Christmas Lights Near Blue Ridge, GA 2026: Dates & Prices

If you're planning a December cabin trip around Christmas lights, you have one big walk-through show within an hour of Blue Ridge, three town lightings on Thanksgiving weekend, and Rock City's light show on Lookout Mountain if you're willing to drive. Here's what each organizer has posted for 2026, with every date and price linked to its source.

#Christmas lights near Blue Ridge at a glance

Drive times are "about" and come from OSRM routing from downtown Blue Ridge. They don't include holiday traffic or parking.

#Mountain Country Christmas in Lights (Hiawassee)

The Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds in Hiawassee, on Lake Chatuge, turns into "a spectacular, magical holiday walk through light show" with Christmas music, arts and crafts, food, train rides, and visits with the Grinch, Mrs. Claus, and Santa (Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds). It's about 50 minutes (about 38 miles) from downtown Blue Ridge by OSRM routing.

Which nights is it open? Regular nights run 6 to 9 PM, according to the fairgrounds' tickets and hours page:

• Nov. 26 to Dec. 12: Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Opening night is Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 26. The schedule also lists Tuesday, Dec. 8 (6 to 8 PM) as a "Nursing Home Drive Thru Night."
• Dec. 17 to 23: every night, walk-through.
• Christmas Eve, Dec. 24: a "Special Drive Thru" night.
• Christmas Day: closed.
• Dec. 26 to 31: drive-thru only, through New Year's Eve.

What does it cost? Walk-through admission is $10 per person, kids 12 and under are free, and parking is free. The $10 "includes access to the grounds including all activities, light displays, photo opportunities, arts & craft area, food vendor area, and more." The fairgrounds says "Tickets purchased at the gate. Cash & Credit Cards accepted." (tickets and hours). Its site also has a "Pre-Sale Tickets" link.

How do the drive-thru nights work? On Christmas Eve and Dec. 26–31 it's $25 per car, cash or card, 6 to 9 PM. "There will be NO sea lions, train rides, Grinch, craft vendors, or Santa. This is strictly a drive thru event." (Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds). If you want the full walk-through with Santa, go on or before Dec. 23.

What else is there? The fairgrounds' things-to-do page lists:

• Sea Lion Splash: 25–30 minute shows, "FREE WITH ADMISSION," two shows per evening on weekdays and three on weekends
• Pony rides ($10 per person) and camel rides ($15 per person)
• photos with Santa, an outdoor craft market, and food vendors with hot cocoa

Good to know:

• "Sorry, no pets allowed."
• The fairgrounds asks visitors not to dress as Santa or the Grinch, since its own characters are there for photos (Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds).
• "Hours, specials and times are subject to change without notice" (tickets and hours).

Make a day of it. Brasstown Bald, Georgia's highest point, is open 10 AM to 5 PM, 7 days a week, but "all facilities are closed the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day" (Forest Service). So skip this pairing on Nov. 26 (the lights' opening night). The lights open at 6, and the drive from Brasstown Bald's parking area to the fairgrounds is about 35 minutes by OSRM routing. Our Brasstown Bald day trip guide has the fees, shuttle, and route.

#Light Up Blue Ridge and the Great Tree (Nov. 28)

Blue Ridge's own lights go on during Light Up Blue Ridge, which the Blue Ridge Mountains Chamber describes as "free activities, live entertainment, a parade and tree lighting." On Saturday, Nov. 28, 2026:

• pictures with Santa in the gazebo, 12 to 4:15 PM
• the parade at 5:30 PM, starting at the corner of Church and E. Main
• the lighting of the Great Tree at approximately 7 PM

The day before, Friday, Nov. 27, there's live music on E. Main Street from noon to 4:30 PM and Santa in the gazebo from noon to 4:15 PM (Chamber). The parade has "floats covered in colorful lights," so it's a lights event too. Our guide to Christmas in Blue Ridge covers the rest of the weekend, including the Holiday Express train.

#Helen's Lighting of the Village (Nov. 27)

On Friday, Nov. 27, "Santa and Mrs. Claus will arrive at Riverside Park as the village is lighted to begin the holiday season," with music from local groups first and Santa visits from 5 to 7 PM (Alpine Helen/White County CVB). Riverside Park is about 1 hour and 20 minutes (about 55 miles) from downtown Blue Ridge by OSRM routing. The listing doesn't give a price.

#Light Up McCaysville (Nov. 27), but check first

The Chamber lists Light Up McCaysville on Friday, Nov. 27, 2026, 5 to 7 PM, with "the tree lighting at dusk" and Santa at the Riverwalk Shops (Chamber listing). But the Chamber's McCaysville page, last updated Nov. 10, 2026, says that "while the community works toward reopening following recent flooding, McCaysville is temporarily closed to visitors" (Chamber). Check that page before you plan on this one.

#Rock City's Enchanted Garden of Lights (Lookout Mountain)

This is the farthest drive on the list, about 1 hour and 55 minutes (about 85 miles) from downtown Blue Ridge by OSRM routing, so it's a long evening out rather than a quick trip. Rock City lists:

• Dates: Nov. 13 to Dec. 31, 2026, closed Dec. 24
• Tickets: "Tickets Sold Online Only. Ticket Prices Vary by Date and Entry Time." Adults $35–$52; children ages 3–12 $25–$42
• Entry times: "Guests cannot enter the park for Enchanted Garden of Lights before their entry time"
• Santa: visits nightly through Dec. 23
• Strollers: the trail "is not fully stroller and handicap accessible"; a limited-access ADA trail reaches parts of it

If you're coming from Atlanta, our Christmas lights near Atlanta guide has the big shows in and around the city.

#How to plan a Christmas lights weekend from Blue Ridge

• Thanksgiving weekend packs it in. Hiawassee opens Thursday, Nov. 26; Helen and McCaysville light up Friday, Nov. 27; and Blue Ridge lights its Great Tree Saturday, Nov. 28 (sources above).
• For a December trip after Thanksgiving weekend, Hiawassee is open Thursday to Saturday through Dec. 12, then every night Dec. 17 to 23.
• Christmas week: Hiawassee is drive-thru only on Dec. 24 and Dec. 26–31, and closed on Christmas Day. Rock City is closed Dec. 24.
• Book ahead where you can. Rock City sells tickets online only, and its prices vary by date and entry time.

Our Blue Ridge events calendar has the parade, the Holiday Express train, and the rest of the season, and Blue Ridge in December covers weather and what's open.

#Where to stay for a Christmas lights trip

The Black Ember is a modern A-frame about 10 minutes from downtown Blue Ridge, so the Great Tree lighting is a short drive from the cabin. It sleeps up to 5. After a cold night of lights, there's a private hot tub, a cedar barrel sauna, a fire pit, and an outdoor dining deck with string lights. More on soaking after a winter outing is on our cabin with a hot tub page.