Garland drapes down streetlamps. Colorful bulbs glitter in trees. Joyous caroling and festive earworms sing through the radio. Everywhere you look, the Holy City can be seen preparing for another holiday season.

Many of us locals relate these familiar and nostalgic sights and sounds to the James Island Festival of Lights. Whether it be the toasty hot cocoa warming our hands or the wondrous drive-thru light show, the festival has delighted us all for more than 30 years now.

Sarah Reynolds, public information coordinator for the Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission, has been helping with the festival since 2010.

“Since I started working here in my 20s and going to the festival with friends, I’ve now grown and had the opportunity to bring my own kids to the festival and see th

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