It’s the most wonderful time of the year — full of cheer, family, good food and memory-making. Downtown Macon is the hub for it all! From now until the end of the year, experience the magic of Christmas in Macon’s walkable urban core. Downtown Macon’s 100-plus locally owned businesses are decorated and serving up festive food, drinks and special holiday offerings. Plus, we have several exciting events coming your way to help you celebrate.

Community Tree Lighting and Classics at the Bibb

Head to Fall Line Brewing Co. at 6 p.m. Nov. 17 for the lighting of our community Christmas tree. Enjoy Christmas tunes; visits from Santa, the Grinch and Cindy Lou Who; and, of course, the lighting of a huge Christmas tree in the beer garden. Afterward, enjoy dinner and shopping at downtown’s amazing restaurants and retail shops. At 7 p.m., Classics at the Bibb will start, when Christmas film shorts will be projected onto the historic Bibb Theatre for a movie night under the stars. You’ll be able to see a screening of “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” (1974) and “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” (1983). Pro tip: Grab some takeout and head to Third Street Park with a blanket for a cozy picnic. Piedmont Brewery and Kitchen, across from the Bibb Theatre, will be selling hot chocolate, both kid and adult versions.

Girls Night Out

Calling all ladies: Get your best gal pals together for a night out in downtown Macon from 5-8 p.m. Nov. 21. Enjoy food, drinks and exclusive retail deals. Plus, it’s opening night for downtown’s Christmas bar, Blitzen, located at 432 Second St. Book your reservation now — spots are filling up fast. Be sure to follow NewTown Macon on Facebook for an updated list of all participating businesses and their specials.

Macon Pops Christmas Spectacular

Start your holiday season with a bang! The annual Macon Christmas Light Extravaganza kicks off Nov. 29 with a free concert from Macon Pops. Watch the Macon Christmas lights synchronized to live music at the intersection of First and Poplar streets. Arrive early, bring a lawn chair or blanket, and enjoy this spectacular show at 6 p.m. Afterward, explore downtown Macon’s shops and restaurants while enjoying the light show on the hour.

Macon Christmas Light Extravaganza

Come one, come all to one of the most magical Christmas light displays in Georgia! From Nov. 29 to Jan. 5, downtown Macon is covered in over 1 million lights, shining bright and synced to music nightly. You can see nightly shows from 6-10 p.m. on the hour, and the lights remain on without motion or music from 10-11 p.m. The show is free and open to the public, so make sure you attend at least once. For those looking for something extra special, come out on the weekends to meet Santa. He’ll be visiting the lights event Friday, Saturday and Sunday in December leading up to Christmas.

Shop Small Saturday: Power Hours

The Saturday after Thanksgiving marks the nationwide tradition of supporting small businesses for the holiday season. Shop Small Saturday is the perfect opportunity to explore all of our local gems and get your holiday shopping done. To make this day even more special, downtown Macon hosts Shopping Power Hours. Here’s how it works: From 9 a.m.-6 p.m., several downtown businesses will be assigned to each hour. During their assigned hour, they’ll offer fantastic discounts to sweeten your shopping experience. Imagine hopping from store to store, each offering a different deal every hour — shopping heaven, right? Follow NewTown Macon to see all of the great offers you can expect.

Light More Homes Flip the Switch

Christmas lights will take over Mercer Village this holiday season too! Macon Area Habitat for Humanity invites you to see the annual Light More Homes show turned on at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 3. Stay awhile to watch the light show, enjoy hot chocolate from Oconee State Bank, take pictures with Mrs. Claus and the Grinch, and enjoy a festive drink (or two) at participating restaurants in Mercer Village. The winners of the student programming contest, in which local students synchronized the lights to different holidays songs, also will be announced at the event. The lights will be on display from 6-10 p.m. nightly through Jan. 4.

Donate S’more Love

NewTown Macon invites you to enjoy the Macon Christmas Light Extravaganza with an extra special treat — s’mores! Come to Third Street Park from 6-8 p.m. Dec. 7 for free s’more roasting. If you feel inclined, NewTown is collecting donations during this event for Macon Periods Easier. Check out their Facebook event for more details.

Lights, Music, Macon Experience

Rock Candy Tours, powered by Visit Macon, is offering a special holiday experience and driving tour to compliment Macon’s beautiful holiday light displays. For the “Lights, Music, Macon Experience” on Dec. 11, 12, 18 and 19, participants will visit the historic Hay House and the Cannonball House, which come alive with enchanting holiday décor during the holiday season. Experience a unique behind-the-scenes tour of these popular Macon staples while driving through the Macon Christmas Light Extravaganza display and historic neighborhoods. The one-hour tour begins at 5 p.m. at the Cannonball House and also ends there.

Christmas in Downtown

Downtown’s annual Christmas festival is back on Dec. 14 from 2-6 p.m. Enjoy crafts, photo ops, hot chocolate, games, cookie decorating, and more with your favorite downtown Macon businesses. There will also be free, live performances at Just Tap’d and the Rookery throughout the day to fill the air with holiday tunes. The event headquarters will be at Cotton Avenue Plaza, where you’ll discover a winter wonderland filled with activities and even snow.

We can’t wait to celebrate the season with you in downtown Macon! Be sure to follow Downtown Macon on Instagram and Facebook for more information on holiday events.