Perry's Holiday Season Starts at the Fairgrounds Weeks Before It Reaches Downtown

The holiday season in Perry starts this weekend with a rodeo at the Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter. The Southeastern Showdown Highschool Rodeo runs Nov. 5 through 8, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day, and spectators get in free. The junior high rodeo starts a day later and runs in the same 8-to-8 window through Sunday, also free for spectators.

Downtown is quieter right now. The City of Perry's holiday calendar doesn't begin until Saturday, Nov. 28. For most of November, the season happens at the fairgrounds, about 1.5 miles from Historic Downtown Perry by Visit Perry's count. Most of what happens there costs nothing to watch.

Four weeks on Larry Walker Parkway

The fairgrounds sit at 401 Larry Walker Parkway. Here is what's booked from publish day through the end of November.

The second week of the month is the busiest. The Antique Agriculture Show and the Auto Fair overlap from Thursday, Nov. 12, through Saturday, Nov. 14, so one trip to the fairgrounds covers both. The antique show brings old tractors, vendors, mini tractor pulls and kids' games, and admission is free. The Auto Fair, over on the Carnival Midway, combines an auto swap meet with a car show and runs 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. all three days. Admission there is $10, and children 12 and under get in free with an adult. A family can take in tractor pulls, a car show and a swap meet in one Saturday morning and be home for lunch.

The holiday market weekend

Mistletoe Market Perry is the fairgrounds' big holiday shopping event in November, and it pulls in vendors from the widest area. The Balvaunuca Club hosts it in the Miller-Murphy-Howard Building, with 100 shops and vendors from across the Southeast.

Here is the schedule, from the event listing:

• Moonlight at Mistletoe, Thursday, Nov. 19, 5 to 8 p.m. Admission is $40, sold in advance only.
• Friday, Nov. 20, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 21, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Sunday, Nov. 22, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

General admission is $10. If you're thinking about the Thursday evening preview, buy the ticket ahead of time. The listing says Moonlight tickets aren't sold at the door. Sunday has the shortest hours of the four days, so a Sunday trip means less time in the aisles.

Nov. 28 is when both venues are busy at once

The dog show opens on the Monday after Mistletoe Market closes. The Kennesaw Kennel Club's Winter Wonderland Cluster Dog Show takes over four buildings from Nov. 23 to Nov. 30, open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and spectators get in free. That stretch includes Thanksgiving week, so out-of-town guests looking for something to do have a free option close to home.

On Saturday, Nov. 28, downtown's season starts while the dog show is still running. The City's Small Business Saturday runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Historic Downtown Perry, with holiday specials and decorated shop windows. At 6 p.m., the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony starts on the City Hall Lawn with lights and music.

The dog show closes at 5 p.m. and the tree lighting starts at 6. If you're hosting family that weekend, you can spend the afternoon at the fairgrounds, drive the mile and a half downtown, and arrive in time for the lighting. It's the only day this season when both places are busy at the same time.

In December, the action moves downtown

After the tree lighting, most of the holiday events are on Carroll, Ball, Main and Commerce streets. The fairgrounds still have a couple of smaller events, but the City's calendar carries most of December.

1. Perry Christmas Parade, Saturday, Dec. 5, 10 a.m. to noon. This year's theme is "Christmas at the Movies." The City's parade page has the event details. Out at the fairgrounds that same day, a Pokemon & Sports Card Show runs 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Miller-Murphy-Howard Building. Kids who collect cards can go after the parade ends.
2. Pajama Holiday Bash, Friday, Dec. 11, 6 to 9 p.m. in Historic Downtown Perry. It's free, with Santa and Mrs. Claus, live holiday music, food trucks and late shopping hours. The next morning, the Georgia State FFA & 4-H Rabbit Show runs 8 to 11 a.m. in the Georgia Grown Building.
3. Perry Buzzard Drop, New Year's Eve, starting at 8 p.m. A Kiddie Countdown is set for 9 p.m., and fireworks go off at midnight.

Two weekends in December follow the same pattern: a downtown event plus a smaller fairgrounds event within about a day of each other. November is the reverse, with most events at the fairgrounds and nothing on the downtown calendar until the 28th.

Where to eat between the two

Because downtown is quiet for most of November, a meal on Carroll Street after a morning at the rodeo or the tractor pulls is easy to fit in. The City's Explore the Eats directory lists these downtown spots by address:

The City marked The Perfect Pear's 15th year in June 2026 and noted it still serves lunch and brunch alongside its catering business. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported in March 2025 that Morning by Morning's owner had opened the shop five years earlier. The Corner Social, a patio, bar and event space at 901 Carroll St., sits on the same block.

Small Business Saturday on Nov. 28 is a good day to shop downtown. Brittle & Co. at 903 Carroll St. passed five years downtown this June. Sole Shoe Co. at 1023 Ball St. reached three years in September 2025. Both are short walks from the City Hall Lawn, so you can shop in the afternoon and stay for the 6 p.m. lighting.

My calendar fills up the same way every year, with fairgrounds weekends in November and Carroll Street in December. If you're hosting family this season or have guests coming for the parade, I'm happy to share how my household plans those weeks. When the holidays get you thinking about what your own Perry home is worth, Jacque Applegate can put together a free home valuation, with no pressure and no rush.