Which Alpharetta tree lighting is the official one this year? There are three, on three nights in a row. The Hamilton Alpharetta lights its tree on Friday, November 20. The City of Alpharetta lights the downtown tree on Saturday, November 21. Avalon lights its 40-foot tree on Sunday, November 22.
Two weeks later comes a second cluster. Lights on the Loop switches on Friday, December 4, and the Alpharetta Business Association's Christmas Market fills Innovation Academy on Milton Avenue the next morning. That leaves two packed weekends with a slower stretch between them, and the first lighting is about three weeks away.
Friday and Saturday Both Happen Downtown, With Different Feels
The first two lightings are close together. The Hamilton Alpharetta, Curio Collection by Hilton, is at 35 Milton Avenue, and Hilton describes it as being in the heart of downtown Alpharetta. The city's own lighting is at 2 Park Plaza, with the main stage in front of Alpharetta City Hall. The two events run on back-to-back evenings in the same downtown, but they're built differently.
Friday, November 20, at The Hamilton. Awesome Alpharetta, the city's visitor bureau, lists the hotel's annual lighting from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The program includes live music, hot cocoa from Bailey's Bar, holiday treats and photos with Santa. Carolers from the Alpharetta High School Chorus will sing, and holiday movies will play on the big screen on the hotel's Amenity Deck. It's a hotel-hosted evening with an amenity deck and a hotel bar's cocoa. Before you go, check the hotel's event page for entry details.
Saturday, November 21, at City Hall. The city calls its version Season of Celebration. Awesome Alpharetta lists it from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. The listing promises live music, snow flurries, marshmallow roasting, sing-alongs and a visit from Santa and friends. Admission is free, and the event goes ahead rain or shine.
The rain-or-shine promise matters more than it sounds. The Saturday lighting is the one weekend date that won't move. If November weather turns, you can still count on the city's event, and you can plan dinner downtown around it.
The same Friday the Hamilton lights its tree, Elf'd UP returns to UP on the Roof in downtown Alpharetta. The holiday pop-up runs November 20 through December 27 with kitschy décor and Christmas-themed cocktails, and the invitation is to wear your tackiest sweater. That makes two downtown openings on the same Friday night.
Sunday at Avalon Starts at 2 p.m.
The Lighting of Avalon runs on a different clock. The tree goes up after dark, but the program at 400 Avalon Boulevard starts at 2:00 p.m. and runs until 7:30. Avalon's published schedule:
| Time | What's happening |
|---|---|
| 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. | Activity Row, with a skating performance by students of all ages around the rink |
| 3:00 p.m. | Avalon on Ice opens to the public |
| 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. | Atlanta Figure Skating Club, plus face painting, holiday crafts and a photo booth along Avalon Boulevard |
| 7:00 p.m. | Santa leads the countdown to the 40-foot tree lighting, which "starts promptly" |
That five-and-a-half-hour run changes how you plan the day. Families with young children can skate in the afternoon and be home before the tree is lit. Anyone set on the 7:00 countdown has to deal with what Avalon itself warns about: parking fills up quickly. Avalon lays out three options and suggests carpooling or ride-share for an easier arrival and exit:
- Park free in any of Avalon's parking decks
- Use the valet at 3rd Street
- Park across the street at Gwinnett Technical College and take the shuttle Avalon runs to the property
The day after the lighting, the season settles in at Avalon. Santa moves into the cottage in Palmer Plaza from November 23 through December 24. Avalon's event page says appointment slots are sold out and walk-ins are possible but not guaranteed. If you planned to book a Santa visit at Avalon, the reservations are already gone. The tree lighting is still a free afternoon.
The Second Weekend Moves to the Alpha Loop and Milton Avenue
Those three nights cover the trees. The first weekend of December is about everything else, and it centers on two places.
Lights on the Loop, a one-mile trail of lights on the Alpha Loop, switches on Friday, December 4, at 5:00 p.m. Awesome Alpharetta lists the venue as the Alpha Loop at 2500 Northwinds Parkway. After opening night, the lights run every evening from 5:30 to 11:00 p.m. through January 4, 2027. The lightings each happen once. The Loop is on for a month, so if you miss opening night, it's still a weeknight walk or an after-dinner jog well past New Year's.
The next morning, the Christmas Market moves the season back to Milton Avenue, the same street as The Hamilton. The Alpharetta Business Association's market runs Saturday, December 5, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Innovation Academy, 125 Milton Avenue. The organizers describe an indoor event with more than 80 vendors and live music. Because it's indoors, it's the one December shopping date that weather can't touch.
Avalon fills the same weekend with Breakfast with Santa. Avalon's event page lists the times:
- Saturday, December 5, 8:00 to 8:45 a.m. at Chick-fil-A
- Saturday, December 5, 9:15 to 10:00 a.m. at Chick-fil-A
- Sunday, December 6, 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. at Oak Steakhouse
Put together, December 4 through 6 can be a full weekend in Alpharetta: the Loop's switch-on Friday evening, the Christmas Market Saturday on Milton Avenue, and Avalon's breakfasts on both mornings.
One more date follows a week later. Avalon's Makers Market Local Artist Fair is Saturday, December 12, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at The Plaza, with more than 30 local makers. If the Christmas Market on December 5 doesn't finish your list, this is your second chance at locally made gifts.
The Downtown You Walk Between Events Keeps Changing
Our summer look at Alpharetta followed the season's energy into the blocks around City Center. Those blocks keep changing.
Appen Media reports that Giulia Italian Bakery is now open at 24 South Main Street in Alpharetta City Center. It bakes Italian goods from scratch and is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Those 8 p.m. closing hours overlap with both downtown lightings. On Friday or Saturday night, you can stop in on the walk between the tree and the car.
A little farther down South Main, Appen Media also reports that Crust Pasta & Pizzeria plans to move from 131 South Main Street across the street into the former Off Leash building at 142 South Main. Nearby, Alpharetta District Places has broken ground on a four-building, 34,000-square-foot retail and restaurant project. This holiday season's downtown is a work in progress, and next year's will have more storefronts lit up.
The Loop Under the Lights Is Getting Longer
The Alpha Loop that carries the December lights is also growing. Connected Alpharetta reports that on Monday, August 17, the city council approved a $15.99 million contract for a one-mile extension called the Alpha Link. It will run from Encore Parkway to Morrison Lake and connect to the Big Creek Greenway. Appen Media's coverage places Morrison Lake at Haynes Bridge Road. It describes a 12-foot-wide, lit trail with a plaza at Encore Parkway, built under an 18.5-month design-build contract.
At that pace, the Alpha Link won't be finished for this season or the next one. This December's one-mile light display is on a trail system that's still growing. A future holiday walk on the Loop could link up with the Big Creek Greenway.
Your quick-reference dates for the season:
- Fri., Nov. 20: The Hamilton tree lighting, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., plus Elf'd UP opens at UP on the Roof
- Sat., Nov. 21: Season of Celebration at City Hall, 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., free, rain or shine
- Sun., Nov. 22: The Lighting of Avalon, 2:00 to 7:30 p.m., tree at 7:00
- Fri., Dec. 4: Lights on the Loop switches on at 5:00 p.m., nightly through Jan. 4, 2027
- Sat., Dec. 5: Christmas Market at Innovation Academy, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Sat., Dec. 12: Makers Market at Avalon, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Holiday weekends are when a home is full of guests and its rooms get used the most. They're also when many homeowners start thinking about what spring might bring. If that's you, Shannon Cartrett would be glad to talk through your plans over a cup of cocoa between lightings. Request a Free Consultation & Home Valuation, and learn more about the city on our Alpharetta neighborhood page.
