GAINESVILLE, Ga. — Gainesville will usher in the holiday season tomorrow with its annual Jingle Mingle celebration and the Lighting of the Chicken, a downtown tradition the city calls one of the Southeast’s quirkiest seasonal events.
The festivities run from 4–8 p.m. across the historic and Roosevelt squares. This year, the city will debut a new “chicken Santa” — led by seven illuminated chick “reindeer” and mounted on the Gainesville Administration Building — during a lighting ceremony set for 6:45 p.m. The display replaces the metal chicken that long stood atop Main Street Market.
“While Jingle Mingle and the Lighting of the Chicken may be one of the Southeast’s quirkiest seasonal offerings, it marks the City’s first opportunity to bring neighbors, friends and families together for the holiday season,” Special Events Manager Karen Diaz said.
To reach more families and engage Gainesville’s Hispanic community, the city will also host its inaugural Posada from 4–8 p.m. at Crossroads Plaza, the alley between Main and Bradford streets at the Gainesville North Parking Deck. The Posada will feature activities inspired by the traditional Latin American celebration of the Christmas story.
The city’s sixth annual Festival of Trees will open at the same time inside the Gainesville Administration Building, creating what officials describe as a “Christmas trifecta” of events.
Many staple activities will return, including free photos with Santa, carriage rides, Christmas carolers, live music and open houses at downtown businesses.
Santa Claus is scheduled to arrive at 5 p.m. on a Gainesville Fire Department engine and will greet children on the historic square until 8 p.m. A letter-writing station will be available for children waiting in line.
From 4–6:30 p.m., families can enjoy train rides, an inflatable slide, a s’mores station staffed by firefighters, story time with the Hall County Library System, visits with the Coca-Cola Polar Bear, and a DJ spinning holiday music through 8 p.m. Solo performers will take the Roosevelt Square Local Stage at 4:15 p.m., 4:45 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Holiday merchandise, including the city’s 2025 shirts, ornaments and gift bundles, will be on sale at Historic Gainesville City Hall on Roosevelt Square.
Free parking will be available at the Main Street Parking Deck, Gainesville North Parking Deck and the Hall County Parking Facility. Parking immediately around the square will close early Saturday to accommodate the event, with staged street closures beginning at 5 a.m. and continuing through the afternoon.
Updates, including weather announcements, will be posted on the Downtown Gainesville Facebook page and at exploregainesville.org/jingle-mingle.
