Bartow County Holiday Guide 2026: Parades, Santa and Museum Fun for Kids

Bartow County’s 2026 holiday calendar is taking shape, with Euharlee’s Christmas parade set for Monday, Nov. 30, Cartersville’s Exchange Club parade on Thursday, Dec. 3, and a run of museum programs suited to young children beginning in early November.

Cartersville’s big night: Thursday, Dec. 3

The Cartersville Exchange Club Christmas Parade, which organizers describe as one of the largest in North Georgia, steps off at 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3, 2026. If weather forces a postponement, the rain date is 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 10. Participants line up starting at 4 p.m. in the Tabernacle church parking lot on East Church Street, which also serves as the starting point.

The club says the route matches last year’s. From the Tabernacle lot, the parade turns right onto Church Street, crosses the bridge, turns left onto Bartow Street, left onto Main Street, left onto Stonewall Street and left again onto Church Street, then right onto Tennessee Street before returning to the lot. For families who would rather watch from home, the parade’s Eventbrite listing says it will be livestreamed through cartersvillechristmas.com. Entry fees benefit local children, with the club naming Advocates for Bartow’s Children and the Boys and Girls Club of Bartow County among the beneficiaries.

The Downtown Cartersville Development Authority lists Dec. 3 as the date for pictures with Santa and the downtown tree lighting, in addition to the parade. Times for those activities had not been posted as of Oct. 24. The authority’s calendar also lists a Holiday Open House on Nov. 5 and a Jingle and Mingle event on Dec. 12.

Euharlee: a Monday parade and a Festival of Trees

Euharlee’s annual Christmas parade is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 30, according to the city. The route begins at Euharlee Elementary and Woodland Middle schools on Euharlee Road and ends at the city’s covered bridge. Registration is free. The city has not yet posted a start time; the 2024 parade began at 6 p.m.

The Festival of Trees returns to the city’s historic granary, open from 6 to 9 p.m. nightly with Santa, refreshments and performances, according to the city. Decorated trees and wreaths will be auctioned on Saturday, Dec. 5, with proceeds benefiting Loving Arms Cancer Outreach. In 2024, admission was free, the festival displayed nearly 50 trees and children could write letters to Santa at a dedicated station, The Daily Tribune News reported.

Santa and crafts at two Cartersville museums

Saturday, Nov. 14, offers two early options a short drive apart. The Bartow History Museum, 4 E. Church St., hosts its Old-Fashioned Christmas Event and Photos with Santa from 9 a.m. to noon. The morning includes a visit from Santa, treats, classic Christmas stories, holiday cartoons and crafts with museum “elves.” Professional photo packages range from $35 to $55. Reservations are required and space is limited; the museum’s 2025 edition sold out.

The Booth Western Art Museum, 501 Museum Drive, holds Family Holiday Ornament Making the same day from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., with cookies, hot cocoa and a take-home ornament. Registration is required.

The Booth also schedules a Holiday Family Open Studio from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 24, and a Winter Open Studio from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Dec. 29 and 30 in its Borderlands Classroom. Both are free with admission and open to all ages, with adults required to stay with children. The museum’s Free Family Thursdays, held on the second Thursday of each month, fall on Nov. 12 and Dec. 10, with free admission from 4 to 8 p.m.

Tellus: quiet mornings and night skies

Tellus Science Museum’s November calendar includes Sensory Friendly Mornings at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 21, and Sunday, Nov. 22, designed for visitors who are sensitive to crowds and noise. The museum’s calendar lists Nov. 7 and 8 as a Bank of America Museums On Us weekend, and Evening Sky Watch sessions run from 7 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7, and Saturday, Dec. 5. General admission is $20 for adults and $16 for children ages 3 to 17.

The library’s Season of Wonder

The Bartow County Library System’s Season of Wonder is a free December series of crafts, movies and live music, built around a display of trees decorated by local schools. The program page includes drop-in toddler and preschool holiday crafts, but its dated listings do not yet reflect the 2026 calendar, so families should confirm times with the library at 770-382-4203 before heading out.

Worth the drive: Woodstock and Cave Spring

In Cherokee County, Woodstock’s Christmas Jubilee and Parade of Lights is set for Sunday, Dec. 6, according to the city’s parks and recreation department; float registration closes Nov. 23. In Floyd County, the Small Town Christmas in the Country arts and crafts bazaar fills Rolater Park in Cave Spring from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5, and Sunday, Dec. 6.

Dates for Adairsville’s Christmas on the Square and for holiday events in Kingston and Emerson had not been confirmed for 2026 at publication. In 2024, all three took place during the first two weeks of December.

The Soft Play Social Take

For families with children under 5, the best holiday outings are the ones that fit a toddler’s day rather than an adult’s. Cartersville’s parade starts at 6 p.m. on a Thursday and Euharlee’s falls on a Monday, close to bedtime for many young children, and December nights can turn cold and wet; federal forecasters expect a wetter-than-normal winter across the Southeast this year. Families who go should plan for a shorter stay and know the Dec. 10 rain date for Cartersville. The livestream is a reasonable backup on a damp night.

The museum calendars offer gentler alternatives. The Bartow History Museum’s Santa morning and the Booth’s ornament session both take place in the morning on Nov. 14, which suits nap schedules better than an evening parade. Tellus’ Sensory Friendly Mornings are a good fit for toddlers who are overwhelmed by noise, and the Booth’s open studio days give children time to craft at their own pace.

Reservations matter more than they seem. Ticketed events with limited space, such as the history museum’s Santa morning, have sold out in past years. Booking in early November gives families the widest choice.

What it means for you

• Mark the parades: Euharlee on Monday, Nov. 30, and Cartersville at 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3, with a Dec. 10 rain date.
• Book Santa early: The Bartow History Museum’s Nov. 14 Santa morning requires reservations and has sold out before.
• Use free nights: The Booth’s Free Family Thursdays on Nov. 12 and Dec. 10 run from 4 to 8 p.m.
• Pick quieter options: Tellus’ Sensory Friendly Mornings on Nov. 21 and 22 start at 9 a.m.
• Confirm before you go: Several organizers have not yet posted times, so check event pages the week of each outing.