Atlanta holiday events list
Plan your Atlanta holiday festivities with a multitude of events throughout the holiday Season.
To view events in a calendar, click here »
Once Upon a Time...Exploring the World of Fairy Tales
Location: Imagine It! The Children's Museum
November 1 - January 22, 2012
Come step inside beloved stories from around the globe in Once Upon a Time...Exploring the World of Fairy Tales, a new, hands-on exhibit featuring multicultural fairy tales from around the world.
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Holidays in the Garden
Location: Atlanta Botanical Garden
November 2, 2011 - January 2, 2012
This annual extravaganza features nearly 1 million lights crafted into displays inspired by nature, an expanded model train show, Botanical Saint Nick, Holiday puppet show and more.
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Woodfuff Arts Center Holiday Events
Location: Woodruff Arts Center
November 3, 2011 - January 11, 2012
Enjoy your favorite holiday traditions - and create new ones - all at The Woodruff Arts Center! Alive with seasonal magic, the Alliance Theatre's Broadway-scale production of A Christmas Carol, the smile-inducing music of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and the beauty of the High Museum of Art bring your holiday to life.
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Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer™
Location: Center for Puppetry Arts
November 3 - December 31, 2011
Enjoy your favorite, traditional holiday story, told in a very untraditional way - through live puppetry! Filled with holiday cheer and a little reminder of childhood morals, this show is an excellent opportunity to create new memories.
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Target Free Second Tuesdays
Location: Imagine It! The Children's Museum
November 8 and December 13, 2011
Every second Tuesday, your child is FREE to create and explore! This promotion grants free admission to the city's largest, hands-on exhibits
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Stone Mountain Christmas
Location: Stone Mountain
November 12, 2011 - January 1, 2012
NEW for 2011 - Join us for TOYRIFIC! A happy, heartfelt holiday show featuring a ragtag group of misfit toys.
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Holiday Shopping
Location: Phipps Plaza
November 14 - Ongoing
A trip to Phipps is sure to get you in the spirit, with decorations and gift ideas galore.
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Urban Nutcracker
Location: Ballenethic Dance Company
November 17 - 20, 2011
Urban Nutcracker takes place on Atlanta's own Sweet Auburn Avenue in the 1940's and opens the weekend before Thanksgiving. The show is performed at the Ferst Center for the Performing Arts at Georgia Tech.
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Thanksgiving Crafts
Location: Imagine It! The Children's Museum
November 19 and 20
Children can make place cards to help set your family's Thanksgiving table and quill pens for writing like the Pilgrims did around the time of the first Thanksgiving.
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Ice Skating at Centennial Olympic Park
Location: Centennial Olympic Park
November 19, 2011 - January 29, 2012
Twirl and swirl your way around Atlanta's only outdoor skating rink! Perfect for all ability levels, this is a great option for affordable family fun this holiday season.
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Holiday in Lights
Location: Centennial Olympic Park
November 19, 2011 - January 29, 2012
Wander through whimsy as the city sights mingle with holiday lights in this unforgettable Winter Wonderland! Free to visit, the stunning Downtown Atlanta vista glows with 21 acres of twinkling lights.
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Lighting of Atlantic Station - and nightly SNOW!
Location: Atlantic Station, Central Park
19-Nov
The season kicks off at Atlantic Station with its official tree lighting, which will illuminate over 250,000 lights. "It's Snowing in Atlantic Station" will continue holiday magic through New Year's Eve.
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Thanksgiving at The Mansion on Peachtree
Location: The Mansion on Peachtree
November 24
The Mansion on Peachtree adds elegance and refinement to traditional holiday fare with a Thanksgiving Day menu.
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Thanksgiving Brunch and Dinner
Location: The Ritz Carlton Buckhead
November 24
Celebrate this quintessential American holiday with family and friends. This culinary feast for the senses includes traditional favorites, seasonal specialties and an opulent dessert buffet.
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Santaland Diaries
Location: Horizon Theatre
November 25, 2011-January 1, 2012
Break with tradition and catch David Sedaris' real-life Christmas story, a witty counter to holiday cheer.
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Christmas on Peachtree
Location: Peachtree Street
November 25 - December 31
This new event features more than 70,000 square feet of festive family fun and food. Cartoon Network is the signature sponsor for the "Children's Adventure Area," which includes a number of highly interactive experiences, including a life-size toy train.
