Downtown Gainesville

15 hours ago

Christmas on Green Street is three days away! 🎄🥳

Join the City of Gainesville for our annual Christmas on Green Street celebration!

2024 Timeline:
12pm: Street closures Begin
1:30pm: Floats / Cars can begin lining up for parade, Food Trucks Open
2-4pm: Activities and Performances at the Historic Homes on Green Street
3pm: Floats and Antique Car Judging Begins
3:30pm: Walking Groups Stage at Civic Center, Roads clear of pedestrians
4pm: Christmas Parade Begins
5:45pm (or whenever the parade is finished): Rotary Tree Lighting
7pm: Roads reopen (or whenever roads are cleared)

Learn More:
FB Event: www.facebook.com/events/2268770323467663
Website: www.exploregainesville.org/christmas-on-green-street/

#gvlga #downtowngainesvillega #gainesvillega #ChristmasOnGreenStreet #ChristmasParade #christmasfestival … See MoreSee Less

Downtown Gainesville

16 hours ago

𝗜𝗧’𝗦 𝗝𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗔 𝗗𝗥𝗜𝗟𝗟 | Don’t be alarmed – should you see smoke and firemen in the area of West Academy and Green streets near Downtown Gainesville, it’s just the Gainesville Fire Department holding a safety and survival class.

This training exercise is expected to last until approximately 6 p.m. today (Thursday), Dec. 5, at the former First Methodist Church of Gainesville.

The smoke is engineered for training purposes and not the result of an active structure fire.

The City of Gainesville, Georgia appreciates your attention to this matter. … See MoreSee Less

Downtown Gainesville

1 day ago

🎉🎄❤️𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗮𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗗𝗲𝗰. 𝟴, 𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗚𝗩𝗟
𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱𝘴 𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘢𝘵 4 𝘱.𝘮.; 𝘙𝘰𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘛𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘵 5:30 𝘱.𝘮.; 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘤 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 2-4 𝘱.𝘮.

GAINESVILLE, Ga. (Nov. 26, 2024) – It won’t be long before the City of Gainesville, Georgia transforms into a scene straight out of a Hallmark Christmas movie in preparation for one of the merriest events of the season: Christmas on Green Street.

“Christmas on Green Street caps off Main Street Gainesville’s jam-packed, but wildly successful year of entertainment offerings in the heart of Downtown Gainesville,” said Main Street Manager Nicole Parham. “While the Blue Sky and First Friday concert series are extremely popular during the spring and summer months, nothing quite draws a crowd like our holiday-themed events, especially Christmas on Green Street. We always look forward to closing out the event season with thousands of our closest friends who are eager to start their holiday season off right and in the best community around!”

Christmas on Green Street is slated for 2-6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8, with the 4 p.m. parade culminating in the Lighting of the Rotary Tree at approximately 5:30-5:45 p.m.

“This event began when the Hall County Historical Society was advocating for Green Street to be on the National Register of Historic Places. It began as a tour of homes, celebrating the stories of each historic building that lines this iconic street in downtown Gainesville. The parade was added many years later to bring attention to the event,” Parham said. “This year, the community can enjoy musical groups performing on front porches, strolling magicians, face painters, balloon artists, storytellers, jugglers, Santa Claus, miniature train rides and more.”

From 2-6 p.m., attendees will have the opportunity to enjoy the following activities: food trucks, 1-6 p.m. at the JT Stratford (formerly Pinnacle Bank) building; activities and performances at historic Green Street homes, 2-4 p.m.; parade, 4 p.m. starting at the Gainesville Civic Center; and the Lighting of the Rotary Tree, approximately 5:30 p.m. (immediately after the parade) at Green and West Academy streets. Mark your top destinations on the activities map outlining participating Green Street businesses and what they’ll be offering visitors, whether it’s a children’s story time, live performance, cookies and/or hot cocoa: www.exploregainesville.org/christmas-on-green-street/. Enhance your overall experience exploring historic Green Street homes by downloading a map of the Historic Green Street Walking Tour: www.exploregainesville.org/historic-green-street/.

“This magical event features the City’s beloved parade of antique cars, holiday floats, marching bands and community groups starting at the Gainesville Civic Center and continuing all the way down Green Street!” Parham said, with participating entries representing local businesses, civic and nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions, among others.

Judging of parade floats and antique cars will get underway at 3 p.m.

