Savannah does not do Christmas with snow. It does it with light on water: a European-style market along the river, two parades — one of them on the river itself — and 22 historic squares strung with wreaths and garlands under live oaks that never lose their leaves. The season runs from November 19, 2026 to January 3, 2027, and it is one of the most walkable Christmas trips in the United States: the market, the parades, the squares and the tree all sit within a compact downtown you can cross on foot or on the free downtown shuttle.

This is the full guide: the confirmed 2026 dates for the market, both parades, the garden lights and the shows, the one day — Saturday, December 12 — when half the season happens at once, a timed two-day plan, and the honest notes. For the wider picture, see our guide to the best Christmas events in the USA.

Christmas in Savannah 2026 at a Glance

• Savannah Christmas Market: Thu Nov 19, 2026 – Sun Jan 3, 2027, daily 11 a.m.–9 p.m., Plant Riverside District, 400 W. River Street. Free admission.
• 25th Annual Savannah Lighted Boat Parade: Sat Nov 28, 2026, 7–9 p.m., Savannah River. Free to watch from shore.
• 34th Annual Lighted Christmas Street Parade: Sat Dec 12, 2026, 5:30–7 p.m., from Plant Riverside through downtown. Free.
• Holiday Tour of Homes and Inns: Sat Dec 12, 2026, daytime sessions, Historic District. Ticketed.
• A Christmas Tradition: Dec 3–26, 2026, Savannah Theatre, 222 Bull St. Ticketed.
• December Nights & Holiday Lights: Select nights Nov 28–Dec 24, 2026, Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens. General admission $15 (ages 3 and older).
• New Year’s Eve fireworks: Thu Dec 31, midnight, over the Savannah River.
• Weather: December highs in the mid-60s, lows in the mid-40s — sweater weather, not coat weather. Pack layers and one rain jacket.

Savannah Christmas Market at Plant Riverside

The anchor of the whole season is the Savannah Christmas Market at Plant Riverside District, running November 19, 2026 through January 3, 2027 — 45 days, open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., with free admission. Plant Riverside lists it as a European-style outdoor holiday market inspired by traditional German Christkindlmarkt festivals, and Visit Savannah notes it has been voted one of the best holiday markets in the country by USA Today and Travel + Leisure, drawing more than 250,000 visitors.

What you actually find there: artisan vendor booths selling handcrafted gifts, ornaments, home décor and gourmet treats, live music and performances, photos with Santa, and holiday food and drink along the riverfront. The Festival of Trees runs inside the market for the same dates — Christmas trees decorated by local businesses, organizations and community members, from elegant and classic to fun and whimsical — and part of the proceeds supports the New Ebenezer Retreat Center and the Treutlen House, a safe home for boys. The Gingerbread House Unveiling is the market’s other signature moment; check the Plant Riverside schedule for the day.

The practical advice is simple. Go on a weeknight if you can: weekends get busy, and the two busiest nights of the season are November 28, when the boat parade fills the riverfront, and December 12, parade night. The market sits at the west end of River Street, so pair it with a walk east along the riverwalk past the old cotton warehouses — the same stretch the parades use. If you are comparing markets before you choose a trip, our guide to the best Christmas markets in the USA puts Savannah alongside the big-city markets.

The Two Parades: Boats on the River, Lights on River Street

Savannah’s Christmas on the River season is built around two parades, two weeks apart, and both are free. The first is the one no other American Christmas city can copy. The 25th Annual Savannah Lighted Boat Parade runs Saturday, November 28, 2026, from 7 to 9 p.m. on the Savannah River: more than 30 boats covered in holiday lights, led by the Georgia Queen riverboat, looping twice from Eastern Wharf to the Talmadge Bridge and back, passing River Street and Plant Riverside District. Watch from the Park at Eastern Wharf, from Plant Riverside, or from the riverwalk at Rousakis Plaza — and arrive early, because the whole city comes out for it.

The evening starts before the boats. The Holiday Kickoff and tree lighting at The Park at Eastern Wharf runs 5 to 9 p.m. the same night, with Santa, food trucks and entertainment, and the trees at Eastern Wharf are lit as part of it. Two more tree lightings follow in the coming days: Plant Riverside lights its tree at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, November 27, and City Market lights up on Friday, December 4. The city’s own tree at Bull and Broughton is lit on the evening of Friday, November 27 — confirm the hour with the city before you go, as the time is usually around 5:30 p.m.

