Alpharetta Lights Its Trees Three Nights Running This November, Then the Glow Moves to the Alpha Loop

"It's one of those things that Alpharetta is probably going to be known for," Councilman Doug DeRito said of Lights on the Loop during its second season, as reported by Appen Media. Lights on the Loop is the holiday display on a one-mile stretch of the Alpha Loop between Northwinds Parkway and Old Milton Parkway.

The season still opens the usual way, with trees lit at the city's anchor addresses. This year those lightings fall on three nights in a row, Friday through Sunday the weekend before Thanksgiving. Then in December the season moves to the trail. Lights on the Loop opens Dec. 4 and stays lit every night until 11 p.m. Since its two-night debut it has grown faster than any other part of Alpharetta's holiday calendar.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday: one tree each night

Each lighting has a different host and a different feel.

1. Friday, Nov. 20, at The Hamilton Alpharetta, 25 Milton Ave. The evening runs 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., and the tree is lit at 6:30. The program includes live music, a hot cocoa Bailey's bar, photos with Santa, carolers from the Alpharetta High School Chorus, and holiday classics on a big screen on the Amenity Deck. Admission is free.
2. Saturday, Nov. 21, at the Season of Celebration on the Town Green, 2001 Commerce St. The city's lighting runs 5 to 8 p.m. in front of City Hall, with a 50-foot tree, music, snow effects and Santa. The city's tourism office says 10,000 bulbs go on that night. Admission is free.
3. Sunday, Nov. 22, at the Lighting of Avalon, 400 Avalon Blvd. Free family activities start at 2 p.m., the ice rink opens to the public at 3, and the 40-foot tree is lit at 7. The event wraps at 7:30.

Saturday has the most going on. Arts Alpharetta's Holiday Artists Market fills the Alpharetta Arts Center at 238 Canton St. from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with handmade jewelry, ceramics and wearable art from new and returning artists, and admission is free. Across town, North Point Mall holds its Holiday Kick Off from noon to 3 p.m. in center court, where a marching band leads Santa in. Start on Canton Street in the late morning and you can browse the market, walk to City Center for dinner, and be on the Town Green by 5.

City Center has two new places to eat this year. Amasa Mexican Kitchen, at 15 Academy St., serves a Baja-inspired menu that is entirely gluten-free. Atlanta News First reported in August that it was opening at Alpharetta City Center. Grove and Barrel Provisions, a Southern European specialty food and home-goods market, was announced for City Center in August and works well for gift shopping on a holiday weekend.

Also starting Saturday, the Friendship Ring kids sculpture gets a holiday light display for the first time. It stays up through Dec. 31, and the kids on the sculpture wear colorful winter hats.

Sunday's lighting also opens the rink

Avalon's Sunday lighting is also opening day for Avalon on Ice, the Rockefeller-inspired rink in The Plaza. It runs Nov. 22 through Jan. 18. Avalon scheduled ticket sales to open Tuesday, Nov. 3, at 10 a.m. General admission is $18 and children 12 and under pay $14, with skates included either way. Avalon recommends booking a time slot. Walk-ups are welcome, but a slot isn't guaranteed.

Here are the hours for your calendar:

Tickets can't be refunded or transferred, but you can move to another date if one is open. Every skater needs a completed waiver, and that includes walk-ups. Weekday afternoons are the most practical option for families, since regular weekday hours begin at 3 p.m.

It started as two nights on a new trail

Lights on the Loop is young. Appen Media reported that the first one was a free two-day event on Dec. 13 and 14. It was held on a newly finished one-mile trail section between Old Milton Parkway and Northwinds Summit, and at least 400 people came.

By its second year, Appen Media reported, the display ran as a month-long celebration. In Appen Media's coverage of last season's festival, crowds came out in temperatures in the 30s. Alpha Loop Foundation president John Goss reported 1,000 people registered for Friday, Dec. 12, and 1,500 for Saturday, Dec. 13. That was the second of three weekend gatherings that season.

The growth also raised a practical question for the city. In the same Appen Media report, City Administrator Chris Lagerbloom told the City Council at a Dec. 8 meeting during the event's second season that Lights on the Loop had spent $17,000 on lighting that year. He estimated permanent power along the trail would cost about $20,000.

"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 budget. According to Appen Media, Lagerbloom also mentioned e-bike charging stations as another possible use for trail power. Foundation board member and former council member Karen Richard spoke about the gatherings in the same report: "people coming from different neighborhoods and bumping into each other, it's just really special."

The display is the Alpha Loop Foundation's largest fundraiser of the year. The money supports the continued growth and activation of the trail.

Walking the Loop on a December night

The 2026 season opens Friday, Dec. 4, with a "Switch On The Lights" celebration at 5:30 p.m. From then on the mile is lit every night from 5:30 to 11 p.m., according to the Alpha Loop Foundation's event page, through Jan. 4, 2027. Admission is free.

Practical details for any night:

• Parking: Parking is free at 2500 and 2520 Northwinds Parkway.
• Access: An ADA-accessible ramp to the trail is behind 2520 Northwinds Parkway.
• Restrooms: Portable toilets are set up in the village behind 2500 Northwinds Parkway on themed weekends only.
• Pets: Well-behaved pets on a leash are welcome.
• Alcohol: None. The event is alcohol-free.

The two themed weekends add programming from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Dec. 4 and 5 is the Holiday Music Showcase, with the Alpharetta Symphony, the Alpharetta City Band, local musicians and a holiday DJ. Dec. 18 and 19 is the pet-friendly weekend featuring "Llamas on the Loop." Dogs must stay at least 6 feet from the llamas.

Both weekends include the Lights & Delights Village behind 2500 Northwinds Parkway. It has artisan vendors, seasonal food and nonalcoholic drinks for sale, family entertainment and holiday characters for photos. Organizers strongly encourage registering on Eventbrite for the themed weekends. They also note that performers and animal appearances can change. The village sells $10 raffle tickets for an e-bike donated by ATL E-Bikes, an Alpharetta company, and the winner is drawn the evening of Saturday, Dec. 19. You don't need to be there to win.

Plan around the calendar. Opening weekend has the music and the vendors. A quieter weeknight walk works any evening into early January, and it's a good outing for out-of-town guests after the rink at Avalon has closed for the day.

The rest of December, by date

Other dates to plan around:

• Saturday, Dec. 5: Free Photos with Santa runs 10 a.m. to noon at the Alpharetta Welcome Center, 178 S. Main St., Suite 200. Pets aren't allowed. The Alpharetta Christmas Market runs 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Innovation Academy, 125 Milton Ave. Snow Day covers the Town Green from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. All three are free, and the Music Showcase is on the Loop that evening.
• Saturday, Dec. 12: The Makers Market Local Holiday Street Fair fills Avalon from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Alpharetta Winter Parade follows on Canton Street from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and features local youth, civic organizations and the Rotary Club of Alpharetta.
• Sunday, Dec. 13: The Jingle Jog, a one-mile fun run with Santa from The Hotel at Avalon, 9000 Avalon Blvd., is ticketed. A holiday brunch with a Nutcracker ballet performance follows.
• Friday and Saturday, Dec. 18 and 19: It's the pet weekend on the Loop, and the e-bike raffle is drawn Saturday night.

Our office keeps this calendar handy every December, and we're glad to share it. If you're welcoming family for the holidays, or settling into a new home and want to know how Alpharetta celebrates, John & Renee Pruitt are happy to talk through the season with you. Let's Connect.