On two nights in mid-December, Dec. 13 and 14, at least 400 people walked a brand-new mile of the Alpha Loop between Old Milton Parkway and Northwinds Summit. They drank hot chocolate, ate donuts, and crossed the section's tunnel and 12-foot-wide bridge. Alpha Loop Foundation board member Karen Richard told Appen Media that "the line for the hot chocolate was about as long as the line for people wanting to talk about the map."
That was the first Lights on the Loop. This December it runs every night for a month, and the Foundation counted more than 31,000 visitors over last year's month. Only four of this year's evenings have a stage, vendors or a scheduled program.
The season still opens with its busiest weekend, though, so the calendar starts there.
Three Trees, Three Nights in a Row
From Friday, Nov. 20 through Sunday, Nov. 22, Alpharetta lights a tree three nights running, each at a different address. Each one suits a different kind of evening.
The Hamilton Alpharetta, Friday, Nov. 20. The hotel at 35 Milton Ave. holds its tree lighting from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., and the tree is lit at 6:30. Admission is free. The program includes live holiday music, photos with Santa, a hot cocoa Baileys bar, a prime rib special from the hotel restaurant, carolers from the Alpharetta High School Chorus, and holiday classics on a big screen on the Amenity Deck. Of the three, it's the most like a cocktail hour. Awesome Alpharetta's listing advises arriving early.
Downtown Alpharetta, Saturday, Nov. 21. The City of Alpharetta's Season of Celebration Tree Lighting runs from 5 to 8 p.m. on the main stage in front of City Hall, under a 50-foot tree. The listing promises live holiday music, snow flurries, strolling characters and a visit from Santa. It also suggests bringing portable chairs, which tells you this is a settle-in event, not a walk-through. The same day, Arts Alpharetta's Artist Holiday Market runs from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Alpharetta Arts Center, 238 Canton St. That makes it easy to turn Saturday into an afternoon of shopping before the lighting.
Avalon, Sunday, Nov. 22. The Lighting of Avalon runs from 2 to 7:30 p.m. and is the longest of the three. A skating performance kicks off the afternoon. Avalon on Ice opens to the public at 3 p.m., the Atlanta Figure Skating Club performs from 3 to 5, and family activities fill Avalon Boulevard. The 40-foot tree lighting "starts promptly at 7:00 pm." Avalon lists free parking decks, valet on 3rd Street, and a shuttle from Gwinnett Technical College across the street. It suggests carpooling or rideshare because the decks fill quickly.
The rink outlasts the weekend. Avalon lists the skating season as November 22 through January 18, at $18 per person or $14 for children 12 and under, skates included. Regular hours are 3 to 9 p.m. on weekdays, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays, and noon to 7 p.m. on Sundays. Opening day runs 3 to 10 p.m.
The Event That Stopped Being an Event
All three tree lightings happen once, at a set time, on a single night. Lights on the Loop grew in the other direction.
After the two-night debut, the Foundation stretched it into a month-long display for its second year. That edition kept evening gatherings on several weekends, with artisan vendors, live music, food and drink. Richard told Appen Media that about 800 visitors came the first weekend in December.
Running the lights every night cost real money. At a Dec. 8 City Council meeting during that second year, City Administrator Chris Lagerbloom said the event had spent $17,000 on temporary power that year, and permanent power would cost about $20,000. "If you pay $20,000 once, and it's done, the return on that investment is in one year," he said, as Appen Media reported. Councilman Fergal Brady asked staff to consider the project for the city budget. Councilman Doug DeRito noted that permanent power could serve everyday trail users outside of events. He also said this, in the same Appen Media report:
"It's one of those things that Alpharetta is probably going to be known for."
At least part of that power is now in place. A summary of a September 2026 special called meeting of the Alpharetta Development Authority says the Foundation's presenter thanked the Authority for an earlier $20,000 contribution. That money paid for permanent power near the tunnel on the south side of Westside Parkway and replaced some of the temporary power boxes used in 2025.
What the 2025 Numbers Say About December Nights
The same meeting summary carries the clearest figures on how people actually used the event. In December 2025, the Foundation reported more than 31,000 visitors on that section of the Alpha Loop over the month. It also reported more than 13,000 Eventbrite registrations for the weekend gatherings.
