Jolly Holly Day 2026 in Suwanee: tree lighting, Santa and parking

Jolly Holly Day & Tree Lighting 2026 is on Friday, December 4, 2026, in Suwanee Town Center Park at 330 Town Center Avenue. The City of Suwanee calendar lists it from 6 to 9 p.m. (City of Suwanee). Santa arrives at 6:30 p.m., the tree lighting is at 8 p.m., and Explore Gwinnett lists the event as free (Explore Gwinnett).

Jolly Holly Day 2026 at a glance

How the evening runs

1. 6 p.m. The event starts, per the city calendar.
2. 6:30 p.m. Santa arrives and is available for photos with children and families.
3. Through the evening. Explore Gwinnett’s listing mentions elementary school choirs, crafts and vendors, and food trucks.
4. Before the lighting. A performance by All Stars Performing Arts Academy.
5. 8 p.m. Santa helps light the holiday tree.
6. 9 p.m. The end time on the city calendar.

6 to 9 p.m. or 6 to 10 p.m.?

The listings disagree. The city calendar says 6 to 9 p.m. Explore Georgia’s listing, titled “Jolly Holly Days & Market”, says 6 to 10 p.m. (Explore Georgia). We go by the city calendar, the primary source. Plan around the 8 p.m. tree lighting, as listed by Explore Gwinnett, and check the city calendar the week of the event. If the times change, we will update this page.

Park rules that still apply

Town Center Park rules hold on event nights. You may not bring your own alcohol, though alcohol may be bought from Town Center merchants on event days. Dogs must be on a leash, and glass containers, skateboards and drones are not allowed (City of Suwanee). The Big Splash fountain will be off: its season ends October 31. Full rules are on our Town Center page.

The Caboose Lighting in Old Town

Suwanee’s other holiday lighting is in Old Town. The Caboose Lighting tradition began on Thanksgiving 1994 at the red 1950 caboose on Main Street near Pierce’s Corner (City of Suwanee). As of October 17, 2026, the city had not published a 2026 Caboose Lighting date, so we have none to give. See our Old Town guide for the caboose and the walk around it.

More holiday dates downtown

The 5K and the tree recycling dates come from the City of Suwanee calendar and its second page. The city’s event detail pages could not be read, so we have only the title, date and time for those two; check the city calendar for locations and sign-up. Explore Gwinnett lists the Nutcracker as free (Explore Gwinnett). The winter farmers market runs on select Saturdays from 9 to 11 a.m., November to April, starting November 7, 2026 (City of Suwanee); see our farmers market guide.

Parking and getting there

The city’s “Event Parking” link opens the same Downtown Public Parking Map as its everyday “Public Parking Map” link. The map marks street spaces around Town Center Park and City Hall, a large surface lot west of City Hall and a deck across Buford Highway. It marks the townhome neighborhood directly south of City Hall as no public parking (City of Suwanee). You can also park along the Town Center on Main loop road and walk through the pedestrian tunnel. Koloni bikes are free for the first 2 hours, then $2 per hour (City of Suwanee). Our parking page has the full table, and the events page has the rest of the season.

Questions people ask