Salem's December Runs Through Its Old High School Auditorium

On Sunday, December 6, Salem's holiday season uses one address twice in the same afternoon. Parade entries line up at 4 Eagle Lane for judging at 3 p.m., and the Town of Salem Christmas Parade starts at 4 p.m. At 6 p.m., cars start rolling through that same property for the last night of the Drive-Thru Living Nativity.

That address is Eagles Nest Art Center, in the former Tamassee-Salem High School. This year, Salem's two biggest December traditions meet at the old school. A Salem December comes down to one building and the four nights it is busiest.

The building behind the season

The center's About page calls it "a living museum of Oconee County and its culture" as well as a performing arts venue. The old Salem/Tamassee-Salem auditorium was brought up to code for fire safety and ADA access through community fundraising. The Salem Auditorium Restoration Committee and the Oconee Preservation Unlimited Stewardship Trust led those early efforts. From that work came Eagles Nest Art Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that now handles the restoration, maintenance and use of the building.

The Journal reported that Salem residents Eddie and Lynne Martin led the community effort to restore the school and use it for arts, entertainment and community events. The center held its grand opening in November 2021 with a free event for tours and refreshments, followed by a performance from harpist Hailey Smith of Atlanta.

The building is still a working school space in some ways. The center says it is used for performances, rentals, school assemblies and graduations. It also keeps classrooms and museum rooms "that keep our memories and stories alive." That history explains why the town's December events gather here. Once the old auditorium was saved, it became the place that could hold both the nativity and the parade lineup.

Four nights of the Living Nativity

Sunny 107.9 WFBS lists this year's event as the 11th Annual Drive-Thru Living Nativity. That count means the tradition began years before the art center's grand opening in November 2021.

Eagles Nest Art Center describes it as a joint effort of the community and local churches, presenting the birth of Jesus Christ as a drive-through. Visitors stay in their cars and pass villagers, shepherds, choir angels and kings set up across the grounds at 4 Eagle Lane.

The schedule:

1. Thursday, December 3, 6 to 8 p.m.
2. Friday, December 4, 6 to 8 p.m.
3. Saturday, December 5, 6 to 8 p.m.
4. Sunday, December 6, 6 to 8 p.m., the same day as the parade

Thursday and Friday are the quieter nights. Saturday and Sunday each share the day with other events, covered in the next two sections.

Sunday, December 6, at one address

Parade day turns the school grounds into a staging area for most of the afternoon and evening. Here is the schedule from the WFBS community calendar and the art center:

The 2026 parade theme is "The Greatest Gift." Families, churches and businesses planning a float or entry should design around that theme, since judging happens before the parade starts. WFBS links its listing to the Town of Salem calendar and asks attendees to confirm times and locations with organizers before going. That's worth doing for anyone entering a float.

Anyone watching the parade can stay for the nativity's last night that evening. The parade and the 6 p.m. drive-through are two hours apart and start from the same place.

Saturday, December 5, from Seneca to Oconee State Park and back

On Saturday, three events fit into one day without overlapping, and the last one ends at Eagle Lane.

Daytime, Festival of Trees in Seneca. Duke Energy's World of Energy hosts a free Festival of Trees from November 27, 2026, through January 8, 2027. It is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday at 7812 Rochester Hwy. in Seneca. It is closed Sundays and Mondays, so it can't be added to parade day. Saturday is the better fit.

Late afternoon, Holiday Cheer at Oconee State Park. The park's programs and events page lists Holiday Cheer at Oconee State Park for December 5, 2026, from 4 to 5 p.m.

Evening, the Living Nativity. The third night of the drive-through runs 6 to 8 p.m. at 4 Eagle Lane.

Leaving Seneca by 4 p.m. and Oconee State Park by 5 p.m. leaves plenty of evening to reach the nativity before its last cars at 8.

Lights, trees and a park that stay open past the parade

The Living Nativity and the parade both end on December 6. Several nearby events continue into January.

South Carolina State Parks lists Oconee State Park's drive-through Holiday Light Show for December 1 through January 10. Visit Oconee says the display is set up along the lake-loop campground. Check with the park for nightly hours and pricing before you go.

The Festival of Trees in Seneca also runs well past the parade. It is closed December 24 through 26 and on January 1, and it ends on January 8, 2027.

Before December, Oconee State Park has two outdoor programs on its calendar. A Nature Stroll is set for Saturday, November 21, from 10 to 11 a.m. An #OptOutsideSC Ranger-Led Hike is set for Friday, November 27, from 10 a.m. to noon.

For daytime outings closer to home, Devils Fork State Park at 161 Holcombe Circle in Salem keeps late-fall-to-mid-spring hours of 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Its office and store are closed on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, and reopen at 9 a.m. on Friday, November 27. The park's Oconee Bell Nature Trail is a 1.5-mile loop. It makes a good walk on Saturday morning of nativity weekend, with time to spare before the Seneca and Oconee State Park stops.

The same stage the rest of the year

The holiday events are only part of what happens on that stage. Earlier this year, the center hosted the Oconee Mountain Opry, a family-friendly variety show with local and regional talent and hometown humor. Its January 17, 2026, listing also invited guests to walk the old school halls, the alumni room and the OPUS Trust museum of CCC artifacts. Future shows will be posted on the Eagles Nest Art Center events page.

If you have family visiting for the holidays and want a hand planning a weekend around the parade, Lake Jocassee and the Lake Keowee side of Oconee County, I'm glad to share what I know about Salem and the communities around it. You can reach Katrina Carrera Campbell in English or Spanish anytime. Let's Connect.