Duluth's free Gwinnett Glows tree lighting is Saturday, Nov. 21, 5 to 8 p.m. at Gas South District; Deck the Hall is Dec. 5 downtown. No Christmas parade.

Last checked Oct. 24, 2026. This page is updated each year. Events come from Gas South District’s Gwinnett Glows page, the City of Duluth’s Deck the Hall page and 2026 events calendar, and the Southeastern Railway Museum. City events: 770-476-3434, events@duluthga.net.

Duluth’s tree lighting this year is Gwinnett Glows, Saturday, Nov. 21, 5 to 8 p.m., a free event on the Gas South District campus off Sugarloaf Parkway. The city’s own holiday kickoff, Deck the Hall, is Saturday, Dec. 5, 2026, from 2 to 7 p.m. in downtown Duluth. The city’s 2026 events calendar lists no Christmas parade. If the city adds a parade or a downtown tree lighting, we will put it here.

Updated Oct. 24: Gwinnett Glows tree lighting added (Nov. 21); Deck the Hall activities updated from the city’s page.

Holidays in Duluth at a glance

  • Thursday, Nov. 19, to Sunday, Jan. 3: Festival of 100 Trees, Southeastern Railway Museum
  • Saturday, Nov. 21, 5 to 8 p.m.: Gwinnett Glows tree lighting, Gas South District; free
  • Saturday, Dec. 5, 2 to 7 p.m.: Deck the Hall, downtown Duluth
  • Thanksgiving and winter breaks: Frosty Fun activities downtown; details on the city’s events page

Gwinnett Glows tree lighting

Saturday, Nov. 21, 5 to 8 p.m., Gas South District, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway. Free. From Gas South District’s event page:

  • A tree lighting during the evening; the page does not give the exact lighting time.
  • Food trucks, free hot cocoa, vendors and crafts.
  • Photos with Santa.
  • A lantern parade, with a Best Lantern prize of $100 and a $150 Hudgens Center gift card.
  • A lantern-making workshop, 4 to 5:30 p.m., $25 a lantern with materials; register ahead.
  • Parking: free in Deck 1 for this event. Concessions are cashless.

The same day is opening day of the Georgia Festival of Trees in the convention center next door; see our Georgia Festival of Trees page.

Deck the Hall

Saturday, Dec. 5, 2 to 7 p.m., downtown Duluth. According to the city’s Deck the Hall page, the afternoon includes:

  • Santa and holiday character meet-ups
  • Kids’ craft activities
  • A seasonal market
  • Live performances
  • Story time
  • A snow slide and playground

The city has not posted a timetable. Renewal by Andersen sponsors the event. Vendors can ask about a spot through the city’s event page. City Hall stands at the end of the Town Green at 3167 Main St.; downtown parking rules, including the public deck under the Courtyard Marriott, are in our getting around guide, and closures are on our road construction and closures page.

Festival of 100 Trees

The Southeastern Railway Museum, 3595 Buford Hwy., plans at least 100 decorated trees from community partners for its Festival of 100 Trees, open Thursday, Nov. 19, 2026, through Sunday, Jan. 3, 2027, during regular museum hours, according to the museum’s event page. The museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Its Second Thursday toddler session on Dec. 10 runs 10:30 a.m. to noon.

Frosty Fun

The city’s 2026 events calendar lists Frosty Fun, seasonal downtown activities over the Thanksgiving and winter school breaks; Gwinnett County Public Schools’ breaks are Nov. 23-27 and Dec. 21 to Jan. 4. The 2025-26 season ended with the Frosty Finale on Jan. 4, 2026, with family activities, live music, crafts and story times. Dates for this season will be on the city’s events page.

Getting there and around

  • Deck the Hall is downtown, around City Hall and the Town Green; the public parking deck is under the Courtyard Marriott.
  • Ride Gwinnett buses do not run on Christmas Day and run a Saturday schedule on Christmas Eve.
  • City offices close Dec. 24 and Dec. 25; the Public Works dumpsters also close Dec. 26. Trash pickup runs a day late after Christmas; see our trash and recycling guide.

Holiday schedules

  • City offices: closed Thanksgiving Day and the day after, Nov. 26 and 27, and Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Dec. 24 and 25, on the city’s 2026 holiday schedule.
  • Trash: pickup runs one day late in Thanksgiving week and Christmas week, according to the city’s solid waste page.
  • Buses: Ride Gwinnett runs no local service on Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day and a Saturday schedule the day after Thanksgiving and on Christmas Eve.
  • Schools: Gwinnett County Public Schools’ winter break runs Dec. 21 to Jan. 4.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Christmas tree lighting in Duluth, Georgia, in 2026? Gwinnett Glows, Saturday, Nov. 21, 5 to 8 p.m. at Gas South District; free, with free parking in Deck 1.

Does Duluth, Georgia, have a Christmas parade in 2026? No Christmas parade is on the city’s 2026 events calendar. The holiday kickoff is Deck the Hall, Saturday, Dec. 5, 2 to 7 p.m. downtown.

When is Deck the Hall 2026 in Duluth? Saturday, Dec. 5, 2026, 2 to 7 p.m. in downtown Duluth.

When is the Festival of 100 Trees? Nov. 19, 2026, through Jan. 3, 2027, during the Southeastern Railway Museum’s regular hours.

More: holiday lights and Christmas events, things to do this month and schools calendar.