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Holiday Afternoon Tea
Location: The Ritz Carlton Buckhead
November 25, 26, and 27 and December 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 16, 21 and 22
One of our most popular traditions, Afternoon Tea is the time-honored setting for generations of Atlantans celebrating the season.
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A Christmas Carol
Location: Alliance Theatre
November 26 - December 24, 2011
Filled with stage magic, holiday carols and talented local actors, this famous story comes to life with a heart-warming brilliance, solidifying it as an Atlanta mainstay for more 20 years.
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Toys for Tots Drive presented by Lanier Parking
Location: Underground Atlanta
November 29 - December 20, 2011
Drop off unwrapped toys to be donated to U. S. Marine Corps Reserve's Toys for Tots.
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The Nativity: A Gospel Celebration
Location: Fulton County Southwest Arts Center
November 30 - December 30, 2011
Enjoy this Gospel telling of the Christmas story.
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A Christmas Carol
Location: Shakespeare Tavern
December 1 - December 23, 2011
Watch this holiday favorite with an authenticity that only Shakespeare Tavern could capture.
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Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Holiday Performances
Location: HANDEL's Messiah ASO
December 1 and 3, 2011
The Christmas portion and "Hallelujah" Chorus from Handel's landmark Messiah is the springboard to joyous holidays at the ASO.
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Santa Tuck-ins
Location: The Ritz Carlton Buckhead
December 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23 and 24
Surprise your child with a personal visit from Santa. Santa will deliver a small, present-filled stocking and spend a couple of enchanting minutes with your child in the guestroom. Reservations for overnight hotel guests only.
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SEC Football Championship
Location: Georgia Dome
December 3, 2011
Known as the "Super Bowl of the South", the SEC Football Championship puts a little kick of excitement into your holiday!
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Children's Christmas Parade
Location: Downtown Atlanta
December 3, 2011
One of the premier holiday parades of the South, this is a FREE, fun, family event! The parade route winds through Downtown and benefits the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta foundation.
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Once Upon a Time: Jack and the Beanstalk
Location: Imagine It! The Children's Museum
December 3
Storyteller Deborah Strahorn will share a story about the giant, the boy, and a singing harp as the hen lays golden eggs. Then, the children can recreate the story by crafting a scene of Jack, the Giant, and the Cow.
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GSU Gala Holiday Family Concert
Location: Rialto Centre of the Performing Arts at Georgia State University
December 3-4, 2011
GSU shows the many ways to celebrate, with students and faculty performing an international holiday concert.
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Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Holiday Performances
Location: ASO Kid's Christmas
December 4 and 11, 2011
The ASO Holiday Performances features Chris van Allsburg's Polar Express with music by Robert Kapilow.
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Annual Tree Lighting
Location: Governor's Mansion on West Paces Ferry Buckhead
December 4, 2011 @ 6:30 p.m.
FREE and open to the public, the Tree Lighting Ceremony at the Governor's Mansion is an annual Atlanta treat.
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"Cocktails and Cocoa"
Location: The Mansion on Peachtree
December 4 and 18
The Mansion on Peachtree will host special screenings of the Christmas special "An Elf's Story".
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2011 Christmas Tour
Location: Governor's Mansion on West Paces Ferry Buckhead
December 5 - December 11, 2011
FREE and open to the public, the annual holiday open house is a great place to pick up decorating ideas for your own home.In 1843, Charles Dickens made the world believe in ghosts at Christmas time. This year, the Atlanta History Center invites guests to get into "The Holiday Spirit" and join us for a new program as we travel back in time, Dickens' style.
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Christmas at Callanwolde
Location: Callanwolde Fine Arts Center
December 5 - December 18, 2011
The magic of Christmas returns to Callanwolde where families can enjoy the splendor of this historic Gothic-Tudor mansion decorated for the season by Atlanta's top interior and floral designers.
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Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Holiday Performances
Location: Christmas with the ASO
December 8-10, 2011
More than 400 musicians and singers pay homage to the legendary Robert Shaw's ultimate gift to the city he loved, now under Director of Choruses, Norman Mackenzie.
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Atlanta Ballet's Nutcracker
Location: Fox Theatre
December 8-24, 2011
Fairies. Princes. Dancing snowflakes. Celebrate more than 50 years of holiday magic with the Atlanta Ballet's Nutcracker.
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Holiday Jazz Vespers
Location: Rialto Centre of the Performing Arts at Georgia State University
Dec 10, 2012
Featuring the Atlanta Jazz Chorus and other special guests, this jazzy holiday sing-along is sure to bring a smile to your face.
