Where does Roswell's holiday season actually take place? The city's own Christmas tree lighting is one evening, Friday, Dec. 4, at Heart of Roswell Park. Bulloch Hall's season is much longer. From Friday, Nov. 20, through Wednesday, Dec. 23, the front lawn of the historic house at 180 Bulloch Ave. becomes the Christkindlmarket, a German-style Christmas market with free admission that is open every day for 34 days.
This is the market's fourth year. In that time it has changed the order of the season. The decorated house opens to tea guests before the market does. Bulloch Hall's own tree lighting happens in the middle of the market, and the city's lighting comes almost two weeks after the market opens. Planning a good visit depends less on the date than on how the parking, shuttle and house hours work together.
A market three groups built at once
According to Roswell Rotary's account of how it started, Friends of Bulloch, Inc. was already planning a Christmas market on the Bulloch Hall grounds. Around the same time, then-Rotary president Alex Kaufman, who loved the German markets he had seen on his travels, was talking with Munich Event Group about bringing one to Roswell. The two efforts came together. Munich Event Group toured the property, filmed it by drone, and decided on the setting. Rotary says the mayor and council then worked with Roswell Recreation and Parks to approve it in time for Christmas 2023.
From the start, the market was meant to be more than a seasonal event. Rotary describes it as a second major fundraiser for both the club and Friends of Bulloch. Rotary volunteers help staff the Bulloch Hall Gift Shoppe so it can handle more shoppers during the longer market hours.
The company running the market is a family business. Marcel Kraus comes from a German family of showmen and is the third generation to produce this kind of event. Roswell was Munich Event Group's first event in the United States. Roswell City Lifestyle quoted Kraus saying his family "spent most of 2023 on this event, our first in the U.S., from building the booths to planning with the City of Roswell."
That first year, the same publication reported, more than 100,000 people came to the market and toured Bulloch Hall, and more than 1,000 people toured the house on opening night alone. Friends of Bulloch President Bob Hagan explained what that meant for the house:
"I was especially happy to see so many people visiting our historic Bulloch Hall. It was a joy to see families and children enjoying the Christmas spirit. We have not had this many visitors in years."
Bulloch Hall, the childhood home of Mittie Bulloch, Theodore Roosevelt's mother, now schedules its own holiday traditions around the market.
The house opens first, then the lawn fills in
The season at Bulloch Hall starts indoors, before any market booths open. Friends of Bulloch is hosting Christmas High Tea on Sunday, Nov. 15, Monday, Nov. 16, and Wednesday, Nov. 18, each from 4 to 6 p.m. The listing describes finger sandwiches, miniature desserts, Earl Grey tea and champagne, docents in period dress, and a tour of the decorated house. This year's decorations celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States. Reservations go through the Bulloch Hall Gift Shoppe at 404-820-4836.
Those three afternoons are the last time this season to see the decorated rooms before market crowds arrive. Once the market opens, the city says regular house tours are not offered. The house museum stays open during market hours but usually closes an hour before the market does, and food and drink are not allowed inside.
After that, the house and lawn host events together. The Bulloch Hall Christmas Tree Lighting takes place on Saturday, Nov. 28, from 6 to 9 p.m., the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Guests gather on the porch of the Bulloch Hall Gift Shoppe, sing carols, and watch the tree light up, with the market running around them.
Here is the season in order, starting from publication day:
- Nov. 15, 16 and 18: Christmas High Tea at Bulloch Hall, 4 to 6 p.m., by reservation.
- Friday, Nov. 20: The Christkindlmarket opens on the Bulloch Hall lawn.
- Saturday, Nov. 28: Bulloch Hall Christmas Tree Lighting, 6 to 9 p.m.
- Friday, Dec. 4: Roswell's annual Christmas tree lighting at Heart of Roswell Park, 925 Canton St., 6 to 8 p.m., with a 40-foot tree, choral performances and Santa.
- Friday, Dec. 11: The city's Candy Cane Hunt at East Roswell Recreation Center, 9000 Fouts Road, 6 to 7:30 p.m., registration required.
