Dahlonega, Georgia, is celebrating its annual “Old Fashioned Christmas” event. On Nov. 26, the Historic Downtown Dahlonega Square will illuminate with thousands of white lights and Christmas decorations.

The ceremony, which draws in thousands of visitors each year per dahlonegachristmas.com, will feature a variety of events from Nov. 26 to Nov. 28 available for a limited time.

Along with the lighting ceremony, there will be carriage rides through the lit-up square on a first-come, first-serve basis, visits with Santa Claus, live performances by Radford Windham and Tony Mas, and more throughout the weekend.

The winter season is a fan favorite for students in Dahlonega thanks to the lights. Kohl Kenerly, a sophomore marketing major at the University of North Georgia, says, “Every year, I come up with my parents to see them light up the square. It’s really gorgeous.”

The event organizers have also announced that there will be a Christmas parade on Dec. 11, featuring organizations, donors, and approved guests, along with Santa, who will be taking a break from pictures to join the festivities.

McKenna Watts, a sophomore kinesiology major at UNG, says that it is now a tradition to go to the square during the holidays. Watts says, “I love going to the square anyway, but the lights and the decorations make it magical in the winter.”

Organizers still request that CDC guidelines for COVID-19 be followed, with social distancing encouraged when possible.

The lights and decorations will stay up from Nov. 26 until the first week of January 2022, when the holiday season ends.

For more information, you can visit dahlonegachristmas.com for a full schedule of events, restaurants, shops and lodging within the square.