Alpharetta Lights Its Trees on Back-to-Back Nights This November. Which One Is Yours?

Alpharetta's holiday season opens with three tree lightings on three nights in a row. The Hamilton Alpharetta goes first on Friday, Nov. 20. Downtown follows on Saturday, Nov. 21, and Avalon closes the weekend on Sunday, Nov. 22. Each one has a Santa appearance, and each is planned around a different kind of evening.

After that weekend the calendar changes shape. From Dec. 4 the Alpha Loop stays lit every night into January, so the season stops depending on one date and becomes something you can walk into on any weeknight. Planning around those two phases is easier than tracking two dozen separate listings.

One weekend, three hosts

The Hamilton's details come from its event listing, downtown's from the Season of Celebration listing, and Avalon's from the Lighting of Avalon schedule, all posted by the Alpharetta Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Friday at The Hamilton runs on a clock

The Hamilton has the tightest schedule of the three. It runs three hours, and the tree lights at 6:30 p.m. Admission is complimentary. The listing includes live holiday music, a Hot Cocoa Baileys Bar, photos with Santa and a Prime Rib special from the restaurant. Outside, carolers from the Alpharetta High School Chorus perform, and a big screen on the Amenity Deck shows holiday classics. With a set lighting time and dinner on site, it's the easiest of the three to fit around a Friday workday.

Saturday is the only day you can fill morning to night

Downtown's lighting is the biggest tree of the weekend at 50 feet. The setup also asks the most of you. The city's listing says to bring portable chairs and settle in for live holiday music, snow flurries and performances on the main stage in front of Alpharetta City Hall. Strolling characters work the crowd, and Santa makes an appearance. The listing gives no exact lighting time, so plan to arrive near the 5 p.m. start.

Saturday has a daytime half too. Arts Alpharetta holds its Holiday Artists Market the same day from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Alpharetta Arts Center, with handmade original art and gifts. The market closes half an hour before the tree event opens. That makes Nov. 21 the one day of the weekend where a gift-shopping afternoon leads straight into an evening event.

Sunday at Avalon starts five hours before the tree

Avalon spreads its lighting across most of the afternoon, and skating is the main event. Activity Row runs from 2 to 3 p.m. with an ice skating performance by students of all ages. Avalon on Ice opens to the public at 3 p.m., and the Atlanta Figure Skating Club takes the ice from 3 to 5. Along Avalon Boulevard there's face painting, holiday crafts and a photo booth. Santa helps count down to the 40-foot tree, which the schedule says "starts promptly at 7:00 pm."

The festivities are free, but skating has a price. The Avalon on Ice listing puts general admission at $18 per person and $14 for children 12 and under, with skates included. Because the rink opens that day, Sunday works best for households that want an active afternoon and a lighting at the end of it.

Santa stays at Avalon after that weekend. Santa at Avalon runs Nov. 23 through Dec. 24 in Palmer Plaza. Avalon recommends appointments, and photo packages run $35 to $45.

After Thanksgiving, the season moves to the Alpha Loop

The tree weekend asks you to pick a night. Lights On The Loop doesn't. The one-mile trail of lights on the Alpha Loop is listed nightly from 5:30 to 11 p.m., repeating until Jan. 4, 2027. The lights switch on with a kickoff on Friday, Dec. 4, at 5 p.m. That's a month of evenings, open until 11 p.m. The tree lightings each last about three hours, and Avalon's runs five and a half.

Two weekends on the Loop get extra programming:

• Dec. 4 and 5, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The Holiday Music Showcase brings in the Alpharetta Symphony, the City Band, local musicians, a DJ, artisan vendors and family entertainment.
• Dec. 18 and 19, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. A pet-friendly weekend features Llamas on the Loop.

On any other night, the Loop is simply lit and open for walking, jogging and photos, with no schedule to plan around.

The two December Saturdays that stack up

The tree weekend is about choosing one night. Two Saturdays in December are about how many events you can fit into one day.

Saturday, Dec. 5, is the fullest day of the season:

1. The Alpharetta Business Association's indoor Christmas Market runs 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Innovation Academy, with more than 80 vendors and live music. The organizer says it's held together with the City's Hop and Shop event.
2. Snow Day at Alpharetta City Center runs 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., with live music, snow, craft stations and photo spots. Admission is free.
3. Breakfast with Santa at Avalon is set for Chick-fil-A that day, with a second seating Sunday, Dec. 6, at Oak Steakhouse.
4. In the evening, the second night of the Lights On The Loop music showcase runs 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 12, splits between Avalon and downtown. The Makers Market Local Artist Fair fills The Plaza at Avalon from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with more than 30 local makers. The Alpharetta Winter Parade steps off at 5:30 p.m. and runs until 7. Organizers describe it as a community parade that features youth, civic organizations and the Rotary Club. The next morning, Sunday, Dec. 13, The Hotel at Avalon hosts the Jingle Jog, a one-mile run followed by a holiday brunch and a Nutcracker performance. Events run from 9 a.m. to noon.

The remaining dates, in order

• Saturday, Nov. 7. Nearby Halcyon holds a Holiday Artists Market on its Village Green from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., with 20 local artisans.
• Thursday, Nov. 26. The Thanksgiving Day Gobble Wobble 5K and Kids Fun Run at Halcyon starts at 8 a.m. for the 5K and 9:15 a.m. for the kids' race.
• Saturday, Nov. 28. The Alpharetta Symphony performs An Alpharetta Holiday at Innovation Academy from 3 to 5:30 p.m., with holiday favorites, movie themes, sing-along carols and classical selections.
• Sunday, Dec. 6. A Menorah Lighting at Avalon is listed for 5 to 6 p.m.
• Thursday, Dec. 10. A second Chanukah menorah lighting, held with Chabad of North Fulton, is listed for 5 to 6 p.m. The listing names both the Town Green and the Boulevard as the location, so confirm the venue with the organizer before you go.

Lined up together, the calendar has a clear rhythm. Three lightings fall on one November weekend, December's busy Saturdays come on the 5th and 12th, and the Alpha Loop is lit every night from Dec. 4 to Jan. 4.

If hosting family this season has you thinking about how your home will show when the time comes to list, Courtney Lott can walk you through staging and timing before the spring market. Schedule your free home consultation.