The Downtown Neighborhood Association describes its Holiday Tour of Homes as a tour "offering a glimpse into the way these treasured spaces are enjoyed and celebrated today." The 51st edition is on Saturday, December 12, 2026. That date is the hinge of the downtown holiday season.
The season opens in late November near the water, at Plant Riverside District, at Eastern Wharf, and on the river. In early December it moves a few blocks inland to the museums and theaters. On December 12, the private homes on the squares open their doors, a candlelit house museum on Columbia Square holds evening tours, and at dusk the 34th Annual Lighted Christmas Street Parade leaves River Street and runs through Bay, Lincoln, Broughton and Jefferson Streets. To see the season reach the residential blocks, keep that Saturday open and work back from it.
November Starts at the Water's Edge
The season opens in the Savannah's Waterfront program called Christmas on the River, presented by Hyundai. Its first anchor is the Savannah Christmas Market at Plant Riverside District, which opens November 19 and runs through January 3, 2027. The market is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, has more than 50 booths and seasonal performances, and is free.
Thanksgiving weekend stays by the river:
- Friday, November 27: Plant Riverside District's Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in MLK Park, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., free. The program includes a reading, a gospel choir, and Santa and Mrs. Claus, and it serves as the market's grand opening celebration.
- Saturday, November 28: The Holiday Kickoff at The Park at Eastern Wharf, 201 Port Street, runs 5 to 9 p.m., with the Eastern Wharf tree lighting, Santa, food trucks and entertainment.
- That same night: the 25th Annual Savannah Lighted Boat Parade, 7 to 9 p.m. The Georgia Queen leads the boats out from Eastern Wharf to the Talmadge Bridge and back past Plant Riverside and River Street.
The First Week of December Moves Inland
In early December the calendar moves a few blocks south, to the museum and theater venues around the squares. Telfair Museums holds its free Annual Holiday Tree Lighting on Thursday, December 3, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Jepson Center, 207 W. York Street, with music, Santa and seasonal treats. The same day, the Savannah Theatre at 222 Bull Street starts its run of A Christmas Tradition, which plays through December 26.
That weekend, the Savannah Philharmonic presents an "all-new edition" of Holiday Pops! at the Lucas Theatre, with performances Saturday, December 5 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, December 6 at 3 p.m. As of early November the Saturday evening show was sold out, and tickets for the Sunday matinee were still available.
These events are indoors, ticketed or seated, and still public. The step from the public squares into the private homes comes the following weekend.
December 12, Hour by Hour
Four separate organizations hold events on the second Saturday of December. Their schedules overlap only a little, so the whole day can be done on foot.
| Time | Event | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Holiday Tour of Homes ticket pickup | Hotel Bardo, 700 Drayton Street | Included with tour ticket |
| 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Tour Session I, private homes | Downtown, on foot | $75 |
| 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Tour museums, both sessions | Downtown | Included |
| 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. | Tour inns, both sessions | Downtown | Included |
| Noon to 5 p.m. | Tour Session II, private homes | Downtown, on foot | $75 |
| Noon to 5 p.m. | 3rd Annual Eastern Wharf Food Truck Festival | Riverfront Lot, 102 Port Street | Free |
| 5:30 to 7 p.m. | 34th Annual Lighted Christmas Street Parade | Plant Riverside to East Broad Ramp, then Bay, Lincoln, Broughton and Jefferson | Free |
| Evening | Holiday Twilight Tours, final night of week one | Davenport House Museum, Columbia Square | $20 adult, $15 child |
Morning: The Homes Tour
The Holiday Tour of Homes is a walking tour. It opens private homes, historic inns and cultural landmarks, and docent hosts at each stop explain the house's history and traditions. Both sessions include the same homes, inns and museums. The only difference is the window when the eight private homes are open. This year the DNA added an hour to each session. A limited number of VIP tickets are available, with all-day access and other perks.
