The public lot behind Blairsville City Hall is doing two jobs this year. Under the city's plan for the Blue Ridge Street Improvement Project, it is the public parking while nearby spaces are closed for the work. On Saturday, December 12, the same area behind City Hall will host downtown's first Holiday Night Market.
The parade circles the square. Most of December's downtown events sit within a block of City Hall and Merchants Walk. And the only street running from the square past City Hall now carries traffic in one direction.
What changed on Blue Ridge Street
The city started the project the week of August 25, 2026. The work replaces failing storm drainage from the Town Square to Earnest Street, along with the parking area between City Hall and the police department. Since crews had to tear up the sidewalks and roadway anyway, the city also chose to rebuild the sidewalks on both sides of Blue Ridge Street, resurface the street from the square to Earnest Street, and install a raised crosswalk and speed table between City Hall and Merchants Walk.
According to the City of Blairsville's project page, its September 18 update moved Blue Ridge Street to eastbound-only traffic between Earnest Street and the Town Square starting Monday, September 28. The exit from the square onto Blue Ridge Street is closed, and a detour runs from Cleveland Street to Hunt-Martin Street. The city estimated the lane closure would last at least three to four months, until all storm drainage and concrete replacement is done. Counted from September 28, that runs from late December into January, so the one-way pattern falls within the city's own window for every holiday event below.
Here is where the parking stands under the city's plan:
- City Hall front spaces: still open.
- Spaces between City Hall and the police department: closed for the work.
- Lot behind City Hall: open as public parking.
- Merchants Walk lot: not affected by the construction.
The city says City Hall and the businesses on Blue Ridge Street stay open during construction. Questions go to City Hall at 706-745-2000.
December 4 and 5: the Old Courthouse weekend
The season's first big weekend is centered on the Old Union County Courthouse at 3 Town Square, run by the Union County Historical Society.
On Friday, December 4, the Society holds Santa's Workshop at the Old Courthouse from 3 to 8 p.m. Children can shop for gifts priced at $20 or less, and visitors can tour the decorated courthouse.
On Saturday, December 5, the Historical Society's Christmas Parade page puts the tree lighting on the courthouse lawn at 6 p.m., with the parade right after. The Society holds the parade every year on the first Saturday of December. The route starts on Union County School property and winds around the historic square, with the Union County High School Band playing seasonal music, candy coming from old cars and decorated jeeps, and Santa Claus at the end.
The same Saturday starts earlier across town. The Blairsville-Union County Chamber's Holly Jolly Christmas & Breakfast with Santa runs from 8 to 11 a.m. at the Union County Community Center, 129 Union County Recreation Road. It includes breakfast with Santa, school choirs caroling, crafts, the mayor's train and reindeer games. Families can do the morning at the Community Center and the evening on the square, with plenty of time between the two.
December 12: three events in one Saturday
A week later, the calendar packs three events into one day. Two of them start in the City Hall blocks, and the third is up at Vogel State Park.
- 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.: Downtown Blairsville's third annual Christmas Cookie Crawl brings in more than 15 merchants, with tickets at $20.
- 4 to 7 p.m.: Vogel State Park lights its Christmas tree with hayrides, music and children's activities, according to the Chamber's listing. The listing also asks for toy donations for the Union County Sheriff's Department toy drive.
- 5 to 9 p.m.: The first Holiday Night Market sets up "behind City Hall in the Park" and around the square. Admission is free, and the night includes live Christmas music, craft vendors, kids' activities, food trucks, local restaurants and participating downtown shops staying open late.
The Cookie Crawl and the Night Market overlap from 5 to 7 p.m. Someone who starts the crawl in the afternoon will still be downtown when the market opens, in the same area where the city has moved public parking. The Vogel lighting overlaps both. Anyone planning to see the tree at the park and then come back for the market should allow for the drive and for the detour around the closed exit off the square.
The Downtown Development Authority says craft vendor spaces for the Night Market are very limited. Inquiries go to [email protected].
Where the shops sit relative to the work
The Cookie Crawl and the Night Market both rely on downtown merchants, who are spread across Blue Ridge Street, Merchants Walk and the Town Square.
Blue Ridge Street
These storefronts are right on the project corridor, and the city says they stay open during the work. The Downtown Blairsville directory lists OMG Freeze Dried at 107 Blue Ridge Street. The Chamber's directory places Keen Creations & Co. at 44C Blue Ridge Street and Blairsville Bikes & Gear at 49F Blue Ridge Street. Since the street is eastbound-only between Earnest Street and the square, drivers headed to these shops from the square will be on the Cleveland Street to Hunt-Martin Street detour.
Merchants Walk
The raised crosswalk will connect this cluster to City Hall, and its parking lot is outside the construction. Sweet Pea's Downtown Eatery is at 53B Merchants Walk and posts weekday and weekend hours. The Chamber's directory lists Dressed in Luxe at 26 Merchants Walk, Rustic Mountain Decor at 38 Merchants Walk, Suite D, and The Josephine at 68A Merchants Walk.
The Town Square
This is where the parade, the tree lighting and the Old Courthouse are. Book Bound Bookstore is at 32 Town Square, Suite C, open Tuesday through Saturday. The Farmer's Daughter is next door at 32A Town Square. Michaelee's Italian Life Caffé at 6C Town Square posts evening hours, so it's an option for dinner before the Night Market or after the parade. The Chamber also lists Logan Turnpike Mill at 12-A Town Square, Hemlock Trading Co. at 36A Town Square, Sunflowers on the Square at 80 Town Square and Ambry's Attic at 94 Town Square, Suite K.
Holiday hours differ from shop to shop, so check with each one before a special trip. Downtown's season already started with the merchants' Holiday Open House Weekend on November 6 and 7.
The rest of December, mostly indoors
Between the two big Saturdays, a few events are away from the construction entirely or tucked inside the Old Courthouse.
The Chamber's Tour of Trees fills the Union County Community Center at 129 Union County Rec Road from December 1 through December 31. Admission is free, and the display includes decorated trees, wreaths and a Gingerbread Village. It shares a building with the Holly Jolly breakfast, so families at the December 5 breakfast can walk through the trees the same morning.
The Historical Society's 2026 concert schedule lists North Georgia Chamber on December 11 and John Cochran and the Cowhands on December 18. The December 11 show falls the night before the Cookie Crawl and the Night Market.
The Old Courthouse Museum stays open through December, weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with free admission. On a weekday in the first half of December, a visitor can see the courthouse decorated without the parade crowd, using the City Hall front spaces or the lot behind City Hall.
Christy Reece has followed downtown Blairsville through plenty of Decembers, and the blocks around City Hall are getting a lot of attention this year. If you're curious how the Blue Ridge Street work and the new crosswalk could change the City Hall side of the square, or you want a local read on what's happening downtown, Christy Reece is glad to talk it through. Let's Connect.
