Where should you be at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5? If you have kids, maybe at the Atlanta History Center. If you volunteered, maybe at the wreath tables in Buckhead Village. Or maybe in the Luxury Wing at Lenox Square, where the Atlanta Opera is giving a free holiday show at that hour. All three overlap.
The rest of the day is just as full. Winter Fest, the first-responder wreath drive, the opera show at Lenox, the Miracle on Peachtree Holiday Market, the Buckhead Village District Hot Chocolate Crawl and the tree and menorah lighting at Charlie Loudermilk Park are all scheduled for the same Saturday, between 10 a.m. and the 7 p.m. lighting.
A schedule that got tighter this year
Last year these events were spread out more. In 2025, Livable Buckhead's Miracle on Peachtree series held its Village crawl and tree lighting on Dec. 6, with the lighting at 7:30 p.m., and its Peachtree Road crawl a week later, on Dec. 13, according to Rough Draft Atlanta's 2025 coverage. The Atlanta History Center's 2025 Winter Fest ran from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. that same Saturday.
Here is what changed for 2026:
- Winter Fest is now a four-hour event, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., instead of seven hours.
- The tree and menorah lighting starts at 7 p.m., half an hour earlier than last year.
- A holiday market at Charlie Loudermilk Park, open from 3 to 7 p.m., is new to this year's Miracle on Peachtree schedule.
- The returning events each moved one calendar day earlier, to Saturday, Dec. 5.
Together, those changes leave almost no gap between events. The morning event ends at 2, the market opens at 3, the crawl ends at 7, and the tree is lit at 7.
Saturday, Dec. 5, in order
The day starts on West Paces Ferry Road, splits at midday between the Village and Lenox Square, and comes back to the Village for the evening.
- 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Winter Fest at the Atlanta History Center, 130 West Paces Ferry Road NW. The 2026 listing includes photos with Santa, story times, holiday crafts, a look at historic holiday traditions, the Goizueta Gardens in winter, gift shopping, and the decorated Historic Houses and exhibits. Members get in free, and everyone else buys tickets in advance. Santa photo times are booked at checkout.
- Noon to 2 p.m., Wreath Decorating for Atlanta's Heroes at The Veranda in Buckhead Village. Volunteers decorate wreaths and sign cards for all 43 Atlanta fire rescue stations and police precincts. First responders pick up the wreaths during a celebration from 2 to 3 p.m.
- 1:30 p.m., the Atlanta Opera at Lenox Square. The free show features holiday songs in the Luxury Wing and is open to everyone.
- 3 to 7 p.m., the Miracle on Peachtree Holiday Market at Charlie Loudermilk Park. Artisans, makers and specialty vendors will sell handmade goods, artwork, home décor and seasonal gifts.
- 5 to 7 p.m., the Hot Chocolate Crawl in the Buckhead Village District. Stops serve hot chocolate, cocktails and seasonal treats, and local musicians play around the district. Admission is free. An $8 commemorative campfire mug, plus tax, supports Livable Buckhead, and alcoholic drinks are sold at participating stops.
- 7 p.m., the Holiday Tree and Menorah Lighting at Charlie Loudermilk Park. The 24-foot tree comes from Traditions, and the menorah is lit at the same free, family-friendly event.
Where the day forces a choice
Winter Fest and the wreath tables both end at 2 p.m., so a family that starts at the History Center at 10 has to decide when to leave if they also want to help with wreaths. The 1:30 opera show at Lenox falls inside both windows, so seeing it means giving up the end of one of them.
The evening goes more smoothly. Livable Buckhead describes the crawl as a stroll through the Village's streets and courtyards. The tree lighting is "just steps away" at Charlie Loudermilk Park, and the market is already open there. Since the market opens at 3 and the crawl starts at 5, you can shop in the late afternoon, walk the crawl and stay in the Village for the 7 p.m. lighting without moving your car.
There is also a seventh option that day. The Home for the Holidays Designer Showhouse is open Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., but it needs its own plan, which is covered below.
The weeks that lead up to it
Several things start before Dec. 5.
Lenox Square Santa, starting Nov. 14. The Santa Photo Experience at Lenox Square opens this Saturday and runs through Dec. 24. Hours vary by date, so check the posted schedule before you go.
Big John's Christmas Trees, starting Nov. 18. Big John's says fresh trees arrive Wednesday, Nov. 18. This is the business's 77th year. It has sold trees since 1949 and is still family owned and operated. The Buckhead lot is at 302 E. Paces Ferry Road NE and is open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The Designer Showhouse, starting Nov. 19. The 2026 Home for the Holidays Designer Showhouse is at 3544 Paces Ferry Road NW from Nov. 19 to Dec. 13. Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles hosts it, Bradford Custom Homes presents it, and this year it benefits Earn2Give. Last year's showhouse was in Brookhaven on West Club Lane, benefited the Atlanta History Center and ran a shuttle from Phipps Plaza. The new location changes how you get there:
- Parking is not allowed on Paces Ferry Road or Cloudland Road. Paces Ferry has no crosswalk, and the driveway is too steep to walk.
- Guests park on the top deck of the garage at Northcreek Office Park, 3715 Northside Parkway NW, and take a door-to-door shuttle.
- The last shuttle to the house leaves at 3:15 p.m., final entry is 3:30 p.m., and the doors close at 4:15 p.m.
- The showhouse is open Thursdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. It is closed Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thanksgiving Day.
- Tickets cost $50 online in advance and $55 at the door. Physical tickets are $5 cheaper while supplies last at ADAC, Boxwoods Gardens & Gifts, B. D. Jeffries, Huff Harrington Home and The Acquired Home.
If you want to fit the showhouse into Dec. 5, keep the 3:15 shuttle cutoff in mind. A late-morning tour lets you be back in the Village before the market opens at 3.
Pet Photos with Santa, Sunday, Nov. 22. Lenox Square holds pet photo nights at the Santa set from 7 to 9 p.m., and no reservation is needed. The second night is Dec. 13.
Grinch on The Green, Thursday, Dec. 3. Phipps Plaza's outdoor holiday event includes a movie on The Green, seasonal food from the Food Hall and free photos with the Grinch, two days before the big Saturday.
The second weekend moves to Peachtree Road
After Dec. 5, the season's events shift east to Lenox and Phipps.
The next morning, Sunday, Dec. 6, Lenox Square hosts a Caring Santa visit from 9:30 to 11 a.m. It is a sensory-friendly session on the Mall Level next to American Eagle, across from Bloomingdale's, and reservations are required.
The following Saturday, Dec. 12, from 4 to 7 p.m., Livable Buckhead holds the second Hot Chocolate Crawl, with Lenox Square, Phipps Plaza and nearby shops along Peachtree Road as stops. Free tickets and the list of stops are on the Miracle on Peachtree page.
This year, the walk between those stops is easier. Livable Buckhead reported in January 2026 that the Lenox Boardwalk was substantially complete and open. The 10- to 12-foot multiuse path connects the Lenox MARTA station, Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza. That means you can take the train to the Peachtree Road crawl and walk between both malls on the path. The Lenox pet photo night the next evening, Dec. 13, closes out that second weekend.
Saturday, Dec. 5, is still the busier day. The first weekend packs six events into one day, and the second weekend spreads a few events over two days along a single stretch of Peachtree Road.
If you're starting to think about your own next chapter while you plan out December, Barnes Young Team is glad to talk it over. Schedule a consultation to discuss your next move.
