The Daily Gamecock

Columbia lights up for holiday season

<p>The annual Governor's Carolighting celebrates the lighting of the State Christmas Tree and marks the kickoff of the holiday season.</p>
The annual Governor's Carolighting celebrates the lighting of the State Christmas Tree and marks the kickoff of the holiday season.

Now that Thanksgiving has passed and winter is just around the corner, the city of Columbia will officially kick off the holiday season.

On Monday evening, the 49th annual Governor's Carolighting will celebrate the lighting of the official State Christmas Tree outside the South Carolina Statehouse. Festivities will begin around 6 p.m., and the ceremony itself will begin at 7 p.m.

The preliminary festivities will feature caroling performances by the Carolighting Children's Choir, the Dreher High School Choir, Fort Jackson's 282nd Brass Band and several others. This year's tree, a 35-foot Concolor fir, was donated by Pinetum Christmas Tree Farm in Maryland.

On Thursday, Five Points will be home to 'A Starry Night,' a holiday celebration that will include festivities and sales in many stores in the area.

Many of the festivities will take place by the fountain near the intersection of Greene and Harden Streets. These include choral performances by the Shandon Baptist Youth Group and the Benedict Choral Group, a DJ playing holiday music and complementary hot chocolate. Free horse carriage rides will pick up and drop off near the fountain between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.

A Salvation Army Red Kettle donation bucket will also be near the fountain, and Santa Claus will pay a visit to the Hootie Monument at the intersection of Santee and Harden Streets.

On Saturday, the City of Columbia will host the 62nd annual Carolina Carillon Holiday Parade.It will begin at 9:45 a.m. at the intersection of Gervais and Bull Streets and proceed along Gervais Street in front of the Statehouse and into the Vista.

The parade will feature a variety of floats, as well as several local churches and high school marching bands. The Grand Marshal of the parade will be the University of South Carolina equestrian team, who were the 2015 national champions. The procession will be concluded by a float featuring Santa Claus.

All of these events are open to the public and free to attend.


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