When it runs
- The organisers list the Lighting of the Square for Friday, November 27, 2026, from 3:00 to 8:00 PM at the Dahlonega Visitors Center, 13 S Park St. Old Fashioned Christmas committee schedule
- The visitors bureau describes the celebration as running from the day after Thanksgiving through the first week of January. Discover Dahlonega (visitors bureau)
- 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)
The season has a simple shape. One big opening night, a quieter first week, the market and theater weekends, parade day in the middle of December, then family events in the days before Christmas. The lights stay on into the new year.
The key dates for 2026
Lighting of the Square
Published for 2026The season opener on the Friday after Thanksgiving, with carolers, hot cocoa and a visit from Santa.
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
Christmas Market
Published for 2026An annual fundraising market with gifts, homemade sweets and holiday decor.
Dahlonega Christmas Parade
Published for 2026Floats decorated by community groups and music through the square.
The full list, including theater and events in nearby towns, is on the 2026 schedule.
Where it happens
- The brick building in the middle of the square is the 1836 Lumpkin County Courthouse, now the Dahlonega Gold Museum. Georgia State Parks calls it one of the oldest courthouse buildings in Georgia. Georgia State Parks
- The Dahlonega-Lumpkin County Visitors Center is at 13 South Park Street on the square and is open every day from 10 AM to 5 PM. Discover Dahlonega (visitors bureau)
- The downtown authority describes decorated storefronts and thousands of white lights. No official page gives a count. Downtown Dahlonega (development authority)
Almost everything is within a few minutes’ walk of the square. The Visitors Center on South Park Street is the stage for opening night and Santa’s home for the season. Hancock Park, a short walk away, holds the Christmas Market and Kid’s Day.
Who puts it on
- The organisers describe the Old Fashioned Christmas Committee as all-volunteer and funded by local business sponsorship. Old Fashioned Christmas committee
- The organisers' site says Christmas in Dahlonega began in 1963. Its footer also reads 'Est. 1996', so we do not print a founding year as fact. Old Fashioned Christmas committee
What it costs
- 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
- Santa photos are free, according to the organisers. 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
Theater tickets, carriage rides, food and lodging are paid for separately. Here is what is free and what is not.
Start with these guides
- Lighting of the Square: times, road closures and where to stand
- Christmas parade: the route in order and where to park
- Santa in Dahlonega: where he is and what is published so far
- Parking and getting here: the deck, the lots and the drive from Atlanta
- Where to stay: on the square, steps away, or out in the hills
Questions people ask
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.
When does Dahlonega's Old Fashioned Christmas start and end?
It starts with the Lighting of the Square on the day after Thanksgiving (November 27 in 2026). The chamber says it runs through the first week of January; the downtown authority says through the New Year. No exact 2026 end date is published.
Source: Discover Dahlonega
How long do the Christmas lights stay up in Dahlonega?
The 2026 date has not been published. Last season (2025) the chamber said the lights stayed up through January 6; the Dahlonega Nugget reported January 8 for the 2024 season.
Source: Discover Dahlonega
Are there horse-drawn carriage rides at Christmas?
Yes. The chamber says horse-drawn carriage rides run downtown at night starting on Black Friday after the Lighting of the Square. Days and hours for 2026 are not published.
Source: Discover Dahlonega
Is there a Christmas market in Dahlonega?
Yes. The organiser lists a Christmas Market in Hancock Park from December 5 to December 13, 2026, an annual fundraiser with gifts, homemade sweets and holiday decor. The exact open days within those dates are not stated.
What is the Festival of Trees?
A display of around 25 decorated Christmas trees in Hancock Park, which the chamber's 2024 guide says stays up throughout December. It is not yet on the 2026 schedule.
Source: Discover Dahlonega
What is showing at the Holly Theater at Christmas 2026?
The musical Annie runs December 4 to 20, 2026 (Thursdays to Saturdays at 7:30 PM, Saturdays and Sundays at 2 PM; adults $35, students and children $15 as listed in October 2026). A free family movie is listed for December 21, 2026.
Source: Discover Dahlonega
What is there for young children?
The 2026 schedule lists Santa visits from November 27, a Kid's Day with crafts for kindergarten to 5th grade in Hancock Park on December 19 (2-4 PM, a parent must stay), and a free family movie at the Holly Theater on December 21.
Do the shops stay open late during Old Fashioned Christmas?
The downtown authority says the season brings extended shopping hours, and that many of downtown's 65 retail stores stay open after the Lighting of the Square. Individual hours are set by each shop.
Source: Downtown Dahlonega
What is the old building in the middle of the square?
It is the 1836 Lumpkin County Courthouse, now the Dahlonega Gold Museum State Historic Site. Georgia State Parks calls it one of the oldest courthouse buildings in Georgia.
Source: gastateparks.org
Is there a live nativity in Dahlonega?
None is listed in Dahlonega for 2026 so far. The chamber calendar lists a Holiday Celebration with a live nativity setting at North Georgia Wildlife & Safari Park in Cleveland, Georgia on November 28, 2026. A church live nativity in Dahlonega was last found listed in 2019.
Source: Discover Dahlonega
Who runs Old Fashioned Christmas?
The Old Fashioned Christmas Committee, which the organiser describes as all-volunteer and funded through local business support.
Is this the official Old Fashioned Christmas website?
No. Christmas Dahlonega is an independent visitor guide published by Gold Peach Realty. The organising committee's own site is christmasindahlonega.com, and we link to its schedule on every page.
Dates can change. The organisers have the final word: Official Old Fashioned Christmas schedule
