Alpharetta has no city Christmas parade on the 2026 calendar. Alpharetta Now reports that the city's event calendar lists none this year and listed none in 2025, which leaves the downtown tree lighting as the city's main holiday gathering. In place of one big parade day, the season moves through three venues in order. Downtown lights its tree on a Saturday, Avalon lights its own tree the next evening, and in December the lights move out to a mile of the Alpha Loop. Each one runs on its own schedule, and the dates where one ends and the next starts are what to plan around.
No parade, so the Town Green goes first
The city's Season of Celebration is Saturday, Nov. 21, from 5 to 8 p.m. at City Hall, 2 Park Plaza. The 50-foot tree, donated by the Evans family, is lit at 6:30 p.m. The event is free and happens rain or shine. The city's event page lists live music, snow flurries, marshmallow roasting and a visit from Santa. The Alpharetta Convention & Visitors Bureau's events page says 10,000 bulbs will light up the city.
The tradition goes back a long way. According to Alpharetta Now's account of the city's figures, last year's lighting on Nov. 22, 2025, drew more than 3,000 people, and the event dates to 1977. The 2025 program had school choruses, dance and ballet, a drumline and the Alpharetta Jazz Band on the main stage, plus photos with Santa, fire pits and storytime around the Town Green and Market Street. That was last year's lineup. The city plans to post the 2026 performance schedule closer to the date.
The same Saturday also has a daytime event. The Holiday Artists Market runs from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Alpharetta Arts Center, 238 Canton St. It's free and has handmade jewelry, ceramics and art. The market closes half an hour before the City Hall event begins, so you can do both in one afternoon and evening.
The weeks before the trees go up
The stretch between Halloween and Nov. 21 has a few dates of its own. A couple of them affect plans for the weekend of the two lightings.
- Friday, Oct. 30, 6 to 8 p.m. Trick or Drink at Avalon, an adults-only Halloween evening with specialty cocktails and a DJ.
- Sunday, Nov. 1, from 7 a.m. The Alpharetta Women's Half Marathon and 5K starts and finishes at Avalon. Alpharetta Now's race page lists the road closures.
- Tuesday, Nov. 3, 10 a.m. Avalon on Ice tickets go on sale. Avalon asks skaters to reserve time slots in advance. Walk-ups are welcome, but a particular time isn't guaranteed. If you want to skate on opening day, this is the date to watch.
- Saturday, Nov. 7, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Nearby Halcyon hosts its Holiday Artists Market on the Village Green. Makers + Markets ATL is bringing 20 local artisans with handmade gifts and seasonal decor.
- Friday, Nov. 13. Once Upon a Merry Maze, the holiday version of the storybook maze at North Point Mall, opens.
- Saturday, Nov. 14. The last Alpharetta Farmers Market of the 2026 season. The Paint the Town plein-air paintings also stay on display through this date.
The farmers market's last Saturday comes one week before the tree lighting. Downtown goes from its weekly market season to its holiday season with a one-week gap between them.
Saturday downtown, Sunday at Avalon
Avalon lights its tree Sunday, Nov. 22, the evening after downtown. The Lighting of Avalon runs from 2 to 7:30 p.m. Activity Row opens at 2. The ice rink opens to the public at 3, and the Atlanta Figure Skating Club performs from 3 to 5. The 40-foot tree is lit at 7 p.m. sharp.
The two events are built differently, and you can plan for each one separately.
| City tree lighting | Lighting of Avalon | |
|---|---|---|
| Date | Sat., Nov. 21 | Sun., Nov. 22 |
| Hours | 5 to 8 p.m. | 2 to 7:30 p.m. |
| Tree lit | 6:30 p.m., 50-foot tree | 7 p.m., 40-foot tree |
| Where | City Hall and Town Green, 2 Park Plaza | Avalon, 400 Avalon Blvd. |
| Parking | Free decks at City Hall and 92 Milton Ave.; paid Old Roswell Street lot | Free Avalon decks, valet at 3rd Street, or shuttle from Gwinnett Technical College |
| Also that day | Holiday Artists Market, Arts Center | Avalon on Ice opens, 3 to 10 p.m. |
The downtown parking in the table comes from Alpharetta Now's getting-around guide, which is general guidance for downtown and warns that lots can close for festivals. Avalon's listing for its lighting day suggests carpooling or rideshare.
Avalon's event is longer because it doubles as the opening day of the ice rink, and the rink keeps going long after the tree lighting. Avalon on Ice runs from Nov. 22 through Jan. 18. Regular hours are 3 to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday. Holiday hours of 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. apply Nov. 23 through 27 and Dec. 20 through Jan. 3, and the same hours are listed for New Year's Eve, New Year's Day and Fulton County public school holidays. General admission is $18, and children 12 and under pay $14. Skates are included.
In December, the lights move to the trail
Lights on the Loop lights a one-mile stretch of the Alpha Loop between Northwinds Parkway and Old Milton Parkway. It runs nightly from Dec. 4, 2026, through Jan. 4, 2027, from 5:30 to 11 p.m. Admission is free. Free parking is at 2500 and 2520 Northwinds Parkway.
The two lightings in November are one-night events with a set lighting time. The Loop is lit every night for a month, so you can go on an ordinary weeknight. It also has two themed weekends, each from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.:
- Dec. 4–5: Holiday Music Showcase, on the opening weekend.
- Dec. 18–19: Llamas on the Loop, a pet-friendly weekend.
On the themed weekends, the Lights & Delights Village sells food and nonalcoholic drinks. The event's FAQ encourages registering on Eventbrite for those weekends, even though admission is free.
A few things are different from last year:
- It opens a day earlier. The 2025 display ran Dec. 5 through Jan. 4, according to Atlanta on the Cheap.
- The village has a new name. Last year it was the Winter Village. This year it's the Lights & Delights Village.
- There are two themed weekends instead of three. Appen Media described last season's three gatherings as health and wellness, holiday music, and pet-friendly. This year's page lists only the music and pet weekends.
The opening-night start time is listed two ways. The event listing gives 5 p.m. for the switch-on, while the main event page gives 5:30. The nightly hours are 5:30 to 11 p.m.
One day after the Loop opens, downtown has one more holiday event. The Alpharetta Business Association's indoor Christmas Market is Saturday, Dec. 5, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Innovation Academy, 125 Milton Ave.
Where the season ends
The Town Green has its one night on Nov. 21. Avalon lights its tree on Nov. 22 and keeps the rink open into January. The Loop lights up on Dec. 4 and goes dark after Jan. 4. That leaves the last two weeks of the season to Avalon on Ice, which is open through Jan. 18.
Two things are still to come. The city hasn't posted its 2026 performance lineup for Nov. 21, and Alpharetta Now's tree lighting guide says it will add the schedule when the city posts it. If the city adds a parade, that guide plans to list it too. For questions about the downtown event, the city's special events office is at 678-297-6102.
If you're hosting family this season and showing them the lights at City Hall, Avalon and the Loop, you may also be wondering what your own Alpharetta home is worth this winter. Team Rich Richardson can start with an instant home valuation, and our team is glad to walk you through it whenever it suits your schedule.
