Last December, Grovetown's Christmas parade went out a week late. Weather pushed the parade and festival back from Saturday, Dec. 6, so families lined Wrightsboro Road on Dec. 13 instead and then walked over to Liberty Park for food, craft vendors and the city's tree lighting, according to The Augusta Press.
The city's Christmas calendar actually starts earlier. The first Christmas event this year is a car show at Liberty Park on the morning of Oct. 24, and the money it raises pays for gifts for local children.
October 24 Is When the Gift Money Gets Raised
The city's fourth annual Cruisin' for Christmas Car Show runs Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, from 9 a.m. to noon at Liberty Park. It's free to come look. Registering a car costs $25 on site. The City of Grovetown says 100% of the proceeds go toward Christmas gifts for underprivileged Grovetown children.
That means the money for the season's gifts is raised in October, about seven weeks before last year's tree lighting. Each $25 registration goes toward that gift fund.
Oct. 24 isn't new to Liberty Park's calendar. Last year the city held Trunk or Treat on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Liberty Park, with candy, vendors, live music, games and inflatables. The city hasn't posted a 2026 Trunk or Treat date yet, so treat last year's timing as a rough guide only.
Liberty Park Holds the Season Together
Line up the city-run events and one place keeps coming back. The car show is at Liberty Park, and so was last year's Trunk or Treat. Last year's Christmas Festival was listed there too, with a tree-lighting ceremony and free photos with Santa. The parade is the one big exception. Last year it ran along Wrightsboro Road, and the crowd moved to the park afterward.
Here's how the season shaped up across both years, with each date labeled:
| Event | Date | Location | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cruisin' for Christmas Car Show | Sat., Oct. 24, 2026, 9 a.m.–noon | Liberty Park | Confirmed for 2026 |
| Trunk or Treat | Fri., Oct. 24, 2025, 6–9 p.m. | Liberty Park | 2025 date; 2026 not yet posted |
| Veterans Day ceremony | Mon., Nov. 10, 2025, 11 a.m.–noon | Veterans Park | 2025 date; 2026 not yet posted |
| Lights of the South opens | Fri., Nov. 20, 2026 | 633 Louisville Rd. | Confirmed for 2026 |
| Christmas parade | Dec. 13, 2025, moved from Dec. 6 | Wrightsboro Road | 2025 date; 2026 not yet posted |
| Christmas Festival and tree lighting | Dec. 13, 2025, moved from Dec. 6 | Liberty Park | 2025 date; 2026 not yet posted |
| Lights of the South closes | Wed., Dec. 30, 2026 | 633 Louisville Rd. | Confirmed for 2026 |
As of Oct. 11, 2026, the city's online calendar didn't show any November or December listings. The 2025 dates are the best guide for now, and the postponement is a reminder that they can move.
What Last Year's Festival Looked Like
The Augusta Press photo story from Dec. 13 shows what the Liberty Park part of the night includes. Food trucks included Shay's Chicken & Seafood, Kono Pizza with its pizza in a cone, Captain Jack's, and a Lucy's Tacos tent. There were also a honey vendor, handmade crafts, a snow machine, and bounce houses shaped like Santa and a gingerbread house.
The parade before it had a strong school presence. The Grovetown High School JROTC marched down Wrightsboro Road, followed by cheerleaders from Grovetown High and Grovetown Middle and the Dynasty N Motion dancers. The Grinch made an appearance too.
Veterans Park Comes First
Before the Christmas season gets going, the city pauses for veterans. Last year's Veterans Day ceremony was set for Monday, Nov. 10, from 11 a.m. to noon at Veterans Park. That date came straight from the city's own weekly activity report, so 2026 details will likely appear there first.
Last year, WRDW reported the ceremony featured several speakers, and the Grovetown High School marching band and local ROTC members served as the color guard. It's a short weekday morning event, so anyone hoping to go may need to plan time off work once the 2026 date is posted.
Lights of the South Sets Its Own Calendar
Lights of the South is the one big holiday draw that doesn't depend on the city's schedule. It's a privately run, ticketed attraction at 633 Louisville Rd. in Grovetown, open Nov. 20 through Dec. 30, 2026, from 6 to 10 p.m.
The ticket page lists early-bird general admission at $15 plus a $2 fee. Children 3 and under get in free. Since that's labeled an early-bird price, expect it to change later in the season.
The attraction describes itself as a 100-acre lights display just off I-20. Its regular features include the Christmas Tree Maze, the Candy Land playground and hayrides, plus visits with Santa. The site also hints that a new display is being made but hasn't said what it is.
The Lights of the South dates are already set, so it's easy to plan around: 41 nights from Nov. 20 to Dec. 30. The city's parade and festival still have no 2026 dates. Pick your Lights of the South night once the parade date is out, so the two don't fall on the same weekend.
The Depot Gets Its First Full Holiday Season
The newest piece of Grovetown's holiday season is indoors. The Grovetown Depot at 104 E Robinson Ave. had its ribbon cutting and open house on Dec. 20, 2025. It's a 6,000-square-foot city venue whose design draws on Grovetown's historic railroad depot.
Rentals didn't start until spring. That makes this December the first holiday season it can be booked. A Depot staff member described the timeline on a July episode of WJBF's Your Hometown Roadtrip:
"We cut the ribbon in December of 2025, we started renting March 2nd."
In the same WJBF segment, the staff member said the Depot rents Monday through Saturday and comes with a full sound system and projectors. Bookings so far have included city events, baby showers, birthdays and retirement parties, with weddings on the calendar. The city's activity report for the week ending Sept. 4 logged three new rental contracts and 16 hours of use there.
For anyone planning an office party, a family dinner or a neighborhood gathering in December, the Depot is a new city-run option, and this will be the first December it's open for rentals.
Putting the Season Together
Here's the order things happen in, based on what's confirmed now:
- Oct. 24. Bring or register a car at Liberty Park, 9 a.m. to noon. The entry fees pay for Christmas gifts for Grovetown children.
- Early November. Watch for the city's Veterans Day ceremony at Veterans Park. Last year it was on Nov. 10.
- Nov. 20. Lights of the South opens for the season at 633 Louisville Rd.
- Early December. Look for the Christmas parade on Wrightsboro Road and the festival and tree lighting at Liberty Park. Last year they were first set for the first Saturday of December.
- Through Dec. 30. Lights of the South runs nightly from 6 to 10 p.m., and the Depot is available to rent Monday through Saturday.
The city's weekly activity reports and its online calendar listed last year's dates first, and that's where 2026 dates should appear too. After last December's weather delay, it's worth checking the city calendar the morning of the parade.
If you have a classic car that might go to Liberty Park on the 24th, or you're planning your first holiday season in Grovetown after a PCS move, Tara McNaylor is happy to share what she knows about the local calendar. Once the city posts its December dates, she can help you fit the parade, the tree lighting and Lights of the South into the same few weeks. Let's Connect.
