Nov27Fri
Lighting of the Square
Published for 2026The season opener on the Friday after Thanksgiving, with carolers, hot cocoa and a visit from Santa.
Dahlonega, Georgia · 2026 season
Christmas in Dahlonega
Dahlonega's Old Fashioned Christmas opens with the Lighting of the Square on Friday, November 27, 2026. The parade is Saturday, December 12 at noon, Santa visits run November 27 to December 29, and the Christmas Market is December 5 to 13. Every date here is sourced.
See the 2026 schedule Plan your visit
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Countdown to the Lighting of the Square
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Fri, Nov 27 · Opens 3:00 PM at the Visitors Center
Evening illustration made with AI from a real daytime photo of the 1836 courthouse. Credits
The season at a glance
The dates that matter, each with its source
We read the organisers' schedule and the visitors bureau's pages, then put the answers in one place. Where a detail is not published yet, we say so.
Nov27Fri
Santa at the Visitors Center
Published for 2026Visit Santa for a photo and to share Christmas wishes.
Free photo Source: Old Fashioned Christmas committee schedule
Dec5Sat
Christmas Market
Published for 2026An annual fundraising market with gifts, homemade sweets and holiday decor.
Dec12Sat
Dahlonega Christmas Parade
Published for 2026Floats decorated by community groups and music through the square.
- The organisers' 2026 schedule shows no ticket or admission price for the Lighting of the Square, the parade, the Christmas Market or Kid's Day. Old Fashioned Christmas committee schedule
- A ticketed fan event called Christmas in a Small Town was held at the University of North Georgia in July 2025. It is a separate event from the December celebration on the square. Garden & Gun
- The 2026 date for taking the lights down is not published. In the 2025 season they stayed up through January 6, according to the visitors bureau. Discover Dahlonega (visitors bureau)
Twenty-four doors
An advent calendar of things worth knowing
Open a door for one small, sourced tip. In December, today's door glows.
The lights come on
The season opens with the Lighting of the Square on the Friday after Thanksgiving.
Lighting guidePark in the deck
After 5:30 PM on weekdays and all weekend, the UNG deck is the first place to try.
Parking guideNo ticket needed
The schedule shows no admission for the lighting, the parade, the market or Kid's Day.
Free or ticketed?A Christmas Carol
The Menagerie Theatre stages the Dickens story over three weekends.
See the scheduleWhat to wear
The nearest station with a record averages a December high of 53°F and a low of 29°F.
Plan your visitNot the July event
The ticketed fan convention is a different thing from the town's Christmas.
Free or ticketed?
The four big moments
What a Dahlonega Christmas is made of
Opening night
The Lighting of the Square
Fri, Nov 27 · Event listed 3:00 to 8:00 PM. The visitors bureau gives 6 PM for the tree lighting. Published for 2026
The whole season starts here, in front of the Visitors Center on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Come early, because roads around the square have closed in mid-afternoon in past years.
Lighting guide: times, closures, where to stand
Second Saturday
The Christmas Parade
Sat, Dec 12 · 12:00 to 1:00 PM Published for 2026
Community floats and music loop from Hill Street along Main Street and around the old courthouse. We have the route in order and where to park for it.
Parade guide and route
For the children
Santa on the square
Nov 27 – Dec 29 · Days and hours not yet published Published for 2026
Santa receives visitors at the Visitors Center, photos are free, and there is a mailbox for letters. His days and hours for this year are not out yet, and we will post them when they are.
Santa guide
After dark
Carriages, cocoa and the market
Dec 5 – Dec 13 · Listed 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Open days inside the range are not stated. Published for 2026
Once the lights are on, the square slows down. Horse-drawn carriages run downtown at night, shops keep longer hours, and the Christmas Market sets up in Hancock Park.
One evening, one day or a weekend
Make a weekend of it
Everything else you will ask before you go
Lodging is the question people ask most. Then parking, then whether any of it needs a ticket.
StayWhere to stay for ChristmasOn the square, steps away, or out in the hills.
TreesChristmas tree farmsTwo in Dahlonega, more within a short drive.MoviesChristmas films shot hereThree titles, one small town.
MarketsThe Christmas marketsWhich market is which.TicketsFree or ticketed?What costs money and what does not.
PlansThree ready-made itinerariesOne evening, one day, a weekend.Before you leave the house
Parking, weather and the drive
Parking
Start with the UNG deck
Evening and weekend visitors are pointed first to the University of North Georgia parking deck, reached from South Chestatee Street and Choice Avenue. It is available after 5:30 PM Monday to Friday and all day Saturday and Sunday.
Source: Old Fashioned Christmas committee schedule
Full parking guideWeather
Cold nights, mild afternoons
NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals have no temperature record for the Dahlonega station. The Cleveland, Georgia station averages a December high of 53.4°F and a low of 29.3°F.
Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals
What to wear and when to goThe drive
About an hour from Atlanta
The visitors bureau describes Dahlonega as one hour north of Atlanta at the end of GA-400, and lists Atlanta at 71 miles.
Source: Discover Dahlonega (visitors bureau)
Directions and event-day tipsQuick answers
The questions everyone asks
Short answers with the page we got them from.
When is the Lighting of the Square in Dahlonega in 2026?
Friday, November 27, 2026, the day after Thanksgiving. The organiser's listing runs 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Dahlonega Visitors Center on the square.
What time do the Christmas lights get switched on?
The visitors bureau says the tree lighting ceremony is at 6 PM in front of the Visitor Center. The organisers list the whole event from 3:00 to 8:00 PM. The bureau's page still carries one line from 2025, so check again nearer the day.
When is the Dahlonega Christmas parade in 2026?
Saturday, December 12, 2026, from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM, through the historic district and the square.
What is the Christmas parade route?
The organisers' parade page says the 2026 parade starts at Hill Street, goes west down Main Street, around the Gold Museum and back down Main Street to Hill Street. No map is published yet.
Where and when can children see Santa in Dahlonega?
At the Dahlonega Visitors Center on the square. The organisers list Santa visits from November 27 to December 29, 2026, but have not published which days or hours.
Where should I park for Christmas events in downtown Dahlonega?
The official parking guide points evening and weekend visitors first to the University of North Georgia parking deck, reached from South Chestatee Street and Choice Avenue, available after 5:30 PM on weekdays and all day at weekends. For a full day, use the Park & Stay spaces in the North Park Street and Warwick Street lots.
Source: Discover Dahlonega
Do I need tickets for Christmas in Dahlonega?
The organisers' 2026 schedule shows no ticket or admission price for the Lighting of the Square, the parade, the Christmas Market or Kid's Day, and Santa photos are free. Theater shows are ticketed by the theaters. A separate fan convention held in July is ticketed and is a different event.
Journal
One question at a time
How far is Dahlonega from Atlanta, and how long should you allow at Christmas?
The visitors bureau describes Dahlonega as one hour north of Atlanta at the end of GA-400, and lists the distance as 71 miles. The…
Dahlonega Christmas 2026: what is confirmed so far, and what is not
As of October 12, 2026, the organisers have published six dated events: the Lighting of the Square on November 27, Santa visits from November…
Where to park for the Dahlonega Christmas parade
The 2026 parade is on Saturday, December 12 at noon, so the University of North Georgia parking deck is open to visitors all day.…
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Home for the holidays
Love it here in December? See what it is like all year.
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