Christmas Lights Near Atlanta 2026: Dates for Every Big Light Show

Holiday light season around Atlanta starts in mid-November and runs into January. Here are the big shows with their 2026–27 dates, plus how to turn one into a mountain weekend. Prices and times change, so always confirm with each venue before you go.

#At a glance

#Garden Lights, Holiday Nights (Midtown)

The Atlanta Botanical Garden lights up from November 14, 2026 to January 10, 2027. Tickets are timed, so pick your slot early, and members save $5 (Atlanta Botanical Garden).

#Fantasy In Lights (Callaway Resort & Gardens)

A seven-mile drive past 18 light scenes, running November 13, 2026 to January 3, 2027. Callaway is about an hour from the Atlanta airport, and pricing varies by date (Explore Georgia's guide).

#Magical Nights of Lights (Lanier Islands)

About six miles of drive-through lights at Lanier Islands, about 45 minutes north of Atlanta, lit from 5 to 10 PM nightly. The resort's own page lists two slightly different date ranges, so expect a mid-to-late November start running into early January, and confirm on Lanier Islands' site. It's priced per vehicle.

#Rock City's Enchanted Garden of Lights

Up on Lookout Mountain at the Georgia–Tennessee line, from November 13 to December 31, 2026, per Explore Georgia.

#Stone Mountain Christmas

Stone Mountain Park's holiday event has a drone and light show, a parade, and Santa. It's included with a Daily Attractions ticket. The 2026 dates hadn't been published when we wrote this. Last year's run was November 8, 2025 to January 4, 2026 on select dates (Stone Mountain Park).

#Or trade the crowds for a mountain Christmas

If the city light shows feel like a lot of brake lights, head two hours north. Blue Ridge kicks off the season with Light Up Blue Ridge on Saturday, November 28:

• The Christmas parade at 5:30 PM.
• The Great Tree lighting downtown around 7 PM.
• The Blue Ridge Scenic Railway's Holiday Express, with a chance to see Santa, on select days from November 27 into late December.

All the details are in our guide to Christmas in Blue Ridge, and every upcoming date is on our Blue Ridge events calendar. For light shows within driving distance of a Blue Ridge cabin, including Hiawassee's Christmas in Lights, see Christmas lights near Blue Ridge.

Make it a weekend:

• Friday: drive up after work.
• Saturday: Light Up Blue Ridge, then a Holiday Express ride (book ahead; it sells out).
• Sunday: a slow morning by the fire.

You'll be back in Atlanta in time for the week, without spending a single night in light-show traffic.

#Where to stay

The Black Ember is a modern A-frame about 10 minutes from downtown Blue Ridge, with a cedar barrel sauna, a private hot tub, and a fire pit. It's about two hours from Atlanta, and exactly what a cold December weekend calls for. See our mountain cabin near Atlanta.