Rockmart's Holiday Season Starts on Piedmont Avenue, Weeks Before the Parade
October 29, 2026
October 29, 2026
Most people in Rockmart treat the Christmas parade as the start of the season. In 2026 the first holiday date falls on Thursday, Nov. 5, almost four weeks earlier. That's the day the Rockmart Cultural Arts Center opens its holiday exhibit, "Feasts and Festivities," in the gallery at 316 N. Piedmont Ave., Bldg. 300.
Apart from one family's drive-through light display on Cedartown Highway, every holiday date confirmed so far belongs to a city-run venue: the Arts Center, the Rockmart Theatre, the History Museum, or the city's own parade. Those dates are set, and you can plan around them. The downtown merchant events that filled out last year's season haven't been announced yet. A good holiday plan in Rockmart this year starts with the city calendar and leaves room for the rest.
"Feasts and Festivities" runs Nov. 5 through Dec. 23, 2026, so the Arts Center gallery is the longest-running holiday event in town. The theme was open to all artists in all mediums. The Arts Center's Fall 2026 newsletter set an Oct. 5 deadline for submissions. The walls will carry work from local artists who answered that call, not a touring show.
The gallery's hours trip people up. According to the RCAC Art Gallery page, the gallery, gift shop and office keep these regular hours:
The exhibit opens on a Thursday, so the doors close at 1 p.m. that first day. It closes on Wednesday, Dec. 23, when the gallery is open only from 1 to 4 p.m. Admission to the gallery and gift shop is free.
The busiest day of the run is Saturday, Nov. 14. That's the Arts Center's annual indoor Holiday Arts & Crafts Festival, held with the exhibit reception and an open house from noon to 5 p.m. It runs an hour past normal Saturday closing. The gift shop next to the gallery sells local handmade work all year: pottery, jewelry, toys, paintings, prints, cards, t-shirts and ornaments. The newsletter adds books by local authors and coloring books illustrated by local artists. If you want gifts made in Polk County, Nov. 14 is the day to shop for them.
The Arts Center's workshops follow the season too. A Fused Glass Workshop is set for Saturday, Oct. 31, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. On Saturday, Nov. 7, there's a needle-felting workshop called "2D Felting: Fox under the moon" from 10 a.m. to noon, followed by a pottery workshop from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The pottery project is still listed as TBD. The newsletter says workshops "fill up fast," so it's best to contact the instructors early.
When the season moves outdoors, it keeps the city's schedule. The City of Rockmart's Christmas Parade is on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2026, at 6 p.m. The city's parade announcement asks spectators to pick a spot in Historic Downtown Rockmart:
"Businesses will be open late for your dining and shopping pleasure!"
This is the second year in a row on a weeknight. Polk Today's coverage of the 2025 parade put last year's parade on Tuesday evening, Dec. 2, with the theme "The Songs of Christmas." This year's theme is "What Christmas Means to Me." A Tuesday parade affects work schedules, school-night bedtimes, and dinner plans for anyone who wants to eat downtown before the floats come through.
The night ends a few blocks from the route. Right after the parade, the Rockmart Fire Department brings Santa Claus to the Rockmart History Museum at 133 S. Marble St. They light the Rockmart Christmas Tree there, and Santa meets "kids of all ages." If you want to see the tree lighting, watch the parade from the Marble Street end of downtown so you're close to the museum when it starts.
Clubs, churches, or businesses that want to be in the parade need to apply. Every participant must submit an application with a valid email address and a $25 fee. The fees go to the Rockmart Police Department's "Christmas is for Kids" program. The city posts separate float and non-float applications and a rules document on the announcement page.
After the parade, most of the season moves indoors to the Rockmart Theatre at 116 E. Elm St. The theater's December schedule comes from the Fall 2026 RockmART News, which the Arts Center and Theatre publish together.
| Date | Event | Venue | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Rockmart Community Chorus Christmas concert | Rockmart Theatre | 7 p.m. |
| Sun., Dec. 6 | Rockmart Community Chorus Christmas concert | Rockmart Theatre | 2 p.m. |
| Wed., Dec. 16 | Christmas with John Berry | Rockmart Theatre | 7:30 p.m. |
| Wed., Dec. 23 | Last day of "Feasts and Festivities" | Rockmart Cultural Arts Center | 1 to 4 p.m. |
The chorus concert has two performances on the same weekend. The Saturday evening show works for anyone who wants dinner downtown first, and the Sunday matinee suits families with young kids or relatives who'd rather not drive after dark. The newsletter directs ticket buyers for the John Berry show to cedartownshows.com. It's a midweek date, the second weeknight event of the season after the parade.
The lights are on the edge of town. Nettles Family Christmas Lights runs a free drive-through display at 2540 Cedartown Hwy every night from 6 to 11 p.m., Nov. 26 through Dec. 31, 2026. Nov. 26 is Thanksgiving Day, so the display opens the same night many families have relatives in town. The Nettles Family Christmas Lights site lists the full season.
The Downtown Development Authority's events calendar hasn't caught up with the city's. In late October, the Downtown Rockmart events page shows "There are no upcoming events." No 2026 date has been posted for Small Business Saturday, a late shopping night, or a downtown holiday market.
Last year's calendar shows what may be coming. In November 2025, Polk Today reported that Rockmart businesses stayed open late for a shopping event called "Moonlight and Mistletoe." Polk Today also covered the 2025 Silver Comet Fest, held downtown during the Small Business Saturday season. It ran free from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with craft and food vendors, local stores, kids' activities, and Santa from noon to 3 p.m. The DDA's Halloween Festival of Treats followed the same path. Its event page still shows only the 2025 edition, held Oct. 31 from 4 to 6 p.m. at downtown businesses.
None of these has been announced for 2026. Small Business Saturday falls on Nov. 28 this year, and nothing on the city's calendar is scheduled for that day. Until the DDA posts its dates, hold that weekend loosely if you'd like to shop downtown.
At The Calvert Group, we follow Rockmart's calendar the same way we follow its market, block by block and date by date. If the holidays have you planning a move for the new year, start with a free home valuation and we'll show you where your Rockmart home stands before the January market picks up.
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