"Harbour Town will be bustling with activities and live entertainment," The Sea Pines Resort says of Harbour Town Lights, which runs from Friday, November 27, 2026, through Friday, January 1, 2027. The whole five weeks is lit, but most of the activity lands on two evenings: Gregg Russell's Thanksgiving concert on November 27 and his Christmas concert on December 23. Both start at 7:30 p.m. under the Liberty Oak, and both have Santa in Harbour Town from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
On those two nights, Sea Pines Community Services Associates cuts the trolley system down to one route, the one that runs from the gate to Harbour Town. If you're hosting family this year, the season goes more easily when you plan your guests around those two evenings.
The Only Two Nights the Trolley Runs a Single Route
CSA's 2026 trolley schedule lists three special dates, and two of them are the concert nights.
| Route | What it connects | Nov. 27 | Dec. 23 | Dec. 31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red | Greenwood Drive trolley stop to Harbour Town, via Lawton Stables and The Shops at Sea Pines Center | 4 to 10 p.m. | 4 to 10 p.m. | 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. |
| Blue | Harbour Town to Sea Pines Beach Club, via Harbour Town Swimming Pool, Racquet Club Villas, Heritage Pad, Plantation Club Villas and Plantation Golf Club | No service | No service | 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. |
| Green | Harbour Town to South Beach, via The Shops at Sea Pines Center | No service | No service | 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. |
On a concert night, the trolley only helps if you start near the Greenwood Drive stop or along the Red Route. Red runs about every 20 minutes. If you're staying near the Beach Club, the Plantation Club Villas or South Beach, plan another way to get to Harbour Town and back. Blue and Green don't run until New Year's Eve, when all three routes run until 1 a.m. CSA's 2026 trolley brochure has the route map and a link for tracking the trolley in real time. Its rules are worth passing along to guests: no pets except service animals, no open alcohol containers and no eating on board.
Thanksgiving Week Builds Toward Friday
The November 27 concert caps a full week on the Resort's November calendar, and most of it is on the south end, within a short ride of Harbour Town.
- Monday, Nov. 23, through Saturday, Nov. 28. Thanksgiving Wagon Rides leave Heritage Farm daily from 10 a.m. and go through the Sea Pines Forest Preserve.
- Wednesday, Nov. 25. The Pre-Turkey Day Sea Pines Dolphin Dash 5K starts at 9 a.m. at Sea Pines Beach Club and runs on the beach. Registration is online only and closes at 8:45 a.m. on race day.
- Thursday, Nov. 26. The Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt starts in Harbour Town at 9 a.m. Reservations are due by 5 p.m. Wednesday through seapines.com/events or the Recreation Department at 843.842.1979. The same morning, Thanksgiving with Stan Smith begins at the Sea Pines Racquet Club. It runs 9 a.m. to noon through Saturday, and you can book a spot at 843.363.4495.
- Friday, Nov. 27. The 23rd Annual Fishing Tournament runs at Fish Island from 10 to 11:30 a.m. The Caramel Apple Festival is at Heritage Farm from 1 to 3 p.m. Santa is in Harbour Town at 5:30, and the tree lighting comes just before the concert at 7:30.
That Friday is the busiest day on the list. The Forest Preserve fills in the morning and Heritage Farm in the afternoon, and then everyone heads to Harbour Town while the trolley runs only Red.
Thanksgiving dinner has its own deadlines on the Resort's holiday dining page. Harbour Town Bakery pie preorders close Thursday, November 19, with pickup November 25 and 26. Thanksgiving To Go orders close Monday, November 23. Links and Quarterdeck are serving prix-fixe Thanksgiving menus, and the Champions Ballroom buffet is listed as sold out. If you're planning a meal around the concert, the pie deadline comes first, a full week before the tree lighting.
Before any of that, the Forest Preserve Foundation holds its 15th Annual Bonfire fundraiser on Friday, November 13, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.
The Roadwork on the Way to Harbour Town
Holiday traffic into Harbour Town this year passes two active CSA construction projects, and both affect streets close to the concert crowds.
The first is the Lighthouse Lane Infrastructure Improvement Project, Phase 4. It covers Lighthouse Lane, Mizzenmast Lane, Windjammer Court, Mizzenmast Court and Genoa Court, and the work includes drainage, paving, sidewalks, curbs and the roadway itself. It started in early September 2026 and is expected to run into early spring 2027. Work happens on weekdays, except on major holidays. CSA defines Lighthouse Lane as the stretch from Lighthouse Road to Mizzenmast Lane, which puts this group of streets just off the main road into Harbour Town.
