
Annual Events
Cherokee County hosts an array of events throughout the year including the favorites listed below. Contact each city directly for more information.
Ball Ground
Fireworks and fun at Calvin Farmer Park held the last Saturday in June.
Parade featuring special characters and a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus! Benefitting Toys for Tots and held the 1st Friday in December. 7pm.
Ball Ground, GA 30107
Outdoor concerts and movies at Downtown City Park. Select Saturdays
Children’s activities, food vendors, and family friendly movie at Ball Ground City Park held the Friday prior to Halloween.
Special entertainment and activities throughout peak blooming season.
Ball Ground, GA 30107
Canton
Parade, entertainment and fireworks at RiverStone Shopping Plaza.
Two-day event with wine tasting and shopping stops throughout Historic Downtown Canton.
Beer & wine tastings, local artists, live entertainment and shopping in Historic Downtown Canton.
Fine arts, music, food, youth art exhibit and more. Presented by the Cherokee County Arts Council and held the 3rd weekend in May in Downtown Canton.
Held on the first Friday of each month (April - October), the Historic Downtown Canton block party features, car shows, live music, food and more!
Home-made chili, live music and corn hole held downtown with Veterans Day Parade.
Live entertainment at Etowah River Park. 3rd Saturday May – October.
Carnival rides, livestock exhibitions, entertainment and more. Held in September at the Canton Fairgrounds.
The holidays will be in full swing for the Christmas in Canton celebration. On Dec. 9, from 6-9 p.m., young, old and all in between are invited to visit with Santa, enjoy a holiday movie feature showing, hop on a train ride through Downtown, make s’mores around a warm bonfire, and so much more! Stores in Downtown will be open extended hours for all your Christmas shopping needs.
The Canton Optimist Club and The City of Canton present a Merry Market and Parade on Dec. 10, in Downtown Canton. Shop for holiday gifts amongst the more than 80 market vendors around Cannon Park, as well as in the Downtown shops from 2-6 p.m. The parade fun starts at 6 p.m. and will feature classic cars, carolers, and floats! Don't miss this holiday extravaganza!
ADDITONAL DOWNTOWN CANTON HOLIDAY EVENTS
Dec. 1, 8, & 15, from 6-9PM | Mistletoe on Main
Come experience Christmas in Canton. Enjoy a complimentary wagon ride through Downtown Canton as you take in the lights and beauty of what makes Canton special. Visit with Santa (Dec. 1 & 15 ONLY).
Dec. 3, 10, & 17, from 2-5PM | Visit with Santa
Dec. 3, 10, & 17, from 2-5PM on each date, you can visit with the jolly ole’ fella himself at the Cannon Park Gazebo in Downtown Canton. Bring your Christmas wish list and your camera to capture the magic!
Dec. 9, from 6-9PM | Christmas in Canton
The holidays will be in full swing for the Christmas in Canton celebration. On Dec. 9, from 6-9 p.m., young, old and all in between are invited to visit with Santa, enjoy a holiday movie feature showing, hop on a train ride through Downtown, make s’mores around a warm bonfire, and so much more! Stores in Downtown will be open extended hours for all your Christmas shopping needs.
Dec. 10, from 2-7PM | Merry Market & Parade, Presented by the Canton Optimist Club and the City of Canton
The Canton Optimist Club and The City of Canton present a Merry Market and Parade on Dec. 10, in Downtown Canton. Shop for holiday gifts amongst the more than 80 market vendors around Cannon Park, as well as in the Downtown shops from 2-6 p.m. The parade fun starts at 6 p.m. and will feature classic cars, carolers, and floats! Don't miss this holiday extravaganza!
HISTORIC CANTON THEATRE
Dec. 2, at 7PM | Feature Showing: Elf
The hilarious holiday movie “Elf,” will be the feature showing on Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. Concessions will be available for purchase. Tickets are $2 and went on sale Nov. 25, online only, at www.cantonga.gov/cantontheatre
Dec. 9-11, 16-17, times vary | Theatre Production: A Christmas Carol
Cherokee Theatre Group will bring a classic adaptation of the Charles Dickens tale “A Christmas Carol” to the Canton Theatre stage Dec. 9-11, 16-17, times vary. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.cherokeetheatre.org.
