Charleston welcomes season with Christmas parade and tree lighting

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – One of the Lowcountry’s largest Christmas parades will march through the streets of Charleston on Saturday afternoon.

Charleston’s high-energy holiday parade features hundreds of businesses and community groups, musical ensembles and high school bands, cheerleaders, clubs, community leaders, and even familiar faces like your friends at News 2.

The parade will step off at 3 p.m. on Broad Street near Colonial Lake and travel north on Meeting Street to Calhoun Street ending near Marion Square.

Charleston Police will implement road closures ahead of the annual parade. The primary route will be closed to through traffic at 2 p.m. (meaning only cross traffic will be allowed), and the route will fully close to traffic at 2:45 p.m.

Officers will be placed along the route to help with traffic and access for residents and businesses.

The parade should be finished by 5 p.m.

Gather in Marion Square after the parade for the city’s Christmas tree lighting. Festivities include musical performances and the lighting of the roughly 60-foot tree of lights in the center of the park.

Catch a live stream of Charleston’s holiday parade in this story beginning at 3 p.m., and watch the tree lighting live on News 2 at 6 p.m.