Christmas in Helen GA is one of the the most popular times to visit this charming fairytale town. Nestled against a river at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, it looks more like an Alpine German village than any place you’d find in rural Georgia. It’s one of my all-time favorite Christmas towns in the USA, and even better is that it’s incredibly affordable. There are over 50 free things to do in Helen any time of the year, but visiting Helen in December is a truly special experience. From free holiday events to the best places to see Christmas lights, these are our top recommended things to do during Christmas in Helen Georgia:
1. The Lighting of the Village (Nov 24, 2023)(Free)
Christmas in Helen kicks off every year with the Lighting of the Village–a special, free holiday event held every year on the Friday after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) in which Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive in Helen to light the village and signal the start of the festive season. In 2023, the annual Lighting of the Village will fall on November 24, starting at 5:00 PM in Riverside Park. Kids can even meet Santa between 5:00 and 7:00 PM, but if you arrive before then, there will be local bands and groups on site providing free musical entertainment.
2. Downtown Helen Christmas Lights and Decorations (throughout December in Helen)
If you cannot make it to the lighting of the village, have no worries! You can still check out the Helen Christmas lights on any other day throughout the holiday season from Black Friday through January. The decorations along North Main Street are especially pretty. The plaza fountain sparkles with a merry glow, and jolly holiday displays always flank its sides to spread endless cheer. A beautifully decorated Christmas tree stands at the center of it all. Although its placement changes from year to year, you can usually find it on Main Street somewhere between the Heidelberg Restaurant and the Band Shell Outdoor Auditorium.
3. Helen Christkindlmarkt Christmas Market (Nov 25, 26, Dec 2, 3, 2023)(Free)
The annual Helen Christmas Market (Christkindlmarkt) runs for two weekends every year beginning after Black Friday. This year–2023–will be the 15th Annual Christkindlmarkt on the Marktplatz, and November 25th and 26th will mark its opening weekend. The event will conclude the following weekend on December 2nd and 3rd. This traditional German event runs all day, offering unique Christmas gifts, decorations, foods, and candies. The Helen Christmas Market is free to attend, but any purchases you wish to make will require a separate fee.
4. Unicoi Hill Park and Gazebo Christmas Lights in Helen GA
If you travel just a block or two down the road from the shops in downtown Helen, you’ll run into Unicoi Hill Park. I can’t find an exact address for this little location, but I promise you can’t miss it! We’ve always just randomly stumbled across this place every time we visit Helen. The park has a small waterfall, a cute gazebo, a kids’ playground, and walking trails. During Christmas in Helen, the park is lined with Christmas light figures facing the road, and the gazebo is especially decorated beautifully.
5. Annual Old-Fashioned Christmas in the Mountains Festival and Lighted Parade (Saturday December 3, 2022)(Free)(2023 Date To Be Announced Soon)
Located just a few miles down the road from downtown Helen, the Christmas in the Mountains Festival and Lighted Parade technically takes place in downtown Cleveland, Georgia, but it’s long been a tradition of Helen residents to celebrate this festival as if its their own. In 2022, the festival took place on Saturday, December 3rd. (Stay tuned for 2023 date to be confirmed soon). There will be Christmas carols, kids activities, cookies, hot cocoa, food booths, arts & crafts, and more. The parade starts at 6:00 PM and will be lighted!
6. Annual Helen Christmas Parade (Saturday December 10, 2022) (Free)(2023 Date Will Be Updated as Soon as it is Confirmed)
Helen’s Annual Christmas Parade will take place the weekend immediately following the Christmas in the Mountains Festival and Lighted Parade. In 2022, this date will be Saturday, December 10, 2022. Unlike the former, the Helen Parade will take place in the middle of the afternoon, starting at 2:00 PM in downtown Helen. This is one of the biggest celebrations of the year in Helen–with tons of elaborate floats, candy, and even Santa himself–so you definitely won’t want to miss it!