- Wednesday, Dec. 23: Final day of the market.
The market has also grown slightly. The first season ran from Nov. 24 to Dec. 24, 2023, which is 31 days, as Appen Media reported. This year it opens four days earlier in the calendar and runs for 34 days.
The shuttle keeps a shorter schedule than the market
This is the part that affects how you get there. Friends of Bulloch lists market hours of 3 to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, noon to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday. The free shuttle, sponsored by Malon D. Mimms Company, runs only Friday through Sunday and only in the afternoons and evenings.
| Day | Market hours | Free shuttle |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Thursday | 3 to 8 p.m. | None |
| Friday and Saturday | Noon to 9 p.m. | 3 to 9 p.m. |
| Sunday | Noon to 8 p.m. | 3 to 8 p.m. |
So two kinds of visits work without the shuttle: any weekday evening, and the first three hours of any weekend day. In both cases, you are parking yourself. The city's Christkindlmarket page on Roswell365 lists the lots that work for that.
- Roswell City Hall and Roswell Cultural Arts Center lots, 38 Hill St. and 950 Forrest St.
- Roswell United Methodist Church, Roswell Presbyterian Church and Roswell First Baptist Church lots
- Mimosa Boulevard and Mimosa Hall street parking
- Park Square Court lot
- Paid parking at Platt Family Law
The church lots and City Hall also serve as shuttle stops, so the same lot works on a Saturday night and a Tuesday afternoon. On the weekend you ride the last stretch, and on a weekday you walk it. The Bulloch Hall lot is for accessible parking only and closed to through traffic. Bulloch Avenue stays open to two-way traffic, but drivers can reach it only from Mimosa Boulevard, and street parking there is limited.
If you use Uber or Lyft, the city asks riders to use the designated pickup and drop-off point near Roswell Town Square, 610 Atlanta St. It specifically asks drivers not to stop on Highway 120 or at Bulloch Hall because that backs up traffic.
The rules on the grounds
The event FAQ notes that the City of Roswell allows open containers in the Historic District for adults 21 and older. At the market, that applies only to drinks bought at its beverage tents and restaurants, served in plastic cups. Outside alcohol and glass are not allowed, and neither are open flames or fireworks.
Dogs on a leash are welcome on the grounds and in the market but not inside the house museum. Children can ride a circular train. Restrooms are next to the train in Bulloch Hall's right side yard, with portable toilets in the Bulloch Hall parking lot.
The 2026 listing from Friends of Bulloch includes photos with Santa from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with no reservations needed. These overlap with the shuttle's weekend hours. The market's site lists mulled wine made from a traditional German recipe, food vendors, gift stalls and Christmas trees. The city's page adds a biergarten and the house itself, decorated for the season by local design firms and civic groups.
Hours and Santa times have changed slightly from season to season. Check the market's site or the Friends of Bulloch listing before a weekday visit.
Before the lawn, a stop on Webb Street
The market's weekday opening time, 3 p.m., leaves the late afternoon open for a coffee stop. V's Coffee Collab opened its first storefront in September at 34 Webb St., Suite 104. Owner Harrison Bernard roasts the coffee in-house and sells retail bags alongside work by local artists.
For a weekend that starts earlier, Truth Be Told at 1104 Canton St. refreshed its American-French menu and added Sunday brunch starting Aug. 9 under owner Jonathan Yu, Rough Draft Atlanta reported. The market opens at noon on Sundays and the shuttle starts at 3 p.m., which leaves room for a midday meal on Canton Street.
The market's partners and supporters include the City of Roswell, Friends of Bulloch and Roswell Rotary, and Rotary describes the market as a major fundraiser for Friends of Bulloch, the group behind the tea, the tree lighting and the Bulloch Hall Gift Shoppe.
At Dawn Camarda Group, we follow Roswell's calendar closely because a home's value depends partly on the traditions within walking distance of it. If you would like to know how homes near Bulloch Avenue and Mimosa Boulevard are valued this season, book a complimentary market consultation.
