Alpharetta's Holiday Season Starts as a Three-Night Relay

Alpharetta lights three trees on three nights in a row: Friday, Nov. 20, at The Hamilton Alpharetta, Saturday, Nov. 21, in front of City Hall, and Sunday, Nov. 22, on top of the concierge building at Avalon.

Each night has its own setting, but the order matters too. The weekend starts downtown and ends at Avalon, and Avalon keeps the season through Thanksgiving week. Downtown takes it back in December.

The Handoff Starts a Week Early at 2 Park Plaza

The first step comes before any tree goes up. The Alpharetta Farmers Market lists its season as Saturdays from April 4 through Nov. 14, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at 2 Park Plaza. The bureau's 2026 holiday flyer lists the market on Nov. 7 and 14, which makes Saturday, Nov. 14, the last market morning of the year. Exactly one week later, the city's tree lighting takes over the same address.

For anyone who stocks up downtown on Saturdays, Nov. 14 is the last chance before the weekly market goes dark for the winter. The market doesn't run into December. The next sizable gathering on that block is the tree lighting the following Saturday.

Friday Opens on Milton Avenue

The Hamilton Alpharetta goes first. Its annual Christmas tree lighting on Friday, Nov. 20, is free and runs from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at 25 Milton Avenue. The tree is lit at 6:30. Awesome Alpharetta's holiday guide lists live music, a hot cocoa Bailey's bar, festive treats, photos with Santa, carolers from the Alpharetta High School Chorus, a family photo area, and holiday classics on a big screen on the Amenity Deck. The guide lists an 8:30 finish, but the bureau's 2026 promotional flyer says 8 p.m., so plan on the earlier time if you're arriving late.

Friday is also the first night of Santa Tuck Ins at The Hotel at Avalon. The package runs Nov. 20 through Dec. 23 and starts at 7 p.m. It costs $110 for the first child and $35 for each additional child, and you need a hotel room reservation to book it. So on the first night of the relay, Avalon's holiday season is already underway at the hotel, two nights before its own tree is lit.

Saturday Belongs to City Hall

The City of Alpharetta's tree lighting, part of its Season of Celebration, is Saturday, Nov. 21, at 2 Park Plaza in Downtown Alpharetta. It's free and happens rain or shine. The listing promises live music, snow flurries, marshmallow roasting, sing-alongs and an appearance from Santa and friends. The event runs from 5 to 8 p.m., with the stage in front of City Hall.

The listings don't give a specific moment for the lighting, so arriving near the 5 p.m. start is the safest bet.

The same Saturday, the Friendship Ring of Kids holiday display lights up at Innovation Academy, 125 Milton Avenue. It stays up all day, every day, through Dec. 31, and admission is free. Families heading to City Hall can add it to the evening, and since it stays up for six weeks, it's easy to come back on a quieter night.

Sunday Moves the Season to Avalon

Avalon's event is the longest of the three. It starts in the afternoon and builds toward the lighting. Here is the schedule from Avalon's Lighting of Avalon page, in order:

1. 2 to 3 p.m.: Atlanta Figure Skating Club students skate at the rink.
2. 2 to 5 p.m.: Activity Row along Avalon Boulevard, with face painting, holiday crafts and a photo booth.
3. 3 p.m.: Avalon on Ice opens to the public and stays open until 10 p.m.
4. 3 to 5:15 p.m.: Holiday performances on the stage.
5. 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.: The Big Beyond performs.
6. 7 p.m.: Santa leads the countdown, and the 40-foot tree on top of the concierge building lights up.

The Big Beyond's set overlaps the lighting, so the music is still playing when the tree comes on, and the rink is open for three more hours afterward.

Parking is where Sunday differs most from the two downtown nights. Avalon points guests to its free parking decks, valet on 3rd Street, or the lot across the street at Gwinnett Technical College, which has shuttles to the property. The page also warns:

"Because parking will fill up quickly, we recommend carpooling or using a ride-share service to ensure a smooth arrival and departure."

Thanksgiving Week Runs on Rink Hours

After Sunday, the season's center stays at Avalon. Avalon on Ice, which Avalon calls its Rockefeller-inspired rink on The Plaza, runs from Nov. 22 through Jan. 18. Tickets went on sale Tuesday, Nov. 3, at 10 a.m. The longest hours come right away:

During Thanksgiving week, the rink opens five hours earlier on weekdays and stays open an hour later than it normally does. Avalon also extends hours to 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. from Dec. 20 through Jan. 3, on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, and on all Fulton County public school holidays.

General admission is $18 and children 12 and under pay $14. Skates are included in both prices. Avalon asks skaters to book a time slot in advance. Walk-ups are welcome, but they aren't guaranteed a spot when they arrive. Tickets can't be refunded or transferred, but you can move a booking to another available date. Every skater, including walk-ups, needs to fill out a waiver. Group rates are available, but not Friday through Sunday.

Santa arrives the day after the lighting. Santa at Avalon runs Nov. 23 through Dec. 24, with a schedule that changes by weekday and photos starting at $40. Story Time with Santa fills Monday evenings in two half-hour sessions, 6 to 6:30 p.m. and 6:30 to 7 p.m., from Nov. 23 to Dec. 22. With the rink open 12 hours a day and Santa there from the first Monday, Thanksgiving week revolves around The Plaza.

December Brings It Back Downtown

The season moves back to downtown on the first Saturday of December. These are the dated events listed so far:

• Saturday, Dec. 5, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.: The Alpharetta Christmas Market at Innovation Academy, 125 Milton Ave. It's free and separate from the weekly farmers market.
• Saturday, Dec. 5, 10 a.m. to noon: Free Pictures with Santa at the Alpharetta Convention and Visitors Bureau, 178 South Main Street, Suite 200. Photos are printed onsite and emailed. The listing suggests not wearing green and doesn't allow pets.
• Saturday, Dec. 5, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Snow Day on the Town Green, 2001 Commerce Street, with live music, snow, crafts and photo spots. It's free.
• Thursday, Dec. 10, 5 to 6 p.m.: The menorah lighting on the Town Green.
• Saturday, Dec. 12, 5:30 to 7 p.m.: The Winter Parade, from Innovation Academy along School Drive and Canton Street, then south through downtown and down Roswell Street to the Alpharetta Community Center at 175 Roswell St.

The parade is the only one of these that changes how you get around downtown. Alpharetta Now reports that Canton and Roswell streets will close in both directions between Old Milton Parkway and School Drive from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The Old Milton Parkway crossing at Roswell and Milton Avenue at Canton will close too. Roads reopen once the parade has passed and police say it's safe. The same report notes that the rear lot at Innovation Academy fills from 4 p.m. with participant drop-off, and that no spectator parking plan had been published as of its Oct. 23 story.

The parade's start, Innovation Academy, is also home to the Friendship Ring display that lit up on Nov. 21 and the Christmas Market a week before the parade. So the season ends close to where it began, near Milton Avenue, where The Hamilton lit the first tree three weeks earlier.

If your plans this season include hosting family over Thanksgiving week or welcoming out-of-town guests, our advisors spend this season around these same streets and can help you map out the busy weekends. Engel & Völkers Atlanta is glad to share what we know about Downtown Alpharetta and Avalon. Connect with an EV Advisor.