Carriage rides will be available to the public from noon-8 p.m. at 106 Spring St.: www.gainesville.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=629 Riders will be escorted around the historic square where they can take in the magic of downtown Gainesville.

Find free and covered parking at any one of the following downtown parking decks, all located within walking distance to the holiday fun: Gainesville North Parking Deck, 100 Brenau Ave. (closest); Hall County Parking Facility, 225 Green St. (second closest); and Main Street Parking Deck, 301 Main St. (third closest). Parking will also be available at Gainesville City Park on Glenwood Drive NE. Please note the Gainesville Civic Center front parking lot and First Baptist Church Gainesville parking lot closest to Green Street will be used as staging zones for the parade – not public parking. The back and lower lots of the Civic Center, however, will be open to the public.

Additionally, please note historic Green Street from Spring Street to Enota Avenue NE will close at noon (12 p.m.) to allow for the event to get underway and for parade floats to line up. Morningside Drive will become a one-way traffic route from Green Street to South Enota Drive NE. For a more in-depth map highlighting road closures, please visit exploregainesville.org. All roads are scheduled to reopen at 7 p.m. following parade clean-up.

“With an anticipated 20,000 people in attendance and road closures starting at 12 p.m., we suggest planning ahead, arriving early, wearing comfortable shoes and dressing warm!” Parham said. “Consider whether you need to be near restrooms, if you have a student performing at a specific house before the parade, if you plan to grab a bite downtown after the parade, etc.”

For additional details, like helpful links for participating groups, open house etiquette and restroom information, “Like” and follow @DowntownGainesvilleGA on Facebook or visit www.exploregainesville.org/christmas-on-green-street/. A wealth of information is also available via the official Facebook event: www.facebook.com/events/2268770323467663/.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲
In 1934, the Gainesville Garden Club dedicated the park at E.E. Butler Parkway, Green and Academy streets – where the beloved holly tree lives – in memory of Mary John Dunlap Mitchell, a Rotary Club of Gainesville member active in local improvement projects. Today, the Rotary Club maintains this open space for the benefit of the community. The Rotary Club of Gainesville regularly prunes the native holly tree (Ilex opaca) and provides year-round landscape services to this triangular park space. The Rotary Club furnishes the Christmas lights while the City of Gainesville provides the workforce to add and remove the lights each year. The lighting of the holly tree, which heralds the Christmas season, has been a tradition of the Rotary Club of Gainesville since the first lighting in December 1982. As part of the Christmas on Green Street celebration, the Rotary Club will end the parade by counting down to the lighting of the tree at approximately 5:30 p.m. or whenever the parade ends. … See MoreSee Less

Downtown Gainesville

2 days ago

It's National Cookie Day!

The Blue Chip Cookie Company created Cookie Day on December 4th, 1987 just for fun, and we're here for it.

Have you tried cookies from Downtown Gainesville's Diletto Bakery , Sweet Magnolias Cafe & Bakery, or Kilwins Gainesville? How about the nearby Puzzle Piece Pastries ? Where's your favorite spot for a cookie here in Gainesville?

#GVLGA #downtowngainesvillega #gainesvillega Explore Gainesville … See MoreSee Less

Downtown Gainesville

4 days ago

Congratulations to Main Street Gainesville, recognized as a Georgia Exceptional Main Street (GEMS) community by the Office of Downtown Development! This designation highlights our communities’ unwavering dedication to the Georgia Main Street Program’s principles of downtown revitalization, economic growth, and innovation.

The GEMS status is awarded to cities that demonstrate exemplary commitment to advancing their downtowns’ economic development while preserving local culture. GEMS communities represent some of the most successful Main Street programs in the state, providing inspiration and guidance for other cities looking to achieve similar success.

Read the full story here: www.gainesville.org//CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=632

#GVLGA #downtowngainesvillega #gainesvillega #downtowndevelopment Georgia Main Street Program Georgia Downtown Association – est. 1999 … See MoreSee Less

Downtown Gainesville

4 days ago

NEW!! Every Sunday in December, Downtown Gainesville is thrilled to offer Carriage Rides from 5-10pm!

Learn More: www.exploregainesville.org/carriage-rides/
(Link in profile)

#gvlga #downtowngainesvillega #gainesvillega #carriagerides Explore Gainesville … See MoreSee Less