At 5 p.m. this Sunday, November 22, a line of handmade lanterns will form at Greystone, circle Lake Clara Meer and move into the Meadow. Giant lantern puppets by Chantelle Rytter + Krewe of the Grateful Gluttons will lead it, and the Seed & Feed Marching Abominable will supply the music. It's the first Holiday Lantern Parade Piedmont Park Conservancy has held, added this year to its annual Light Up the Season celebration.
Here's what has changed since the parade was announced. The 3:30 p.m. Lantern-Making Party at Greystone, where the Conservancy planned to hand out materials and instruction, has reached capacity, and registration is closed. The parade itself has no ticket. The lantern-making party was only one of several ways to get a lantern, and the real constraint this Sunday is parking. For anyone who lives within walking distance of the Meadow, that makes this an easy event to join.
What "Full" Covers
The Conservancy's own FAQ separates the two pieces of the evening. The Lantern Parade & Lighting Ceremony is free and open to everyone. You don't need a ticket, though the Conservancy strongly encourages an RSVP so it can plan for the crowd. Registration was required only for the 3:30 p.m. party. Lanterns are encouraged but not required, and anyone who would rather watch can cheer from along the route and stay for the lighting.
So the closed party only takes away one route to a lantern. The other two are still open this week:
- Pick up a kit at the Green Market on Saturday, November 21. The Conservancy will have a limited number of free lantern-making kits there, available with a suggested donation to the Conservancy. The market runs 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., so if supplies are limited, earlier is safer.
- Build one at home. The Conservancy links to a page of lantern ideas and instructions for anyone making their own.
- Come empty-handed. The parade is open to all ages, with or without a lantern.
Dogs are welcome on a leash. Anyone walking the parade with a dog will be asked to stay toward the rear, and the Conservancy notes that the music and crowds may not suit every dog.
Sunday, Hour by Hour
| Time | What happens | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 3:30 p.m. | Lantern-Making Party, now at capacity | Greystone |
| 5:00 p.m. | Parade lineup, then the procession | Greystone, around Lake Clara Meer, into the Meadow |
| After the parade | Lighting of the Great Tree, Menorah and Kinara | The Meadow |
| After the lighting | Family holiday movie and hot cocoa | Park Tavern |
The Conservancy suggests bringing a blanket or portable chair if you plan to stay for the movie, along with comfortable walking shoes. In bad weather, any changes will be posted on the Light Up the Season page and on the Conservancy's Instagram and Facebook accounts.
The Bottleneck Is the Parking Deck
With the parade open to everyone, getting there becomes the main problem. This year, November 22 falls eight days into the season of Garden Lights, Holiday Nights at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, which runs nightly from November 14, 2026, through January 10, 2027, at 1345 Piedmont Ave NE. The two events share the same parking.
The Garden's guidance spells it out. The SAGE Parking deck is shared by the Garden and Piedmont Park, costs $15 per vehicle, has a 6-foot-8-inch clearance and can be severely congested. If Piedmont Avenue backs up, the Garden suggests its Monroe Drive entrance at 1320 Monroe Drive, and it lists Colony Square as another paid option about a 20-minute walk away. On its Light Up the Season page, the Conservancy warns that parking at SAGE "may be especially limited on November 22 due to other seasonal activities in the area." It recommends walking, biking, rideshare, public transit or the Atlanta BeltLine, and names the Midtown Promenade lots as the paid option closest to the Meadow.
That makes it a different evening depending on where you start. A family coming from Ansley Park, Virginia-Highland or Midtown on foot, carrying a lantern from Saturday's market, skips the deck entirely and can be at Greystone for the 5 p.m. lineup. A household driving in at 4:45 p.m. is competing for spaces with Garden Lights visitors.
The Season After the Lighting
The lighting on Sunday starts a six-week season. The Great Tree, Menorah and Kinara will be lit every evening through January 4, 2027, coming on at a designated time each night. The Speedwell Foundation supports the illuminated displays. Anyone who skips the crowd on the 22nd can see the same displays on any quiet weeknight after that.
The Conservancy has also scheduled small evening workshops through mid-December. One sits on either side of the parade weekend, and the rest are spread across December:
| Date | Workshop | Time | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri., Nov. 20 | Silk Scarf Painting | 6:30–8:30 p.m. | $40 |
| Wed., Dec. 2 | Mixology Workshop: Cozy Edition | 6:15–7:45 p.m. | $25 |
| Wed., Dec. 9 | Block Printing: Holiday Cards | 6–8 p.m. | $40 |
| Thu., Dec. 10 | Wreath Workshop | 6:30–8:30 p.m. | $30 |
| Wed., Dec. 16 | Painted Pet Portraits | 6–8 p.m. | $50 |
The Conservancy's earlier tea-towel block printing class filled and went to a wait list, so register early for the December sessions. The Saturday Green Market also keeps running 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through December 12.
For a late night at the Garden, Night Light admission after 9:30 p.m. starts at $19.95 for adults. The show runs until midnight with last entry at 11 p.m., and members save $5 per ticket. This year's version adds expanded Flower Walk displays and new choreography for Nature's Wonders, and the Imaginary Worlds mosaiculture dragon is back in Skyline Garden.
December 12 Moves the Season Down North Highland
The second big weekend of the season sits a short walk east of the park. The Virginia-Highland Winterfest & Tour of Homes runs December 12–13. The Virginia Highland District Association and the Virginia-Highland Civic Association present it, and the program includes a festive parade, a gift market, a kids corner and a tour of homes decorated for the season.
Saturday has the most going on:
- 8 a.m.: The Jingle Jog 5K, open to all ages, with costumes encouraged and a long-sleeve tee for every runner.
- 9 a.m.: The Elf Dash for runners under 12, free but with registration required.
- 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.: The Gift Market, with 80 vendors and 20 young entrepreneurs, plus performances by Ztunes, Tutu School and the Atlanta Vocal Project men's choir.
The festival is listed at 1017 N Highland Ave NE. Organizers recommend walking, cycling or rideshare and note that street parking is outside the festival area. The parking advice matches what the Conservancy says about November 22.
The self-guided Tour of Homes runs noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $40 online through December 5 and $50 in the app on either tour day, and children under 10 get in free. Proceeds support the Virginia-Highland Civic Association's parks, preservation efforts and neighborhood programs.
For lunch between the market and the tour, Jack Brown's Beer and Burger Joint opened on November 2 at 1006 North Highland Avenue, across the street from the festival address. Rough Draft Atlanta confirmed it was open in its November 5 restaurant roundup.
Both of the season's biggest neighborhood weekends are free to walk into and hard to drive to, so living within walking distance of Piedmont Park and North Highland pays off most this time of year. If you're curious what that walkability adds to your own home's value right now, Scott Thomas can put a number on it. Get Your Home Valuation.
