Last-updated: 2026-10-12 # Christmas Dahlonega > The independent visitor guide to the Christmas season in Dahlonega, Georgia: the Old Fashioned Christmas schedule, the Lighting of the Square, the Christmas parade, Santa, parking, where to stay and Christmas films shot in town. Every date links to the source it was read from. Christmas Dahlonega is published by Gold Peach Realty, a real estate brokerage in North Georgia. It is not the official event site. The organising committee's schedule is at https://www.christmasindahlonega.com/blank and has the final word on every date. ## Key 2026 dates (as published by the organisers, checked 2026-10-12) - Lighting of the Square: Friday, November 27, 2026, event listed 3:00 to 8:00 PM at the Dahlonega Visitors Center, 13 S Park St. The visitors bureau gives 6 PM for the tree lighting. - Santa visits: November 27 to December 29, 2026, at the Visitors Center. Photos are free. Days and hours not yet published. - Christmas Market: December 5 to 13, 2026, Hancock Park. - Christmas Parade: Saturday, December 12, 2026, 12:00 to 1:00 PM. Route: starts at Hill Street, west down Main Street, around the Gold Museum, back down Main Street to Hill Street. - Kid's Day: Saturday, December 19, 2026, 2:00 to 4:00 PM, Hancock Park. - Free family movie: Monday, December 21, 2026, Holly Theatre. - Not yet published for 2026: Santa's hours, carriage ride details, road closure times, the date the lights come down, New Year's Eve plans. ## Guides - [What is Dahlonega's Old Fashioned Christmas?](https://christmasdahlonega.com/old-fashioned-christmas/): Old Fashioned Christmas is Dahlonega's season-long celebration on its historic square. It opens with the Lighting of the Square on the Friday after Thanksgiving, which is November 27 in 2026, and the visitors bureau says it runs through the first week of January. Volunteers organise it, and the main events have no admission charge listed. - [Dahlonega Christmas 2026 schedule](https://christmasdahlonega.com/schedule/): The 2026 season opens Friday, November 27 with the Lighting of the Square. The Christmas Market runs December 5 to 13, the parade is Saturday, December 12 at noon, Kid's Day is December 19 and a free family movie is December 21. Santa visits run November 27 to December 29. Each entry below shows its source. - [When is the Lighting of the Square in Dahlonega?](https://christmasdahlonega.com/lighting-of-the-square/): The Lighting of the Square is Friday, November 27, 2026, at the Dahlonega Visitors Center on the square. The organisers list the event from 3:00 to 8:00 PM, and the visitors bureau says the tree lighting ceremony is at 6 PM. Road closures began at 3:30 PM in 2025, so arrive early. - [Dahlonega Christmas Parade: date, time and route](https://christmasdahlonega.com/christmas-parade/): The 2026 Dahlonega Christmas Parade is Saturday, December 12, from 12:00 to 1:00 PM. The organisers say it starts at Hill Street, goes west down Main Street, around the Gold Museum and back down Main Street to Hill Street. No ticket is listed. In 2024 roads closed half an hour before the start. - [Where is Santa in Dahlonega?](https://christmasdahlonega.com/santa/): Santa receives visitors at the Dahlonega Visitors Center on the square. The organisers list Santa visits from November 27 to December 29, 2026, and say photos are free. His days and hours for 2026 are not published yet. Children can also post a letter in the Santa mailbox at the Visitors Center. - [Where to park for Christmas in Dahlonega](https://christmasdahlonega.com/parking/): For evening and weekend events, start with the University of North Georgia parking deck, reached from South Chestatee Street and Choice Avenue. It is open to visitors after 5:30 PM on weekdays and all day at weekends. For a full day, use the Park and Stay spaces in the North Park Street or Warwick Street lots. - [Christmas carriage rides in Dahlonega](https://christmasdahlonega.com/carriage-rides/): Horse-drawn carriage rides run in downtown Dahlonega at night during the Christmas season, starting on Black Friday after the Lighting of the Square, according to the visitors bureau. Days, hours, prices and booking details for 2026 are not published yet. This page will carry them as soon as they are. - [Is Dahlonega crowded at Christmas? Best night, weather and what to wear](https://christmasdahlonega.com/plan-your-visit/): Opening night is the busiest: the visitors bureau's director has spoken of about 16,000 people at the Lighting of the Square. Ordinary weeknights are far quieter. December afternoons are mild and nights are near freezing at the nearest stations with records, and snow is rare. Layers and comfortable shoes are enough. - [Dahlonega Christmas itineraries: one evening, one day, a weekend](https://christmasdahlonega.com/itineraries/): With one evening, arrive before dusk, park in the university deck, walk the lit square, eat, then look for a carriage. With a day, add the Gold Museum and the Christmas