Roswell lights two Christmas trees this year. Friends of Bulloch lights the tree at Bulloch Hall on Saturday, November 28. Six days later, on Friday, December 4, the City lights a 40-foot tree at Heart of Roswell Park on Canton Street. Both start after dark, and both start well after 3 p.m. That is when the free parking ends on the downtown curbs the City now charges for. This is the first holiday season under Roswell's downtown parking pilot, and the free City Hall lot at 38 Hill Street sits a few minutes' walk from both trees.
Two Lightings, Two Hosts, One Week
Friends of Bulloch hosts the first lighting inside the Christkindlmarket on Bulloch Avenue. The City hosts the second on its own in the park on Canton Street.
| Bulloch Hall Tree Lighting | City of Roswell Tree Lighting | |
|---|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, Nov. 28 | Friday, Dec. 4 |
| Time | 6 to 9 p.m. | 6 to 8 p.m. |
| Host | Friends of Bulloch, Inc. | City of Roswell |
| Address | 180 Bulloch Ave. | Heart of Roswell Park, 925 Canton St. |
| Program | Carols on the Gift Shoppe porch, then the lighting, with the Christkindlmarket open around it | Choral performances, hot chocolate, fire pits and s'mores, Santa, and Mayor Mary Robichaux reading 'Twas the Night Before Christmas |
| Admission | Open to the public | Free |
According to Friends of Bulloch's event page, the Bulloch Hall lighting happens during the Christkindlmarket. Guests gather on the porch of the Bulloch Hall Gift Shoppe to sing carols before the tree is lit, then head into the market and the shop. The City's evening at Heart of Roswell Park ends with the lighting itself, according to the Roswell365 listing.
Canton Street's Free Parking Ends at 3 p.m.
In May the City started charging for on-street parking on four downtown stretches:
- Canton Street between Magnolia Street and Norcross Street
- Elizabeth Way between Canton Street and Alpharetta Highway
- East Alley between Canton Street and Norcross Street
- The East Alley parking lot
The rules changed on August 1, 2026. The first two hours are now free, but only between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. After that the rate is $3 an hour, up to $24 a day, according to the City's update on Roswell Connections. The original rate in May was $2 an hour with a $16 daily cap, so the after-hours rate is now 50 percent higher than when the pilot started.
Every main holiday evening downtown this season starts after the free window closes. The City lighting starts at 6 p.m. on a Friday. The Nutcracker's opening night at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center starts at 7 p.m. on December 11. If you park on the Canton Street curb for the tree lighting, you pay the evening rate from the moment you park.
The pilot runs through December 31, 2026. The City is using what it learns about parking demand to decide what comes next. That makes this December the pilot's last month, and its busiest stretch of evening events.
Hill Street Is a Short Walk From Both Trees
The Roswell Pulse parking guide calls the City Hall lot at 38 Hill Street the best free parking downtown on most days. It describes the lot as large, well lit and free. From there it's a few minutes' walk to Canton Street, the historic square and the Roswell Cultural Arts Center.
The same lot also serves the Bulloch Avenue side. The Christkindlmarket's parking guide on Roswell365 lists the City Hall and Cultural Arts Center lots as market parking, and City Hall as a stop on the market's weekend shuttle. Roswell Pulse's walking guide puts Bulloch Hall a short walk down Bulloch Avenue from Town Square. A car left on Hill Street on November 28 is just as convenient on December 4, and for every Cultural Arts Center show in between.
Bulloch Avenue Is Busy From Mid-November
Bulloch Avenue's season starts first and runs longest. Most of it happens at two houses: Bulloch Hall at 180 Bulloch Ave. and Mimosa Hall at 127 Bulloch Ave.
- Christmas High Tea at Bulloch Hall. Sunday, Nov. 15; Monday, Nov. 16; and Wednesday, Nov. 18, 4 to 6 p.m. Reserve through the Bulloch Hall Gift Shoppe. The tea includes a tour of the house in its holiday decorations, which this year mark the United States' 250th anniversary, according to Friends of Bulloch.
- Roswell Christkindlmarket. Friday, Nov. 20 through Wednesday, Dec. 23, on the Bulloch Hall grounds, with free admission. The Roswell Journal's holiday guide lists mulled wine made from a traditional German recipe, food vendors, gift stalls, Christmas trees for sale, photos with Santa, and room for well-behaved dogs on leashes. Check the market's site for daily hours before you go.
