At 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 5, the Mauldin Christmas Parade leaves the Golden Strip Career Center, heads down Holland Road and ends at BridgeWay Station. That route also traces the rest of the season. Mauldin's December begins at the Cultural Center campus on East Butler Road, and by the second weekend most of the activity has moved to the shops and restaurants along Via Corso Avenue and BridgeWay Boulevard.
The season runs 11 days, from Thursday, December 3 through Sunday, December 13. If you know which end of town hosts each date, you can plan for both.
A November Warm-Up at BridgeWay
Before December starts, BridgeWay Station has a preview. The GVL Vintage Market sets up there this Sunday, November 22, from noon to 5 p.m., with 35-plus vendors, food and drink, and a live DJ. It runs on a smaller scale than the Christmas weekend. It's a good chance to find parking and get a feel for the district before December brings bigger crowds.
Thursday, December 3: Butler Road Goes First
The city opens the season on a weeknight. The City of Mauldin and the Greater Mauldin Chamber of Commerce host A Merry Mauldin Christmas on Thursday, December 3, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Mauldin Outdoor Amphitheater, 101 East Butler Road.
The evening follows a set schedule:
- 5 p.m.: The holiday market opens, and Santa photos, train rides and food trucks get started
- 6 p.m.: Live performances
- 7 p.m.: Tree lighting ceremony
- 8 p.m.: Event ends
The Merry & Bright Holiday Light Trail and its photo stops are open throughout. The Cultural Center describes the market as a place for artisans, bakers and makers, and its vendor applications have already closed.
Since this is a Thursday, the market and the tree lighting share one three-hour window. Families with kids who have school the next morning have two hours between the 5 p.m. opening and the 7 p.m. lighting to see Santa and ride the train.
Saturday, December 5: The Day the Season Changes Address
The first Saturday of December has events at both ends of town, in order.
- 9 to 11:30 a.m.: Breakfast with Santa at the Ray Hopkins Mauldin Senior Center, 203 Corn Road. Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for children.
- 2 p.m.: The Mauldin Christmas Parade leaves the Golden Strip Career Center, travels Holland Road and ends at BridgeWay Station. Sauer Brands presents this year's parade, and the theme is "Home for the Holidays."
- After the parade: The last float stops at BridgeWay, so you're already at the restaurants once it's over.
The route is the same one used in 2025, when the parade also went from the Career Center down Holland Road to BridgeWay Station. As Who's On The Move reported, organizers say the best viewing is along Holland Road between Mauldin Elementary School and BridgeWay Station, with sidewalk space for families. That stretch sits at the BridgeWay end of the route, so if you stake out a spot there, you're a short walk from lunch or dinner after the parade passes.
The Chamber and the city plan to share entry applications, volunteer openings and event-day traffic advisories as the date gets closer. Look for them at mauldinchamber.org and cityofmauldin.org, along with their Facebook pages, @MauldinChamber and @CityofMauldinSC.
Where the Parade Lets Out
The parade ends at the district that opened GE Vernova Park in June, when the Greenville Triumph played its first home match at the new stadium. Plenty of BridgeWay's restaurants sit within a few blocks of each other. A parade crowd can split up according to appetite and still meet back up.
Along BridgeWay Boulevard
- BridgeWay Brewing Co., 610 BridgeWay Boulevard, a brewery and pub.
- City Market Food Hall, 616 BridgeWay Boulevard, works well for a group that can't agree on dinner. Its counters include Boba Ocha Tea Co., Hotto Noodle, Subpar Sandwiches and Bridgeway Pizza Co., plus Bridgeway Public House and Bourbon St. Burgers.
- Cabanas Latin Cantina, the rooftop spot at the same 616 address.
- Tavola Italian, upstairs at 620 BridgeWay Boulevard. It serves dinner daily and lunch on weekends, so it's open after a Saturday afternoon parade.
- Restaurant Rocco and The Plank, 710 BridgeWay Boulevard, with The Plank upstairs.
Along Via Corso Avenue
- Nixtamal Mexican Kitchen, 1110 Via Corso Avenue, opened in January 2026, so this is its first holiday season at BridgeWay. The Greenville News covered the opening.
- Rôtie By Stella's, 1103 Via Corso Avenue.
- Mercato Cafe, 1101 Via Corso Avenue, serves breakfast, lunch and Methodical Coffee.
- Old Europe Desserts, 2107 Via Corso Avenue, a bakery that also serves coffee and meals.
- Jeremiah's Italian Ice, 2121 Via Corso Avenue, and Cocobowlz, 1000 Via Corso Avenue, for something quick.
Also on Via Corso, at 1102, is Mountain High Outfitters, listed in BridgeWay's directory for outdoor apparel, footwear and gear, with a grand opening event set for November 14. It's an easy stop for anyone holiday shopping on the walk back to the car.
December 10 to 13: The Second Weekend Belongs to BridgeWay
A week after the parade, BridgeWay Station becomes the center of the season. The Christmas carousel returns on Thursday, December 10, and BridgeWay says it will post the carousel's operating dates and times. The fourth annual Christmas at BridgeWay runs Friday, December 11 through Sunday, December 13. It includes a holiday market, carousel rides, Santa photos, holiday crafts, carolers, live music and meet-and-greets with Elsa, Anna and the Grinch.
For scale, BridgeWay promoted its third annual event in 2025 with a market of more than 75 vendors, plus the carousel, free Santa photos, crafts, carolers and live music. Vendor applications for this year's market have closed.
That same weekend, the Mauldin City Singers perform Sounds of the Season at the Mauldin Cultural Center, 101 East Butler Road. So the second weekend draws people to both ends of town, and each Saturday option fits around the other:
| Day | At BridgeWay Station | At the Mauldin Cultural Center |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, Dec. 10 | Christmas carousel returns | |
| Friday, Dec. 11 | Christmas at BridgeWay begins | |
| Saturday, Dec. 12 | Christmas at BridgeWay | Sounds of the Season, 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. |
| Sunday, Dec. 13 | Christmas at BridgeWay wraps up | Sounds of the Season, 3 p.m. |
On Saturday, you can do the BridgeWay market and carousel during the day and get to Butler Road in time for the 7 p.m. concert. You can also flip it, catching the 3 p.m. performance and then heading to Via Corso for dinner.
The Pattern Behind This Year's Dates
Every city date this year is one day earlier than in 2025, and each event keeps the same spot in the week.
| Event | 2025 | 2026 | Slot it holds |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Merry Mauldin Christmas and tree lighting | Thursday, Dec. 4 | Thursday, Dec. 3 | First Thursday of December, 5 to 8 p.m. |
| Mauldin Christmas Parade | Saturday, Dec. 6 | Saturday, Dec. 5 | First Saturday of December, 2 p.m. |
| Sounds of the Season | Dec. 13 and 14 | Dec. 12 and 13 | Second weekend of December |
The one real schedule change is the Saturday evening Sounds of the Season show, which starts at 7 p.m. this year instead of 7:30. If you head to BridgeWay before the concert, leave half an hour earlier than you did last year.
To plan the season, remember three things: the first Thursday on Butler Road, the first Saturday on Holland Road, and the second weekend split between BridgeWay Station and the Cultural Center. This year those land on December 3, December 5, and December 10 through 13.
If you're thinking about where you'll be for next year's tree lighting, maybe close enough to walk to the parade route, I'd love to help you map it out. Laurel Caylor knows Mauldin from Butler Road to Via Corso. Let's Connect: Schedule Your Consultation.
