Roswell Christmas 2026: tree lighting, Christkindlmarket, Nutcracker

Roswell’s holiday season has three big draws this year, and they are not equally certain. The tree lighting and The Nutcracker have dates, times and prices posted on the City’s Roswell365 calendar. The Christkindlmarket at Bulloch Hall does not have confirmed 2026 dates yet. We list each one with how sure we are, as of Oct. 18, 2026.

When is the Roswell tree lighting?

Roswell’s Annual Lighting of the Christmas Tree is Friday, Dec. 4, 2026, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Heart of Roswell Park, 925 Canton Street, at the corner of Canton and Alpharetta Streets. It is free. The City’s Roswell365 listing promises choral performances, hot chocolate, fire pits and s’mores, a reading of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas by Mayor Mary Robichaux, a visit from Santa and the lighting of a 40-foot tree. The City’s Mayor page confirms she is the current mayor.

Plan the parking before you go. The paid street pilot covers Canton Street from Magnolia to Norcross Streets until Dec. 31, and a session that starts after 3 p.m. gets no free hours, so a car parked there at 5:30 p.m. pays $3 for one hour and $6 for two. The City Hall lot at 38 Hill Street is free, and the downtown deck at 1056 Alpharetta Street is free while Green Street is closed. Heart of Roswell Park is about 190 meters from City Hall in a straight line between the map points in our places data. The City has not published road closures for the tree lighting. Our parking page has the lot table.

• Heart of Roswell Park is at 925 Canton Street, at the corner of Canton Street and Alpharetta Street, open dawn to dusk (Visit Roswell). Visit Roswell (Roswell CVB): Heart of Roswell Park
• Under the City's downtown parking pilot, which runs through December 31, 2026, the first two hours of on-street parking are free from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. starting August 1, 2026; after that the rate is $3 an hour up to $24 a day. Roswell Connections (City of Roswell news): Roswell Offers Two No-Charge Hours for On-Street Parking (July 30, 2026)

What is the Christkindlmarket, and when is it?

The Roswell Christkindlmarket is a German-style Christmas market on the front lawn of Bulloch Hall, 180 Bulloch Avenue, with holiday vendors, a biergarten and photos with Santa. Munich Event Group produces it with the City of Roswell. Entry is free, and a free shuttle runs Fridays to Sundays from City Hall and Mimosa Boulevard church lots.

The dates are the problem. The organizer’s home page headline says November 20th to December 23rd with no year. Lower on the same page it says open from November 21 through December 23, and an old 2024 date block is still there. Until the organizer posts a 2026 schedule, we list the market as not confirmed. Last season’s posted hours were Monday to Thursday 3 to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday noon to 9 p.m., and Sunday noon to 8 p.m. They may change.

Bulloch Hall has a Christmas story of its own. Visit Roswell says Mittie Bulloch and Theodore Roosevelt Sr., the parents of President Theodore Roosevelt, married there at Christmas time in 1853. The house museum is free and open Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 4 p.m., so a weekend market visit can include the house. See our house museum guide.

When is The Nutcracker in Roswell?

Atlanta Dance Theatre’s The Nutcracker plays the Roswell Cultural Arts Center, 950 Forrest Street, four times:

• Fri., Dec. 11, 7 p.m.
• Sat., Dec. 12, 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.
• Sun., Dec. 13, 2 p.m.

The Roswell365 listing gives tickets at $38.25 premium, $29.50 standard and $23.50 each for groups of 10 or more. The box office number is (770) 594-6120. The Cultural Arts Center lot has 84 spaces, free on the City map, though the City has said space can be limited during performances. The City Hall lot is next door.

• Visit Roswell lists the Roswell Cultural Arts Center at 950 Forrest Street, phone 770-594-6232, with theater, music, dance and puppet shows year-round. Visit Roswell (Roswell CVB): Roswell Cultural Arts Center

What else is on the holiday calendar?

The Roswell Makers Market is Saturday, Dec. 5, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Roswell Visual Arts Center, 10495 Woodstock Road. It is a free one-day indoor market of handmade goods by adult and youth makers, with a Winter Wonderland photo spot and free parking. It falls the day after the tree lighting, so the two make a weekend.

Earlier in the season, the Veterans Day ceremony is Wednesday, Nov. 11, at City Hall, with arrival from 8:30 to 9 a.m., an honor walk at 9:15 and the ceremony at 9:30. It is free. The added Alive in Roswell night on Thursday, Nov. 19, 5 to 9 p.m., closes out the festival year on Canton Street; see our November festival guide.

What has not been announced?

We could not find a 2026 date for a Breakfast with Santa. The farmers market season ends Oct. 31, so there is no Saturday market behind City Hall in December. If you hear about another event, look for a listing on the City’s Roswell365 calendar before you plan around it.

The City has not listed holiday closures for the house museums. Christmas Day is a Friday, a regular open day, so call before you go on Dec. 25 or 26. Our holiday season page and the events calendar update as dates are confirmed.

Holiday questions

Written by the Downtown Roswell Editorial Team. AI tools help us draft; people check every fact before it publishes.

Dates, rules and hours can change. The organisers have the final word: City of Roswell