7. Shop for Handmade Wooden Christmas Toys in Helen GA
At Tim’s Wooden Toys, you can watch Christmas toys being made live right in front of you in the workshop located right inside the store. Everything from wooden dolls to wooden swords are made in this one-of-a-kind shop. Take home a wooden train for Christmas, or try out their indoor shooting range using their popular rubber-band guns or ping-pong crossbows (and yes, these are for sale as well). Any toy can also be personalized for a small added fee (currently $5 extra in 2023).
Tim’s Wooden Toys
8635 Main St
Helen, GA 30545
(706) 878-1842
8. Shop for Glass Blown Christmas Ornaments After Watching Them Made Right in Front of You
All items at The Glassblowing Shop are original hand blown creations by their artists. They hold in-house demonstrations while you shop, and you can pick from a variety of unique glass figurines ranging from fairies and dragonflies to flowers and hummingbirds. You can even purchase unique glass butterfly necklaces or choose to have your name constructed fully in glass. During Christmas in Helen GA, you’ll probably be most-interested in their selection of glass blown angels, Christmas trees, snowmen, and Christmas-themed suncatchers.
The Glassblowing Shop
8600 Main St, Unit 1
Helen, GA 30545
(706) 878-3156
9. Take Home Fresh Fudge from Helen for the Christmas Holidays
Helen is known for its fudge, so much so that there are A LOT of different places that all sell this special treat. There are 2 shops in particular, however, that are my absolute favorites, and I buy from both of them every single time I visit this tiny little town. Hansel and Gretel Candy Kitchen is my #1 favorite. (How could it not be with a name like Hansel and Gretel?) Their charming name makes me feel like I’m strolling through a fairytale every time I step foot inside their door, and their fudge is even better. If you’re overwhelmed with all the different flavors to choose from, you can ask for some free samples to help you decide. My favorite flavors are their Chocolate Raspberry, Amaretto Almond, and Peanut Butter fudges. I also really love Kopper Kettle Fudge. It’s a much smaller store than Hansel and Gretel Candy Kitchen and, as such, they have a smaller selection of flavors, but they are so soooo creamy and tasty! My favorites are their Vanilla Walnut and Maple fudges. During Christmas in Helen, they also have the outside of their building decorated in such a cute way!
10. Celebrate Christmas in Helen German-Style in Festive Lederhosen or Dirndl
HGA Gifts and Apparel sells a variety of different clothing styles in Helen, but perhaps the most fun are their festive, German-inspired, souvenir outfits. Don a Bavarian Tyrolean hat and some lederhosen or a t-shirt designed to look like the top of a woman’s dirndl, and then you’ll be all ready to celebrate Christmas in Helen–German-style!
HGA Gifts and Apparel
8641 N Main St
Helen, GA 30545
(706) 878-1007
11. Celebrate Christmas in Helen Georgia at Festive Photo Spots
There are various photo spot opportunities located throughout downtown Helen during Christmas and throughout the entire month of December. One of the best places is the pavilion where kids can have their photo taken with Santa. Even when he’s not in session, however, this still makes a great spot for families, or even individuals, to pose for a festive photo together. Other locations that make great photo souvenirs include the street-side Christmas tree, the festive fountain, the windmill, the park gazebo, Santa’s sleigh in front of the Christmas Shoppe, and the German-style buildings that look straight out of a fairytale.
12. See the Iconic Helen Windmill Decorated for Christmas
The Helen Windmill is one of the most photographed, as well as oldest, landmarks in the entire town, and it’s especially beautiful during Christmastime! Located at 8820 North Main Street, the windmill is actually a part of Heidi Motel (full name Heidi Motel and Windmill Suites), and it’s the only place in town where you can actually stay in an authentic windmill suite! Of course, you need not actually stay at the hotel to enjoy this iconic location nor its spectacular view, so be sure to stop by to see it–or to take a few pictures–during your Christmas in Helen vacation!
