This calendar combines the organisers’ schedule with listings from the visitors bureau, the theaters and the university. A green badge means the date is published for 2026. An amber badge means we only have last season’s details, and the 2026 date is not out yet.
Every event we can source
Holiday Bazaar at Dipsy Doodle Antiques
Published for 2026A one-day sale of holiday antiques, vintage pieces and crafts.
Free admission Source: Discover Dahlonega event listing
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
Letters to Santa mailbox
Published for 2026Children can bring a letter for Santa and post it in the special mailbox.
Holiday Celebration at the wildlife park (Cleveland, GA)
Published for 2026Santa visits, a hayride and animals in a live nativity setting. This is in Cleveland, not Dahlonega.
Source: Discover Dahlonega event listing
UNG Holiday Choral Festival (Gainesville)
Published for 2026The University of North Georgia choirs' holiday concert. It is in Gainesville, not Dahlonega.
Source: University of North Georgia news
Annie at the Holly Theater
Published for 2026The Holly Theatre Company's December musical.
Adults $35, students and children $15 (as listed Oct 12, 2026) Source: Discover Dahlonega event listing
A Christmas Carol at The Menagerie Theatre
Published for 2026A stage production of the Dickens story.
$25, seniors and students $20 (as listed Oct 12, 2026) Source: Discover Dahlonega event listing
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.
Kid's Day
Published for 2026Activities and crafts for children in kindergarten to 5th grade. A parent or guardian must stay with the child.
Free family movie at the Holly Theatre
Published for 2026A free family film. The organisers name it as The Santa Clause, rated PG.
Free Source: Old Fashioned Christmas committee schedule
Horse-drawn carriage rides
Not yet published · 2026 not yet publishedThe visitors bureau says carriage rides run downtown at night starting on Black Friday after the lighting. No 2026 days, hours, price or booking details are published.
Festival of Trees
2024 details shown · 2026 not yet publishedDecorated trees, each sponsored by a community group or business. The visitors bureau's 2024 guide counted around 25.
Christmas Art Market
2025 details shown · 2026 not yet publishedLocal artists and makers selling handcrafted gifts on the Saturday after the lighting.
Concert in the park after the lighting
2025 details shown · 2026 not yet publishedIn 2025 a concert followed the lighting, among the Festival of Trees, with food trucks on site.
New Year's Eve
2024 details shown · 2026 not yet publishedThere is no single town event. The visitors bureau's page still describes the parties that welcomed 2025.
Not published yet
As of our last check these had no 2026 details: Santa’s days and hours, carriage ride times and prices, the Festival of Trees, the Christmas Art Market, the concert after the lighting, the date the lights come down, and New Year’s Eve plans. We update this page when the organisers publish them.
Three things that confuse people
- The visitors bureau says the tree lighting ceremony is at 6 PM in front of the Visitor Center. Its page still carries one line dated from 2025, so check the time again closer to the day. Discover Dahlonega (visitors bureau)
- 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 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
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.
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 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
Is anyone staging A Christmas Carol in Dahlonega in 2026?
Yes. The Menagerie Theatre and Event Center lists A Christmas Carol on December 4-6, 11-13 and 18-20, 2026, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 3:00 PM, at $25 regular and $20 senior or student.
Source: Discover Dahlonega
Dates can change. The organisers have the final word: Official Old Fashioned Christmas schedule
