BEAUFORT, S.C. (Nov. 23, 2020) – The holidays are fast approaching, and so are the many safe and fun activities that the City of Beaufort will be sponsoring or helping to organize.
Note: Because we want to ensure our residents’ and visitors’ safety, and because a State of Emergency continues to exist in South Carolina that prohibits gatherings of 250 or more people, the City will not be holding Night on the Town, the Christmas Parade, or the Boat Parade.
What’s planned:
- FREE holiday parking at the downtown marina parking lot will begin on Thanksgiving Day and extend through New Year’s Day. Downtown merchants will be open until 7 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays Dec. 3-24. See participating merchants here.
- USCB Center for the Arts and the City are sponsoring “Celebrate the Season,” a free outdoor exhibit of holiday traditions and practices from around the globe. It will kick off at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 1 and run through Dec. 13. Community members, students, and faith groups will share their insights and talents to create beautiful and informative interpretations of customs and practices central to their holiday traditions.
- First Friday will be held on Dec. 4. The Downtown Beaufort Merchants Association is celebrating “Hometown Christmas,” with shops opened until 9 p.m.
- “Light Up the Town” neighborhood challenge: Neighborhoods, grab your lights and get to work. Who gets the bragging rights as the best-decorated neighborhood in Beaufort? Bonus: Take your kids on a family outing and drive from neighborhood to neighborhood to check out the displays.
- Holiday Under the Sea: Here’s a fun activity for kids -- scavenger hunts in our parks to search for decorated sea animal ornaments. Take a picture of the ornaments (but leave them there, please!) and tag us on Facebook with #bftHolidayUnderTheSea. This will begin Dec. 16 and run through New Year’s Day.
- Letters to Santa: We’ll have a special mailbox on the lawn of City Hall (1911 Boundary St.), at Waterfront Park playground, and at City of Beaufort fire stations. Kids can drop their letters off at these mailboxes, or they can email letters to Santa at events@cityofbeaufort.org. Videos of Santa reading the letters will be posted to Facebook beginning on Dec. 19.
- Zoom with Santa from 2-3 p.m. on Dec. 19. That’s right! Santa will be zooming with Beaufort kids who can tell the big guy what’s on their list. We’ll be sharing a Facebook link for this as we get closer.
And remember, a great time to kick off your holiday shopping, and show gratitude to our local businesses and merchants, is to support them on Nov. 28 – the nationwide Small Business Saturday. Many will offer specials and discounts, as well as feature entertainment and demonstrations to enhance and highlight the value of local shopping and dining.
A gentle reminder – please have your masks handy as they are mandatory in public indoor spaces, including retail establishments and restaurants – and maintain your social distance. We want everyone to enjoy a healthy and safe holiday!
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