Best Christmas Events in Atlanta
Search for “Things to Do in Atlanta for Christmas” and you’ll find plenty of guides on Atlanta holiday activities. But as a longtime metro-Atlanta resident, I know that some Atlanta Christmas events shine brighter than the rest. After years of trying various things to do, I’ve put together of a list of my family’s favorite activities for the Christmas season. While some of the activities on my list are outside the city, they’re still close enough that you can visit for a day or an evening.
Light Shows and Displays
Atlanta Botanical Garden Holiday Lights
My family’s top Atlanta Christmas tradition is Atlanta Botanical Garden’s Garden Nights, Holiday Lights. Since it’s start in 2011, we’ve been making memories with friends and family at this annual event. Featuring more than a million lights strung across Atlanta Botanical Garden’s 30 acres, it’s one of the most impressive Christmas light displays in the Southeast. With model trains, an outdoor lounge with a deejay, and a thrilling light show in the forest, Atlanta Botanical Garden’s holiday event has a little something for everyone. Read more about it in my Complete Guide to Atlanta Botanical Garden’s Holiday Lights.
Zoo Atlanta Lantern Festival
In 2021, Zoo Atlanta debuted a seasonal light display called Illuminights, and it’s absolutely worth a visit. At this Chinese lantern festival, visitors walk the zoo grounds to discover 80 nature-inspired lanterns depicting plants and animals, both real and fantastical. Our favorite was the jellyfish display, which featured man-of-wars with flowing tentacles of vibrant colors along with vivid coral and sea plants.
This year, Iluminights at the Zoo takes place from November 21 to January 15. General admission tickets range from $21 to $25 per adult.
Callaway Gardens Christmas Lights
If you’re willing to venture a little outside of Atlanta, the light display at Callaway Gardens should be on your Christmas to-do list. Located in Pine Mountain, Georgia, this holiday event has long been a tradition for many Atlanta families. Fantasy in Lights is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and will be bigger and better than ever, with a new floating tree display on Celebration Lake. Named one of the top 10 lights displays in the world by National Geographic, it boasts 10 million lights across 2,500 acres. To read more about it, check out my complete guide, Everything You Need to Know about Callaway Gardens Fantasy in Lights.
Sandy Springs Sparkle Village
And finally, for a free Atlanta Christmas light display, don’t miss Sandy Springs’ Sparkle Village. Located at the event venue City Springs, the Sparkle Village is a month-long display of lights and miniature homes decorated by local schools, nonprofits, and businesses. Paired with City Springs’ interactive fountain, it’s a beautiful spot to take a walk and snap some photos with the family. It runs from December 4 to January 1.
Holiday Concerts and Shows
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Puppet Show
If you have a special place in your heart for the television special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, then don’t miss the Center for Puppetry Arts’ annual production based on the holiday classic. All the music and dialogue is performed live, and the Center’s talented cast remarkably reproduces the television show down to the beloved characters’ pitch and inflection. The puppets themselves look as though they could have been lifted straight from the Rankin/Bass stop-motion set. It’s an Atlanta Christmas tradition that’s sure to delight kids and parents alike.
This year’s Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer production runs from November 9 to December 31. Tickets also include admission to the Center’s Worlds of Puppetry Museum and the Create-a-Puppet Workshop.
Atlanta Symphony’s Christmas Concerts
The Atlanta Symphony hosts several events for the holiday season. First up is The Polar Express in Concert on November 26 and 27, in which the live orchestra accompanies a showing of the 2004 film. From December 15 to 18, the Atlanta Symphony performs its annual Christmas extravaganza, Christmas with the ASO. This concert includes special guest musicians and concludes with a Christmas carol sing-a-long. And finally, the Atlanta Symphony gives its annual performance of Handel’s Messiah on December 22. We’ve attended Christmas with the ASO several times and always enjoy this festive evening with the family.