The second parade is the signature event of the season. The 34th Annual Lighted Christmas Street Parade steps off at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 12, 2026, and runs to about 7 p.m. It starts at Plant Riverside District on the west end of River Street, climbs the East Broad ramp, then winds through downtown along Bay, Lincoln, Broughton and Jefferson streets, with community floats, cars, trolleys and walking groups. Admission is free. Arrive early to claim a spot along River Street, since the riverfront fills up quickly; if you would rather avoid the thickest crowds, pick a spot on the downtown part of the route instead. Bring a jacket — it cools off quickly after sunset.

December 12: The Biggest Day of the Season

If you can only pick one day, pick Saturday, December 12. It is the day half the season happens at once, and it needs a plan rather than a wander. Start the morning at the Savannah Santa Train, hosted by the Coastal Heritage Society at the Georgia State Railroad Museum and Savannah Children’s Museum, 303 MLK Jr Blvd, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.: train and handcar rides, photos with Santa, holiday crafts, and Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa activities, with live entertainment. It is the best family event of the day, and it finishes well before the parade.

During the day, the Holiday Tour of Homes and Inns opens private Historic District homes, inns and museums in their holiday décor, run by the Downtown Neighborhood Association in two daytime sessions. It is ticketed through dnaholidaytour.com, and it sells out — book as soon as your dates are fixed, because the sessions go before the season starts. Christmas on the River dance and musical performances run December 11 and 12 as well, so the riverfront has live performance running through the afternoon.

Then the evening belongs to the parade at 5:30 p.m. The honest note: December 12 is also the hardest day to park and the hardest day to eat without a reservation. Leave the car where you are staying, use the free dot shuttle downtown, and book dinner before you arrive — or eat an early dinner and watch the parade on a full stomach. If the crowds sound like too much, the same market, lights and shows are all running on the quieter weekdays around it.

Forsyth Park, the Squares & the Bull Street Walk

The cheapest and simplest Savannah Christmas experience costs nothing: an evening walk. Savannah’s 22 historic squares take on a holiday glow in December, with wreaths, garlands and lights on many surrounding homes and businesses, and the walk through them is one of the best free things to do in the city at Christmas.

Start at Forsyth Park, where the 1858 fountain is framed in garland, evergreen wreaths and bright red bows each December, and becomes the spot Savannah families go for their Christmas-card photo. The live oaks keep their leaves all winter and the Spanish moss stays, so the park looks green rather than bare. The Forsyth Farmers’ Market runs every Saturday of December, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine, at the south end of the park where Bull Street meets Park Avenue — sixty-some growers and bakers from within 200 miles of the city, and a good place to shop for a Christmas dinner you cook yourself.

From the fountain, walk north up Bull Street through the squares as the lights come on. It is about a 20-minute stroll one way to the city’s Christmas tree at Bull and Broughton, and the free dot shuttle brings you back if the kids run out of legs. The squares to linger in: Chippewa Square, made famous by Forrest Gump, with the General Oglethorpe statue at its center; Madison Square, surrounded by historic homes and the Green-Meldrim House; Wright Square, an easy stop in the center of the stroll; and Monterey Square, one of the most beautiful, home to the Pulaski Monument. The Green-Meldrim House carries the city’s best Christmas story: on December 22, 1864, General Sherman telegraphed President Lincoln from this city, offering Savannah as a Christmas gift. His headquarters was the Green-Meldrim House, and it still opens for tours on select days.

December Nights & Holiday Lights at the Botanical Gardens

For the big light display, leave downtown. December Nights & Holiday Lights at Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens, 2 Canebrake Road on the city’s southside, runs on select nights from November 28 to December 24, 2026, turning the garden pathways into a walk-through display of millions of lights. General admission is $15 for ages 3 and older, and a Merry and Bright VIP Experience for children — a hot chocolate bar, a holiday photo opportunity, a light-up necklace and a make-and-take ornament — is $10 per child, with adults accompanying children free.

