19+ Magical Christmas Events in Atlanta [2023]

Atlanta is full of magic and wonder during the holiday season! Find out how to spend Christmas in Atlanta, Georgia.

Are you spending Christmas in Atlanta, Georgia? Don’t miss out on these local tips for top Christmas events and activities in Atlanta!

See where to find Christmas lights in Atlanta, the best holiday attractions, and the city’s favorite holiday traditions. Many of these events and activities are open Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, so you can make festive holiday memories with your family to last a lifetime.

Top Christmas Lights and Events in Atlanta

What’s the holiday season without a light display or a festive exhibit at your favorite museum? Check out these top Christmas light displays and holiday events in Atlanta.

1. Garden Lights, Holiday Nights at Atlanta Botanical Garden

Atlanta Botanical Garden gets festive for the holidays each year with nearly 2 billion lights. During Garden Lights, Holiday Nights, displays light up the Garden grounds, including transforming the famous Earth Goddess into an Ice Goddess, a miniature world of model trains, dancing lights synchronized to music, and more.

There are also festive drinks available as well as holographic glasses that transform the lights into gingerbread men, snowflakes, and other Christmas-themed objects.

Garden Lights, Holiday Nights is on display nightly from 5 p.m. — 10 p.m. starting November 18, 2023 — January 14, 2024.

Read my guide to Garden Lights, Holiday Nights at Atlanta Botanical Garden here.

2. Fantasy in Lights at Callaway Gardens

Callaway Resort & Gardens’ annual holiday light show Fantasy in Lights has been named one of the Top 10 light displays in the world by National Geographic and is one of the top holiday events in Georgia. The drive-thru experience is a 7-mile long experience filled with festive music and mesmerizing lights.

You can even step out of the car and enjoy the Callaway Christmas Village. This experience features larger-than-life Christmas scenes, a forest of decorated trees, seasonal snacks, and character meet-and-greets.

Fantasy in Lights runs from November 11, 2023 through January 1, 2024.

3. Stone Mountain Christmas

Stone Mountain Park gets a make-over during the Christmas season with millions of lights covering the trees and buildings, festive music, meet-and-greets with Rudolph characters, and a singalong train. It’s a festive good time at Stone Mountain Christmas!

Stone Mountain Christmas is open from November 11, 2023 — January 2, 2024.

Read about Christmas at Stone Mountain here.

4. Holiday in the Park at Six Flags Over Georgia

Six Flags Over Georgia’s festive Holiday in the Park seasonal event has everything from Christmas lights to Santa. Their Christmas tree lighting and animated light experience features three shows choreographed to holiday music. You can ride the Holiday Express to see how cultures around the world celebrate the season. And Santa is available at the North Pole for pictures.

Holiday in the Park takes place on select dates from November 19, 2022 through January 1, 2023.

5. Christmas Tree Lighting at Zoo Atlanta

Every year at the beginning of December, Zoo Atlanta lights a giant holiday tree at the front of the park to ring in the Christmas season.

The zoo also has other festive events throughout December like Cookies with Santa, holiday crafts, and costume characters.

Read What to Know About Visiting Zoo Atlanta in Winter here.

6. Snow Island and Lakeside Lights Spectacular at Margaritaville

License to Chill Snow Island at Margaritaville at Lanier Islands is a winter wonderland filled with snow. Go snow tubing down one of the largest snow slides in the country, have a snowball fight in the snow play area, and practice your figure-eights at the outdoor ice rink.

Snow Island is open select dates from November 22, 2023 through February 25, 2024. Hours vary by night.

Then, walk through an extravagant light display with festive seasonal music at Margaritaville’s Lakeside Lights Spectacular. This one-of-a-kind lakeside light show features traditional holiday displays and Margaritaville-themed scenes.

Margaritaville’s Lakeside Lights Spectacular is open select dates from November 22, 2023 through January 15, 2024. Hours vary by night.

Check out my review of License to Chill Snow Island at Margaritaville here.

7. Atlanta Christkindl Market

The Atlanta Christkindl Market is a traditional German market where you can enjoy some holiday fun with authentic German food, warm beverages, and hand-crafted gifts.

The German American Cultural Foundation’s Atlanta Christkindl Market has been a favorite holiday tradition since 2016. In previous years, it was set up at Centennial Olympic Park and Atlantic Station; this year the market will take place at Buckhead Village shopping district.

The Atlanta Christkindl Market is open  November 17-19, 2023 and November 24, 2023 through December 24, 2023.

Read more about the Atlanta Christkindl Market here.

