On Saturday, November 21, from 5 to 8 p.m., the 50-foot tree at 2 Park Plaza gets its moment. The evening includes artificial snow flurries, live music, marshmallow roasting, sing-alongs, and Santa and friends. It's free and happens rain or shine. It lasts three hours, and then the Town Green goes back to ordinary December evenings.
Thirteen days later, on Friday, December 4 at 5:30 p.m., a second switch gets flipped. This one lights a mile of the Alpha Loop between Old Milton Parkway and Northwinds Parkway, and that mile stays lit every night from 5:30 to 11 p.m. through January 4, 2027. That adds up to 32 nights of holiday lights on the trail, compared with three hours at the tree.
One weekend in November opens the season
The downtown kickoff is spread across two days, and it's easy to string them together.
- Friday, November 20, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The Hamilton Alpharetta lights its own tree. Expect live music, hot cocoa from Bailey's Bar, treats, photos with Santa, and carols from the Alpharetta High School Chorus.
- Friday, November 20, opening night. Elf'd UP comes back to UP on the Roof downtown with kitschy holiday décor and Christmas-themed cocktails. It runs through December 27.
- Saturday, November 21, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Artist Holiday Market sells handmade art and gifts at Alpharetta Arts Center, 238 Canton St.
- Saturday, November 21, 5 to 8 p.m. The city's Season of Celebration tree lighting at 2 Park Plaza.
That makes November 21 a full day downtown. You can shop the market on Canton Street in the morning and early afternoon, have dinner, and be on the Town Green for the tree. If you went to the Hamilton the night before, you've already been to two tree lightings in two days.
The lit mile between Old Milton and Northwinds
Lights on the Loop is put on by the Alpha Loop Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. According to the event's 2026 page from Awesome Alpharetta, it's the foundation's biggest fundraiser of the year and supports "the continued growth and activation of the Alpha Loop." Walking the lit trail is free.
It's on the same trail network that links Downtown, Avalon, Northwinds and the North Point Eco District. That puts the second half of the season on the same trail system as downtown.
For practical planning:
- Parking is free at 2500 and 2520 Northwinds Parkway. The ADA-accessible ramp up to the trail is behind 2520 Northwinds Parkway.
- Nightly walks don't need registration. For the two themed weekends, the Alpha Loop Foundation lists free Eventbrite registration as required. The visitors bureau page says "strongly encouraged." Registering is the safer bet.
- Weather: Themed weekends happen rain or shine unless there's heavy rain or severe weather. Any updates go to registered attendees through Eventbrite, which is one more reason to sign up.
- The village: On both themed weekends, the Lights & Delights Village behind 2500 Northwinds Parkway has artisan vendors, seasonal food and non-alcoholic drinks for sale, a holiday DJ, family entertainment, and seasonal characters for photos.
How a trail party turned into a month on the calendar
The event began as a celebration of the trail itself. Appen Media covered the first Lights on the Loop, held December 13 and 14. It marked the newly finished one-mile section between Old Milton Parkway and Northwinds Summit, which includes a tunnel and a 12-foot-wide bridge. In that first year it was a two-day showcase.
By its second year it had become a month-long light display, with evening gatherings on several weekends and a pet-friendly weekend on December 19 and 20. Foundation board member and former City Council member Karen Richard told Appen Media that about 800 visitors came out the first weekend of December.
That growth got the City Council's attention. At a December 8 meeting during that second season, City Administrator Chris Lagerbloom said the event had spent $17,000 on temporary power for its lights that season, and that installing permanent power along the trail would cost about $20,000. As Appen reported, he put it this way:
"If you pay $20,000 once, and it's done, the return on that investment is in one year."
Councilman Fergal Brady asked staff to consider putting the project in the city's budget. Councilman Doug DeRito noted that trail users could use permanent power outside of events too, and said of Lights on the Loop, "It's one of those things that Alpharetta is probably going to be known for."
Those numbers say a lot about the event. A single season's temporary power cost came within $3,000 of a permanent fix, and that's what turned a nonprofit's light show into a council conversation. For 2026, the schedule is shorter on themed weekends and stays long on nights: two themed weekends instead of several, and the full month of lights.
December, in order
With the trail open nightly, December's other events slot in around it. Here's the season after Thanksgiving, by date:
- Friday, December 4. The "Switch On The Lights" celebration and the first night of the Holiday Music Showcase both start at 5:30 p.m. The showcase runs until 8:30 p.m. with the Alpharetta Symphony, Alpharetta City Band, local musicians and a holiday DJ. One other visitors bureau listing gives a 5 p.m. switch-on, so check the event page that afternoon.
- Saturday, December 5, morning. The Alpharetta Christmas Market runs 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Innovation Academy, 125 Milton Ave., and admission is free. The same morning, free photos with Santa run 10 a.m. to noon at the Alpharetta Welcome Center.
- Saturday, December 5, evening. The second night of the Holiday Music Showcase on the Loop, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
- Thursday, December 10. A Menorah Lighting on the Town Green at 2 Park Plaza, 5 to 6 p.m.
- Friday and Saturday, December 18 and 19. The Pet-Friendly Weekend Featuring "Llamas on the Loop," 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., with pet activities and llamas.
- Sunday, December 27. Last night of Elf'd UP at UP on the Roof.
- Monday, January 4, 2027. Last night the trail is lit.
December 5 is the most packed day of the season. It has a market and Santa photos in the morning and the symphony and city band on the trail at night. The quietest stretch, between Christmas and January 4, is also when the lights are still on with no crowd from a themed weekend.
A morning stop before the evening plans
Several of these events start early, and downtown now has a new place for breakfast. Giulia Italian Bakery opened at 24 South Main Street in Alpharetta City Center, a short walk from the Town Green. It's open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. North Atlanta Star reported the opening on October 24. It's the third Giulia, after The Forum in Peachtree Corners and The Avenue East Cobb.
Bakers start at 4 a.m. on croissants, Italian bomboloni, baguettes, sourdough and seasonal pastries. There's also focaccia, sandwiches, cakes, gelato, espresso, and Italian beer and wine. An open kitchen lets you watch the baking. The same report lists other recent City Center additions: Amasa Mexican Kitchen, Grove and Barrel Provisions, and Sandbox VR.
On November 21, coffee and a pastry at Giulia before the Artist Holiday Market opens at 10 a.m. is a good start to the day. On December 5, the bakery opens at 8 a.m., an hour before the Christmas Market at 125 Milton Ave.
If any of this season's guests are thinking about a home of their own near the Alpha Loop or within walking distance of the Town Green, I'd be glad to help them understand how this part of Alpharetta works day to day. Reach out to Cathy Adams when you're ready, and let's start with a complimentary market evaluation.
