Piedmont Park has become the official home of Atlanta’s oversized holiday displays for the first time since Rich’s Department store lit up the city with a massive Christmas tree in 1948.
On Nov. 23, the Piedmont Park Conservancy hosted the first-ever “Light Up the Season” celebration and ceremony to kick off the monthlong display of a 50-foot Christmas tree, Hanukkah menorah and Kwanzaa kinara.
It pays homage to the long-standing Atlanta tradition of a giant tree — originally at Rich’s Department Store, the display later moved to Underground Atlanta and Macy’s at Lenox Mall. But most of those destinations have closed or changed hands, and the tree tradition officially ended in 2022.
Until Piedmont Park swooped in.
“Members of our board were really missing [the tree] and wanted to provide that sense of bringing the community together in the holidays,” Piedmont Park Conservancy CEO Doug Widener said.
So the conservancy got to work raising funds. The Parks and Recreation department hopped on board, and so did a roster of sponsors, including Carter’s Charitable Foundation, Georgia Power, Publix Super Markets and the Speedwell Foundation.
Then the conservancy had to decide what the display should look like.
“We identified three traditionally winter events that use light as a symbol of hope,” Widener explained. The team landed on symbols from Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa for the first annual display.
The conservancy hired Illuminating Design to acquire the 50-foot tree and lights, as well as the menorah. They had to hire a team to create a custom kinara for the event. The three oversized light displays sit next to each other atop a hill at the “meadow” in Piedmont Park.
Piedmont Park Conservancy board chair Virginia Means said the display pays homage to a history of people who have “gathered to celebrate light in the midst of darkness and see it as a symbol of hope, renewal and connection.”
Widener said it creates a place “accessible to everyone to come together and celebrate light.”
For the first year, the conservancy opted to keep things manageable. The Nov. 23 ceremony and celebration featured live music, Shake Shack treats, kids’ activities and remarks from conservancy members and local leaders.
Conservancy CEO Doug Widener, American Jewish Committee Regional Director Dov Wilkins and All Saints’ Episcopal Church Reverend Natosha Reid Rice presented a light history of each of the displays and how they connect to “lighting up the season.”
After an hour of remarks, the crowd watched as the lights flipped on and the sky flashed bright. It was the only public-facing event attached to the display, but the public will be able to visit and take photos through January.
“The goal this year is to get it off the ground,” Widener said.
The 2025 display is a sort of test-run for the new holiday tradition. Mainly, it’s a proof-of-concept for Piedmont Park as the heart of Atlanta’s cherished winter display.
“Piedmont Park has been a place for Atlantans to convene and come together since it was founded,” Widener said. “It’s really grown up with the city.”
It helps that the park is massively popular. Annually, over 6 million people visit the massive greenspace, and it’s a known hub for events like Atlanta Jazz Festival, Dogwood Festival and Shaky Knees.
That’s why Widener is optimistic about the future of the tradition. It sits near other local holiday favorites, like ice skating at Park Tavern and the Atlanta Botanical Garden’s “Garden Lights, Holiday Lights.”
Over time, Widener wants to program around the display and join in the holiday ecosystem around the park space. He envisions activities and events and a “long-term investment.”
“We really envision this to be a part of people’s holiday traditions and to be additive with the other things going on around it,” Widener said.
The Piedmont Park holiday light display will remain in the park through Jan. 4.
Sounds great! Hope it continues to grow and bring Atlanta together with it’s celebration of
“the light”. And prayers that it is a time of togetherness, sharing and Peace. We need it, Now, Atlanta. 🙏🌲🤞🇺🇲
Thank you, Atlanta, for filling Piedmont Park with your warmth, your joy, and your beautiful spirit at Light Up the Season. Your presence lit up more than the park—you helped spread light far beyond it with your generous donations of canned goods for the Salvation Army, children’s pajamas for Beyond Bedtime and books for the Conservancy’s Little Free Library. We’re grateful for every smile, every act of kindness, and every bit of magic you helped create for our community.
Will there be any initiatives to make the Light Up the Season display more interactive or educational for Pips NYT visitors, such as workshops, storytelling, or historical exhibits about the holiday traditions?