Alpharetta's holiday season has two opening weekends in 2026. The first runs Friday, November 20, through Sunday, November 22. In those three days, four separate tree lightings and kickoffs take place in four parts of the city. The second starts Friday, December 4, when Lights on the Loop switches on along the Alpha Loop off Northwinds Parkway. That weekend fills up quickly too.
Almost everything also moved one day earlier than last year. The City's tree lighting, the Lighting of Avalon, the Avalon rink opening and Lights on the Loop all start a day ahead of their 2025 dates. If you mark the calendar from memory, you'll be a day late for each one.
Three days, four places to watch the lights come on
The opening weekend makes more sense in order, because each event happens somewhere different.
| Date | Event | Where | Hours | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri., Nov. 20 | The Hamilton Alpharetta Annual Christmas Tree Lighting | The Hamilton Alpharetta, Curio Collection by Hilton | 5:30–8:30 p.m. | Alpharetta High School Chorus carolers, hot cocoa from Bailey's Bar, Santa photos |
| Sat., Nov. 21 | North Point Mall Holiday Kick-Off | 1000 North Point Circle | Noon–3 p.m. | Indoor Santa parade led by the Seed & Feed Marching Abominable |
| Sat., Nov. 21 | Season of Celebration Tree Lighting | 2 Park Plaza, in front of City Hall | 5–8 p.m. | 50-foot tree, snow flurries, live music, Santa; free, rain or shine |
| Sun., Nov. 22 | The Lighting of Avalon | 400 Avalon Blvd. | 2–7:30 p.m.; tree lit at 7 p.m. | 40-foot tree, Santa, live entertainment |
None of the four overlap in time. Friday night belongs to downtown and City Center. Along with the Hamilton's lighting, Elf'd UP opens the same day at UP on the Roof in downtown Alpharetta. The rooftop pop-up, with its kitschy décor and Christmas cocktails, runs through December 27. The Hamilton's lighting comes with a big screen showing holiday films on its Amenity Deck.
Saturday is split by time of day. The North Point Mall Holiday Kick-Off finishes at 3 p.m., and the Season of Celebration starts in front of City Hall at 5 p.m., so you can do the parade in the afternoon and the downtown tree in the evening. Last year the City lighting fell on Saturday, November 22. This year it's Saturday, November 21, at the same 2 Park Plaza location.
For coffee and a pastry before or after the downtown lighting, Giulia Italian Bakery is now open at 24 S. Main St. in Alpharetta City Center. It's open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily and sells scratch-made Italian pastries, breads, sandwiches and focaccia, according to Appen Media. This will be its first holiday season on the street.
Sunday at Avalon sets up the next eight weeks
The Lighting of Avalon is the last of the four, and it lasts the longest. The tree goes on at 7 p.m. Sunday, but what matters more is what opens with it. Avalon on Ice opens at The Plaza that same day, November 22, with opening-day hours of 3 to 10 p.m. It stays open through January 18.
In 2025, both the lighting and the rink opened on November 23. The event window and the 7 p.m. lighting time haven't changed.
The rink pricing change matters more to families than the date. Admission is still $18 per person and $14 per child, both including skates. In 2026, though, the child price covers kids 12 and younger. A 2025 report from Atlanta on the Cheap listed the child price for kids under nine. A family with a 10- or 11-year-old now pays the lower rate for that child.
Rink hours change through the season:
- Regular weeks: Monday through Friday 3–9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.–10 p.m., Sunday noon–7 p.m.
- Thanksgiving week, November 23–27: 10 a.m.–10 p.m.
- Winter break, December 20–January 3: 10 a.m.–10 p.m.
The rest of Avalon's season starts the next day. Santa at Avalon is at Santa's Cottage in Palmer Plaza from November 23 through December 24, with photo packages at $40, $45 or $50. Hours vary by day. Monday is noon to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday noon to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. On Mondays from November 23 through December 22, Story Time with Santa runs two sessions, 6 to 6:30 p.m. and 6:30 to 7 p.m.
For the lighting itself, Avalon lists free parking decks, valet on 3rd Street and a shuttle from Gwinnett Technical College.
