Colony Square hosts a winter festival with tree lighting ceremony and ice rink this weekend

All photos courtesy of Colony Square

Come to Colony Square this holiday season, for an urban winter wonderland experience like no other. Season on the Square is a series of holiday events that begin on Friday, November 19th and stretch out to Monday, January 17th — which is MLK Day.

The seasonal experience includes:

• Colony Square’s first-ever tree lighting ceremony
• a one-day winter festival
• an ice skating rink
• a holiday pop-up bar
• magical moments with Santa Claus

“Midtown Atlanta always shines bright during the holidays, and we’re so excited to add some new sparkle to the neighborhood this year,” said a Colony Square spokesperson, in a press statement. “Visions of twirling ice skaters, reindeer games, and ornaments are already dancing through my head. We can’t wait to bring this new tradition to life at the corner of 14th and Peachtree Streets.”

Here is an event schedule for the entire season — mark your calendars!

Skate on the Square ice rink

Skate on the Square will open at 3 p.m. on Friday, November 19th. The rink is located on The Plaza, and will be open through Monday, January 17th, 2022.

General Hours

• Monday – Friday: 3 to 9 p.m.
• Saturdays: noon to 10 p.m.
• Sundays: noon to 7 p.m.
• School holidays: noon to 10 p.m. (see below)

Holiday Hours

• Fulton County Public School Holidays: noon to 10 p.m.
• November 25 (Thanksgiving): CLOSED
• December 24 (Christmas Eve): noon to 10 p.m.
• December 25 (Christmas Day): CLOSED
• December 31 (New Year’s Eve): noon to 10 p.m.
• January 1 (New Year’s Day): CLOSED

Prices

• Adults: $18 per person including skates
• Kids (Ages 12 & Under): $14 per child including skates

Tickets

• Click here to purchase tickets online in advance
• Limited tickets may also available on site 

Tree lighting ceremony & all-day celebration

The Lighting at Colony Square takes place on Saturday, December 4th from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.  It is an all-day, family friendly celebration, and it is FREE to attend. If you want to skate, you’ll need to buy a ticket for the rink.

The Schedule of Events

Holiday Experience
10 a.m. to noon
Enjoy strolling entertainment, visits from special characters, performance groups, a Touch-A-Truck station, plus more. Events take place on Peachtree Street and Colony Square’s Front Loop.

Festivity Loop at Colony Square
noon to 3 p.m.
Take the family for a stroll along the Front Loop for face painting, balloon art, crafts, and more. See live reindeer!

DJ and Holiday Performances
noon to 4 p.m.
Enjoy festive carolers from Alliance Theatre’s ‘A Christmas Carol,’ a live DJ spinning holiday hits, and professional ice skating performances from Jack Frost at the top of each hour.

Santa Experience
noon to 4 p.m.
Visit with Santa Claus as he sits in his giant chair! This is a FREE photo opp, so bring your phone or camera and capture some holiday memories. Santa will be in The Grove, which is an urban pocket park at the corner of Juniper and 14th Streets.

Live music by  A-Town A-List 
4:30 to  5:30 p.m.
Get ready to boogie as A-Town A-List band takes the Main Stage in The Front Loop to get the holiday party cranked up a notch.

The Lighting Ceremony & Show
5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Before it’s time to flip the switch and light the tree, you can enjoy musical performances from Atlanta Music Project Choir, featured soloist Angelica Hale from ‘America’s Got Talent,’ a special Santa moment, and more.
Just before 6 p.m., there will be countdown to the moment the 52-foot tree lights up. The tree will be located on the West Retail Roof, and it  will remain lit throughout the holiday season.

The North Pole is an igloo-inspired bar, just above Establishment on the Grove Terrace.

North Pole Pop-up Bar

The North Pole, a new seasonal pop-up bar, will be open from Friday, November 19th through Thursday, December 23rd.

The Grove Terrace will be transformed into an igloo-inspired speakeasy, where you can enjoy a specialty holiday cocktail menu. Note that it is a cashless bar. No food is served there, but you can visit other onsite restaurants for dining.

The merry North Pole pop-up bar will be open to the public Thursdays through Saturdays, from 4 to 10 p.m. Entry is first come, first served for visitors 21 or older, and capacity is limited to 50 guests at a time.

There is no admission fee, however the cost of beverages will vary.
The bar will be closed on Thanksgiving Day.

Get your drinks inside the igloo, then enjoy the lights of Midtown from the open-air Grove Terrace.

You may also be interested in:

• NEW for 2021: World of Illumination drive-thru light shows
• NEW! Festival of Lights drive-thru light show at Atlantic Station
• FREE: Prism Winter Lights display at Woodruff Park in downtown Atlanta
• Lights of Life drive-thru holiday attraction in Marietta
• Discounts for Fantasy in Lights at Callaway Gardens
• Discounts for Stone Mountain Christmas
• Garden Lights, Holiday Nights at the Atlanta Botanical Garden