Dec. 23, at 7PM | Feature Showing: White Christmas
The holiday classic “White Christmas,” starring Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney, will grace the big screen on Dec. 23, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $2 (limit of 8), and will be sold online only starting Dec. 16, at www.cantonga.gov/cantontheatre. Concessions will be available for purchase, and Santa will make an appearance for pictures following the film.
International film festival at the Canton Theatre. Second weekend in September.
Live music and dance celebrating Black History Month held at the Cherokee Arts Center the first weekend in February
Two-mile drive thru light show featuring light tunnels, amazing animated Christmas displays and over 1 million lights that benefits local charities.
Food and fun watching the Kentucky Debry in May. Proceeds benefit the Cherokee County Historical Society.
Experience Native American entertainment, arts and crafts, music and food. Mother’s Day weekend at Boling Park in Canton.
1200 Marietta Hwy
Canton, GA 30114
Annual arts & crafts festival with over 130 exhibitors, entertainment and more. Held the last weekend in September at Etowah River Park in Canton.
2-day event with live entertainment, food and fun at the Etowah River Park in November
Held at Etowah River Park with food and live music.
Holly Springs
Games, food trucks, arts & crafts, entertainment and more at Barrett Park held the 1st Saturday in October.
Pictures with the Easter Bunny, petting zoo, playground fun and more at Barrett Park.
Tree lighting, light refreshments and more at the Historic Train Depot the 1st Friday in December.
Waleska
Official kick-off to the holiday season in Downtown Waleska held the 2nd Friday in December.
Woodstock
Walk-through LED lights display, pictures with Santa, food, shopping and more! Held throughout December at Hobgood Park in Woodstock.
Woodstock, GA 30189
20+ restaurants and eateries sampling their favorite dishes hoping for your vote.
Bluegrass entertainment, bacon food festival, contests and craftsman alley at the Northside Hospital - Cherokee Amphitheater held 3rd Saturday in May.
Free concerts from noon - 1pm on Thursdays in September.
Free concert series held May through September at the Northside Hospital - Cherokee Amphitheater.
5k road race, parade, food and game booths and fireworks held on the 4th of July.
Moonwalks, apple bobbing, face painting, candy give-away and more at Woodstock City Park on October 31st.
Parade, carolers, Santa, tree lighting and presentation of the Woodstock Citizen of the Year Award held the 1st Saturday in December. 5:30-9 pm.
The City of Woodstock’s 26th Annual Christmas Jubilee and Parade of Lights is Saturday, December 3rd from 5:30 to 9 pm in Downtown Woodstock. Road closures will begin at 5:15 pm for the parade which starts at 5:30 pm at Woodstock Elementary School on Rope Mill Road and travels south on Main Street to the Sam’s Club near Hwy 92. The event is rain or shine unless there is dangerous wind or lightning in the area.
The Grand Marshal of this year’s parade is local columnist Juanita Hughes. Juanita served on the city’s centennial committee that organized Woodstock’s first festival and parade in 1997. Since that time, she has helped to document the history of Woodstock through her work with Preservation Woodstock and the Woodstock Visitors Center.
A festival in the Park at City Center will follow the parade. Visit with Santa in the gazebo, see the mayor light the official city Christmas tree and present the awards for the best parade floats, and enjoy holiday music by a DJ and festive foods by local vendors. There will be a free Sugar Plum cupcake decorating station with cookies, cider, and hot cocoa to enjoy plus a free Kris Kringle kids craft area. Families will enjoy games, inflatables, and a reading of the Polar Express with artwork displayed on a 16’ screen at 8 pm presented by the Sequoyah Regional Library System. Bring a monetary or nonperishable food donation to the collection bins in the park for Never Alone. Drop your letter to Santa in the mailbox at the gazebo – include your address so you will receive a personalized letter back!
Hundreds of decorated scarecrows lining Main Street during October.
Cherokee County, GA
Cherokee County
Chamber of Commerce
3605 Marietta Highway
Canton, GA 30114