Two things to know before you plan an evening around it. First, it is open on select nights only, not every night, and it is closed on Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday — check the gardens’ own calendar for your date. Second, it is outside the downtown walking core, so plan transportation separately; driving is the straightforward option, and the gardens are a short drive from the Historic District. It pairs naturally with the boat parade on opening night, November 28, if you want one big night out — but not both in the same evening. If you are building a lights-only trip, our guide to the best Christmas light displays in the USA covers the drive-throughs and neighborhood displays worth the drive.

Shows & Music: A Christmas Tradition, The Nutcracker & the Cathedral

Savannah’s stages carry the season after dark. “A Christmas Tradition” at the historic Savannah Theatre, 222 Bull St, runs December 3–26, 2026, in its 24th consecutive year: a two-hour holiday production of Christmas favorites, with comedy and an appearance from Santa and his dancing reindeer. It is ticketed — check savannahtheatre.com for current prices — and the holiday-week and weekend performances are the most popular, so book early if your dates are fixed. Matinees work well for families with young children.

Thanksgiving weekend has its own show. The South Carolina Ballet brings its full-length Nutcracker to Savannah for one performance on Saturday, November 28, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. at the Johnny Mercer Theatre, Savannah Civic Center, 301 W. Oglethorpe Ave. Buy through savannahcivic.com. It lands on boat-parade night, so the honest plan is one or the other: the Nutcracker if you want a theatre night, the riverfront if you want the parade — trying to do both means missing the start of one of them.

For something quieter, the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist at 222 E. Harris St, with its twin spires and stained glass, is one of Savannah’s most striking buildings and a beautiful setting for holiday music and Christmas services. Programs and service times change from year to year, so check the cathedral’s official schedule in late November, and arrive early for Christmas Eve services, which are the busiest of the year. The cathedral is free to visit during daytime hours, donations welcome, and worth a stop even if you do not attend a service. If you are weighing Savannah against its sister city down the coast, our guide to Christmas in Charleston covers the bigger, more produced holiday calendar — Savannah’s season is smaller, more walkable, and lit in live oaks rather than staged.

Where to Eat & What to Bring Home

Savannah eats well at Christmas, and the holiday food is Southern rather than German-market: Lowcountry cooking, fresh seafood, pralines, and the city’s famous ice cream. Leopold’s Ice Cream on Broughton Street is the classic stop on the Bull Street walk — yes, ice cream even in December — and Savannah Bee Company’s Broughton Street shop sells tupelo honey and gift sets that travel well and make a better souvenir than anything in the airport shop. For a sit-down holiday meal, the River Street restaurants run holiday cocktails and dinner specials through the season, and the Chart House and Vic’s on the River are the waterfront picks for warming up after the parade.

For shopping, the market at Plant Riverside is the main event, but one more date belongs on the calendar: Christmas Made in the South, the 37th annual show, runs November 13–15, 2026, at the Savannah Convention Center, with artisan vendors across the river from downtown. Holiday shoppers who want gifts rather than experiences should also look at our Christmas gift ideas guide before they pack a second bag. And if you are staying through Thanksgiving weekend, check which restaurants are open on the holiday itself — many run limited hours on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day too, so call ahead rather than assuming.

The Honest Notes

First, the season is long but the events are not all-night: the market closes at 9 p.m., the garden lights run on select nights only, and several events end before Christmas itself. Christmas week, December 23–26, is quieter — the city stays beautifully decorated, but restaurants may have limited hours, so call ahead. Second, December 12 sells out and fills up: the Tour of Homes sessions, the parade crowds, the parking. If you want that day, book the tour and dinner in advance and ride the shuttle. Third, the 2026 dates above come from the organizers’ own listings — Visit Savannah, Plant Riverside District and Savannah’s Waterfront — but schedules can change, so confirm times on the official page before you travel, especially the city tree lighting hour and the garden lights’ select nights. Fourth, Savannah at Christmas is a walking trip in mild weather, not a snow trip: highs in the mid-60s, lows in the mid-40s, and the charm is lights in live oaks, not a white Christmas. If you want snow and a big staged display, pick another city; if you want to step out of your door into it, Savannah is the pick — and it pairs easily with Charleston, about two hours away by car, or with Christmas in St. Augustine further down the coast.

