A look at fall festivals, holiday markets, ice skating & more fall activities in the Augusta area

Miguel Legoas, Augusta Chronicle
Updated ·6 min read

Halloween has conjured its last scream for the year, but there's plenty more fall fun to be had. Thanksgiving is the next big holiday, and in addition to football and feasting, it's a great opportunity for turkey giveaways and food drives. It's also the dawn of the holiday season, and there are already live Nutcracker performances and markets for buying the perfect gift on the community's calendar.

November is also boasting more fall festivals offering all kinds of games, rides and live music to enjoy. Here are more details on these and some other fun things-to-do in the Augusta area:

Lights of the South

For those looking for Christmas light displays, Lights of the South has you covered. The annual attraction is back now through Dec. 30, except for Christmas Day, and is open every day from 6-10 p.m. Guests can walk or take a hay ride through an outdoor trail of luminous displays featuring everything from nativity scenes and a Christmas village to superheroes and salutes to service members. There are also snacks available for purchase and picture opportunities with Santa Claus.

General admission costs $16 Sunday-Thursday and $20 Friday-Saturday. Fast passes are available for $26. Children ages 3 and younger get in free. For more information and to buy tickets in advance, go to lightsofthesouth.com.

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Evans on Ice

FILE - Laurie Crane ice skates at Evans on Ice on Thursday, Nov. 19, 2021. The local ice skating rink returns Nov. 9.
FILE - Laurie Crane ice skates at Evans on Ice on Thursday, Nov. 19, 2021. The local ice skating rink returns Nov. 9.

Another one of Columbia County's most popular holiday attractions, Evans on Ice, is back now through January to Evans Towne Center Park in Evans off Ronald Reagan Drive. Families can ice skate to their hearts' delight, and when they need a break, they can relax with some roasted marshmallows and take a stroll around the park to check out the various light displays.

Hours of operation for the ice rink vary by day. Tickets start at $13. For more information, go to evansonice.com.

Guests that visit 4-9 p.m. Nov. 30 can also treat themselves to "Sip N Stop," where families can eat and shop from a range of local vendors selling their merchandise.

Festivals, community dinners

Church of the Good Shepherd's Christmas Tree Lighting Service is 6 p.m. Nov. 26 at the Augusta church at 2230 Walton Way. To start the Advent Season, families will enjoy the lighting of the church lawn's tree in addition to hot chocolate and carols.

Augusta Technical College's Community Tree Lighting Ceremony is 5:30-7 p.m. Nov. 29 outside building 3100 on the Augusta campus at 3200 Augusta Tech Dr. off Deans Bridge Road. In addition to seeing the lighting of their campus Christmas tree, there will be a ton of activities like an ugly sweater contest, cookie decorating, refreshments, and photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Fort Eisenhower's Christmas Festival is 4-8 p.m. Nov. 30 at Barton Field. There will be hay rides, photos with Santa Claus, free snacks, live music, a local vendor market, and the base's "Trees for the Troops" where service members receive a free live Christmas tree.

Live performances

Colton Ballet's "The Nutcracker" is coming to the Imperial Theatre in Augusta at 745 Broad St. Shows are slated for 7 p.m. Nov. 24, and at 1 and 5 p.m. Nov. 25 and 26. Tickets start at $17. Tickets for both are available at the box office and at imperialtheatre.com.

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Markets, small business events

FILE - Residents can shop for various hand-crafted items at the 5th Street Marina's Holiday Market at the Marina on Sunday near the Riverwalk in Augusta.
FILE - Residents can shop for various hand-crafted items at the 5th Street Marina's Holiday Market at the Marina on Sunday near the Riverwalk in Augusta.

Holiday Market at the Marina is every Sunday, noon-4 p.m. through Dec. 24, at the 5th Street Marina along the Savannah River in Augusta. There will be a variety of vendors plus live music and $20 boat tours starting at 2:30 p.m. There will be a golf cart to help shuttle guests between the market and the 6th Street Train trestle.

Downtown Augusta's 3rd annual Small Business Saturday Crawl returns 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 25. This marks the "Black Friday" of small business shopping, and Augusta's will include 14 downtown merchants offering various sales and activities. Limited edition buttons are available at each merchant, and the more participating businesses you visit, the more entries you get in the event's raffle. For a full list of the participants, go to the event's Facebook page.

Holiday movie nights

FILE - "The Polar Express" will be screened at Evans Cinemas as part of the Flashback Cinema series. Fun fact: Tom Hanks voices six different "Polar Express" characters including Santa Claus, the conductor, and the boy that leads the movie.
FILE - "The Polar Express" will be screened at Evans Cinemas as part of the Flashback Cinema series. Fun fact: Tom Hanks voices six different "Polar Express" characters including Santa Claus, the conductor, and the boy that leads the movie.

The Flashback Cinema series brings a classic movie to Evans Cinemas every Wednesday and Sunday at 1:30 and 7 p.m. This time of the year, they start offering holiday classics. Here is this month's schedule:

  • "White Christmas" on Nov. 26 and 29.

Aiken County Public Library will be screening "A Christmas Story Christmas" at 3 p.m. Nov. 25 in Aiken at 314 Chesterfield St. SW. It's last year's sequel to the 1983 classic "A Christmas Story."

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More holiday hijinks

FILE - Tony Gray, 7, wears a James Brown costume at the James Brown Turkey Giveaway outside of James Brown Arena on Monday, Nov. 21, 2022. The giveaway returns Nov. 20.
FILE - Tony Gray, 7, wears a James Brown costume at the James Brown Turkey Giveaway outside of James Brown Arena on Monday, Nov. 21, 2022. The giveaway returns Nov. 20.

Augusta Museum of History's annual Holiday Gingerbread Village is back now through Nov. 26 in downtown Augusta at 560 Reynolds St. It will be viewable to the public 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, but will be closed on Thanksgiving. Each historic-themed gingerbread creation will be available for purchase through a silent auction, with proceeds benefitting the museum's programs and exhibitions.

Living History Park's "Christmas in the Backcountry" is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 25 at the North Augusta colonial village at 299 West Spring Grove Ave. Father Christmas will join the villagers to take photos and share stories with guests. The village will be collecting pet food donations for the local animal shelter. Admission is free and there will be free cider and cookies.

Rally Point Grill's Ugly Sweater and Holiday Trivia Night is 7 p.m. Nov. 30 at the Evans restaurant at 4446 Washington Rd. Festive trivia will be provided by Dr. Factenstein's followed by an ugly sweater contest. There will be prizes for the top three trivia teams and those with the best/worst sweaters. Those interested should sign up at shorturl.at/cryJ8.

Did we miss a fun event coming soon? Contact Miguel Legoas at mlegoas@augustachronicle.com.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Ice skating, fair & festivals, fall things to do in the Augusta area