Christmas 2026 in Woodstock: Holiday Lights at Dixie Speedway Nov. 20 to Dec. 31, A Christmas Carol at Woodstock Arts Dec. 4-24, Santa's Mailbox and Santa calls.

Last checked Oct. 6, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Every date and time below comes from the organizer’s own website, linked. The parade and tree lighting have their own page.

Woodstock’s Christmas season runs from the Friday before Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve. The biggest light display is the drive-through Holiday Lights of Woodstock at Dixie Speedway, open every night from Nov. 20 except Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Downtown, Woodstock Arts stages A Christmas Carol for three weeks in December, and the city and county run free letters-to-Santa and phone-call programs for children.

The city’s Christmas Jubilee and Parade of Lights, with Santa and the lighting of the 30-foot tree, is Sunday, Dec. 6, at 5:30 p.m. Route, times and parking are on our separate Christmas parade and tree lighting page.

Who to call

  • Woodstock Parks and Recreation (Santa’s Mailbox, Chip and Dip): 770-517-6788
  • Woodstock Arts box office: 678-494-4251
  • Cherokee Recreation and Parks (Santa’s Calling You): 770-924-7768

Light displays

Display Dates Hours Where
Holiday Lights of Woodstock Nov. 20 to Dec. 31; closed Dec. 24 and 25 6 to 9 p.m. Sunday to Thursday; 6 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday Dixie Speedway, 150 Dixie Drive

Holiday Lights of Woodstock is run by 112Events, which also puts on light shows in Canton, Ellijay and Rome. At Woodstock it is a drive-through show, and admission includes Santa’s Village. Tickets are sold per vehicle, online or at the gate, and the organizer takes cash and cards; a season pass and a new Golden Ticket covering all four of its shows are also offered. Pets are not allowed at the Woodstock show because of the venue’s rules, according to the organizer’s FAQ.

We found no other public light display in Woodstock with 2026 dates as of Oct. 6. If your neighborhood or business puts on a display open to the public, tell us.

Santa visits and letters

  • Christmas Jubilee, Sunday, Dec. 6. Santa comes to The Park at City Center after the parade to hear wish lists and help the mayor light the tree.
  • Santa’s Mailbox, Nov. 26 to Dec. 13. Children drop letters in the North Pole Express Mailbox in the gazebo at The Park at City Center, 101 Arnold Mill Road, and get a personal reply before Christmas. Include a return address. The city asks for no classroom projects.
  • Santa’s Calling You, Thursday, Dec. 10. Cherokee Recreation and Parks arranges a free phone call from Santa, one family per registration. The parent form is due Monday, Dec. 7. The county’s page gives two different calling windows for Dec. 10, 3 to 5 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m.; call 770-924-7768 to confirm.
  • Letters to Santa at The WREC. Cherokee Recreation and Parks also keeps a North Pole mailbox at its Woodstock recreation center, 7545 Main St., Building 200. In 2025 letters were taken from Nov. 3 to Dec. 11; the 2026 dates are not out yet.
  • Santa’s Village at Holiday Lights of Woodstock. Included with admission to the light show at Dixie Speedway.

Holiday shows

A Christmas Carol the Musical runs Dec. 4 to 24 on the Woodstock Arts Main Street stage, 8534 Main St. The musical, with music by Alan Menken and book and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and Mike Ockrent, is rated for all ages and runs 90 minutes with a 15-minute intermission. Doors open 30 minutes before each show.

Date Time
Friday, Dec. 4 (opening reception follows) 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 5 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 6 2:30 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 11, and Saturday, Dec. 12 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 13 2:30 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 18, and Saturday, Dec. 19 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 20 2:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 23, and Thursday, Dec. 24 2:30 p.m.

Woodstock Arts’ improv troupe, WIT!, also plays on Thursday, Dec. 17, and Sunday, Dec. 20, at 7:30 p.m., according to its events calendar.

Holiday markets and tours

  • Holiday markets: Maker’s Mash at Reformation Brewery on Dec. 13, a county Christmas Market on Dec. 1 and holiday vendors at the Jubilee on Dec. 6. All are on our Black Friday and holiday shopping page.
  • Cozy Crawl, Saturday, Dec. 5, 2 to 6 p.m.: Visit Woodstock GA’s downtown restaurant crawl.
  • Christmas pop-up at Truck and Tap, 8640 Main St.: in 2025 the food truck park turned its bar into a holiday pop-up with lights, decor and holiday cocktails, plus Christmas music bingo, an ugly sweater party and Christmas trivia in the week before Christmas, according to Truck and Tap. The 2026 pop-up had not been announced as of Oct. 6.
  • Holiday Tour of Homes, Dec. 11-12: History Cherokee’s 2026 tour is in historic Ball Ground, with homes lit up from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Friday and open from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday. One ticket covers both days and includes the Cherokee County History Center.

Menorah lightings

We found no public menorah lighting in Woodstock with 2026 details on an organizer’s website as of Oct. 6. If your congregation is holding one, send us the date, time and place.

After Christmas

Christmas Tree Chip and Dip, Dec. 26 to Jan. 17. Take your tree to Olde Rope Mill Park, 690 Olde Rope Mill Road, to be chipped, then come back with a shovel for free mulch. No flocked, painted or decorated trees. The city’s Bring One for the Chipper day, with free tree seedlings, is listed for Jan. 4 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Holiday closings: city offices close Thursday and Friday, Dec. 24-25, for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The Sequoyah Regional Library closes Wednesday through Saturday, Dec. 23-26. Red Oak Sanitation lists Christmas Day, Friday, Dec. 25, as a holiday, so Friday trash moves to Saturday. See our trash and recycling guide.

What this means for you

  • See the lights: Dixie Speedway from Nov. 20, every night but Dec. 24 and 25. Leave the dog at home.
  • Letters to Santa: the park gazebo mailbox closes Dec. 13.
  • Santa’s phone call: the county form is due Monday, Dec. 7.

Related: Christmas parade and tree lighting, New Year’s Eve in Woodstock and things to do this month.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I see Christmas lights in Woodstock, Georgia?

Holiday Lights of Woodstock, a drive-through show at Dixie Speedway, 150 Dixie Drive, runs Nov. 20 to Dec. 31, 2026, closed Dec. 24 and 25. Hours are 6 to 9 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 6 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Can I bring my dog to Holiday Lights of Woodstock?

No. The organizer asks that pets not be brought to its Woodstock show, because of the venue’s rules.

Where can kids see Santa in Woodstock?

At the city’s Christmas Jubilee after the Parade of Lights on Sunday, Dec. 6, at The Park at City Center, and in Santa’s Village at Holiday Lights of Woodstock. Children can also mail letters to Santa at the park gazebo from Nov. 26 to Dec. 13.

When is A Christmas Carol at Woodstock Arts in 2026?

Dec. 4 to 24, 2026, at the Woodstock Arts Theatre, 8534 Main St. Evening shows start at 7:30 p.m. and matinees at 2:30 p.m.; the show runs 90 minutes plus an intermission.