8. Outdoor Ice Skating

Atlanta has plenty of great outdoor ice skating rinks that pop up during the winter. From the Rockefeller-inspired rink at Avalon to the rink with a view at Skyline Park, you have tons of options for getting into the holiday spirit and practicing your spins.

• Skate the Station at Atlantic Station in Midtown
• Avalon on Ice at the Avalon in Alpharetta
• The Rink at Park Tavern in Midtown
• Skate the Sky at The Roof at Ponce City Market in Poncey-Highland
• Skate City Springs in Sandy Springs

Find out even more places to go Outdoor Ice Skating in Atlanta here.

9. Winter Wonderland at Fernbank

Fernbank Museum of Natural History’s annual Winter Wonderland: Celebrations & Traditions Around the World is a great educational experience.

See trees and other displays decorated by local cultural partners that represent holiday celebrations from Christmas to Hanukkah and include traditions and practices like origami, indigenous art, and national symbols.

Winter Wonderland at Fernbank is on display from November 18, 2023 through January 7, 2024.

Check out my guide to visiting Fernbank here.

10. ‘A Christmas Carol’ at The Shakespeare Tavern

A Christmas Carol is a holiday tradition at The Shakespeare Tavern. See the Dickens Christmas classic in a playhouse styled after Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.

You can catch the performance December 2, 2023 through December 23, 2023.

Read Where to See a Shakespeare Play in Atlanta here.

11. Celebrate at the Winter Lantern Festival

The unforgettable Winter Lantern Festival is a traditional Chinese lantern festival held every year at the Gwinnett County Fairgrounds.

Walk through a world full of lights and handmade lanterns, and learn about the culture and craftsmanship of traditional Chinese lantern festivals. There are over 1,000 lanterns, plus interactive light swings, see-saws, tunnels, and lantern creatures.

The Winter Lantern Festival runs on select dates through January 2, 2024. Get your tickets here.

12. Cozy up at a Candlelight Concert

Candlelight Concerts bring the magic of a live, multi-sensory musical experience like you’ve never seen before to awe-inspiring locations all around Atlanta. They feature different themes, from classical music to tributes to your favorite contemporary pop artists.

During the winter, you’ll definitely want to cozy up with the Holiday Special Candlelight Concert featuring music from “The Nutcracker” and your favorite Christmas classics.

Candlelight Concerts have select dates throughout the season. The Holiday Special is playing on December 13, 2023 and December 20, 2023. Get your tickets to the Holiday Special Candlelight Concert here.

13. Challenge yourself with a Christmas-Themed Escape Room

Gather your friends and family and try your hand at Saving Christmas, a fun holiday escape room from Time to Escape: The Escape Room Experience in Downtown Atlanta.

Put your problem-solving skills to the test and see if you can help Santa make his yearly route happen. You’re Santa’s last hope at bringing Christmas cheer!

Saving Christmas runs daily through December 9, 2023. Get your tickets here.

What to Do in Atlanta on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

Find out what major events and attractions are open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Atlanta. Make these activities part of your family’s Christmas tradition!

Christmas Eve in Atlanta

• Atlanta Christkindl Market — open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Avalon on Ice — open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Fantasy in Lights at Callaway Gardens — “super prime night” prices, open from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
• Garden Lights, Holiday Nights at Atlanta Botanical Garden — “peak night” prices, open from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• Georgia Aquarium — open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• License to Chill Snow Island at Margaritaville at Lanier Islands — open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Margaritaville’s Lakeside Lights Spectacular at Lanier Islands — open from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• Olde Town on Ice in Conyers — open from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Skate City Springs in Sandy Springs — open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Skate the Sky at Ponce City Market — open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Skate the Station at Atlantic Station — open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Stone Mountain Christmas — open 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• The Ice Rink at Sugar Hill — open from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• Winter Lantern Festival at Gwinnett County Fairgrounds — open from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• Winter Wonderland at Fernbank — open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• World of Coca-Cola — open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Zoo Atlanta — open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Christmas Day in Atlanta

• Avalon on Ice — open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Fantasy in Lights at Callaway Gardens — “prime night” prices, open from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
• Garden Lights, Holiday Nights at Atlanta Botanical Garden — “peak night” prices, open from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• Georgia Aquarium — open from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• License to Chill Snow Island at Margaritaville at Lanier Islands — open from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• Margaritaville’s Lakeside Lights Spectacular at Lanier Islands — open from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• Olde Town on Ice in Conyers — open from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• Skate the Station at Atlantic Station — open from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.
• The Ice Rink at Sugar Hill — open from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• Winter Lantern Festival at Gwinnett County Fairgrounds — open from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Go for a Christmas Hike

There are tons of great places around Atlanta for a winter hike. And all of Georgia State Parks are open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

You and your family can work off your holiday dinner with a hike at Sweetwater Creek State Park, Panola Mountain State Park, or Red Top Mountain State Park. All are a very short drive from Atlanta.

