In past years, if you wanted holiday crowds in downtown Senoia, you went on one of two nights. One was the Saturday of the parade and the other was the Sunday of the home tour. This December, a plain Wednesday at 4 p.m. will have downtown activity too.
That's because the Atlanta Christkindl Market is opening its first Senoia location at 158 Seavy Street, just off Main Street, on Black Friday, Nov. 27. It runs through Christmas Eve. Light Up Senoia on Dec. 5 and the Candlelight Tour of Homes on Dec. 13 are still on the calendar, and both fall on days the market is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The market is open 22 of the 28 days
Here's the regular schedule posted on the Senoia market page:
- Wednesday and Thursday: 3 to 9 p.m.
- Friday through Sunday: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Monday and Tuesday: closed during regular weeks
- Christmas week: open Monday, Dec. 21 through Wednesday, Dec. 23, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., then Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
On a calendar, the market opens on a Friday and ends on a Thursday. From opening day through Christmas Eve, there are 22 open days and only six dark ones: the Monday and Tuesday after Thanksgiving weekend, then the first two Mondays and Tuesdays of December. Beyond the two big holiday nights, downtown will have a German Christmas market running five days a week.
Weekday hours start at 3 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays and go until 9. So the after-school hours and the evening are when the market is open midweek. On weekends it opens at 11 a.m., which means a Saturday or Sunday visit can start with lunch.
Admission is free every day. The market says downtown street parking and several lots are available, and The Citizen reports parking is free. 158 Seavy Street is the drop-off point and main entrance.
What's at 158 Seavy Street
The Citizen's October report describes the site as a tree-lined area just off Main Street. It will have about 50 booths from about 35 vendors. The centerpiece is a traditional German Christmas pyramid, 15 to 20 feet tall. For shopping, expect ornaments, décor, jewelry, toys and handcrafted gifts. For food, there are chimney cakes, bratwurst, raclette, roasted nuts, hot chocolate and Glühwein.
A lot of the vendors will work both this market and the operator's Lawrenceville market. Local artisans from Senoia and the surrounding area will fill out the rest. Marco Foelske, COO of GA Events Corp., which runs the markets, told The Citizen why the operator picked this spot:
"In Senoia, the city is the destination for visitors, not just our market. We are practically embedded into Main Street, allowing guests to experience the magic of both the Christkindl Market and one of Georgia's most charming small towns."
This is a well-traveled market. It has run since 2016, and in 2021 it moved from Centennial Olympic Park to Buckhead Village, a change announced by Buckhead Village owner Jamestown. Its Lawrenceville location opened in 2025 and had what The Citizen calls a record-breaking first season. Senoia is the second metro location for 2026. The city signed on back in June. According to a Citizen Portal meeting report, council approved a memorandum of understanding to host the market from Nov. 27 to Dec. 24 on a 4–0 vote, with the mayor recused.
Light Up Senoia and the Candlelight Tour now fall on market days
Both of downtown's big December events land on days the market is open all day. That changes how each one plays out.
Saturday, Dec. 5: Light Up Senoia. The market opens at 11 a.m., several hours before the Senoia Downtown Development Authority starts its program. The DDA's Light Up Senoia schedule goes like this:
- 4 p.m.: Santa's Workshop opens at the Senoia Farmers' Market, 40 Travis Street
- 4:15 p.m.: pre-parade entertainment
- 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.: parade participant check-in
- 6:30 p.m.: the parade begins
- Right after the parade: the tree lighting, then Santa visits until 8:30 p.m.
Spectators get in free. Groups that want to be in the parade pay a $20 registration fee. In June, council approved road closures for the DDA's 2026 events, including the Dec. 5 parade, and gave police the authority to adjust them for safety. The market stays open until 9 p.m., which is half an hour after Santa's last visit. Anyone who parks early for the parade can spend the afternoon on Seavy Street first.
Sunday, Dec. 13: the Candlelight Tour of Homes. The tour runs 3 to 8 p.m. with eight stops. Tickets cost $30 and have been on sale online since Oct. 31. The market is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. that day, so it opens before the tour does and closes an hour after the last stop.
The tour also involves a separate errand. Ticket holders pick up tour booklets at the Senoia Welcome Center, 68 Main Street, starting Monday, Dec. 7. The Welcome Center is open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays from noon. Dec. 7 and 8 are among the market's six dark days. A booklet pickup on the Wednesday or Thursday before the tour can line up with the market's 3 p.m. weekday opening.
Christmas week flips the usual schedule
For three weeks, the market is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Then, in the last week before Christmas, it's open every day, Monday, Dec. 21 through Christmas Eve. On Monday through Wednesday of that week it keeps its full 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekend hours.
That week is the market's longest stretch of full-day hours, and it comes when school is likely out and last-minute shopping is at its peak. Christmas Eve ends early. Gates close at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 24, which makes that morning and early afternoon the last chance at a handcrafted gift from one of the market's vendors.
Downtown is already busy before Black Friday
Two downtown Senoia events come before the market opens, and both are the week before Thanksgiving.
- Senoia Alive After Five, Friday, Nov. 20, 5 to 9 p.m. The listing on the Explore Newnan-Coweta calendar includes merchant and restaurant specials, food trucks, artisan vendors, music and kids' activities.
- DDA Turkey Trot 5K, Saturday, Nov. 21, 8 a.m. The city's council packet shows Gin Street closed from 6 to 9:30 a.m. for the race.
Nov. 20 is also the night the operator's Lawrenceville market opens for its second season. So by the time the Senoia gates open on Nov. 27, the company will have had a week of operating this season. Saturday, Nov. 28 is Small Business Saturday, and it falls on the market's second day, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The Main Street names in the mix
Foelske called the market "practically embedded into Main Street," and Main Street has a couple of new names this season. Crust & Craft, the pizza spot that announced a move from Thomas Crossroads in late 2025, now lists 70 Main Street on its website. Lady Laura's Tea Room is reported for December in The City Menus' Oct. 29 openings roundup. A tea room opening in the same month as a four-week Christmas market will get plenty of foot traffic in its first weeks.
Between Nov. 27 and Dec. 24, the only days the market is closed are Nov. 30, Dec. 1, Dec. 7, Dec. 8, Dec. 14 and Dec. 15.
If the market gets you curious about which streets are an easy walk to Seavy Street and Main, that's a conversation I love having. I'm Tina Bantin with Tina Bantin, and I'm happy to share what I know about the neighborhoods right around downtown Senoia. Let's connect.
