Lexington's Holiday Season Runs Through the Icehouse: Your November–December Calendar
October 29, 2026
October 29, 2026
"When you see families lining Main Street, children waving flags and neighbors taking the time to say thank you, it means something." Ed Lundeen, Lexington County's Veterans Affairs Director, said that in the County's announcement of this year's Veterans Day Parade, which steps off this Sunday.
Lundeen is talking about Main Street, and Main Street is where the next six weeks happen. Between November 1 and December 13, almost every public holiday event downtown takes place on Main Street or at the Icehouse Amphitheater at 107 West Main Street. The one regular stop away from downtown is Wingard's Market on North Lake Drive, and the few days when both places are busy at once are the ones to plan around.
The 2026 Lexington County Veterans Day Parade starts at 3 p.m. on Sunday, November 1. According to the County, the parade lines up at Butler and Haygood streets, moves onto Main Street, turns onto South Lake Drive, and finishes at the Lexington County Administration Building at 212 South Lake Drive. The County's advice is simple: arrive early, find a spot along the route, and bring the family. The Town of Lexington's calendar lists the same date and time.
The County's 2026 announcement gives the route but no road-closure or parking details. The most recent detailed plan, in a Town notice from 2024, sent spectators to the Town of Lexington Municipal Complex, the grass lots on South Church Street, and the County Administration Building and County Courthouse lots. It also warned that private business lots could tow. That route was a little different and ended at Fort Street, so read it as how the Town handled the parade last time, not as this year's plan.
Getting to know that stretch of Main Street on Sunday pays off later. The Icehouse sits on the same corridor, and you'll be back there four more times before New Year's.
| Date | Event | Where | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun., Nov. 1 | Lexington County Veterans Day Parade | Main St. to S. Lake Dr. | 3 p.m. |
| Fri., Nov. 6 | Cowboy Mouth | Icehouse Amphitheater | Doors 5:30 p.m. |
| Fri.–Sat., Nov. 13–14 | Jingle Bell Bash | Wingard's Market, 1403 N. Lake Dr. | 9–6 Fri., 9–5 Sat. |
| Thu., Nov. 19 | Ladies Night | Wingard's Market | 4–8 p.m. |
| Sat.–Sun., Nov. 21–22 | Magic on Church Street | Icehouse Amphitheater | 10 a.m.–6 p.m. |
| Thu., Dec. 3 | Snowball Christmas Craft Fair, Day 1 | Icehouse Amphitheater | 4–8 p.m. |
| Fri., Dec. 4 | Craft Fair Day 2, Tree Lighting, Elf | Icehouse Amphitheater | 4–9:30 p.m. |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Snowball Carnival; Santa at Wingard's | Icehouse; Wingard's Market | 11 a.m.–3 p.m. at both |
| Sun., Dec. 6 | Snowball Parade | Downtown | 3 p.m. |
| Sun., Dec. 13 | Southern Sky: A Tribute to the Eagles | Icehouse Amphitheater | Doors 3 p.m. |
After the parade, the season heads back to the amphitheater. Cowboy Mouth plays the Icehouse on Friday, November 6, with doors at 5:30 p.m. It's a ticketed show, sold through the venue's calendar.
The next weekend the action moves north. Wingard's Market at 1403 North Lake Drive holds its Jingle Bell Bash on November 13 from 9 to 6 and November 14 from 9 to 5. The event listing says more details are on the way. Wingard's follows up with Ladies Night on Thursday, November 19, from 4 to 8 p.m. If your gift list needs some Gamecock gear, Miss Cocky Boutique recently opened a Lexington location at 1812 Augusta Highway in Hope Plaza, Cola Daily reported.
The weekend before Thanksgiving brings the season back to the Icehouse. Lexington United Methodist Church, at 309 East Main Street, hosts Magic on Church Street on November 21 and 22. The church describes it as a two-day Christmas festival at the amphitheater, with artisans, vendors, food trucks, kids' activities, live entertainment, and Santa. The community event listing gives hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days. That means a church on East Main is holding its festival a few blocks west at the Town's amphitheater, which shows how much of the season centers on that one venue.
The Town's Snowball Festival runs December 3 through 6. The craft fair, carnival, and tree lighting are free, and all three are at the Icehouse. Here's how the four days break down:
Friday is the fullest night of the week. One evening covers shopping, the tree lighting, and an outdoor movie at the same address. If you can only make one Snowball night, Friday from 4 p.m. on gives you the most. Thursday is the same craft fair on its first night, without the tree lighting.
The festival schedule gives the Sunday parade a 3 p.m. start and no route, road closures, or parking details. Last year the Town's listing for the parade said only "Details coming soon." Before you head downtown on December 6, check the Town of Lexington's website for the official plan.
This is the overlap the calendar table points to. On Saturday, December 5, the Snowball Carnival at the Icehouse includes pictures with Santa from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. That same day, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Santa is scheduled at Wingard's Market on North Lake Drive.
Two Santa visits, the same four hours, two locations. If you want to do both, split the window, with one stop in the late morning and the other after lunch. The carnival also has rides, face painting, and free cookies while they last, so if you plan to linger at one stop, the Icehouse is the natural choice. Families with only a short window can choose whichever stop is closer to home. Both are free to walk into on a Saturday.
Saturday also comes the day after the busiest Snowball night and the day before the parade. That makes December 4 through 6 the stretch when downtown traffic is likely to be heaviest. If you're hosting relatives that weekend, you can give them all three days and keep them close to West Main.
After Snowball, the venue has one more show this year. Tokyo Joe Productions brings Southern Sky: A Tribute to the Eagles to the Icehouse on Sunday, December 13. Doors open at 3 p.m., and tickets are required. The amphitheater's November and December calendar shows nothing else in that window. That makes the tribute show the last ticketed Icehouse date of 2026.
Next year, Main Street adds a building that fits right into this pattern. The State reported in January that a Courtyard by Marriott is planned at 116 East Main Street, expected to open in early 2027, and a sign on the property points to spring 2027. Next holiday season, relatives coming in for Snowball weekend may be able to stay on the same street as the tree lighting.
If you're counting down to Snowball weekend and hosting relatives who keep asking what it's like to live this close to downtown Lexington, I'd love to talk through it with you over a warm drink from the craft fair. Reach out to Mackenzie Robertson to Schedule a Free Consultation, and I'll share what I know about the neighborhoods closest to the Icehouse.
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