Christmas 2026 in Duluth: Festival of 100 Trees from Nov. 19, Gwinnett Glows tree lighting Nov. 21, Deck the Hall Dec. 5, holiday concerts and closings.

Last checked Oct. 24, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Dates come from the organizer named, linked. The city’s holiday kickoff has its own page: Christmas parade and tree lighting.

Duluth’s Christmas season starts at the Southeastern Railway Museum, where the Festival of 100 Trees fills the exhibit halls from Nov. 19 to Jan. 3. Two days later the Gas South District campus lights its tree at Gwinnett Glows on Saturday, Nov. 21, the opening day of the Georgia Festival of Trees. Downtown, the city holds Deck the Hall on Saturday, Dec. 5.

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

Christmas in Duluth at a glance

  • Nov. 19 to Jan. 3: Festival of 100 Trees, Southeastern Railway Museum, 3595 Buford Hwy.
  • Saturday, Nov. 21, 5 to 8 p.m.: Gwinnett Glows tree lighting, Gas South District; free
  • Nov. 21-29: Georgia Festival of Trees, Gas South Convention Center; closed Nov. 25-26
  • Saturday, Dec. 5, 2 to 7 p.m.: Deck the Hall, downtown: Santa, snow slide, market
  • Dec. 21 to Jan. 4: Gwinnett schools’ winter break; Frosty Fun downtown
  • Dec. 24-25: City Hall closed; trash runs a day late after Christmas

Tree lighting: Gwinnett Glows

Saturday, Nov. 21, 5 to 8 p.m., Gas South District, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway. Free. Gas South District’s event page lists a tree lighting with food trucks, free hot cocoa, vendors, photos with Santa and a lantern parade, with a lantern-making workshop from 4 to 5:30 p.m. for $25. Parking in Deck 1 is free for the event. The Georgia Festival of Trees opens in the convention center the same day; see our Georgia Festival of Trees page.

Santa downtown: Deck the Hall

The city’s holiday kickoff is Saturday, Dec. 5, 2026, from 2 to 7 p.m. in downtown Duluth. The city’s Deck the Hall page lists Santa and holiday character meet-ups, kids’ crafts, a seasonal market, live performances, story time and a snow slide and playground. The city’s 2026 calendar lists no Christmas parade; more is on our Christmas parade and tree lighting page.

Festival of 100 Trees

The Southeastern Railway Museum, 3595 Buford Hwy., plans at least 100 trees decorated by community partners, open Thursday, Nov. 19, 2026, through Sunday, Jan. 3, 2027, during museum hours, according to its event page. The museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday; regular admission applies and includes one train ride, according to the museum’s website.

Santa at the railway museum

Last year the museum held Santa Arrives by Train on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025: Santa pulled in at 1 p.m., with free family portraits with Mr. and Mrs. Claus, more than 70 decorated trees, a Santa’s Workshop in the restored Duluth Depot and train rides, according to the museum’s 2025 event page. The museum had not posted a 2026 date as of Oct. 24; we will add it when it does. Its toddler program, Second Thursday, meets Dec. 10 from 10:30 a.m. to noon.

Frosty Fun over winter break

The city’s 2026 events calendar lists Frosty Fun, seasonal downtown activities over the Thanksgiving and winter school breaks. Last season closed with the Frosty Finale on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, from 3 to 6 p.m., with family activities, live music, crafts, story times and bubbles. This season’s dates will be on the city’s events page.

Holiday concerts and shows

All at the Gas South District, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway; tickets through each event page.

  • Star of Wonder, Buford School of Ballet: Nov. 19-22, Gas South Theater; selections from The Nutcracker, The Advent Wreath and The Nativity, from $23.98 (event page).
  • Emmanuel Cantata: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 24, Gas South Theater; free, with registration required for everyone 2 and older (event page).
  • for KING + COUNTRY, A Drummer Boy Christmas: 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27, Gas South Arena, from $44.92 (event page).
  • Trans-Siberian Orchestra: 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13, Gas South Arena (event page).
  • Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Holiday Showcase: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 16, Gas South Theater (event page).
  • Three Nutcrackers at Gas South Theater, Nov. 13 to Dec. 20: see our Nutcracker page.

Menorah lightings and other holiday events

We found no public menorah lighting or drive-through light show in Duluth with 2026 dates on an organizer’s own website as of Oct. 24. If you are organizing one, send us the details with a link and we will add it.

Holiday closings

What Christmas 2026 Source
City offices Closed Thursday, Dec. 24, and Friday, Dec. 25 City holiday schedule
Trash and recycling One day late after Christmas Day City solid waste page
Duluth Branch library Closed Dec. 24, 25 and 26; closes 5 p.m. Dec. 31 Library holiday schedule
Ride Gwinnett Saturday schedule Dec. 24; no service Dec. 25 Ride Gwinnett
Gwinnett County Public Schools Winter break Dec. 21 to Jan. 4 GCPS calendar

Who to call

Frequently asked questions

Where can I see Christmas lights in Duluth, Georgia? At Gwinnett Glows, Saturday, Nov. 21, at Gas South District, and at the Southeastern Railway Museum’s Festival of 100 Trees, Nov. 19 to Jan. 3.

Where can kids see Santa in Duluth? At Gwinnett Glows Nov. 21, the Georgia Festival of Trees Nov. 21-29 and Deck the Hall Dec. 5.

When is the Festival of 100 Trees? Nov. 19, 2026, through Jan. 3, 2027, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.

Is Duluth City Hall open Christmas Eve? No. City offices close Dec. 24 and 25.

When is winter break for Gwinnett County Public Schools? Dec. 21, 2026, through Jan. 4, 2027.

What this means for you

  • Plan a museum visit Thursday through Sunday; it is closed Monday through Wednesday.
  • Deck the Hall is one afternoon only: Saturday, Dec. 5.
  • Trash runs a day late Christmas week; City Hall reopens Monday, Dec. 28.

Related: New Year’s Eve in Duluth, Black Friday and holiday shopping and things to do this month, getting around and parking and road construction and closures.