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What is on when you visit?
Enter your dates and the list below shows only the events that overlap them. Every event carries its organizer's source and the day we checked it.
Helen Oktoberfest 2026
Organizer-confirmed for 2026The 56th Oktoberfest: German bands, food and beer in the Festhalle. Pay at the door; IDs are checked for every age.
$10 Mon–Thu, $15 Fri–Sat, free Sundays (adults) Source: Helen Chamber of Commerce, checked Oct 16, 2026
Lighting of the Village
Organizer-confirmed for 2026Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive and the village lights come on for the season.
Free Source: Helen Welcome Center (CVB), checked Oct 16, 2026
Helen's Christmas Market (first weekend)
Organizer-confirmed for 2026The 19th Christmas Market: handmade gifts and decorations downtown.
Free Source: Helen Chamber of Commerce, checked Oct 16, 2026
Victorian Christmas at Hardman Farm
Organizer-confirmed for 2026The 1870s farmhouse decorated for Christmas, open on six evenings.
$30 adult, $22 youth, $65 family Source: Georgia State Parks, checked Oct 16, 2026
Weihnachten 5k Night Walk
Organizer-confirmed for 2026The Alpine Helen Volksmarch Club's sanctioned Christmas night walk.
Source: American Volkssport Association, checked Oct 16, 2026
Helen's Christmas Market (second weekend)
Organizer-confirmed for 2026The market's second and last weekend of 2026.
Free Source: Helen Chamber of Commerce, checked Oct 16, 2026
Helen's Annual Christmas Parade
Organizer-confirmed for 2026The parade rolls down Main Street; the listing suggests watching across from the downtown gazebo.
Free Source: Helen Welcome Center (CVB), checked Oct 16, 2026
Dropping of the Edelweiss (New Year's Eve)
Organizer-confirmed for 2026The 13th New Year's Eve party at the Festhalle.
$30 adults, $15 ages 6–16, under 6 free; pay at the door Source: Helen Chamber of Commerce, checked Oct 16, 2026
Fasching (German Mardi Gras)
Organizer-confirmed for 2027Costumes encouraged, with prizes.
Entry fee to be announced Source: Helen Chamber of Commerce, checked Oct 16, 2026
38th Helen Trout Tournament
Organizer-confirmed for 2027The river is stocked with more than 400 pounds of trophy trout.
Source: Helen Chamber of Commerce, checked Oct 16, 2026
Oktoberfest, through November 1
The Helen Chamber’s 56th Oktoberfest runs from September 10 to November 1, 2026 at the Festhalle, 1074 Edelweiss Strasse. In September it ran Thursday to Sunday only; from October 1 it runs every night. According to the Chamber, hours are 6 to 10 PM Monday to Thursday, 6 to 11 PM Friday, 1 to 11 PM Saturday and 1 to 7 PM Sunday.
Adult admission is $10 Monday to Thursday and $15 on Friday and Saturday, and Sundays are free; children under 6 are free. You pay at the door, and IDs are checked for everyone. Pets are not allowed in the Festhalle; only approved service dogs may enter.
Christmas in the village
The season opens with the Lighting of the Village on Friday, November 27, from 5 to 7 PM at Riverside Park. The 19th Christmas Market follows on two weekends, November 28 and 29 and December 5 and 6, from 10 AM to 5 PM, in the Marktplatz and Unicoi Hill Park. It is four days over two weekends, not a continuous run. See the Helen Christmas Market guide for the details.
The Christmas Parade comes down Main Street on Saturday, December 12 at 6 PM, rain or shine. Just south of town, Hardman Farm opens for Victorian Christmas on Friday and Saturday evenings, December 4 to 19.
New Year’s Eve and Fasching
The Dropping of the Edelweiss party is at the Festhalle on Thursday, December 31, from 8 PM to midnight: $30 for adults, $15 for ages 6 to 16, under 6 free, paid at the door. Fasching, German carnival, is at the Festhalle on Saturday, February 6, 2027, from 6 to 11 PM, with costume prizes.
Spring: the Trout Tournament
The 38th Helen Trout Tournament is on Saturday, March 27, 2027, from 6 AM to 2 PM, on the Chattahoochee in town, with more than 400 pounds of trophy trout stocked for it.
Not yet announced
We found no organizer listing yet for the 2027 Helen to the Atlantic Balloon Race, the Fourth of July fireworks or the April Volksmarch. We add each one when its organizer publishes a date.
Crowds and parking
The Welcome Center says Oktoberfest makes fall a very popular time and that Christmas draws large crowds too. On those weekends, read our parking guide first: several free lots now have a two-hour limit.
Quick answers
Where is parking for Oktoberfest?
The Chamber's Oktoberfest pages give no parking or shuttle details. The Festhalle sits beside the free city lots along Narrweg and Munich Strasse, but the Narrweg spaces are two-hour parking, so for a long evening the city pay lot by the Davidson Bridge is the safer choice.
Source: Helen Chamber of Commerce
When is Helen Oktoberfest 2026?
September 10 through November 1, 2026, at the Festhalle on Edelweiss Strasse. In September it runs Thursday to Sunday only; from October 1 it runs every night. Sundays are free; weekday adult entry is $10 and Friday and Saturday is $15.
Source: Helen Chamber of Commerce
When is the Lighting of the Village in 2026?
Friday, November 27, 2026, from 5 to 7 PM at Riverside Park, when Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive and the village lights come on.
Source: Helen Welcome Center (CVB)
When is Helen's Christmas Market in 2026?
Two weekends: November 28 and 29, and December 5 and 6, 2026, from 10 AM to 5 PM each day, in the downtown Marktplatz and Unicoi Hill Park. Admission is free.
Source: Helen Chamber of Commerce
When is the best time to visit Helen to avoid crowds?
Spring and summer, outside holiday weekends. The Welcome Center says Oktoberfest makes fall especially popular and that Christmas draws large crowds too, while spring and summer are less crowded.
Source: Helen Welcome Center (CVB)
Hours, prices and dates change. The official visitor center has the final word: Helen Welcome Center (Alpine Helen/White County CVB)