Market. With a weekend, build it around the December 12 parade or a theater night and stay within walking distance of the square. - [Dahlonega Christmas Market: dates and what to expect](https://christmasdahlonega.com/christmas-market/): The organisers list the Christmas Market in Hancock Park from December 5 to December 13, 2026, with a listing window of 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. It is an annual fundraiser with gifts, homemade sweets and holiday decor. Which days it opens inside that range is not stated, so check before a weekday trip. - [Which Christmas movies were filmed in Dahlonega?](https://christmasdahlonega.com/christmas-movies/): The visitors bureau's film office lists three Christmas films shot in Dahlonega: Christmas in the Smokies (2015), Christmas in Homestead (2016) and A Taste of Christmas (2020). Christmas in Homestead is the Hallmark Channel title, filmed downtown in autumn 2016 with fake snow on the square. - [Is Christmas in Dahlonega free? Tickets explained](https://christmasdahlonega.com/tickets/): The town's December celebration is not a ticketed event. The organisers' 2026 schedule shows no 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. - [Where to stay in Dahlonega for Christmas](https://christmasdahlonega.com/where-to-stay/): To walk to the lights, stay on or beside the square: the downtown authority lists one hotel directly on the square and several inns and boutique hotels within a short walk. For more space, look at cabins and vacation rentals in the hills. Opening weekend and the parade weekend are the biggest dates, so book those early. - [Christmas tree farms near Dahlonega](https://christmasdahlonega.com/christmas-tree-farms/): The Georgia Forestry Commission's vendor directory lists two Christmas tree farms in Dahlonega, Barn Hill Tree Farm and Holly Hill Tree Farm, with more in Dawsonville and Cumming. The directory prints opening dates without a year, so confirm with the farm before you drive out. - [What is it like to live in Dahlonega?](https://christmasdahlonega.com/living-in-dahlonega/): Dahlonega is a small North Georgia mountain town about an hour north of Atlanta, built around a historic square with a university beside it. Residents get the Christmas lights, festivals and wineries on their doorstep all year. Gold Peach Realty, the local brokerage behind this guide, lists homes for sale here. - [About Christmas Dahlonega](https://christmasdahlonega.com/about/): Christmas Dahlonega is an independent visitor guide to the Christmas season in Dahlonega, Georgia, published by Gold Peach Realty, a local real estate brokerage. It is not the official event site. Every date and practical detail is taken from a named source and shows when it was last checked. ## Journal - [What time is the Lighting of the Square: 3 PM, 5:30 or 6?](https://christmasdahlonega.com/what-time-is-the-lighting-of-the-square/): All three times are real, and they describe different things. The organisers list the 2026 event from 3:00 to 8:00 PM on Friday, November 27. The visitors bureau gives 6 PM for the tree lighting ceremony. The 5:30 PM time was when the music began in 2025. - [Does it snow in Dahlonega at Christmas?](https://christmasdahlonega.com/does-it-snow-in-dahlonega-at-christmas/): Rarely, and not much. NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Dahlonega station average 0.7 inches of snow in December. The month is far wetter than it is white, with 6.4 inches of precipitation on average. Expect cold, clear nights more often than a white Christmas. - [Where to park for the Dahlonega Christmas parade](https://christmasdahlonega.com/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. It is reached from South Chestatee Street and Choice Avenue. Park before the roads close, which was half an hour before the start in 2024, and walk to Main Street. - [Dahlonega Christmas 2026: what is confirmed so far, and what is not](https://christmasdahlonega.com/dahlonega-christmas-2026-whats-confirmed/): As of October 12, 2026, the organisers have published six dated events: the Lighting of the Square on November 27, Santa visits from November 27 to December 29, the Christmas Market on December 5 to 13, the parade on December 12, Kid's Day on December 19 and a free movie on December 21. - [How far is Dahlonega from Atlanta, and how long should you allow at Christmas?](https://christmasdahlonega.com/how-far-is-dahlonega-from-atlanta/): 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 route is GA-400 North, then left onto GA-60 for the last 5.5 miles. On lighting night and parade day, allow extra time for the final stretch and for parking. ## About - [About this guide](https://christmasdahlonega.com/about/): who publishes it and how facts are checked. - [Photo and video credits](https://christmasdahlonega.com/photo-credits/): sources and licences, including which images are AI-generated. - Contact: info@goldpeachrealty.com, (770) 283-1223 (Gold Peach Realty).