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Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe
Location: Imagine It! The Children's Museum
December 10
Join the Imaginators for the story "Lullaby of the Virgin of Guadalupe" by Kelly Stuart to learn about and celebrate this holiday from Mexico and Latin America. Then, children can make a decorative God’s Eye ornament to symbolize the reflection of Mary’s eyes.
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Madeline's Christmas
Location: Horizon Theatre
December 10, 2011 - January 1, 2012
Don't miss this musical play where Madeline and the girls get a holiday adventure beyond their wildest dreams!
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Santa's Holiday Celebration
Location: Underground Atlanta
December 11, 2011 1 - 4 p.m.
Enjoy festive children's activities, entertainment and photos with the Big Guy!
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Christmas at The Mansion on Peachtree
Location: The Mansion on Peachtree
December 11
A beloved family tradition comes to The Mansion on Peachtree with a whimsical tea party on Sunday, December 11 at 2:30 p.m.
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Happenin Holidays
Location: Imagine It! The Children's Museum
December 13
Storyteller Sherry Norfolk will share stories inspired by traditional folktales that are given a winter holiday makeover in this festive interactive celebration of the season. Children's imaginations will sparkle and shine like holiday lights as they create their own original holiday tales.
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Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Holiday Performances
Location: A Very Merry Holiday Pops
December 16-17, 2011
Michael Krajewski's annual variety show is refreshingly original. See a dancing St. Nick, daringly different entertainers perform in new versions of beloved favorites and gleeful choruses.
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Meet the Holidays: Hanukkah
Location: Imagine It! The Children's Museum
December 17
Join the Imaginators for "Hanukkah Story (Latkes and Applesauce)" by Fran Manushkin to learn about and celebrate this Jewish holiday. Children will create their very own dreidel game to play at home with family and friends.
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Chanukah Wonderland in the Highlands
Location: 1062 St. Charles Avenue, Virginia Highlands
December 18, 2011
Enjoy games, crafts, food, pottery, face-painting and more.
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Meet the Holidays: Hanukkah Craft
Location: Imagine It! The Children's Museum
December 18
Children can to celebrate this Jewish holiday by creating their very own dreidel game to play at home with family and friends.
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Children's Nutcracker Tea
Location: The Ritz Carlton Buckhead
December 19 and 20
Children's Nutcracker Tea is a child's delight, featuring young dancers from Atlanta Ballet's Nutcracker performing vignettes from the famed ballet, caroling by the Dickens Singers and of course, Santa's annual appearance.
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Meet the Holidays: Christmas
Location: Imagine It! The Children's Museum
December 24
Join the Imaginators for the story "Room for a Little One: A Christmas Tale" by Martin Waddell to learn about and celebrate this Christian holiday that commemorates the birth of Jesus. Then, children can make a wreath which is a symbol of welcome, joy, and the holiday spirit.
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Christmas Day Brunch and Dinner
Location: The Ritz Carlton Buckhead
December 25
Celebrate this joyous holiday at our renowned brunch, with caroling by the Dickens Singers and an appearance by Santa.
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Meet the Holidays: Kwanzaa
Location: Imagine It! The Children's Museum
December 26
Join your Imaginators for the story "My First Kwanza Book" by Deborah Chocolate to learn about this weeklong holiday that honors African heritage. Children will make a Mkeka - the mat on which Kwanzaa items are placed - using the meaningful colors of this celebration.
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Peach Drop
Location: Underground Atlanta
December 31, 2011
Join the largest New Year's Eve celebration in the Southeast. This FREE event is sure to make the first moments of your year just peachy!
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Chick-fil-A Bowl
Location: Georgia Dome
December 31, 2011
A Southern sports fan favorite, this epic battle between ACC and SEC is sure to kick start your new year.
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Noon Year's Eve Ball with Cinderella and Prince Charming
Location: Imagine It! The Children's Museum
December 31
Join Cinderella and Prince Charming for a special ball with cotillion dancing on Noon Year's Eve. Afterwards help them count down to the "noon year" and join a grand ballroom procession throughout the Museum.
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New Year's Eve at The Mansion on Peachtree
Location: The Mansion on Peachtree
December 31
Atlantans can ring in the New Year at The Mansion with specialty New Year's Eve cocktails, a champagne toast at midnight and live entertainment from the Joe Gransden trio.
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New Year's Eve
Location: The Ritz Carlton Buckhead
December 31
Ring in the New Year at our New Year's Eve celebrations.
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