North Augusta's holiday calendar peaks in one week. Between Tuesday, Dec. 1, and Sunday, Dec. 6, downtown fits in the city's tree lighting, a free trolley crawl, the opening of a free skating rink and the Lions Club Christmas parade. Each date from now until then builds toward that week, and the same group of Georgia Avenue merchants hosts it from start to finish.
That means the November dates double as a preview. Tonight is a good place to start.
Tonight's Sip + Stroll Is a Preview of Dec. 1
North Augusta Forward's Sip + Stroll runs tonight, Thursday, Nov. 12, from 5 to 8 p.m. downtown. It's free. The organizers call it their Holiday Open House, a first look at the holiday offerings in participating shops, with dinner downtown to follow.
The Sip + Stroll participant list names 11 businesses:
- Cavalier's Coffeehouse
- Fleet Feet North Augusta
- GVO Studios
- High Cotton Downtown
- Honey and the Hedge
- Impressions of the South
- Orange Otter Toy Store
- Rusty Pearl
- Sheila's Baking Co.
- Shoppe 3130 and Sweet Fig Market
- The Grove Gourmet Market
All 11 also appear on the list for the Cocoa + Cookie Crawl on Dec. 1, and that list adds one more stop, Carolina Hills Sandwich + Sweet Shoppe. Tonight's route through downtown is close to the one you'll walk three weeks from now with a cup of cocoa. Use tonight to find the shops you'll want to revisit on Dec. 1, when downtown will be much busier.
November Leads Up to It, One Evening at a Time
The rest of November follows the same pattern of a Thursday or weekend date on Georgia Avenue. Downtown North Augusta's holiday calendar lists these dates before the main week.
- Thursday, Nov. 19: Third Thursday + UPBEAT Concert Series.
- Friday, Nov. 20: Pink Friday.
- Friday, Nov. 27: Black Friday.
- Saturday, Nov. 28: Tinseltown Forest, on Small Business Saturday.
Tinseltown Forest is the biggest of the four. It runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 336 Georgia Ave., and admission is free. According to North Augusta Forward's event page, this year's version has fresh-cut fir trees for sale, hot cocoa, live holiday music and local food trucks. It also has a Gingerbread Village of handmade goods from local craft vendors, a visit from Santa and ornament-making for kids.
Tinseltown Forest is the only daytime date on the downtown list, which makes it the easiest one for young children. If your family puts up a real tree, it also helps to know that the fir sale falls the Saturday before the tree lighting.
Six Days, Dec. 1 to Dec. 6
This is the week the rest of the calendar leads up to. Here is how it lays out:
| Date | Event | Time | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue., Dec. 1 | City of North Augusta Christmas Tree Lighting | 5–7 p.m. | Calhoun Park |
| Tue., Dec. 1 | Cocoa + Cookie Crawl | 5–8 p.m. | Downtown North Augusta |
| Tue., Dec. 1 | 12 Days of Christmas begins | Runs through Dec. 12 | Downtown North Augusta |
| Wed., Dec. 2 | Winter Whirl opens | 2–8 p.m. | Sharon Jones Amphitheater |
| Sun., Dec. 6 | North Augusta Lions Christmas Parade | 3 p.m. | Georgia Avenue |
Tuesday Is Two Events in One Evening
Explore North Augusta lists the Annual North Augusta Christmas Tree Lighting at Calhoun Park on Tuesday, Dec. 1, from 5 to 7 p.m., and says more details will be announced closer to the date. When it was held on a Tuesday last December, WRDW reported that it started at 5 p.m. and included performances by school choirs and bands.
The Cocoa + Cookie Crawl starts at the same hour and runs until 8 p.m. North Augusta Forward's listing asks people to come to the crawl after the tree lighting, with cookies, hot cocoa and decorations inside the shops. It also says to look for Trolley Stop signs around downtown, where you can catch a free ride. With the trolley, you can see the lights at Calhoun Park first and then visit the 12 crawl stops without moving your car.
Dec. 1 also starts the 12 Days of Christmas in Downtown North Augusta, which runs through Dec. 12. On the calendar, the same Tuesday that lights the tree also starts the downtown shopping stretch that leads to the parade.
Wednesday the Rink Opens
Winter Whirl comes back to Sharon Jones Amphitheater on Wednesday, Dec. 2, with free skating every day through Jan. 1, 2027. Hours are 2 to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 4 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The rink is closed on Christmas Day.
Last year was the rink's first season. Augusta Today reported that it was the city's first free skating since the early 1960s, when the town had a real rink. All Year Sports Galaxy built it for the city using artificial ice and fake snow. In 2025, both admission and skate rental were free, every skater signed a waiver, and anyone under 18 needed an adult present.
Opening on Dec. 2 puts the rink inside the busiest week of the season. Since it opens at 2 p.m. on Sundays, you can skate before or after the parade on Dec. 6.
Sunday Is the Parade
The North Augusta Lions Christmas Parade starts at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 6, along Georgia Avenue. The 2026 theme is "A Storybook Christmas – Where Every Float Tells a Holiday Tale." According to WRDW, the grand marshal is Lt. Verne Sadler of North Augusta Public Safety. He has served the community for more than 40 years, leads the department's traffic enforcement and has helped the Lions Club with parade traffic control and logistics for decades. A Lions Club representative told the station:
"While families enjoy the floats, marching bands, and holiday festivities, he has been one of the dedicated individuals working behind the scenes to make it all happen safely. We are excited to bring him to the forefront this year and recognize his extraordinary service to our community."
WRDW reports that floats will be based on classic Christmas stories, alongside marching bands, community groups, businesses and families. The Lions Club is still taking parade entries through its registration link.
If you're working from last year's dates, update your calendar. Every major date is one day earlier this year. The tree lighting moved from Dec. 2 to Dec. 1, Tinseltown Forest from Nov. 29 to Nov. 28, the parade from Dec. 7 to Dec. 6, and Winter Whirl's opening from Dec. 3 to Dec. 2. The 2026 dates in this post come from this year's event pages.
After the Parade, the Calendar Spreads Out
After Dec. 6, events come further apart and leave Georgia Avenue. The rink runs every day but Christmas through New Year's Day. The Thoroughbred Country listing suggests making a night of it with dinner nearby or a walk downtown. Two other dates are left on the December calendar.
Saturday, Dec. 12: Auggie's Holiday BUZZar at SRP Park. The SRP Park listing has the 13th annual BUZZar on the ballpark's calendar for that morning. It's also the last day of the downtown 12 Days of Christmas.
Thursday, Dec. 17: Third Thursday. This is the last downtown date of the year on the holiday calendar, and it falls eight days before Christmas.
When you're downtown for the crawl or the parade and find yourself wondering what homes near Georgia Avenue are selling for, The Moss Group can help with a clear answer. Request a complimentary home valuation or schedule a consultation with Lisa, and she'll show you how North Augusta homes are pricing as the year closes and what a well-staged listing could look like when the new year begins.