The tour's logistics are stricter than those of most downtown events. Tickets are sold only through Eventbrite, all sales are final, and the DNA does not offer refunds, exchanges or a waitlist. Tickets bought through resellers may not be honored. Pickup is at tour headquarters at Hotel Bardo, 700 Drayton Street, on the day of the tour only, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. No high-heeled shoes are allowed because they can damage historic wood floors. No photography or video is allowed inside the homes. Most of the homes have multiple steps and are not accessible for wheelchairs or strollers. A limited number of trolley tickets are sold for rides to central locations, but the trolley does not stop at each house.
Ticket sales also fund the DNA Community Grant Program, which supports local nonprofits and neighborhood projects throughout the year.
Afternoon: Eastern Wharf and the Riverfront Stages
If you take Session I, your homes window closes at 3 p.m. That leaves two hours to reach the Riverfront Lot at 102 Port Street before the 3rd Annual Eastern Wharf Food Truck Festival ends at 5. The festival is free and has food trucks and live music. Its event listing marks December 12 as a "NEW DATE." Session II guests can see the private homes until 5 p.m. and then head straight to the parade.
At the west end of the waterfront, Savannah's Waterfront Dance & Musical Performances bring local dance groups, cheer squads and bands to MLK Park at Plant Riverside District, with shows Friday evening, December 11, from 5 to 7:30 p.m., and Saturday afternoon, December 12. Admission is free. The Christmas Market is open all day in the same area.
Dusk: The Parade Comes Up to Broughton
The parade is the event that takes the waterfront season into downtown's streets. The 34th Annual Lighted Christmas Street Parade starts at 5:30 p.m. at Plant Riverside District on the west end of River Street and goes to the East Broad Ramp. From there it runs through downtown along Bay, Lincoln, Broughton and Jefferson Streets. It ends at 7 p.m., and admission is free. The lineup includes community floats, cars, trolleys and walking groups. Every entry must be completely covered in Christmas lights. Savannah's Waterfront accepts entries until Thursday, November 19, so neighbors, clubs and businesses who want to march, drive or ride have one week left.
Johnson Square is an easy walk from the Broughton stretch of the route. Le Flâneur, the French-inspired brasserie inside Recess Hotel & Club at 7 E. Congress Street, overlooks the square and Bull Street. Savannah Morning News reported that the restaurant began dinner service in September and that dinner runs from 5 to 10 p.m.
Evening: Candlelight on Columbia Square
The last stop of the day is at Columbia Square. The first week of the Davenport House Museum's Holiday Twilight Tours runs Thursday, December 10 through Saturday, December 12. The 1820 house is decorated and lit by candlelight, and visitors learn how Savannahians celebrated the season almost two centuries ago. After the tour, guests have warm cider and holiday cookies in the museum's historic garden. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for children. Each tour has limited space, and the museum recommends reserving ahead. A second week runs December 17 through 19 for anyone who spends December 12 at the tour and the parade.
On December 12, then, you can tour private homes in the morning and finish the night inside a historic house museum.
The Days After
The Davenport keeps going the next morning. Its free Holiday Traditions Family Day runs Sunday, December 13, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with self-guided house tours and family activities.
The rest of December is quieter. The Diocese of Savannah lists a Christmas Concert at the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist on Friday, December 18, at 7 p.m. The Savannah Theatre's holiday run continues through December 26. The season ends back on the river, with Savannah's Waterfront's New Year's Eve Midnight Fireworks Show on Thursday, December 31. The Christmas Market at Plant Riverside stays open through January 3.
Everything else on the downtown calendar is at the riverfront or at a ticketed venue. December 12 is the date when the private homes, Columbia Square and the Broughton Street parade route are all part of the season on the same day.
At The Agency Savannah, our office at 119 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. sits a short walk from the parade route, and the homes on the tour are the kind of downtown homes we know well. If you're curious what your own Historic District home is worth this season, request an instant home valuation or schedule a private consultation.