Christmas Festivals and Markets
Atlanta Christlkind Market
The Atlanta Christlkind Market will take place again this year in Buckhead Village, its third location after stints at both Atlantic Station and Centennial Olympic Park in the past five years. This relatively new Atlanta Christmas event is perfect for those who love to celebrate the holidays with good food and drink. It’s all about trying German and other international fare, like chimney cakes, schnitzel, bratwurst, crepes, and gluehwein. The market vendors also offer imported goods including Christmas ornaments, toys, and jewelry. It may have been the most entertained my teens have been by a family Christmas outing in a while.
The Atlanta Christlkind Market runs from November 25 to December 24, 2022, and admission is free.
Georgia Festival of Trees
Another terrific Atlanta holiday event is the Georgia Festival of Trees at the Georgia World Congress Center. This longtime Atlanta tradition disappeared in 2007 but returned in 2021 to support Wellspring Living, an Atlanta nonprofit. The festival features hundreds of Christmas trees decorated by local companies and organizations. It also boasts a gingerbread house competition, photos with Santa, and children’s activities like cookie decorating, an obstacle course, and a LEGO-building challenge. Live entertainment, food, and shopping round out the list of activities. We enjoyed attending this event when our children were small and are happy to see its return.
The Georgia Festival of Trees will be held from November 19 to 27, 2022. Tickets run approximately $20 per adult and $15 per child ages four and up.
Christmas Home Tours
Winter House at Callanwolde
For Christmas decorating inspiration, try one of Atlanta’s Christmas home tours. One of my favorites is Winter House at Callanwolde. From November 25 to December 10, Callanwolde Fine Arts Center holds an open house with family-friendly Christmas activities. Visitors can tour historic Callanwolde, a Gothic Revival mansion built in the early 1920s for the son of Asa Candler, the Atlanta pharmacist who was one of the early owners of the Coca-Cola formula.
Admission to Winter House is free, but tickets for certain activities such as workshops and live music performances must be purchased for a fee.
Christmas at Tate House
Another lovely Christmas home tour is at the historic Tate House, a 19,000-square-foot mansion made of pink Georgia marble that now serves primarily as a wedding venue. At Christmastime, each room is transformed with extravagant Christmas decor, including designer trees, wreaths, and garlands. Along with a mansion tour, you can enjoy lunch, royal tea, or dinner with live music in the event venue’s ballroom. The Tate House is located about an hour north of Atlanta in Tate, Georgia.
Tickets for the mansion tour only may be purchased onsite at the gift shop, while reservations are required for the dining and mansion tour combination tickets. This year, the Tate House Christmas Open House runs from November 29 to December 22.
Ice Skating
Avalon on Ice
Although not exclusively an Atlanta Christmas event, an ice-skating outing always gets my family in a festive holiday mood. Our go-to rink is Avalon on Ice. The rink is built over Avalon Alpharetta’s central green and is open from November 20 to January 16. For busy weekends, be sure to reserve a spot ahead of time online. After your session, have dinner or a snack at one of Avalon’s many eateries like District III, Superica, Antico Pasta, or True Food Kitchen.
Ponce City Market Skate the Sky
Another fun ice-skating option in Atlanta is Skate the Sky. Located on the Roof at Ponce City Market, this covered rink offers 50-minute skating sessions and the option to reserve private igloos. Before or after you skate, spend some time at the Roof’s Skyline Park, which has vintage carnival games and rides, mini-golf, and an outdoor bar.
Atlanta Christmas Craftmaking
Christmas Ornament-Making at Decatur Glassblowing
Finally, for a unique Atlanta Christmas activity, try ornament-making at Decatur Glassblowing. You can attend a public or private class to learn how to make a colorful blown-glass ball. Although the class is conducted in a group, the instructor provides one-on-one help to each student during the glassblowing process. Not only is it a fascinating experience, but you’ll come home with a beautiful keepsake. Public classes are $58.00 per person and begin on November 10.
Interested in other things to do in Atlanta? You might like 7 Best Hikes in Atlanta with Kids and Ease Your Mind with 8 Great Outdoor Activities in Atlanta.