The second opening night is on the Alpha Loop
Twelve days after Avalon's tree goes up, the season opens again on the trail. Lights on the Loop turns on Friday, December 4, along a one-mile stretch of the Alpha Loop at 2500 Northwinds Parkway. It's lit nightly from 5:30 to 11 p.m. through January 4, 2027, and admission is free. The "Switch On The Lights" celebration starts at 5:30 p.m. on opening night.
The 2026 run starts a day earlier but has fewer themed weekends. In 2025, Lights on the Loop ran December 5 through January 4 and had three themed weekends: Winter Health & Wellness, a Sounds of the Season music showcase and Santa Paws' Winter Bash. This year there are two:
- Holiday Music Showcase, December 4–5, 5:30–8:30 p.m. The Alpharetta Symphony, the Alpharetta City Band, local musicians and a holiday DJ.
- Pet-Friendly Weekend Featuring "Llamas on the Loop," December 18–19, 5:30–8:30 p.m. Pet activities plus the Llamas on the Loop event.
Last year the music weekend fell in the middle of the run. This year it opens the season. The vendor area also has a new name. The 2025 Winter Village is now the Lights & Delights Village, set up behind 2500 Northwinds Parkway on themed weekends, with artisan vendors, food and non-alcoholic drinks, a holiday DJ and seasonal characters for photos.
Parking details have changed too. The 2026 page lists complimentary parking at 2500 and 2520 Northwinds Parkway. The 2025 listing also included a free shuttle from city parking decks on themed weekends. The 2026 page doesn't mention a shuttle, so check the City's page before a themed weekend if you were planning to use it.
The Loop under those lights is growing. In August, the City Council approved a $15.9 million, 18.5-month design-build contract with Reeves Young for about a mile of new Alpha Loop from Encore Parkway to Morrison Lake at Haynes Bridge Road. Plans call for a lit, 12-foot-wide trail and a plaza on Encore Parkway, according to Appen Media. The same report said about six miles of the Loop were already complete.
December 4 through 6 is the second crowded weekend
The second opening weekend is busier than it looks at first, because several December events land on the same three days:
- Friday, Dec. 4: Lights on the Loop switches on at 5:30 p.m., and the Holiday Music Showcase starts.
- Saturday, Dec. 5, morning: Breakfast with Santa at Avalon's Chick-fil-A, with seatings at 8–8:45 a.m. and 9:15–10 a.m.
- Saturday, Dec. 5, 11 a.m.–1 p.m.: Free Snow Day at Alpharetta City Center, 2001 Commerce St., with live music, snow and craft stations.
- Saturday, Dec. 5, evening: Second night of the Holiday Music Showcase on the Loop, 5:30–8:30 p.m.
- Sunday, Dec. 6, 8:30–10 a.m.: Breakfast with Santa at Oak Steakhouse at Avalon.
Saturday the 5th can cover all three districts, much like November 21. Snow Day is over by 1 p.m., and the music on the Loop starts at 5:30 p.m. The Breakfast with Santa page doesn't list ticket prices, so check it directly before booking.
Mid-December fills in around the Loop
After that weekend, the schedule spreads out. Most of what's left falls on the weekends between the two Loop themed weekends and the end of the year:
- Saturday, Dec. 12, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.: Makers Market Local Artist Fair at The Plaza at Avalon.
- Sunday, Dec. 13, 9 a.m.–noon: Jingle Jog at The Hotel at Avalon, 9000 Avalon Blvd. Tickets are required.
- Friday and Saturday, Dec. 18–19: Llamas on the Loop and the pet-friendly weekend at Northwinds Parkway.
- Thursday, Dec. 31, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.: Noon Year's Eve at The Hotel at Avalon & Alpharetta Conference Center. Tickets are required for adults and children over two.
Families hosting relatives can also book Santa Tuck Ins at The Hotel at Avalon. They run nightly from November 20 through December 23, starting at 7 p.m. The cost is $110 for the first child and $35 for each additional child, and a hotel room reservation is required.
The season ends in stages. Elf'd UP closes December 27, Lights on the Loop goes dark after January 4, and Avalon on Ice is the last to close, on January 18.
If you're thinking about hosting family in your Alpharetta home this season, or about how it would show once the lights come down in January, Good Living Real Estate can walk you through it calmly and without pressure. Get your free home valuation, and we'll talk through timing whenever you're ready.