A Two-Day Christmas Plan

Day 1 — the river. Morning: coffee and the Forsyth Farmers’ Market if it is a Saturday, then the Bull Street walk through the squares to the city tree. Afternoon: the Savannah Christmas Market at Plant Riverside — browse the stalls, see the Festival of Trees, and stay for the live music. Evening: dinner on River Street, then the lights along the riverwalk. If your day 1 is November 28, swap the evening for the Holiday Kickoff at Eastern Wharf and the Lighted Boat Parade at 7 p.m.

Day 2 — the shows and the gardens. Morning: the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist and a slow walk through the squares you missed, with a stop at Leopold’s. Afternoon: “A Christmas Tradition” at the Savannah Theatre, or the Santa Train if it is December 12. Evening: December Nights & Holiday Lights at the botanical gardens — the one big display of the trip. If your day 2 is December 12, the Santa Train in the morning, the Tour of Homes in the daytime, and the Lighted Christmas Street Parade at 5:30 p.m. is the full day, and it is the best single day of the season.

Where to Stay and Getting Around

Book early — Savannah’s best hotels and inns fill months in advance for December weekends, and the parade weekends go first. Stay in the Historic District near River Street if you want to be inside the crowds and walk to the market and the parades; stay near Forsyth Park in the Victorian District if you want the park, the squares and a quieter night, then ride the free dot shuttle downtown. The historic inns around the squares — the Marshall House, Savannah’s oldest hotel, the Kehoe House on Columbia Square, and the Mansion on Forsyth Park overlooking the park — go all-out with holiday decorations, and the Perry Lane Hotel is the modern luxury pick in the Historic District. Wherever you stay, leave the car there on parade nights: downtown parking fills, the shuttle is free, and everything in the Historic District is walkable. Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport is about a 20-minute drive from downtown, and rideshares cover the gap easily.

FAQs: Christmas in Savannah 2026

When is the Savannah Christmas Market in 2026?

The Savannah Christmas Market runs Thursday, November 19, 2026 to Sunday, January 3, 2027, at Plant Riverside District, 400 W. River Street, open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. with free admission. It is a European-style outdoor market with artisan vendors, live performances, photos with Santa, the Festival of Trees and the Gingerbread House Unveiling, and Visit Savannah notes it has been voted one of the best holiday markets in the country by USA Today and Travel + Leisure.

When is the Savannah Lighted Boat Parade in 2026?

The 25th Annual Savannah Lighted Boat Parade is Saturday, November 28, 2026, from 7 to 9 p.m. on the Savannah River. More than 30 boats covered in holiday lights, led by the Georgia Queen riverboat, loop twice from Eastern Wharf to the Talmadge Bridge and back. It is free to watch from shore — the best spots are the Park at Eastern Wharf, Plant Riverside and the riverwalk at Rousakis Plaza — and the Holiday Kickoff and tree lighting at Eastern Wharf runs 5 to 9 p.m. the same evening.

When is the Christmas parade in Savannah in 2026?

The 34th Annual Lighted Christmas Street Parade is Saturday, December 12, 2026, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. It starts at Plant Riverside District on the west end of River Street, climbs the East Broad ramp, then winds through downtown along Bay, Lincoln, Broughton and Jefferson streets. Admission is free. Arrive early for a spot on River Street, or pick the downtown stretch of the route for thinner crowds.

What is the best day to visit Savannah for Christmas?

Saturday, December 12, 2026, has the most in one day: the Santa Train in the morning, the Holiday Tour of Homes and Inns in the daytime, Christmas on the River dance and musical performances, and the Lighted Christmas Street Parade at 5:30 p.m. Thanksgiving weekend is the other strong choice, with the Lighted Boat Parade on November 28 and the Nutcracker the same evening. Weeknights are quieter at the market and the squares.

Is Christmas in Savannah good with kids?

Yes. The market has Santa photos and the Festival of Trees, the Santa Train on December 12 is built for families, the boat parade and street parade are both free to watch, and Forsyth Park has two playgrounds and thirty acres of lawn a short walk from the squares. December afternoons are usually in the mid-60s, so the walking works for children — and the free dot shuttle covers the ride back when little legs give out.