- Kid's Holiday Corner at Mimosa Hall. Saturdays, Dec. 5 and Dec. 12, 1 to 3 p.m. Free crafts, stories and activities, recommended for ages 4 to 10.
- "Like the Dickens" American Holiday Songbook at Mimosa Hall. Saturday, Dec. 19, 2 p.m. A free caroling performance, followed by a visit to the Christkindlmarket, according to the Roswell365 listing.
Driving on Bulloch Avenue changes while the market is open. According to the market's guide, the Bulloch Hall lot is reserved for accessible parking and closed to through traffic. Bulloch Avenue stays two-way with limited street parking, but you can only get onto it from Mimosa Boulevard. Rideshare pickup is near Roswell Town Square at 610 Atlanta St. The guide asks drivers not to stop on Highway 120 or at Bulloch Hall. In practice, Mimosa Boulevard is the way in by car and Town Square is the way in on foot.
Both Mimosa Hall afternoons on December 5 and 12 start at 1 p.m. and end by 3 p.m., so they fit inside the two free curb hours, as do the morning shows on the Cultural Arts Center list below.
The Canton Street Side Runs Through the Cultural Arts Center
The Roswell Cultural Arts Center is a few minutes from the Hill Street lot, and its holiday calendar runs from November 22 through December 20. Here is the holiday lineup on the Cultural Arts Center's ticket page, in date order:
- A Little Peace of the Holidays. Sunday, Nov. 22, 4 p.m. Jazz vocalist Karla Harris with the Tritone Chamber Orchestra, tickets from $39.75.
- Trouble in Toyland. Wednesday through Friday, Dec. 2 to 4, at 10 a.m., plus a 1 p.m. show on Dec. 4. Presented by That Puppet Guy Productions, reserved seats $12.
- The Roswell City Spectacular. Saturday, Dec. 5, at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. A holiday dance production by Roswell Dance Starz, tickets $20.
- Sail On Christmas Concert. Sunday, Dec. 6, 4 p.m. A Beach Boys tribute, tickets from $31.
- The Nutcracker. Atlanta Dance Theatre performs Friday, Dec. 11 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 12 at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.; and Sunday, Dec. 13 at 2 p.m. Standard seats $29.50, premium seats $38.25.
- Y'allmark. Friday, Dec. 18, 7 p.m. Dad's Garage comedians improvise a holiday movie on stage, tickets from $31.
- Atlanta Vocal Project: Ringin' in the Holidays. Saturday, Dec. 19, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., with sister chorus Song of Atlanta.
- Joe Gransden's Have Yourself a Jazzy Little Christmas. Sunday, Dec. 20, 4 p.m., tickets from $44.75.
On December 19, the songbook at Mimosa Hall starts at 2 p.m. and ends with a walk to the market, and the Atlanta Vocal Project's evening show at the Cultural Arts Center starts at 7 p.m. One car in the Hill Street lot covers both.
The Free Deck on Alpharetta Street
The other free option is the City's downtown parking deck at 1056 Alpharetta St. It opened May 4 with 394 spaces. It has been free while Green Street is closed from Cherry Way to Alpharetta Street for the Green Street Activation Plan, a closure the City expected to last about six months. According to the Roswell Pulse guide, the deck is meant to join the paid pilot once Green Street work is done. The plan approved this spring makes it free on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and paid on nights and weekends, with prices that change with demand. Check the sign at the entrance on Kevin Cash Memorial Drive before you assume the deck is still free. Take a ticket when you enter either way, since the exit gate may ask for it.
Across the street, Southern Post's 600-space deck at 1023 Alpharetta St. is mainly for people visiting its businesses, which include Belux Coffee Roasters and Amorino. If you're getting coffee or gelato before the Canton Street lighting, it's a reasonable place to park. For a trip that skips Southern Post entirely, the Pulse guide points drivers to the City deck across the street.
One regular spot is missing from the calendar this winter. Riverside Park is closed for construction of restrooms, event spaces and other upgrades through summer 2027. The sprayground is closed and the Riverside Sounds concert series is on hold, according to Appen Media. For now, Roswell's holiday evenings take place along Bulloch Avenue and Canton Street, a short walk apart with City Hall in between.
If out-of-town family is visiting for either tree lighting and you'd like a hand planning a downtown Roswell evening, Brennan Ballard is glad to help you map the parking and the walk between Bulloch Avenue and Canton Street. Let's Connect.
