"There is nothing quite like seeing the Gardens illuminated by thousands of candles and millions of lights," Brookgreen Gardens President and CEO Page Kiniry told WMBF News when Nights of a Thousand Candles was announced for its 2026 season.
The season opens Friday, Nov. 27, the day after Thanksgiving. Until Dec. 20, Brookgreen's candle nights and the MarshWalk's Santa's Village fall on the same Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. Only three stretches of the calendar call for a real choice: the weeknight candle nights, the weekend of Dec. 5 and 6, and Christmas week, when Brookgreen goes quiet and the MarshWalk is the only one of the two still lit.
Friday, Nov. 27 Opens Both Light Shows
The day after Thanksgiving, both displays light up. The MarshWalk's Wonderland of Lights runs nightly from Nov. 27 through Dec. 31 and is free to walk. The restaurant buildings along the half-mile boardwalk are outlined in lights, with arches synced to Christmas music in front of each one. The light show starts at the top and bottom of every hour from 5 to 11 p.m. A 20-foot LED Christmas tree stands at the end of Veteran's Pier, and you can see it from any restaurant on the MarshWalk.
On the same night, Brookgreen begins what WMBF described as a run of 21 select evenings, open from 4 to 9 p.m. The gardens glow with more than 2,700 hand-lit candles and millions of lights, plus live holiday music and a nightly tree lighting in the Arboretum. Travel + Leisure named the event the "Best Christmas Lights in South Carolina," WMBF reported.
On cost and commitment, the two sit at opposite ends. You can walk the MarshWalk on a whim any night of the season. A Brookgreen visit is a ticket for one chosen date, at $40 per adult and $20 per child ages 4 to 12 for nonmembers, or $35 and $15 for members.
Every Candle Weekend Through Dec. 20 Is Also a Santa's Village Weekend
The MarshWalk's Santa's Village runs Fridays through Sundays, 5 to 9 p.m., from Nov. 27 through Dec. 20. It includes children's activities, a petting zoo, barrel cart rides, visits with Santa and appearances by princess and Christmas characters. Some of the children's activities cost extra.
Brookgreen's dates fall on those same weekends, with Thursdays added. Brookgreen's own event page also lists 4 to 9 p.m. sessions on Wednesday, Dec. 2, 9 and 16, which WMBF's published schedule leaves out, so check the ticket page for those three nights. Here's how the weeks line up, using Brookgreen's listing and the MarshWalk's own calendar.
| Week | Brookgreen candle nights | MarshWalk Santa's Village | Also on the calendar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 27–29 | Fri. through Sun. | Fri. through Sun. | Wonderland of Lights opens Nov. 27 |
| Dec. 2–6 | Wed., Dec. 2, then Thu. through Sun. | Fri. through Sun., Dec. 4–6 | Inlet tree lighting Sat., Dec. 5; Christmas parade Sun., Dec. 6 |
| Dec. 9–13 | Wed., Dec. 9, then Thu. through Sun. | Fri. through Sun., Dec. 11–13 | |
| Dec. 16–20 | Wed., Dec. 16, then Thu. through Sun. | Fri. through Sun., Dec. 18–20 | Santa's Village's final weekend |
| Dec. 21–28 | No candle nights | Finished for the season | Wonderland of Lights continues nightly |
| Dec. 29–Jan. 3 | Tue., Dec. 29 through Sun., Jan. 3 | Finished for the season | Wonderland of Lights ends Dec. 31 |
Santa's Village doesn't run on any of Brookgreen's weeknight dates. A Thursday candle night on Dec. 3, 10 or 17, or one of the listed Wednesdays, leaves the weekend free for the MarshWalk with kids. Brookgreen's prices are the same every night, so choosing a weeknight is purely about the calendar.
The MarshWalk's weekend schedule has its own geography. Santa sits on his sleigh on the roadside of Drunken Jack's from 5 to 9 p.m. Children's activities are set up between Wahoo's and Drunken Jack's and in The Wicked Tuna parking lot. Characters appear between Wahoo's and Bovine's from 6 to 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and at The Wicked Tuna from 6 to 8 p.m. Fridays through Sundays. The MarshWalk says the full character lineup will be announced soon. Vendors set up on Saturday nights for holiday shopping.
Dec. 5 and 6 Is the Weekend With the Most Going On
The first weekend of December brings the two community events that Murrells Inlet 2020 organizes every year. They land on a weekend when Brookgreen and Santa's Village are both running.
The Annual Murrells Inlet Christmas Tree Lighting is Saturday, Dec. 5, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Morse Park Landing, 4925 US-17 Business. The organizer's 2026 holiday sheet describes it as a family-friendly evening with Santa and Mrs. Claus, kids' crafts, music and the lighting of the Inlet tree.
