Holiday lights and Christmas events in Johns Creek 2026

Last checked Oct. 25, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Dates, times and prices come from each organizer’s own page, linked below.

Updated Oct. 25: Medley now lists Friday, Nov. 27, as a school holiday for the rink, open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and dates the school holiday hours Nov. 27 and Dec. 21 to Jan. 4.

Updated Oct. 14: the city added Snacks with Santa at 1:30 and 3 p.m. Dec. 12, confirmed breakfast seatings at 9 and 10:30 a.m., and set registration to open at 8 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1.

This page covers Santa visits, the city’s tree lighting, ice skating, concerts, Hanukkah, light displays and what is closed.

Who to call

• Santa events and city programs: Johns Creek Recreation and Parks, 678-512-3200
• Emergencies: 911

Medley: Merry Medley and the ice rink

Medley, the new district at Johns Creek Parkway and McGinnis Ferry Road, opens Oct. 29 and plans its first holiday season around an outdoor ice rink.

Merry Medley, Friday, Nov. 27, from 4 p.m. Medley’s holiday kickoff on Medley Boulevard brings family activities, a holiday concert, performances, the opening of the ice rink and a fireworks finale (Merry Medley page).

Skate the Plaza, Nov. 27 to Feb. 7, 2027. Medley’s rink page lists these hours (Skate the Plaza page):

Medley gives Nov. 27 as the rink’s grand opening and Feb. 7 as its last day. Opening day, Friday, Nov. 27, runs on school holiday hours, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and so does Dec. 21 through Jan. 4, apart from the special Christmas and New Year hours above. Medley had not posted skating prices as of Oct. 25.

Santa in Johns Creek

Holly Jolly Block Party, Friday, Dec. 4, 6 to 8 p.m. The city’s free kickoff to the season at The Boardwalk at Town Center, 11362 Lakefield Drive, brings a visit from Santa, the lighting of the city’s 40-foot Christmas tree, hot cocoa, local choirs and lights (city event page).

Breakfast with Santa, Saturday, Dec. 12. Santa visits Park Place at Newtown Park, 3125 Old Alabama Road, for breakfast, music and holiday crafts, with seatings at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. The same day, Snacks with Santa runs at 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Registration opens at 8 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, is required and space is limited. It costs $20 per resident child and $30 per nonresident child, children must come with an adult, and families are limited to two adults. Register on the city’s Breakfast with Santa page.

Adaptive Recreation Lunch with Santa, Saturday, Dec. 12, noon. Also at Park Place at Newtown Park, run by the city’s adaptive recreation program. Free to attend (city listing).

Holiday music

Holiday Pops: From Our Family to Yours, Saturday, Dec. 5, 4:30 p.m. The Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra’s family concert is at Innovation Academy in Alpharetta, about five miles west, timed to follow the Alpharetta Christmas Market. The program includes Leroy Anderson’s “A Christmas Festival” and “Sleigh Ride,” music from “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” a carol sing-along and the Johns Creek Community Choir (orchestra’s Holiday Pops page).

Hanukkah

Hanukkah begins at sundown Friday, Dec. 4, and ends Saturday, Dec. 12, 2026 (Hebcal calendar). As of Oct. 5, no public menorah lighting in Johns Creek had been announced for 2026. This page will add it when an organizer posts one.

Light displays

The city lights its 40-foot tree and The Boardwalk at Town Center at the Holly Jolly Block Party. As of Oct. 5, we had found no drive-through or ticketed light show in Johns Creek with 2026 dates. Displays will be added here as their organizers announce them.

Christmas Eve services

Many churches hold Christmas Eve services, and most post times in late fall. Johns Creek Baptist Church held candlelight services at 3 and 5 p.m. on Dec. 24, 2025, with doors opening 30 minutes before each (church event page); its 2026 times are not out yet.

What is closed

• City Hall: closed Thursday, Dec. 24 (city listing).
• Fulton County libraries: closed Thursday through Saturday, Dec. 24-26 (library holiday schedule).
• Fulton County Schools: winter break Dec. 21-31 and Jan. 1 (2026-27 calendar).
• Trash pickup: set by your own private hauler; the city lists registered haulers on its Garbage and Recycling page.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Johns Creek Christmas tree lighting in 2026? The city’s 40-foot tree is lit at the Holly Jolly Block Party, 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4, at The Boardwalk at Town Center. It is free and Santa visits.

How do I book Breakfast with Santa in Johns Creek? Registration opens at 8 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, on the city’s Breakfast with Santa page. Breakfast seatings are 9 and 10:30 a.m. and Snacks with Santa is 1:30 and 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, at Park Place in Newtown Park, $20 per resident child and $30 per nonresident child.

When is Hanukkah in 2026? Hanukkah begins at sundown Friday, Dec. 4, and ends Saturday, Dec. 12, 2026. No public menorah lighting in Johns Creek had been announced as of Oct. 5.

Is there ice skating in Johns Creek? Yes. Medley’s outdoor rink, Skate the Plaza, opens Friday, Nov. 27, 2026, and runs to Feb. 7, 2027, at 2140 Medley Blvd., with hours that vary by day.

Are Fulton County libraries open on Christmas Eve? No. The Fulton County Library System closes Thursday through Saturday, Dec. 24-26, 2026.

What this means for you

• Breakfast with Santa fills up; register early.
• Medley’s rink opens around Thanksgiving week and stays open into February.
• The first weekend of December is the busiest: Holly Jolly, the first night of Hanukkah and Holiday Pops all fall on Dec. 4-5.

Related: Black Friday and holiday shopping, New Year’s Eve, Medley and kids’ activities.