The two figures count different things. One is people on the trail across the whole month, and the other is sign-ups for a handful of programmed evenings.
The 2026 plan puts even less weight on the programmed evenings. According to the summary, the Foundation proposed cutting the themed weekends from three to two and adding more interactive features. It is targeting 41,000 visitors for the month and about 7,000 weekend registrations. The registration target is about half of last year's count, set beside a visitor goal for the month of 41,000.
Reach has grown too. The presenter described registrations from as far as Atlanta, Birmingham and Charlotte, plus Instagram reels that drew close to a million views. 2025 sponsorships came to about $140,000 from roughly 20 sponsors, including nearby names like Village Tavern and Avalon. For a resident, that means the themed weekends now draw visitors from well beyond North Fulton. A quiet weeknight walk is a different outing from a Saturday at the village.
How the 2026 Loop Is Set Up
The 2026 event page from Awesome Alpharetta lists a one-mile light display on the Alpha Loop between Northwinds Parkway and Old Milton Parkway. It's open nightly from December 4, 2026 through January 4, 2027, from 5:30 to 11 p.m. Admission is free. A "Switch On The Lights" celebration starts the season on Friday, Dec. 4 at 5:30 p.m. Free parking is available at 2500 and 2520 Northwinds Parkway.
Both themed weekends run from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.:
- Holiday Music Showcase, Dec. 4–5: performances by the Alpharetta Symphony, the Alpharetta City Band, local musicians and a holiday DJ.
- Pet-friendly weekend with Llamas on the Loop, Dec. 18–19: pet activities and the llama appearances the event has become known for. The Foundation's page calls this weekend "Paws & Llamas."
On both weekends, the Lights & Delights Village sets up behind 2500 Northwinds Parkway. It will have artisan vendors, seasonal food and non-alcoholic drinks for sale, family entertainment, and holiday characters for photos. The organizers add that performers and animal appearances are subject to change. Themed weekends go ahead rain or shine unless the weather is heavy or severe, and updates go to registered attendees through Eventbrite.
Registration is where the two official sources differ. The Alpha Loop Foundation's event page says free registration is required for themed weekends and not needed for the nightly display. Awesome Alpharetta says Eventbrite registration is strongly encouraged. Registering ahead for Dec. 4–5 or Dec. 18–19 satisfies both, and you can walk the lights any other night without a ticket.
The Foundation describes Lights on the Loop as its largest fundraiser of the year. The money supports the continued growth of the Alpha Loop. The Loop's long-term route connects Avalon, Alpharetta City Center, Northwinds Office Park and the North Point Economic District.
Putting the Season Together
Here are the dates in order, from opening weekend through the last week the rink is open:
- Fri, Nov. 20: The Hamilton Alpharetta tree lighting, 5:30–8:30 p.m., tree lit at 6:30.
- Sat, Nov. 21: Artist Holiday Market at the Alpharetta Arts Center, 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m., then the downtown tree lighting at City Hall, 5–8 p.m.
- Sun, Nov. 22: The Lighting of Avalon, 2–7:30 p.m.; Avalon on Ice opens at 3 p.m.; tree lit at 7.
- Fri–Sat, Dec. 4–5: Lights on the Loop switches on Friday at 5:30 p.m.; Holiday Music Showcase both evenings.
- Sat, Dec. 5: The Alpharetta Christmas Market at Innovation Academy, 125 Milton Ave., 9 a.m.–4 p.m., free admission.
- Fri–Sat, Dec. 18–19: Pet-friendly weekend with Llamas on the Loop.
- Mon, Jan. 4: Last night of Lights on the Loop.
- Mon, Jan. 18: Last day of the Avalon on Ice season.
Nov. 21 and Dec. 5 each pair a daytime market with an evening event. On every night from Dec. 4 to Jan. 4, the Alpha Loop is lit from 5:30 to 11 p.m., free and with no ticket needed.
If a December evening on the Loop has you thinking about how the trail is changing the neighborhoods along Northwinds and Old Milton, Occasio Collective is glad to talk it through over hot chocolate. We follow the Alpha Loop's progress as closely as we follow the market.
