The Bright Spirit of Beaufort

This quaint town in the Lowcountry knows how to put on a show

- BY STEPHANIE HUNT

IMAGINE Bedford Falls but draped in Spanish moss instead of snow.

That's Christmas in Beaufort, South Carolina. Like the fictional town in the classic movie It's a Wonderful Life, Beaufort is a place where the bustling historic district is relatively compact yet stuffed full as Santa's sack with character. During the season, residents spread cheer with abandon and the true spirit of the holidays prevails, even for a bewildered George Bailey. You can almost picture James Stewart, as Bailey, ambling down Beaufort's Bay Street, perhaps ducking into Kilwins candy shop, where a sugary praline is sure to set things right. In both Bedford Falls and Beaufort, miracles seem at the ready.

This Lowcountry gem nestled on Port Royal Island is magical year-round, but at Christmas, Beaufort's glow twinkles even brighter. Maybe it's the soaring tree sparkling in Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park or perhaps the decked out vessels gliding along the river for the always-popular Light Up the Night Boat Parade. Or maybe it's simply that a sense of “goodwill to all” feels genuine here. It surely does as you hold back tears while watching the annual laying of thousands of real evergreen wreaths on headstones at Beaufort National Cemetery in a moving tribute to our country's veterans as part of Wreaths Across America.

DOWNTOWN DELIGHTS