For anyone staying in those streets, the work changes where guests park. Owners, their guests and renters, and service providers have to use temporary parking areas during daytime work hours through the end of 2026. Cars parked overnight in driveways or lots have to be moved to the temporary area by 7 a.m. On Windjammer Court, stormwater drainage work limits access from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays through Friday, November 13. CSA's October 29 notice asks residents to move their cars before 8 a.m. and use the temporary parking area, and it keeps access open for emergency vehicles and for anyone with limited mobility. Holiday deliveries in this area need clearance too. If you live on Lighthouse Lane, Spinnaker Court, Mizzenmast Lane, Mizzenmast Court, Genoa Court or Windjammer Court and have a moving truck or a large furniture or appliance delivery coming, CSA asks you to call Sea Pines Security at 843.671.7170 ahead of time for approval.
The second project is the Deer Island Bridge repair, which replaces the bridge connecting Deer Island Road to Lighthouse Road. It's scheduled through December 2026, with work Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., except on major holidays. Expect lane closures, flaggers, temporary signals and detours. Cyclists have to get off and walk their bikes through active work zones. Deer Island residents expecting large deliveries should also call Sea Pines Security first. CSA's October 30 update said concrete and paving would start the following week, so drivers should plan for slower trips on Lighthouse Road through the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving.
One walking route is open again. Pedestrian Bridge #31, between West Beach Lagoon Road and South Beach Lagoon Road, was replaced and reopened, and CSA marked the project complete on October 23.
Getting Guests Through the Gate Before the Crowd
Concert nights also bring more cars to the gate, and a guest without a pass waits in the visitor line. The CSA guest page lays out the owner process.
- Request the pass. Use the CSA360 online portal, or call the Gate Pass Office at 843.671.7277 with your confidential passcode. You'll need each guest's name and the length of the visit, up to 30 days. A pass is generated almost instantly.
- Tell guests where to pick it up. Reserved passes come from the drive-through window at the Gate Pass Office, inside The Sea Pines Resort Welcome Center at 32 Greenwood Drive. From the Sea Pines Traffic Circle, stay in the right-hand lane on Greenwood Drive and turn right at the Welcome Center.
- Know the hours. Since September 13, 2026, the office has been open Sunday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. November 27 is a Friday. December 23 is a Wednesday, so the office closes at 9 p.m., during the concert.
- After hours. If a guest whose pass you've called in arrives after the office closes, they drive straight to the security gate, where the attendant has their name on a list. They pick up the pass the next day.
- Leave out contractors. Owner guest passes can't be used for decorators, landscapers, painters, handymen or other commercial service providers.
Visitors without a reserved pass can buy one at either gate between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. A daily pass costs $10 for a two-axle vehicle and a weekly pass costs $30. The daily fee went up from $9 on March 1, 2026, so a relative who last visited during the 2025 holidays will notice the change. Guest passes and fees follow CSA rules, which can change. This post is general information, so check your own access arrangements with CSA directly.
After the Second Concert
The December 23 concert under the Liberty Oak comes with Santa from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and again after the show. The Resort calendar has a few events before and after it.
- Saturday, Dec. 19, 1 p.m. The Polar Pines Express wagon ride leaves Heritage Farm for crafts, hot chocolate and a reading of "The Polar Express." Reservations are required.
- Friday, Dec. 25. Links serves a three-course Christmas prix-fixe dinner.
- Sunday, Dec. 27, 1 to 2 p.m. Santa leads the Paws and Claus Parade in Harbour Town. Dogs of all breeds and sizes are welcome in holiday outfits.
- Monday, Dec. 28, 1 to 2:15 p.m. At Sandy Sledding, teams build holiday-themed sleds at Sea Pines Beach Club and are scored on speed, durability and creativity.
- Thursday, Dec. 31. All three trolley routes run from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m.
The Tuesday Farmers & Makers Market keeps going through the season, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Shops at Sea Pines Center, with produce, artisan goods and live music. Throughout Harbour Town Lights, the Deep Well Project takes canned goods and new, unwrapped children's toys in the well by the Liberty Oak stage. The volunteer nonprofit has served Hilton Head Island neighbors in need since 1973. The Resort Recreation Department at 843.842.1979 has the full Harbour Town Lights entertainment schedule.
If you're thinking about a Sea Pines home near Harbour Town, or about selling one in a street with roadwork this season, Thomas Kersey can walk you through how CSA projects, gate access and the Harbour Town calendar affect that property. Get a Private Consultation.
