This Year, Downtown Alpharetta's Holidays Run on Three Saturdays

For years, a December in Alpharetta had one big night downtown and then moved out to Avalon and the Alpha Loop. This year adds a second big night and a busy morning between them. On Saturday, December 12, the Rotary Club of Alpharetta and the City of Alpharetta will hold the 1st Annual Alpharetta Winter Parade. It steps off at 5:30 p.m. from Innovation Academy and finishes at the Alpharetta Community Center.

With the parade on the calendar, downtown now has three Saturdays that bring big crowds: the city tree lighting on November 21, the Christmas Market on December 5, and the parade on December 12. All three happen within a few blocks of the corner of Milton Avenue and Canton Street, and two of them start from the same school campus. The other big holiday events fall on Fridays and Sundays, or out on Northwinds Parkway. Plan the season around that split and you won't end up with two places to be on one night.

Saturday one, November 21: the tree and the morning market before it

The city's Season of Celebration tree lighting runs from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Town Green next to City Hall, 2 Park Plaza. It's free and happens rain or shine. The 50-foot tree gets lit at 6:30 p.m., and the Alpharetta Convention & Visitors Bureau lists live music, snow flurries, marshmallow roasting, sing-alongs and a visit from Santa and friends. The tree is donated by the Evans family. According to Alpharetta Now, the city said last year's lighting drew more than 3,000 people and that the tradition goes back to 1977.

If you'd like more out of that Saturday than one evening, start a few hours early, two blocks up the street. Arts Alpharetta's Holiday Artists Market runs from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Alpharetta Arts Center, 238 Canton St., with handmade art, jewelry, ceramics, wearable art and seasonal pieces. The market closes half an hour before the tree lighting opens, so you can do both without moving the car.

The Friday and Sunday on either side

That Saturday falls between two other tree lightings, and both of them leave the city's night alone.

Friday, November 20. The Hamilton Alpharetta, the Curio Collection by Hilton hotel at 35 Milton Ave., holds its annual tree lighting from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Admission is free. The tree goes up at 6:30 p.m. The evening includes carolers from the Alpharetta High School Chorus, photos with Santa, a family photo area, a Hot Cocoa Baileys Bar, and holiday classics on a big screen on the Amenity Deck. The hotel restaurant is running a prime rib special.

Sunday, November 22. The Lighting of Avalon runs from 2 to 7:30 p.m. and lights the 40-foot tree at 7 p.m. There are ice-skating performances, activity stations and holiday entertainment that afternoon. Avalon suggests using its free parking decks, the valet on 3rd Street, or the shuttle from Gwinnett Technical College. It also recommends carpooling or ride-share because parking may fill quickly.

So the weekend before Thanksgiving gives you three tree lightings on three nights in a row. Friday and Saturday are a short walk apart downtown, and Sunday is at Avalon.

Avalon keeps its own calendar into January

Avalon's season starts the same Sunday and runs on a separate track from the downtown Saturdays, which makes it the easiest piece to slot in anywhere.

Avalon on Ice opens on The Plaza November 22 and runs through January 18, 2027. Admission is $18 per person, or $14 for kids 12 and under, and skates are included. Avalon recommends reserving ahead because walk-ups aren't guaranteed a spot, and there's no group rate Friday through Sunday. Regular hours:

• Weekdays, 3 to 9 p.m.
• Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Sundays, noon to 7 p.m.
• Holiday stretches of November 23 through 27 and December 20 through January 3, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Those long hours over Thanksgiving week and winter break are the easiest windows for out-of-town guests. Santa's Cottage in Palmer Plaza opens November 23 and runs through December 24. Avalon lists photo packages from $40 to $50 and says walk-ups aren't guaranteed. Breakfast with Santa is set for December 5 at Chick-fil-A, with seatings from 8 to 8:45 a.m. and 9:15 to 10 a.m., and for December 6 at Oak Steakhouse, from 8:30 to 10 a.m.

Saturday two, December 5: the Christmas Market and the Loop's opening weekend

The second downtown Saturday belongs to the Alpharetta Business Association. Its Christmas Market runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Innovation Academy, 125 Milton Ave., with more than 80 vendors.

That same day is also the second night of Lights on the Loop's opening weekend, a few miles south. Run by the Alpha Loop Foundation, the 2026 Lights on the Loop lights a one-mile stretch of the Alpha Loop between Northwinds Parkway and Old Milton Parkway. It's open every night from December 4 through January 4, 2027, from 5:30 to 11 p.m., and it's free. Free parking is at 2500 and 2520 Northwinds Parkway. The "Switch On The Lights" celebration is Friday, December 4, at 5:30 p.m.

The Loop holds two themed weekends this year, both on a Friday and Saturday from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.:

1. December 4 and 5, Holiday Music Showcase. The Alpharetta Symphony, the Alpharetta City Band, local musicians and a holiday DJ.
2. December 18 and 19, Pet-Friendly Weekend. Bring the dog and see Llamas on the Loop.

On both themed weekends, the Lights & Delights Village behind 2500 Northwinds Parkway has artisan vendors, seasonal food and non-alcoholic drinks for sale, family entertainment and seasonal characters for photos. Lights on the Loop is the foundation's biggest fundraiser of the year, and the money goes toward growing the trail.

On December 5, you can cover both events in one day. Shop the market downtown by midafternoon, then head down to Northwinds for the Symphony once the lights come on at 5:30.

Saturday three, December 12: the parade and what it closes

The parade is the new piece of the season, and it's also the one that changes how you get around downtown that evening. The Rotary Club's notice to downtown residents and businesses lists these closures from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.:

• Canton Street and Roswell Street. All lanes, both directions, between Old Milton Parkway and School Drive.
• Old Milton Parkway. The section where it crosses Roswell Street.
• Milton Avenue. All lanes, both directions, at the Canton Street and Roswell Street intersection.

The route starts at Innovation Academy, follows School Drive, turns right onto Canton Street and Roswell Street, crosses Old Milton Parkway and ends at the Alpharetta Community Center. According to the Rotary Club, each road reopens as the parade clears it and Public Safety decides it's safe. Santa comes at the end. If you live or have dinner plans east of Canton Street, those closures block the main ways downtown between Old Milton Parkway and School Drive until the parade has passed.

According to the organizers, the parade will bring together local clubs, schools, youth groups and Alpharetta businesses. The Rotary Club has the final say on every entry, and entries have to suit a family audience. Groups that want to march have until November 30, 2026, to apply on the Rotary Club's parade page.

Laying the season out by day of the week

Put it all on a calendar and the pattern is easy to see:

The downtown Saturdays are the dates to hold first. Avalon's rink and Santa's Cottage are open nearly every day, and the Loop stays lit every night into January, so either one fits easily into a free weeknight. December 12 is the one evening when parts of Canton Street, Roswell Street, Milton Avenue and Old Milton Parkway close from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Plan where you'll park and eat before you go.

If the holidays have you thinking about which part of town you'd like to be close to next December, whether that's a walk to Canton Street, a short drive to Avalon, or easy access to the Alpha Loop, Casey Schiltz is glad to help you compare. Schedule a Consultation and we'll go over the streets and homes around the places you already like to spend the season.