This year, Alpharetta lights three big holiday trees in three places on three straight nights, Nov. 20 through Nov. 22. Two weeks later the season moves to the Alpha Loop and City Center. Then, on Saturday, Dec. 12, it lands on Canton Street with something downtown Alpharetta hasn't had on its recent calendars: a parade with lit floats, local clubs and schools, and the roads closed for it.
That parade is the new piece for 2026. With it on the calendar, the season has a clear order. It opens spread across the city, from The Hamilton Alpharetta to City Hall to Avalon, and it comes together in one place on one evening in December. Here's how the weeks build toward Dec. 12, plus the details to set aside now: rink tickets, parade entries and the evening road closures.
Three trees, three nights
The season's opening weekend has no single center. Each night belongs to a different spot:
Date | Event | Where | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Fri., Nov. 20 | The Hamilton Alpharetta annual tree lighting | 25 Milton Ave. | 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., tree lit at 6:30 | Free |
Sat., Nov. 21 | Season of Celebration Tree Lighting | In front of City Hall, downtown | 5 to 8 p.m. | Free |
Sun., Nov. 22 | The Lighting of Avalon | Avalon, 400 Avalon Blvd. | 2 to 7:30 p.m., tree lit at 7 | Free activities |
The two big trees differ in size. The city's tree in front of City Hall is listed at 50 feet. Its evening includes live music, snow flurries, performances and a visit from Santa. Avalon's tree is 40 feet tall, and it's lit promptly at 7 p.m. at the end of an afternoon that starts at 2.
If you want one lighting a night, the start times make it possible. The Hamilton is lit at 6:30 on Friday, City Hall's festivities run 5 to 8 on Saturday, and Avalon's tree goes up at 7 on Sunday.
Saturday, Nov. 21 fills the whole day
The middle night of that weekend is also the busiest day of November. Three free events cover it from morning to evening:
- Artists Holiday Market, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the Alpharetta Arts Center, 238 Canton St. Arts Alpharetta brings new and returning artists with jewelry, ceramics, wearable art and seasonal pieces.
- North Point Holiday Kick Off, noon to 3 p.m., in center court at North Point Mall, 1000 North Point Cir. A marching band parade welcomes Santa, and there are face painters, balloon twisters, roaming characters and stilt walkers.
- Season of Celebration, 5 to 8 p.m., at City Hall.
The Arts Center market and the City Hall lighting are both downtown, a short walk apart. With a lunch in between, a Canton Street afternoon runs right into the tree lighting.
If you'd like to shop handmade gifts before that weekend, Halcyon's Holiday Artists Market comes first. It's on Saturday, Nov. 7, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., on the Village Green with 20 local artisans, and Halcyon bills it as a one-day event.
Nov. 22: the rink opens, and tickets are already selling
The Lighting of Avalon also opens Avalon on Ice. The rink on The Plaza opens at 3 p.m., four hours before the tree lighting. Tickets went on sale Nov. 3 at 10 a.m. Avalon recommends reservations and says walk-ups aren't guaranteed a slot, so if you're planning a skate for a busy night, book ahead.
The basics for the season, which runs Nov. 22 through Jan. 18:
- Admission: $18 with skates, or $14 for children 12 and under
- Weekdays: 3 to 9 p.m.
- Saturdays: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Sundays: noon to 7 p.m.
Weekday sessions don't start until 3 p.m. Avalon lists extended hours for opening day and Thanksgiving week, Nov. 23 to 27. Extended hours also cover Dec. 20 through Jan. 3, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, and Fulton County public school holidays. Those are the days a weekday daytime skate is possible.
December's first weekend moves to the Alpha Loop and City Center
Two weeks after the tree lightings, the season moves to new places. Lights on the Loop returns on Friday, Dec. 4. It runs nightly through Jan. 4, from 5:30 to 11 p.m., along the Alpha Loop between Northwinds Parkway and Old Milton Parkway. Admission is free, and there's free parking at 2500 and 2520 Northwinds Pkwy. The 2026 Lights on the Loop page opens with a Holiday Music Showcase on Dec. 4 and 5, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. A Lights & Delights Village is planned for themed weekends.
That makes Saturday, Dec. 5, another full day:
- Alpharetta Christmas Market, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Innovation Academy, 125 Milton Ave., free
- Snow Day at Alpharetta City Center, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Town Green, 2001 Commerce St., free, with snow, live music, craft stations and photo spots
- Lights on the Loop Holiday Music Showcase, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Keep Innovation Academy in mind. A week later, it's where the parade starts.
Dec. 12: everything comes to Canton Street
The Alpharetta Winter Parade is the one event this season without a past version on recent calendars. On Saturday, Dec. 12, it steps off at 5:30 p.m. from Innovation Academy. The route runs along School Drive, turns right onto Canton Street and Roswell Street, crosses Old Milton Parkway and ends at the Alpharetta Community Center. The organizers' guidelines put the route at about 1.5 miles. Awesome Alpharetta lists it from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and free to attend.
The Rotary Club of Alpharetta calls it the "1st Annual Alpharetta Winter Parade," a joint effort with the City of Alpharetta. The idea came before City Council this fall. According to Citizen Portal's summary of the Sept. 14 work session, council members discussed the Rotary proposal as a revival of a small-town tradition that could also bring business downtown. Staff were asked to work with organizers on how it would be structured. The route ties into the rest of the season. It starts at the school that hosts the Dec. 5 Christmas Market and runs past the Arts Center, home of the Nov. 21 market. Local clubs, schools, youth organizations and Alpharetta-based businesses will be marching in it.
Road closures, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
The Rotary Club's notice to downtown residents and businesses lists these closures:
- Old Milton Parkway where it crosses Roswell Street
- Canton Street and Roswell Street, all lanes in both directions, between Old Milton Parkway and School Drive
- Milton Avenue, all lanes, at the Roswell Street and Canton Street intersection
Normal traffic resumes as the parade clears each road and Public Safety decides it's safe to reopen. Old Milton Parkway is the main cross-town route in that stretch. If you're heading to Avalon that evening, plan on the parkway being closed at Roswell Street during that window.
The same Saturday is also busy at Avalon. The Makers Market Local Holiday Street Fair runs there from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., free, with local artists, crafters, designers and makers. The fair ends half an hour after the parade starts, so seeing both takes some planning around the Old Milton closure.
Putting a group in the parade
Want your neighborhood, team or business in the parade? The deadline is Nov. 30. The Rotary Club of Alpharetta's parade page takes online applications. Each one names the organization, a lead participant, contact details, entry type and group size, and a committee approves the entries. Eligible groups include:
- youth groups and schools
- civic organizations and local businesses
- city departments, arts groups and animal groups
- neighborhoods
Accepted groups drop off in the rear parking lot at Innovation Academy, load in from 4 to 5 p.m., and line up by 5.
After the parade, the season spreads out again
Once Canton Street reopens, the season goes back to its other venues. On Sunday, Dec. 13, the Jingle Jog runs from 9 a.m. to noon. Lights on the Loop's pet-friendly weekend, with Llamas on the Loop, is Dec. 18 and 19, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Avalon on Ice starts its extended holiday hours on Dec. 20 and keeps them through Jan. 3. The Loop lights stay on through Jan. 4, and the rink is the last to close, on Jan. 18.
If your home is close enough to Canton Street to walk to the parade, or your family is coming in for the holidays and you've started wondering what that kind of location is worth today, The House Chick would love to help. Schedule your free home valuation & staging consult, and we'll talk it through over the holidays, no pressure and plenty of cheer.
