Christmas and the holidays
Nights of Lights (walk-through holiday lights)
Organiser date for 2026A ticketed walk-through Christmas light attraction at the Fairgrounds. Tickets are sold online or at the gate.
Nov. 20–Dec. 27, 2026 on both the organiser's site and the Fairgrounds calendar. Prices weren't posted yet ("Tickets Coming Soon").
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Source: Nights of Lights; Cumming Fairgrounds events calendar, checked 2026-10-17
Cumming City Center Winter/Holiday Market (5th annual)
Organiser date for 2026More than 100 local vendors sell gifts and seasonal goods. There are also photos with Santa, live holiday music and a kids' zone. Admission is free.
Sat. Nov. 21, 2026 on both calendars. The closing time conflicts (6 PM on the City Center page, 5 PM on the City calendar).
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Source: Cumming City Center events calendar; City of Cumming events calendar, checked 2026-10-17
City Center Christmas Tree Lighting
Organiser date for 2026This annual tradition follows the Holiday Market with a holiday concert and ends with the lighting of the City Center's giant Christmas tree.
Nov. 21, 2026, 6 PM, per the City of Cumming events calendar.
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Source: City of Cumming events calendar, checked 2026-10-17
Snow Day at Cumming City Center
Organiser date for 2026A holiday bounce-house day with a DJ and a visit from Santa. Unlimited bounce-house play is $10 per person, or free if you donate a new, unopened gift of equal value.
Dec. 5, 2026 per the City Center calendar.
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Source: Cumming City Center events calendar, checked 2026-10-17
City of Cumming Christmas Parade
Organiser date for 2026The City's Christmas parade. In 2025 it ran from Forsyth Central High School to the Cumming Fairgrounds via Tribble Gap and Castleberry roads, with road closures from 4:30 PM. The 2026 route has not been published separately.
The Fairgrounds calendar lists Sat. Dec. 12, 2026, 5–6:30 PM. The City's Sept. 28, 2026 news post opens 2026 registration with a 5 PM Dec. 7, 2026 deadline. The calendar entry's description text is still the 2025 version (Dec. 13, 2025), so the route and closure times are last year's.
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Source: Cumming Fairgrounds events calendar; City of Cumming news (Sept. 28, 2026), checked 2026-10-17
The Christmas parade’s 2026 listing still carries last year’s route and closure times, so check the City’s own page in December before you plan around road closures.
Halloween
Haunted Cruise-In Car Show (Halloween edition)
Organiser date for 2026At this pre-Halloween classic car show, the car owners hand out candy, and costumes are encouraged for people and cars alike. Admission and parking are free, with space in the parking deck and overflow lots.
Thu. Oct. 22, 2026 per the City Center calendar.
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Source: Cumming City Center events calendar, checked 2026-10-17
House of Four Scythes Haunted Attraction
Organiser date for 2026A haunted attraction at the Fairgrounds on the last two weekends of October. It is also listed among the fair's 2026 daily attractions.
The four 2026 dates come from the Cumming Fairgrounds events calendar. Ticket prices were not found.
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Source: Cumming Fairgrounds events calendar, checked 2026-10-17
4th Annual Howl-oween at Cumming City Center
Organiser date for 2026Pet-friendly trick-or-treating at City Center businesses, with adoptable pets, vendors, spooky music and a storefront decorating contest that visitors vote on.
Oct. 24, 2026, 4–8 PM, on both the City of Cumming and City Center calendars.
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Source: Cumming City Center events calendar; City of Cumming events calendar, checked 2026-10-17
Nightshades at the Lou Sobh Amphitheater
Organiser date for 2026A Halloween-night rock show that mixes live music with dancers, billed by the performers as an "immersive rock opera."
Oct. 31, 2026 per the City Center calendar. The listing says "Free admission & free parking" (rechecked 2026-10-17).
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Source: Cumming City Center events calendar, checked 2026-10-17
Parking on event days
- Lou Sobh Amphitheater concerts and movies: Admission and parking are free. Bring lawn chairs or blankets. No tents, coolers, outside food or alcohol, glass, or smoking. Cumming City Center: Visit Us (Concerts & Entertainment)
- Cumming Farmers Market (Saturdays 8–11 AM): The market sets up in the Vision Parkway lot, on the left as you enter the City Center from Canton Hwy. Park in that lot or in the parallel spaces along Vision Parkway. Cumming City Center: Cumming Farmers Market listing
- Haunted Cruise-In (Oct. 22, 2026): Show-car parking is first-come, first-served and the road closes when it fills. Spectator parking is free in the deck and overflow lots. Cumming City Center events calendar
- Cumming Country Fair & Festival (Oct. 8–18, 2026): The fair is at the Cumming Fairgrounds, 235 Castleberry Rd. Gate admission is $10 for ages 11 and up (10 and under free), cash or card, with ATMs on site and no re-entry. No pets, coolers or alcohol. Fair parking arrangements and fees were not found on the fair's pages. Cumming Fairgrounds: Hours & Pricing
- City of Cumming Christmas Parade (Dec. 12, 2026): In 2025 road closures started at 4:30 PM for a 5 PM parade from Forsyth Central High School to the Fairgrounds via Tribble Gap and Castleberry roads. The 2026 closure details are not yet published. Cumming Fairgrounds events calendar (2025 description text on the 2026 entry)
- Mary Alice Park (any day): Vehicles need a $10 daily pass or an annual pass on the dashboard, and the boat ramp is also $10 a day. Boat ramps may close when the park reaches capacity. The park is closed the evening of Nov. 9 and Nov. 10–12, 2026 for a USACE deer hunt. Forsyth County Parks & Recreation: Mary Alice Park
- Sawnee Mountain Preserve: The county park map shows lots at the visitor center (4075 Spot Road), at 2500 Tribble Gap Rd. (pavilions, the amphitheater and restrooms) and at 2505 Tribble Gap Rd. (a playground, two pavilions and restrooms), plus a small west-end lot by the Church and Mountainside trails marked "Limited – 10 Spaces" with no published address. Forsyth County: Sawnee Mountain Preserve park map
Questions
When is the Christmas tree lighting and holiday market?
Both are on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2026 at the Cumming City Center. The Winter/Holiday Market opens at 10 AM with more than 100 vendors, Santa photos, live music and a kids' zone, and admission is free. The City Center page says the market runs until 6 PM and the City calendar says 5 PM. The tree lighting follows at 6 PM with a holiday concert.
Source: City of Cumming events calendar; Cumming City Center events calendar
When is the Cumming Christmas parade?
The Cumming Fairgrounds calendar lists the City of Cumming Christmas Parade for Saturday, Dec. 12, 2026, from 5 to 6:30 PM, and the City opened 2026 entry registration on Sept. 28. Last year's parade ran from Forsyth Central High School to the Fairgrounds via Tribble Gap and Castleberry roads, with road closures from 4:30 PM. Check the City for the 2026 route.
Source: Cumming Fairgrounds events calendar; City of Cumming news (Sept. 28, 2026)
Dates, rules and hours can change. The organisers have the final word: City of Cumming