Alpharetta lights its 50-foot tree at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, at a 5-to-8 p.m. event downtown. No city parade is listed. Avalon lights Nov. 22.
Last checked 2026-10-03. This page is updated each year at the same address. Sources: the City of Alpharetta’s Season of Celebration page, the Alpharetta Business Association and the Alpharetta Convention & Visitors Bureau’s event calendar. The city will post its performance schedule closer to the date; we will add it here.
Alpharetta’s tree lighting is Saturday, Nov. 21, 2026, from 5 to 8 p.m. downtown at City Hall, 2 Park Plaza. The tree is lit at 6:30 p.m. The event is free and goes ahead rain or shine.
There is no city Christmas parade on the calendar. The city’s event calendar lists no Christmas parade for 2026, and it listed none in 2025. The tree lighting is the city’s main holiday gathering. If a parade is announced, we will add it here.
Who to call
- City special events: 678-297-6102, specialevents@alpharetta.ga.us
- Christmas Market: the Alpharetta Business Association, through the market’s page
- Holiday Food Drive: North Fulton Community Charities food pantry
- Weather calls: the Rainout Line app and @AlpharettaRecreation on Facebook
The tree lighting
The city’s 50-foot Christmas tree is donated by the Evans family. The city’s page promises live music, snow flurries, marshmallow roasting and a visit from Santa and friends. The performance schedule for 2026 has not been posted.
Last year’s lighting, on Nov. 22, 2025, gives a sense of the evening. The city said it drew more than 3,000 people and dates to 1977. It ran school choruses, dance and ballet, a drumline and the Alpharetta Jazz Band on the main stage, with photos with Santa, caricatures, fire pits and storytime around the Town Green and Market Street, according to the city’s 2025 announcement.
Other tree lightings and holiday events
| Date | Event | Time | Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, Nov. 20 | The Hamilton Alpharetta’s Christmas tree lighting | 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. | The Hamilton Alpharetta, 35 Milton Ave. |
| Saturday, Nov. 21 | City of Alpharetta tree lighting | 5 to 8 p.m.; lighting 6:30 p.m. | City Hall and Town Green, 2 Park Plaza |
| Sunday, Nov. 22 | The Lighting of Avalon | 2 to 7:30 p.m. | Avalon, 400 Avalon Blvd. |
| Saturday, Dec. 5 | Alpharetta Christmas Market | 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Innovation Academy, 125 Milton Ave. |
| Thursday, Dec. 24 | Santa at Avalon | Noon to 6 p.m. | Palmer Plaza, Avalon |
The Hamilton and Avalon listings come from the visitors bureau’s calendar; check Avalon’s events page and the hotel’s ticket page before you go.
Alpharetta Christmas Market
The Alpharetta Business Association’s indoor Christmas Market is Saturday, Dec. 5, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Innovation Academy, 125 Milton Ave. The association says it has more than 80 vendors and live music and typically draws 2,500 to 4,000 visitors. It runs the same day as the city’s Hop and Shop event. Vendor applications are closed. Source: the Christmas Market page.
Holiday Food Drive
From Nov. 21 to Dec. 14, the city collects nonperishable food for the North Fulton Community Charities food pantry. Indoor bins are at:
- Alpharetta Adult Activity Center, 13450 Cogburn Road
- Alpharetta City Hall, 2 Park Plaza
- Alpharetta Community Center, 175 Roswell St.
- Alpharetta First Baptist Church, 44 Academy St.
- Avalon concierge and valet parking, 400 Avalon Blvd.
- Preston Ridge Community Center, 3655 Preston Ridge Road
- Wills Park Recreation Center, 11925 Wills Road
Outdoor collection shelves stand outside City Hall, on the Town Green, at Milton Avenue and Canton Street, and on Canton Street between Milton Avenue and School Drive. The city’s list of most-needed items includes canned beans, greens and peas, meals in a can, macaroni and cheese cups, instant noodles, canned fruit, tomato sauce, broth, canned tuna, cereal, juice boxes and bar soap.
Lights on the Loop
In December 2025 the city ran Holiday Lights on the Loop, a monthlong light display along a one-mile stretch of the Alpha Loop trail with themed weekends and a Winter Village. The city has not posted 2026 dates.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Alpharetta tree lighting in 2026? Saturday, Nov. 21, 5 to 8 p.m., at City Hall, 2 Park Plaza, with the tree lit at 6:30 p.m. It is free and goes ahead rain or shine.
Does Alpharetta have a Christmas parade? No city Christmas parade is on the 2026 calendar, and there was none in 2025. The tree lighting is the city’s main holiday gathering.
When is the Lighting of Avalon? Sunday, Nov. 22, 2 to 7:30 p.m., at Avalon, 400 Avalon Blvd.
When is the Alpharetta Christmas Market? Saturday, Dec. 5, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Innovation Academy, 125 Milton Ave. The Alpharetta Business Association says it has more than 80 vendors.
Where can I drop off food for the Alpharetta holiday food drive? From Nov. 21 to Dec. 14, indoor bins are at City Hall, the Alpharetta Community Center, the Wills Park Recreation Center and other sites, with outdoor shelves downtown. The food goes to the North Fulton Community Charities food pantry.
What this means for you
- Mark Saturday, Nov. 21, for the city tree lighting; arrive before 6:30 p.m. for the lighting.
- No city parade is on the calendar so far; check back in November.
- Shop the Christmas Market and drop food drive donations downtown on Dec. 5.
More: things to do this month and trash pickup over the holidays.
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