Three times, three meanings
| Time | What it is | Who says so |
|---|---|---|
| 3:00 to 8:00 PM | The whole event at the Visitors Center | The organisers’ 2026 schedule |
| 6 PM | The tree lighting ceremony | The visitors bureau |
| 5:30 PM | Christmas music before the lights, in 2025 | The visitors bureau’s page, which still carries that 2025 line |
- 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 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)
- In 2025 Christmas music in front of the Visitor Center began at 5:30 PM, half an hour before the lights. Discover Dahlonega (visitors bureau)
So when should you be there?
If you only want the moment the lights come on, be in front of the Visitors Center before 6 PM. If you want a parking space within a short walk, think in terms of mid-afternoon, not early evening.
- For the 2025 lighting, road closures and detours began at 3:30 PM. No 2026 closure time is published yet. Discover Dahlonega (visitors bureau)
The 2026 closure time is not published yet. Until it is, last year’s 3:30 PM is the sensible number to plan around.
One caution
The 6 PM time comes from a page that has not been fully updated for 2026. It matches last year, and we expect it to hold, but we will confirm it against the organisers’ final schedule and update the Lighting of the Square guide when they publish it.
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Written by the Christmas Dahlonega Editorial Team. AI tools help us draft; people check every fact before it publishes.
Dates can change. The organisers have the final word: Official Old Fashioned Christmas schedule