That event ends at 6 p.m., the same time Brookgreen lights its tree in the Arboretum each night. If you're going to both on Saturday, the two tree lightings will overlap. Brookgreen's gates open at 4 p.m. and you can arrive any time before the 9 p.m. close, so the rest of a candle night still fits after the Morse Park ceremony.
The Murrells Inlet Christmas Parade follows on Sunday, Dec. 6, from 3 to 6 p.m. on US-17 Business. Murrells Inlet 2020's 2026 holiday events sheet calls it "a hometown parade that the residents of Murrells Inlet look forward to every year" and says "the crowds are huge and joyful." Since the parade ends at 6 p.m. and Santa's Village opens at 5, a Sunday can run from the parade route straight to the MarshWalk.
Christmas Week Belongs to the MarshWalk
After Sunday, Dec. 20, the shared schedule ends. Santa's Village closes for the season, and Brookgreen has no candle nights from Dec. 21 through Dec. 28. The Wonderland of Lights keeps running every night.
So the week of Christmas, when out-of-town family is most likely to be in the guest room, has one of the two light displays running, and it's the free one with no ticket to plan. The half-hourly show from 5 to 11 p.m. lets you fit a stroll before or after dinner at any of the restaurants along the boardwalk. Bovine's, Wahoo's Fish House, Drunken Jack's, Creek Ratz, Dead Dog Saloon, The Claw House and The Wicked Tuna are all part of the Wonderland display. The MarshWalk's dining directory also lists Inlet Shipwreck Bar & Grill.
Brookgreen comes back for the end of the year: Dec. 29, 30 and 31, then Jan. 1, 2 and 3. The Wonderland of Lights ends on Dec. 31. That makes New Year's Eve the last night both displays are open at the same time, and Jan. 3 the last candle night of the season.
The Brookgreen Ticket Is the One Decision to Make Now
Nearly everything above works on a walk-up basis. Brookgreen is the exception, and how its tickets work explains why.
- You buy a specific night. Tickets went on sale to the public on Aug. 3, and they're sold only through Brookgreen's website and its ticketing partner, Leap Event Technology. Brookgreen says it can't guarantee tickets bought anywhere else.
- The website shows which dates are sold out. Brookgreen's Know Before You Go page says that when the site lists a date as sold out, it is sold out. It also advises checking back, because tickets sometimes come available again through exchanges.
- Members no longer get first access. Member tickets went on sale before nonmember tickets, but Brookgreen says both groups now draw from the same availability. A membership bought today brings the member price only on a night that still has tickets, and the membership number takes at least 24 hours to activate in the ticketing system.
- The event runs rain or shine. Brookgreen will close only for potentially harmful weather and will announce any closure in the alert banner on its website and on its social pages. Its general ticket policy says tickets are non-refundable.
Brookgreen lists an Individual membership at $75 and a Household membership at $125. Membership includes unlimited admission during regular garden hours and advance offers on special-event tickets. For candle nights specifically, the member price saves $5 on each adult and child ticket.
What a Candle Night Looks Like on the Ground
Once you've picked a date, a few details shape the evening.
- Arrival. Parking is free, and accessible parking is in the main lot. Brookgreen doesn't rent wheelchairs or scooters, so bring your own mobility device if you need one. Rideshare pickups happen in the main parking area, and drivers need to be inside the gates before 9 p.m.
- Tickets for more than one car. A mobile order comes with a single barcode that covers every ticket. If your group is splitting between cars, Brookgreen asks each car to tell the admissions attendant how many people are in it, so the next car still has tickets left to scan.
- Music. Holy City Sinner reported that the five live-music sets start at 4, 5, 6:15, 7:15 and 8:15 p.m., and Brookgreen notes 15-minute breaks between sets.
- Food. Austin's Harvest recommends reservations, which you can make online or at 843-235-6030. Campbell Catering serves Lowcountry favorites in the Leonard Pavilion with no reservation needed. Food trucks are open 4 to 8:45 p.m., and the beverage stations and The Old Kitchen are open 4 to 8:30 p.m. Outside food and drinks aren't allowed.
- What's closed. The Lowcountry Trail, Lowcountry Zoo, Floyd Family Farm, Bleifeld Gallery and Offner Center close during the event. The Keepsakes Museum Store, Rosen Galleries and Brown Sculpture Court stay open until 9 p.m.
- Pets. Pets aren't allowed at Brookgreen. The MarshWalk's event page doesn't address pets, so call the MarshWalk answering service at (843) 497-3450 before bringing a dog to the boardwalk.
Brookgreen also points out that weather here can be very local, and that it may be clear at the Gardens while it's raining in nearby towns. A forecast for another part of the Strand isn't a reason to skip a night you've already paid for.
If family is coming to Murrells Inlet for the holidays and you're trying to fit Brookgreen, the parade and the MarshWalk into the same visit, I'm glad to help you plan the weeks, and to talk through anything else about life in the inlet while we're at it. Robin Shomaker is always happy to hear from neighbors. Let's Connect.
