Duluth's Holiday Season Starts at Gas South in November and Moves Downtown in December

In 2026, Duluth's holiday season begins on the far side of town. From early November until the first Saturday of December, the decorated trees, tree lighting, Santa visits and Nutcrackers are all at Gas South District. Town Green spends most of November on its fall calendar and doesn't hold its own holiday celebration until December 5.

That timing affects how you plan. The busiest days fall at the district: November 21 and the Friday after Thanksgiving. December 5 is the one day both parts of the city run holiday events at once. Below is the season in order, starting with the weeks before it arrives.

Town Green Still Belongs to Fall for the First Half of November

The Duluth Farmers & Artisan Market has two dates left this season. It runs Sunday, November 1 and Sunday, November 15, from 2 to 5 p.m. on Town Green, per the City of Duluth events calendar. The city lists the market season as March through May and September through November. After November 15, the next market day is in spring.

On Saturday, November 7, Good Word Brewing holds its Mighty Fine Invitational & 9th Anniversary on Town Green, 3142 Hill St. NW, from 1 to 5 p.m. The city's event listing promises more than 50 breweries, pro wrestling, live music and an artist market. It is the last large downtown gathering before December.

The holiday programming starts the next day, across town. Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical plays Gas South Theater on November 8, with shows at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. North Atlanta Dance Theatre's The Nutcracker follows November 13 through 15. Buford School of Ballet's Star of Wonder runs November 19 through 22. The district's listing calls it the company's 31st annual Christmas program.

November 21 Puts Three Events on the Same Campus

Saturday, November 21 is the day the season fully starts, and nearly all of it happens at Gas South District. Here is the day in order:

• 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Georgia Festival of Trees opens to the public at the Gas South Convention Center. Opening-day performers include the Stephenson High School Dance Department, Academy of the Arts, mentalist Rick Silver and Howard Havoc.
• Throughout the day. Star of Wonder is in its final weekend at Gas South Theater.
• 4 to 5:30 p.m. A lantern-making workshop costs $25 per lantern, with materials included. The district encourages advance registration because space is limited.
• 5 to 8 p.m. The second annual Gwinnett Glows, presented by Coca-Cola, is free. It includes the district's holiday tree lighting, food trucks, complimentary hot cocoa, craft vendors, photos with the Pink Pig and a lantern parade.

You can bring your own LED-lit lantern to the parade instead of making one at the workshop. The Best Lantern winner receives $100 in cash and a $150 Hudgens Center gift card, according to the Gwinnett Glows event page. The district calls the event a celebration that launches both the holiday season and the Festival of Trees, which is why both start the same evening. An invitation-only VIP preview of the festival is held the night before, November 20.

For families who want the trees and the lighting in one trip, the timing helps. The festival floor closes at 6 p.m., an hour after Gwinnett Glows begins, so you can walk the trees in the afternoon and walk outside for the lighting.

The Festival Week Has a Gap in the Middle and Free Days on Both Sides

The Georgia Festival of Trees runs nine calendar days, November 21 through 29. It is closed the day before Thanksgiving and on Thanksgiving itself. Four of its seven open days are free Community Days for specific groups:

The earlier 9 a.m. opening on Monday is for sensory-friendly hours from 9 a.m. to noon. Complimentary Community Day tickets are claimed online, and admission for other family members and friends is paid. The festival's ticketing FAQ lists $19 general admission for ages 3 to 12 and seniors 62 and older. Children 2 and under get in free. Adult pricing differs between the online and at-the-door figures on that page, so check it before you buy.

The Tree-mendous Auction runs Saturday, November 21 through Saturday, November 28. Decorated trees, wreaths, centerpieces and nativities are bid on online, and you don't have to attend the festival to place a bid. Bidding closes the evening of November 28. The auction FAQ and the festival home page list different closing hours, so confirm the time before you count on a last-minute bid. The festival names Street Grace as its charity partner. Street Grace works to end child sexual exploitation through awareness, fundraising and community action.

Tuesday, November 24 brings older residents a second free event. After a free day at the festival, the Emmanuel Cantata plays Gas South Theater at 7 p.m., and the venue lists registration as free.

The Friday After Thanksgiving Is the District's Second Crowded Day

When the festival reopens on Friday, November 27, the whole campus fills up again. The trees reopen for First Responders Day. Northeast Atlanta Ballet opens The Nutcracker at Gas South Theater for a November 27 to 29 run. At 7 p.m., for KING + COUNTRY brings "A Drummer Boy Christmas" to Gas South Arena.

Parking prices change with the event, and it helps to know them going in:

1. Gwinnett Glows, Nov. 21: free in Deck 1.
2. Festival of Trees: $10 per vehicle per day, with no re-entry. Deck 1 is the easiest way into the Convention Center and has designated accessible spaces.
3. Arena concerts: $15 event parking for for KING + COUNTRY, paid in advance or by credit card on site.

Because festival parking has no re-entry, the order of your day matters on November 27 or 28. If you plan to see the trees and then have dinner, finish at the trees first. One nearby option is in the Westin Atlanta Gwinnett. When the hotel debuted in 2024, the AJC reported that it brought Sweetsong Kitchen & Bar, with Cherokee, Korean, Appalachian and coastal Georgian influences, along with the Overstory Rooftop Bar.

Three Nutcrackers, One Stage

Few things show how much of Duluth's season happens at Gas South better than the ballet schedule. Three companies perform The Nutcracker on the same Gas South Theater stage, about two weeks apart:

• North Atlanta Dance Theatre: November 13 to 15
• Northeast Atlanta Ballet: November 27 to 29
• Gwinnett Ballet Theatre: December 5 to 20, with a live orchestra

Add Star of Wonder and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's Holiday Showcase on December 16 at 7:30 p.m., and the theater has holiday performances on most weekends from November 8 to mid-December. The biggest arena date of December is Trans-Siberian Orchestra's two shows on Sunday, December 13, at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Event parking is listed at $15.

December 5 Is the One Day Both Halves of Duluth Are Busy

Downtown's holiday celebration comes last. Deck the Hall runs Saturday, December 5, from 2 to 7 p.m. in Downtown Duluth. The city's Deck the Hall page lists visits with Santa, holiday characters, hands-on crafts, story time, live music, a holiday market and a snow slide and playground. The Duluth Handmade Holiday Market is held as part of the event on Town Green and the surrounding Main Street district.

Gwinnett Ballet Theatre opens its Nutcracker run at Gas South Theater the same day. On November 21, everything was on one campus. On December 5, holiday events run in two parts of the city at once. A family planning a Santa visit downtown in the afternoon and holding Nutcracker tickets that evening needs to plan the drive between downtown and the district before the day starts. Gwinnett Ballet Theatre's run continues through December 20, so families who want both can also pick a later performance and give December 5 entirely to downtown.

If you're putting together your family's holiday calendar this year, or hosting relatives who will want to see the trees and the lights, I'm glad to share what I know about getting around Duluth's busiest weekends. Reach out to Lisa Gelber to talk through plans, and let's connect before the Festival of Trees opens on November 21.