Fayetteville's Holiday Season Runs Six Weeks at Trilith and Three Nights Downtown
Saturday, November 21, sets the order for the season. Light Up Trilith starts at 4 p.m. at the Town at Trilith, and that same evening a Christmas tree farm, a pop-up holiday bar and decorated soundstage tours open to the public. All three stay open well into December. Six days later, on the Friday after Thanksgiving, the Christmas Parade rolls through downtown Fayetteville and City Center Park lights up behind City Hall.
The two calendars work differently. Trilith's season is a run of daily attractions you can drop into on any afternoon between late November and New Year's Eve. Downtown's season is three dated evenings, and all three happen on the same lawn at 210 Stonewall Avenue West. That park's playgrounds closed on October 5 for a rebuild. Once you see how the two calendars fit together, you can plan which weekend belongs to which part of town.
Light Up Trilith runs from 4 to 8 p.m. on November 21, with food trucks, live music and family activities around the Town at Trilith. Santa's Workshop is ticketed separately at $25 per child. A ticket covers bounce houses, a snow tube slide, an obstacle course, an ornament make-and-take, a snow area, a train ride and a chance to meet Minnie and Mickey. Trilith is also running a holiday drive with Bloom Fosters, a local nonprofit that supports children in foster care. Toys, shoes and pajamas for youth and teens go to the Bloom tent in front of Honeysuckle Gelato.
These attractions open that night and keep going after it:
The tree farm's daily 11-to-7 hours matter more than they might seem. For four weeks, picking out a tree in Fayetteville can happen on a weekday lunch break, with no need to wait for a weekend.
Downtown's holiday season runs through City Center Park, and the city has posted all three dates:
| Date | Event | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, Nov. 20 | Movies in the Park: Elf | 5:30 p.m. start, film after sunset |
| Friday, Nov. 27 | Christmas Parade and Light Up City Center Park | Parade 5:30 p.m., park 6 to 8 p.m. |
| Saturday, Dec. 12 | Miracle on Main Street Market | 4 to 8 p.m. |
The Elf screening falls the night before Light Up Trilith, so the weekend of November 20 and 21 runs from one end of town to the other in about 24 hours. The city's parade page also has a tip for parade night: the whole parade is visible from inside the park, so a family can claim a spot at 5 p.m. and stay put for the Light Up City Center Park program, which starts at 6.
On September 29, the city announced it would close the City Center Park playgrounds starting October 5. The junior playground is being demolished and replaced with a completely new one, and the newer playground for older children is getting several added features. The new equipment will match the colors and architectural features of the existing playground. The city estimated four to six weeks, weather permitting.
Public Services Director Cajen Rhodes explained the decision in the city's announcement: "We were faced with potentially hefty repair bills for the junior playground at City Center Park, so we instead opted to replace it with something that will look better, be more accessible, and offer many more fun and interactive features." The city said the rest of City Center Park would stay open during the work.
Church Street Park at 250 Church Street closed on September 30 for a similar four-to-six-week project. It is getting a full-featured restroom, which the city called a top resident request for several years, paid for with 2023 SPLOST proceeds. The Citizen covered both closures in October. The city posts project updates on its website and social channels, and those are the place to check playground status before taking young children to the parade.
For playground time this month, the city's notice pointed families to Patriot Park on Redwine Road, Dickson Springs Park on Helen Sams Parkway and The Ridge Nature Area at the end of Burch Road. Whitewater Creek Nature Area, which Fayette County opened on May 28 at Veterans Parkway and Eastin Road, is having its first holiday season. It has a 1,000-foot ADA-accessible multi-use path and a soft-surface nature trail, which makes it a calm walk on an evening without plans.
The city says the 2026 parade follows the same route as last year. The Citizen's 2025 parade guide laid out that route:
Last year, The Citizen reported that local road closures started at 5:30 p.m. Both directions of Highway 54 through downtown are on the route, so the simplest plan is to arrive early and walk in.
The route wraps around Courthouse Square, and Main Street Fayetteville's dining and shopping directory lists a cluster of places inside the loop. On South Glynn Street there's Gremlin Growlers at 101, Olde Court House Tavern at 105, Twisted Taco at 115 and City Cafe & Bakery at 215. Anthony's Pizzeria is at 107 Stonewall Avenue West, and Hog Pit BBQ is at 300 City Center Parkway, Suite B-2, the street the parade uses to circle the park. For gifts on the walk back, the directory lists Town Square Jewelers at 101 Stonewall Avenue East, Betty's Fine Collectible at 123 Stonewall Avenue East and Junk Mama's General Store at 125 Fisher Avenue.
A little south, Santa Maria Latin Tapas, Seafood and Oyster Bar at 715 Glynn St. South opens daily at 11 a.m., The Citizen reported in October. The city's development map lists more downtown projects under construction, including Rickshaw Thai at 119 S. Glynn St. and a new Partners Pizza location at 555 S. Glynn St.
Trilith LIVE's schedule holds the nights when neither tree lighting is on. The Nutcracker Tea is on November 14. On November 20, the night of the Elf screening downtown, Camp Southern Ground presents Unsung Hero with Emily Ann Roberts at 8 p.m. Eddie B performs at 8 p.m. on November 21, after Light Up Trilith ends.
December runs later. The Shining Light Gala & Concert is December 17, and One Joyous Night with Hezekiah Walker begins at 7:30 p.m. on December 19, which is also the last day of Art's Christmas Tree Farm.
The two calendars overlap fully on Saturday, December 12. Trilith lists its Holiday Hustle 5K that day, and Miracle on Main Street Market fills City Center Park from 4 to 8 p.m. The city says more market details are on the way. With both on the calendar, the same Saturday can hold a race at Trilith, a stop at the tree farm on the Guesthouse Plaza and an evening of shopping downtown.
After that, downtown's season is finished, and Trilith keeps going on its own schedule. Its pop-up bar at Oliver's Twist and the holiday studio tours both run through December 31.
If the holidays have you thinking about where you want to spend next year's season in Fayette County, Brandi Lewis knows how the area's schedule works, from the studio district to Courthouse Square. Let's Connect: Schedule a Confidential Consultation.
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