Heidi Motel & Windmill Suites
8820 N Main St
Helen, GA 30545
(706) 878-2689
13. Shop for Christmas in Helen GA Year-Round 8 Months of the Year at the Christmas Shoppe
Edit: Due to the crazy conditions of the world these past few years, the Christmas Shoppe is now seasonal instead of year-round, but they still operate 8 months of the year from May through December in Helen! We hope that maybe eventually they’ll be able to return to their former year-round schedule, and we’ll keep this post updated accordingly. The Christmas Shoppe specializes in German ornaments, Steinbach nutcrackers, snow globes, tea pots, hand-carved and hand-painted Santas, matryoshka dolls (nesting dolls), lava candles, and a variety of unique crafts from local artisans. When traveling down North Main Street, you can’t miss The Christmas Shoppe! A life-sized Santa statue waves hello from outside of the shop, and his bright red sleigh sits nearby. A popular photo spot for tourists, you can even climb aboard this sleigh and snap a memorable keepsake from your trip. Even if you’re not visiting during Christmas in Helen (or if you’re visiting during off-season when the shop is closed), you’re still free to stop and pose for a few photos with these props outside by the street! Note: The Christmas Shoppe is closed completely on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in 2023, even during their operating season from May through December. So if visiting this place is high on your list, make sure you plan on stopping by between Sunday and Thursday instead!
The Christmas Shoppe
8749 N Main St
Helen, GA 30545
(706) 878-1012
14. Visit the Helen Christmas and More Store
Although it’s not as well known as The Christmas Shoppe, Helen does indeed have a second Christmas store located downtown! Titled “Christmas and More,” you can find this one tucked inside the shopping center located at 8580 North Main Street. Once inside, just look for the 2 giant nutcrackers that flank either side of the shop’s entryway. Fair warning: this formerly year-round store doesn’t have any set or defined business hours in 2023 and has been operating rather erratically ever since 2020 started putting a strain on small businesses in the state. On some days the owner unexpectedly closes shop early; on others, she doesn’t open it at all. It’s a fun little shop to visit when it’s open, but be prepared (still in 2023) for the possibility that the day you visit might end up being one of the unfortunate days when the doors are closed.
Christmas and More
8580 N Main St
Helen, GA 30545
(706) 878-1404
15. Dine at the Troll’s Tavern with Authentic German Cuisine and Christmas Lights Along the Riverfront
This is hands down my favorite restaurant in Helen! The food, the location, the atmosphere–there’s nothing about it that isn’t perfect. Like a place straight out of a fairytale, the Troll’s Tavern can be found under a bridge at the edge of a river. If you choose to dine on their outdoor patio, you’ll be overlooking the water and surrounded by twinkling Christmas lights that are elegantly woven around the fence. This restaurant serves traditional German fare, and it’s sooo good! All platters are served with German mashed potatoes, red cabbage, sauerkraut, and rye bread. If you want to sample a little bit of everything, I highly recommend you try the Triple Platter. It comes with one grilled bratwurst, one grilled knockwurst, and one fried or grilled pork cutlet (weinerschnitzel). It’s way more food than one person can eat, so you can split it with your table (or take extras home for later). I also really love their grilled Reuben, pickle fries, and beer cheese soup!
Troll Tavern
8590B N Main St
Helen, GA 30545
(706) 878-3117
Read Next: 9 Best German Restaurants in Helen GA
16. Stay in a Castle for Christmas in Helen Georgia
Designed to look like a medieval castle, the Castle Inn sits on the banks of the Chattahoochee River in the heart of downtown Helen. It’s conveniently located within walking distance of all the major tourist attractions, and their Old English style rooms contain balconies that overlook the river as well as Main Street (make sure you state your preference when booking). Christmas in Helen is a popular time to visit, so book as early as you can to guarantee your desired slot. If you’re traveling on a budget, you can save a significant amount of money by planning your stay to fall within weekdays only (Monday through Thursday), as these rates are significantly discounted in comparison with their weekend (Friday through Sunday) prices.
The Castle Inn
8580 N Main St
Helen, GA 30545
(706) 878-0053
Retired: Festival of Trees
Sadly this formerly annual Helen Christmas event appears to have been discontinued. The Festival of Trees was previously held every year in order to raise money for charity. Beautifully decorated wreaths and Christmas trees would stand on display throughout the holiday season before finally going home with the highest bidders on the last day of the event. In case this retirement is only temporary due to the crazy state of the world the past few years, we’ll keep an eye on this event and let you know if we see any signs of it ever being brought back.
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