12/01/2025 to 01/01/2026
Check out festive holiday illumination in a historic collegiate setting!
The public is welcome to enter the heart of the College of Charleston campus to see a special display of lights, set to seasonal music and contemporary songs chosen by CoC students. Now in its 9th year, Cougar Night Lights is the brainchild of a talented grad and professional light designer.
It’s called Cougar Night Lights, and it takes place in the storied Cistern Yard, with its columned buildings and live oak trees.
CofC alum John Reynolds ‘97, an Emmy award winning lighting designer who’s worked on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Super Bowl, is the creative mind behind it. Holiday light displays have included an Instagram-ready giant golden JOY sign, part of a collaboration between Explore Charleston and the Historic Charleston Foundation, as part of Southern Living’s Illumination Charleston.
Cougar Night Lights runs every half hour between 5:30 and 9:00 p.m. each night through January 1st.
It’s free and open to the public. The Cistern Yard is located at the corner of George and St. Philip Street in downtown Charleston. You can find parking in city garages on both of those streets.
NOTE: Dates and details for 2025 are tentative. Check back closer to the holidays for the latest info.