If you’re up for a bit of a drive, you can head to the state parks in the North Georgia Mountains. Or head in the opposite direction to see the Christmas light display at A.H. Stephens State Park near Augusta.

Where to See Santa in Atlanta

Santa really makes his way around the city. There are over 40 places to find Santa in the greater Atlanta area and get a picture with him this year, from malls and museums to town tree lightings and craft shows. I’ve picked out a few of the top places to catch Santa for a quick chat about your wish list.

Photos with Santa at Rhodes Hall — The castle on Peachtree is transformed into a winter wonderland perfect for a photo op with Santa. Reservations required. Happening weekends November 18, 2023 through December 16, 2023.

Tea with Santa at St. Regis Atlanta — Enjoy tea and a visit with Santa, Mrs. Claus, and a hotel elf while you listen to live music at this fancy hotel. Reservations required. Happening November 24, 2023 through December 24, 2023.

Botanical St. Nick at Atlanta Botanical Garden — Discuss your holiday wish list with a green and botanically-inspired Santa on November 25, 2023 and December 2, 9, and 16, 2023.

Cookies with Santa at Zoo Atlanta — Meet Santa and get a to-go kit of holiday cookies, warm cocoa, and goodies. Reservations required. Happening December 2, 2023 through December 3, 2023.

Atlanta Christmas Tree Farms

There are plenty of Christmas tree farms in and around Atlanta. Choose and cut your own tree, grab a pre-cut tree, shop wreaths and garlands, and enjoy some hot chocolate and other treats at these top Christmas tree farms.

Tradition Trees (Little Five Points, Sandy Springs, Druid Hills, and Chamblee) — Grab a pre-cut tree, wreaths, and garlands at any of this tree farm’s four Atlanta lots. Delivery, lighting, and special orders available.

Big John’s Christmas Trees (Buckhead, Brookhaven, Vinings, Ansley, Dunwoody, Roswell, and Johns Creek) — Grab a pre-cut tree, wreaths, and garland at this 72 year old Atlanta institution with 7 locations. Delivery, lighting, and special orders available.

Cook’s Christmas Trees (Smyrna) — Grab a pre-cut tree, wreaths, garland, and firewood at this family-owned Cobb County business in the area since 1982.

Coker Tree Farm (Marietta) — Choose and cut trees in a selection of Murray Cypress and Carolina Sapphire and pre-cut trees in a selection of Fraser Firs North Carolina available.

Read next: 10 Incredible Winter Destinations in Georgia

Where to Stay in Atlanta for Christmas

Atlanta’s hotels know how to make the season merry. Here are some of the city’s most festive hotels.

• Ritz-Carlton Atlanta — enjoy the hotel’s holiday decorations and choose from their offerings like a Christmas Eve dinner, a Christmas Day brunch, and afternoon teas.
• St. Regis Atlanta — this hotel offers holiday traditions like tea with Santa and a Christmas Day brunch.
• The Inn at Serenbe — enjoy holiday décor, nightly gifts, holiday treats and cookies, and your choice of a Hot Chocolate Hayride or a Bonfire with Holiday S’mores.
• Four Seasons Atlanta — take in the holiday decorations, enjoy a lavish Christmas Day brunch, and get personalized recommendations from the concierge for how to experience Atlanta’s holiday traditions.

Hotels in Atlanta tend to book up quickly for the holidays, so make your reservations sooner rather than later.

• Top Things To Do During Winter in Atlanta, Georgia
• What To Know About Visiting Zoo Atlanta in the Winter
• Where To Go Outdoor Ice Skating in Atlanta, Georgia

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Ready to visit Atlanta, Georgia? Plan your trip with these tips.

• Get Familiar With the City: Check out my Ultimate Guide to Atlanta to help plan your trip!
• Book Your Flight: Find the cheapest flights using Skyscanner, my favorite flight search engine.
• Find Accommodation: You can find top hotels in Atlanta using Booking.com.
• Save on Attractions: Save 42% on admission to Atlanta’s top attractions using the Atlanta CityPASS.

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Cheers!

Paige

Have you spent Christmas in Atlanta, Georgia? Let me know in the comments!