Where to Find Christmas in Georgia

Located about halfway between Atlanta and Athens, the small town of Bethlehem, Georgia, becomes Christmas Card Central as visitors bring their holiday greetings for postmarks at the post office. After you mail your cards, you can drive down Christmas Avenue to E. Star Street and look in a small park near City Hall for the star made of lights that shines brightly between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve. If you visit Dec. 22 & 23, 2023, you can enjoy the live nativity in Bethlehem Town Square, an annual tradition since 1963.

Claxton, Georgia, is nicknamed the "Fruit Cake Capital of the World" because of the number of fruitcakes that are produced each year by the town’s two world-famous bakeries: Claxton Bakery and Georgia Fruit Cake Company. Stop into the factory shops, located about one hour west of Savannah, to stock up on gifts for family and friends.

One of the most famous homes in Savannah’s Historic District, The Gingerbread House, is a dazzling event venue with a second-floor apartment available for short-term rentals. The lovingly restored 100-year-old home designed in the Gingerbread style features historic details matched impeccably with modern furnishings. Book a dreamy stay for up to 10 of your family and friends, or stroll by to take in the curb appeal while you’re in the Starland District, and stop into the Foxy Loxy Cafe next door to relax in the courtyard with a drink and a bite to eat.

You’ll see plenty of Georgia pine trees in this small town about 45 minutes north of Columbus, but the real draw is the Fantasy in Lights holiday light display that has been dazzling visitors for decades. Visit downtown Pine Mountain to shop the cute stores for gifts to put under your tree and decorations to put on it before spending the evening immersed in the forest of millions of twinkling lights at Callaway Resort & Gardens.

Comet and Cupid await your visit at Pettit Creek Farms, an 80-acre working farm and entertainment venue in Cartersville just north of Lake Allatoona. Between Thanksgiving and the end of the year, you can visit the farm for their Country Christmas, where you can see live reindeer and possibly catch one of Santa’s helpers ready to pose for pictures. Drive or ride through the light display, visit Santa, experience a live nativity with animals, and even select a Christmas tree to take home.

There’s no guarantee you’ll actually see the big man in red in this small south Georgia town, but you can drive down holiday-themed streets such as Rudolph Way and Candy Cane Road. While there, stop at the post office and have your Christmas cards postmarked from this jolly town. Santa Claus, Georgia, is located just outside Lyons, Georgia, about an hour and a half west of Savannah.

Once a year, in early December, visitors can take a special ferry ride to Plum Orchard mansion on Cumberland Island to stroll through rooms decked in traditional early 1900s decorations. Learn about holiday customs of the time from volunteers and staff dressed in period costumes. In addition to the tour, enjoy seasonal refreshments, play old-fashioned lawn games and create a souvenir of your visit. You may even hear a Christmas carol or two!