Thanksgiving Has an Encore!
Thanksgiving in Gwinnett doesn't end when the dishes are cleared. On November 26, families will trade the dinner table for downtown Lawrenceville, where a decades-old tradition brings thousands of Christmas lights and a familiar visitor in red to life.
There's something wonderfully peculiar about a community that spends Thanksgiving afternoon eating, resting, and then gathering outside to watch Santa Claus light a Christmas tree. Yet for generations of Gwinnett families, that evening trip to the courthouse square has become as much a part of the holiday as the turkey itself.
The annual Lighting of the Tree returns Thursday, November 26, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Gwinnett Historic Courthouse in Lawrenceville. Admission is free, and the evening's centerpiece arrives at 6 p.m., when Santa illuminates the Great Tree and officially ushers in the Christmas season.
The tradition dates to the late 1980s, when Gwinnett was a considerably smaller community. Over the decades, the Thanksgiving gathering has endured as the county has grown, giving longtime residents a familiar holiday ritual and newcomers a chance to become part of it.
Its location carries plenty of history, too. Built in 1885, the Gwinnett Historic Courthouse once housed county government and served as the center of public life. By the late 1980s, its future was uncertain, but residents helped preserve the building through a restoration effort that culminated in its 1992 reopening. Today, its four-story clocktower and landscaped grounds remain a gathering place for the community.
On Thanksgiving evening, those grounds take on a decidedly different character. Families can roast s'mores, admire entries in the gingerbread house contest, enjoy live entertainment, and explore holiday displays. A trackless train and children's activities add to the festivities, while Santa makes time for photos after lighting the tree.
Nearby, Aurora Theatre's Festival of Trees at the Lawrenceville Arts Center offers another opportunity to enjoy the holiday decorations.
What makes the evening memorable is its simplicity. Grandparents who once brought their own children can return with grandchildren. Neighbors cross paths, families linger, and everyone shares the same countdown beneath the courthouse clocktower.
Some Thanksgiving traditions are passed around the dinner table. In Gwinnett, one of the most enduring begins when everyone finally gets up from it.
For more Gwinnett traditions and community celebrations worth keeping on the calendar, explore the Guide to Gwinnett's Festivals directory at https://www.guidetogwinnett.com/festivals.
