In Blue Ridge, Georgia, Santa poses for pictures in the downtown park from noon to 4:15 p.m. on Friday, November 27 and Saturday, November 28, 2026, then rides at the end of the Light Up parade. Santa also appears on the Holiday Express train, and nearby McCaysville and Blairsville host visits.
Times are from each organizer’s site as of October 17, 2026. Dates can change; confirm with the organizer listed for each visit before you go.
Every 2026 Santa visit we can confirm
| When | Where | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fri, Nov 27, noon to 4:15 p.m. | Downtown park, Blue Ridge (Blue Friday) | Free, part of Light Up weekend |
| Fri, Nov 27, 5 to 7 p.m. | Riverwalk Shops, McCaysville (Light Up McCaysville) | Separate event, per the Chamber |
| Fri, Nov 27 and Sat, Nov 28, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Southern Tree Plantation, Blairsville | Day trip to Union County; pony rides too |
| Sat, Nov 28, noon to 4:15 p.m. | Downtown park, Blue Ridge (Light Up Saturday) | Free; line rule below |
| Sat, Nov 28, from 5:30 p.m. | End of the Light Up parade | The only Santa in the parade |
| Select dates, Nov 28 to Dec 24 | 1-Hour Holiday Express train | Ticketed; many trips sold out |
Light Up weekend in downtown Blue Ridge
The Light Up Blue Ridge organizers schedule pictures with Santa from noon until 4:15 p.m. on both days, according to their schedule page. Their pages alternate between calling the spot the gazebo and the pavilion, and the Chamber says the City Park gazebo. All of them mean the downtown park between Depot Street, West Main Street and the Art Center.
Children already in Santa's line before 4:15 p.m. are seen until 4:30 p.m., after which Santa leaves to get ready for the parade. (Light Up Blue Ridge, checked Oct 17, 2026)
In practice that means the line closes at 4:15 p.m. Santa then rides at the end of the 5:30 p.m. parade; entries are not allowed to include other Santas. The rest of the day is on our Light Up Blue Ridge page and the route is on the parade page.
Santa’s Mailbox
According to the Fannin County Chamber, children can write a letter to Santa at Santa’s Mailbox and receive a pen keepsake, then a handwritten reply by mail a few days later. The Chamber also mentions a holiday house where children can write letters to Santa. The Light Up organizers have not published a 2026 location for either, so check with the Chamber.
On the Holiday Express
The Blue Ridge Railway describes its one-hour holiday ride as including holiday music, The Night Before Christmas, a jingle bell and candy cane for children and a chance to see Santa. The Chamber says Santa, Mrs. Claus and elves are aboard. Tickets are $56.99 for ages 13 and up and $46.99 for ages 2 to 12 (infants free), before fees and taxes, and many departures were sold out by mid-October. The Holiday Express guide has dates and times.
Light Up McCaysville, Friday night
Light Up McCaysville is Friday, November 27, from 5 to 7 p.m., with the tree lit at dusk; sunset that day is 5:27 p.m. During the event children can visit Santa at the Riverwalk Shops, 100 Blue Ridge Drive in McCaysville, per the Fannin County Chamber. It has different organizers from Light Up Blue Ridge, and it falls the same evening as Blue Friday.
Southern Tree Plantation (a Blairsville day trip)
Southern Tree Plantation is a choose-and-cut Christmas tree farm at 2226 Owltown Road in Blairsville, in Union County rather than Fannin. Its 2026 schedule lists photos with Santa on Friday, November 27 and Saturday, November 28 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with pony rides from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. those days. Combine it with a tree; our tree farms page has the farm’s dates.
Mercier Orchards: last year’s Santa at the Farm
Mercier Orchards, at 8660 Blue Ridge Drive, has not posted a 2026 date for Santa at the Farm. Its most recent date was Saturday, December 13, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., when the day included cookie decorating, a petting zoo, boiled peanuts, holiday tractor tours and Santa photos (Mercier Orchards). If it follows last year’s pattern, watch for a mid-December Saturday, but treat that as a guess until Mercier posts it. The orchard is closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
Questions people ask
Where can kids see Santa in Blue Ridge, GA?
During Light Up weekend, pictures with Santa are in the downtown park from noon until 4:15 p.m. on both Friday, November 27 and Saturday, November 28, 2026.
Source: Light Up Blue Ridge, checked Oct 17, 2026
What if we get in Santa's line late on Light Up day?
Children already in line before 4:15 p.m. are seen until 4:30 p.m. After that Santa leaves to get ready for the parade.
Source: Light Up Blue Ridge, checked Oct 17, 2026
Is there a Santa's Mailbox in Blue Ridge?
According to the Fannin County Chamber, children can write a letter at Santa's Mailbox and receive a pen keepsake and a handwritten reply by mail a few days later.
Source: Fannin County Chamber, checked Oct 17, 2026
When is Santa at the Farm at Mercier Orchards in 2026?
Mercier has not posted a 2026 date. Its most recent Santa at the Farm was Saturday, December 13, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Source: Mercier Orchards, checked Oct 17, 2026
Is Santa at Light Up McCaysville?
Yes. During Light Up McCaysville on Friday, November 27, 2026 (5 to 7 p.m.), children can visit Santa at the Riverwalk Shops.
Source: Fannin County Chamber, checked Oct 17, 2026
