This year, Roswell's first Saturday in December won't include the Back to Nature Holiday Market. The Chattahoochee Nature Center has said the market is "taking a break in 2026 due to campus wide construction on our grounds." It plans to come back on Saturday, December 4, 2027, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with "brand new and enhanced venue spaces."
That one gap changes the shape of the season. In most years the river side of town gives you an outdoor holiday day with trails, a campfire and local vendors. For 2026, most of what's on the calendar sits in the historic core, along Canton Street, Forrest Street and Town Square. The river side comes back into the picture only in the final week before Christmas. If you plan around those two halves, the season gets a lot easier to schedule.
Why the nature center is sitting this one out
The construction behind the pause is part of CNC's capital campaign, "Growing Tomorrow's Nature Enthusiasts." The center's campaign page describes it as a $9.8 million initiative. The plans include:
- Kingfisher Hall: renovated for more camp and education capacity, with a new roof, HVAC, windows and technology
- Meadow Learning Center: a conversion of the former maintenance building
- River Welcome Center: an accessible arrival point with ticketing, guest services and restrooms
- Parker House: a volunteer operations center, which CNC called the campaign's first major project when it broke ground
Outdoors, the campaign adds gardens, nature-inspired playscapes, art and interpretive signs along the existing trails, along with a secure entrance and new pathways. This summer the Sandy Springs Record marked CNC's 50th year with a story that described a nearly $10 million campaign.
The center is still open in the meantime. CNC's visit page says construction affects parts of the grounds and parking areas but that all visitor experiences remain available. That includes the six trails and the ADA-accessible River Boardwalk Trail. Posted hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. The center's 2026 calendar lists it closed on November 26, December 24 and 25, and December 31 through January 1.
A weekday walk on the boardwalk is still on the table. The big December market day just isn't.
November: a rain date turns into a holiday kickoff
Roswell's earliest holiday-season event this year wasn't planned for the holidays. The city's June 18 Alive in Roswell was canceled for weather, and the city added a make-up date of Thursday, November 19, from 5 to 9 p.m. Like the summer version, it runs on Historic Canton Street and the Roswell Antique and Interiors Lot at the same time. It's free, and leashed dogs are welcome as long as owners clean up after them. To get real-time weather, traffic and safety updates on your phone that night, text ROSWELLEvent to 888777.
A few November dates fill in around it:
- Saturday, November 7, 1 to 2:30 p.m. The History Seek Saturdays walking tour of Roswell's Historic District starts at Town Square, 610 Atlanta St. Tickets are $12 and must be bought in advance.
- Through November 13. Applications are open to decorate a tree for Deck the Square on Town Square.
- November 23. The Deck the Square trees are ready for decorating, according to the Eventeny listing. Removal can start January 2, and decorations have to be down by January 9. That puts the square's trees up from late November into the first week of January.
- Friday, November 27, 4 to 7 p.m., and Saturday, November 28, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The free Roswell Holiday Expo takes place at the Mimms Museum of Technology and Art, 5000 Commerce Parkway.
The Expo lands on the weekend after Thanksgiving, which is also the weekend after CNC closes for the holiday. If you have family in town that Friday, it's the clearest free option on the calendar.
December 4 through 6: the busiest stretch of the season
Most of the season's big events fall within three days of each other.
Friday, December 4
Roswell's Annual Lighting of the Christmas Tree runs from 6 to 8 p.m. at Heart of Roswell Park, 925 Canton St. The city's listing includes choral performances, hot chocolate, fire pits and s'mores, Mayor Mary Robichaux reading 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, and a visit from Santa. The night ends with the lighting of a 40-foot tree in the center of the park. It's free.
On the same day, Trouble In Toyland has its final performances at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center, 950 Forrest St., at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Families with young kids could catch the afternoon show and still make it to Canton Street for the lighting.
Saturday, December 5
The Roswell Makers Market runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Roswell Visual Arts Center, 10495 Woodstock Rd. Admission is free. With the nature center's market paused, this is the closest thing on the 2026 calendar to a December day of shopping for handmade gifts.
Sunday, December 6
The Sail On Christmas Concert starts at 4 p.m. at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center. Tickets start at $31.
The Forrest Street stage carries the rest of December
After that first weekend, the Roswell Cultural Arts Center at 950 Forrest St. hosts most of the holiday calendar. Here's what's listed and what it costs:
| Show | Dates and times | Tickets |
|---|---|---|
| Trouble In Toyland | Dec. 2, 3 and 4 at 10 a.m.; Dec. 4 at 1 p.m. | $12; groups of 10 or more $11 |
| Sail On Christmas Concert | Dec. 6 at 4 p.m. | From $31 |
| The Nutcracker | Dec. 11 at 7 p.m.; Dec. 12 at 1 and 5 p.m.; Dec. 13 at 2 p.m. | $29.50 standard; $38.25 premium; $23.50 group standard |
| Atlanta Vocal Project: Ringin' in the Holidays | Dec. 19 at 2 and 7 p.m. | $27.50 to $38.25 |
| Joe Gransden's Have Yourself a Jazzy Little Christmas | Dec. 20 at 4 p.m. | From $44.75 |
The Nutcracker has four performances over one weekend, so it has the most room for scheduling. Trouble In Toyland costs the least. Three of its four shows are at 10 a.m. on weekdays, so they suit a morning off or a homeschool outing better than an evening plan.
On Saturday, December 19, there's a free option at 2 p.m. The American Holiday Songbook performance takes place at Mimosa Hall & Gardens, 127 Bulloch Ave. It starts at the same hour as the Atlanta Vocal Project matinee across town, so that afternoon you'll pick one or the other.
December 19: the river side comes back
CNC's 2026 calendar lists the Enchanted Woodland Trail daily from December 19 through February 28. In years past, the holiday market brought people out to the river in early December. This year, the wooded side of town has its holiday moment later in the season and keeps it going well past New Year's.
The same calendar lists December Winter Break Camp with dates still to be announced. The calendar file was last revised in March, so check the nature center's site for current hours before you go. Remember the closures on December 24 and 25 and on December 31 through January 1.
The season ends where it started, on Town Square. Deck the Square removal can begin Saturday, January 2, and the trees have to be cleared by Saturday, January 9. Between Christmas and that first January weekend, the square and the woodland trail are the two seasonal displays still up.
The season at a glance
- Nov. 7: Historic District walking tour from Town Square, $12 in advance
- Nov. 13: Last day to apply for Deck the Square
- Nov. 19: Alive in Roswell on Canton Street, 5 to 9 p.m., free
- Nov. 23: Deck the Square trees ready for decorating
- Nov. 26: Chattahoochee Nature Center closed for Thanksgiving
- Nov. 27 to 28: Roswell Holiday Expo at Mimms Museum, free
- Dec. 2 to 4: Trouble In Toyland at the Cultural Arts Center
- Dec. 4: Tree lighting at Heart of Roswell Park, 6 to 8 p.m., free
- Dec. 5: Roswell Makers Market at the Roswell Visual Arts Center, free
- Dec. 6: Sail On Christmas Concert
- Dec. 11 to 13: The Nutcracker
- Dec. 19: Atlanta Vocal Project, American Holiday Songbook at Mimosa Hall, and the opening of the Enchanted Woodland Trail
- Dec. 20: Joe Gransden's jazz Christmas show
- Jan. 9: Deadline to clear Deck the Square decorations
If you've got relatives coming in this season and want help putting together a Roswell weekend for them, or you're just curious about the town beyond its event calendar, we'd be glad to talk it over. Reach out to Joe Sells GA and we'll share what we know about the place.
