At 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5, the 24-foot holiday tree lights up in Charlie Loudermilk Park, and the rest of Buckhead's December calendar is built around that moment.
Most of the neighborhood's 2026 holiday programming falls on that one Saturday. Atlanta History Center, Lenox Square and Livable Buckhead have all booked events between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. that day. The schedule has two halves. The morning makes you choose among several events. The evening fits together so you can walk from one event straight to the next.
| Time on Sat., Dec. 5 | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Winter Fest | Atlanta History Center, 130 West Paces Ferry Road NW |
| Noon – 2 p.m. | Wreath Decorating for Atlanta's first responders | The Veranda, Buckhead Village |
| 1:30 p.m. | "Make Spirits Bright: Atlanta Opera Live" | Lenox Square |
| 3 – 7 p.m. | Miracle on Peachtree Holiday Market | Charlie Loudermilk Park |
| 5 – 7 p.m. | Buckhead Village Hot Chocolate Crawl | Buckhead Village District |
| 7 – 8 p.m. | Holiday Tree and Menorah Lighting, tree lit at 7:30 | Charlie Loudermilk Park |
Before 3 p.m., three events compete
From noon to 2 p.m., three events overlap, and each one is in a different part of Buckhead.
Atlanta History Center's Winter Fest runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the West Paces Ferry campus. The day includes Santa photos, story times, holiday crafts, walks through Goizueta Gardens in winter, and the decorated Historic Houses. Activities run while supplies last, so arriving early pays off. You choose a Santa photo time when you buy tickets, and the event is free for members and Insiders. For families with young children, booking that photo slot is the real planning step of the morning.
At noon, Livable Buckhead sets up tables at The Veranda in Buckhead Village with wreaths and decorating supplies. Volunteers decorate wreaths and sign cards for all 43 of Atlanta's fire-rescue stations and police precincts. First responders come to pick up the wreaths from 2 to 3 p.m., with a small celebration. You can stop by for a few minutes or stay the whole two hours.
At 1:30 p.m., Lenox Square hosts "Make Spirits Bright: Atlanta Opera Live." It starts while both of the other events are still going.
If you want to fit two of the three into one morning, Winter Fest followed by a late stop at The Veranda is the easiest pair. The first-responder pickup keeps the wreath tables busy until 3 p.m., which is when the rest of the day starts.
After 3 p.m., each event leads into the next
The second half of Dec. 5 belongs to Livable Buckhead's Miracle on Peachtree series, and its events are timed to flow into one another.
3 p.m., the market opens. The Miracle on Peachtree Holiday Market fills Charlie Loudermilk Park from 3 to 7 p.m. Artisans, makers and specialty vendors sell handmade goods, artwork, home décor and seasonal gifts.
5 p.m., the crawl starts. The Buckhead Village Hot Chocolate Crawl runs from 5 to 7 p.m. Participating shops and restaurants serve hot chocolate, cocktails and seasonal treats, The Veranda hosts the performances, and local musicians play throughout the district. Admission is free. An $8-plus-tax donation to Livable Buckhead gets you a commemorative campfire mug, and some stops sell alcoholic drinks.
7 p.m., the lighting. The crawl ends at 7 p.m., the same time the lighting program begins at Charlie Loudermilk Park. There is live holiday music first, then the tree lights at 7:30, and the evening wraps up by 8. The tree comes from Traditions, and a menorah is lit during the same celebration. Atlanta on the Cheap reports free hot chocolate and snacks for early arrivals.
Livable Buckhead plans the evening as a walk. You start with cocoa in the Village and then head over to the park. The market stays open until the lighting program begins, so the park stays busy straight through from mid-afternoon to the tree lighting.
New places along the Village route this year
Several Village businesses on the evening's route have opened since last December.
Buckhead Brewing opened in early October at 128 E. Andrews Drive NW, in the building Chido + Padre's used to occupy, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's restaurant news roundup. It serves sandwiches along with its own beer. Its website lists hours of 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily and $4 house drafts on weekdays through Nov. 30.
Y Bar e Ristorante, an Italian cocktail bar and restaurant at 3065 Peachtree Road, opened in late July, according to Rough Draft Atlanta.
Metro Atlanta CEO reported in October that Jeffrey, JONES ROAD, ME+EM, Hill House Home, Roche Bobois, LoveShackFancy, Maeve, Unsubscribed and Great Many have all recently opened in the district. The same report says Vince plans its first Georgia store this winter, a shop of about 2,400 square feet next to Billy Reid.
Brush Sushi appears on Livable Buckhead's crawl map. On other weeks it runs a Thursday "Sip & Spin" night, pairing its dinner menu with a wine list from its new sommelier.
Peachtree Road gets the following Saturday
The commercial district gets its own night a week later, on Saturday, Dec. 12. The 2026 Miracle on Peachtree Hot Chocolate Crawl at Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza runs from 4 to 7 p.m., with check-in at Lenox Square. Participating boutiques, restaurants and hotels serve hot and cold holiday drinks, some spiked and some not, and performers appear throughout the district.
Because the two crawls are a week apart, you can do both. The Village crawl ends at a tree lighting in a park. The Peachtree Road crawl is centered on Buckhead's two big malls and the hotels around them. The holiday page encourages joining both.
Holiday events this week and before Dec. 5
Several holiday offerings are already underway, and more fall between now and Dec. 5:
- Since Nov. 1: Santa's Tavern, presented by Buckhead Bar, is open during mall hours at Phipps Plaza through Dec. 31.
- Since Nov. 14: Santa photos at Lenox Square run through Dec. 24.
- Nov. 18: Fresh trees arrived at Big John's Christmas Trees, 302 E. Paces Ferry Road NE, open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
- Nov. 19 through Dec. 13: The 2026 Home for the Holidays Designer Showhouse opens today at 3544 Paces Ferry Road NW. Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles hosts it, Bradford Custom Homes presents it, and proceeds benefit Earn2Give. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday. The house is closed Monday through Wednesday and on Thanksgiving Day. Tickets are $50 online and $55 at the door.
- Nov. 21, 11 a.m.: Danielle Monti-Morren of One Italian Girl holds a pop-up at Bella Cucina, 270 Buckhead Ave. NE.
- Nov. 26: For Thanksgiving, The Southern Gentleman serves a Southern buffet. Le Colonial serves a Hanoi-roasted duck and is open on the holiday for the first time.
- Nov. 28, 6 to 8 p.m.: Storytime with Santa at InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta costs $75 per child and includes a timed session, a snack and a gift.
- Dec. 3: Grinch on The Green at Phipps Plaza, two days before the big Saturday.
The showhouse is open on Dec. 5, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you visit that day, it overlaps the morning events.
If you are planning the holidays around a sale, a move or a houseful of guests, Shanna Smith can help you work out the timing so the season stays enjoyable. Request a private consultation, and we will plan around Dec. 5 together.
