There are many reasons to love the holidays, but one of my favorites are the events around town that bring the community together. From caroling to hot cider and hot cocoa, to local markets with vendors that have hip trendy decorations for your home and clever gift ideas for friends. Here are three of my favorite events happening in Atlanta this season to help you prepare for the holidays.

Downtown Woodstock Holiday Sip + Shop

November 18, 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Camden Shiloh is lucky only to be 8 minutes away from the Downtown Woodstock Holiday Sip + Shop. The cost to enter is $10 per ticket, and you will be given a tote bag and a directory of the participating merchants. There will be light bites and festive beverages as well as raffle prizes at the Woodstock Visitors Center. This is the perfect time to get ahead of your holiday shopping and get cute, fun gifts for friends and family.

My wife and I were vendors at an event like this last year. Everyone has an absolute blast and loaded up on presents for their family. We sold fun gifts for friends, including ornaments and t-shirts.

The Lighting of Avalon

November 21 - 1:00 pm – 8:00pm

This free event at Avalon is under 10 minutes away from Camden Deerfield. This festive holiday event is complete with music and activities for the whole family culminating in a beautiful Christmas tree lighting. A little elf also told me that Jolly Ole St. Nick will be making a special appearance for photos with kids. Your children and quite possibly your inner child will be overwhelmed with the holiday spirit at this event.

This event doesn’t just have to be something for kids and families to enjoy. The ice rink at Avalon also opens on November 21, making this a fun event to bring a date. You can skate under the stars and the lights of the Christmas Tree. Then, catch a movie at the Regal Avalon.

While you’re there, you can also look for things to give your apartment décor a seasonal refresh at stores located in Avalon. Crate & Barrell, Arhous, and Pottery Barn all have furniture and home décor to keep you up to date with the latest holiday trends.

Children’s Season on the Square

December 4 – 8:30 am – 7:00 pm, Colony Square

The holidays are in the air with the fun at this event! This event is a short 7-minute drive from Camden Midtown and 10 minutes from Camden Fourth Ward. This would be a great opportunity to get your friends with children in your community to participate in the fun together.

There will be a Breakfast with Santa and Mrs. Claus at Hotel Midtown from 8:30 am - 10:00 am to kickstart the fun. Tickets start at $65 for the breakfast. Throughout the day, they have unbelievable performances, from drumlines and dancers to Christmas Carol Carolers. Santa will also be available for photos. It will all culminate with the Tree Lighting Show hosted by Kelly Crull from Bally Sports South, the home of your World Champion Atlanta Braves!

The best part about this event is that all proceeds help raise funds for the Children’s Hospital of Atlanta. It’s a wonderful way to have fun with the family and give back to the community all at the same time.

Photo by Nicole Michalou from Pexels

Hold Your Own Christmas Tree Lighting Celebration

After the festivities, you can retire back to your Camden community to relax and enjoy a nice hot cup of cocoa with your friends at the outdoor fireplace at Camden Paces or the rooftop lounge at Camden Vantage. If you’re in Camden Midtown Atlanta or Camden St. Clair, you can enjoy hot chocolate in the club room or community space. You can invite friends and family back to your apartment to watch holiday movies.

If you’re still not comfortable going out, a great option is to organize your own Christmas tree lighting. Have your close friends and family over to your Camden apartment to decorate and enjoy the season together.

You can also include your Camden neighbors and family by inviting them using the activity wall on the MyCamden Community Dashboard. You can utilize this to organize all kinds of fun with others in your community, from caroling events to sharing fun recipes for treats or inexpensive decoration ideas.

At Camden, you can make this holiday season a special one. You can view other Camden blogs about how to prepare your apartment for the holidays and the best ways to celebrate the holidays by staying at home.