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This year’s event in downtown Toccoa will be held on Friday, Dec. 4, from 6-9 p.m.
Established in 2012, the Toccoa Christmas Fest has become a popular event to help start the Christmas season in northeast Georgia.
This year’s event in downtown Toccoa will be held on Friday, Dec. 4, from 6-9 p.m.
Christmas Fest is sponsored and organized by Toccoa Main Street.
The lighting of the tree on the Sage Street side of the historic Stephens County Courthouse, will be held at 6 p.m.
Toccoa Vice Mayor Evan Hellenga will count down to the lighting of the tree and the entire Courthouse Wonderland display.
The Toccoa Carolers will be there to start off the evening with seasonal songs performed by local churches from 6-7 p.m.
Then at 7 p.m., the popular Tugaloo Holler group will perform Christmas bluegrass music until 9 p.m.
Children will be delighted to visit with Santa at the Toy Shop and make crafts at the Elves’ Workshop.
In remembrance of the first Christmas, there will be a live nativity with animals for the children to pet.
Two carriages and a Polar Express train will take attendees around the beautifully-lit downtown area.
Lining the streets will be brightly decorated trees in front of many of the businesses.
As part of the Festival of Trees, people can vote for their favorite tree and their favorite non-profit organization for $1.
All proceeds will go to the non-profit organization that the tree represents, and the tree/nonprofit with the most votes will receive the grand prize of $500.
Also, that night, there will be food trucks and booths as well as a Christmas Sage Market with many different kinds of gifts items.
The market will be located in the parking lot on Tugalo Street and Sage Street.
Strolling through the streets and in the stores will be a quartet of Victorian carolers from Toccoa 1st Presbyterian Church adding to the beauty of the evening.
For the adventurous, Toccoa on Ice will provide an opportunity to try out ice skating.
The fee is $5 per person. The ice skating rink will be located just off Tugalo Street.
To cap off the evening, you can stroll around the beautifully lit Courthouse Wonderland and view the many displays.
Even though this is an outside event, Christmas Fest organizers are asking folks to wear masks and practice social distancing.
The special weekend continues on into Saturday, Dec. 5 with Breakfast with Santa at X-Factor Grill from 8-10 a.m.
The Toccoa Christmas Parade will begin at 4 p.m. It will be spread out this year so everyone can stand farther apart as they watch the parade.
For more information go to www.mainstreettoccoa.com or call Sharon Crosby at 706-282-3309.