn't mention a Cookie Crawl. Plan around the earlier time.
The Next Two Weekends Stay Downtown
Two days later, the City of Anderson Christmas Parade comes down Main Street on Sunday, Dec. 6, at 3 p.m. The parade is free and open to everyone, and the 2026 lineup is full. Applications closed once the city reached its limit of 100 participating units, so any group hoping to march has to wait until next year. With a 3 p.m. start, there's room for the rink's Sunday hours afterward, but the ice closes at 6.
Free Santa Night in the Park comes the next Saturday, Dec. 12, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Carolina Wren Park. The Grinch, Cindy Lou Who and Buddy the Elf, from Mystical Events, appear earlier, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Photos are first come, first served, and there's no photographer, so bring your own camera or phone. The characters leave at 5:30 and Santa stays until 7, so families who want both should be in line before 5:30. The rink is open until 9 that Saturday, so the evening can go straight to the ice.
Between these dates, downtown is decorated with more than 100,000 lights along Main Street. This year the city says they reach all the way to Linley Park and Cater's Lake. The longer stretch means a walk from the park down to the water now stays lit the whole way.
One Season, Two Different Kinds of Planning
Put the two months side by side and the difference is clear:
| November | December downtown | |
|---|---|---|
| What costs money | Holly Jolly tickets, the Lights of Hope gate fee from Nov. 26 | The $5 rink admission |
| Deadlines | Etix sales cutoffs by entry time, Nov. 13 to 15 | None for spectators |
| What can catch you out | Ticket prices that differ by source, capacity limits | Rink hours that change Dec. 21, closed holidays, 6 p.m. Sunday close |
| Busiest point | Holly Jolly weekend, Nov. 13 to 15 | Friday, Dec. 4 |
November asks for tickets bought ahead of their cutoffs, while December mostly asks you to know when the ice is open. Once the Holly Jolly tickets are sorted and you've picked a night for the Rose Valley lights, the rest of the season fits around the rink schedule.
I'm always glad to compare notes on the holiday season around Anderson and the lake communities nearby. If you'd like to talk through what this time of year looks like across the Upstate, or anything else on your mind, Melissa Smith would love to hear from you. Let's Connect.
