
2023 Day with Santa Update
We are delighted to announce that Breakfast with Santa and A Day with Santa will still proceed despite the forecasted heavy rain. We have made the difficult decision to cancel all outdoor activities, including the parade, to ensure everyone's safety. However, Parks & Recreation staff have prepared a wide range of activities inside the Ben Robertson Community Center from 1 to 5 PM, including pictures with Santa, story time with Mrs. Claus, crafts, letters to Santa, performances, and milk and churros by Viva Chicken. Breakfast with Santa activities will continue as scheduled. The City Tree Lighting has been rescheduled to Wednesday, December 6, with activities beginning at 5:30 PM. We apologize for any inconvenience and hope that you'll still join us tomorrow for holiday cheer!

The City of Kennesaw will usher in the holiday season on Saturday, December 2, from 1:00 to 6:00 PM with a parade, Whataburger Scavenger Hunt, stage performances, vendor market, the lighting of the Christmas tree and photos with Santa.
See you there!
Parade
entry information
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The parade will begin at 2:00 PM on Saturday, December 2, 2023.
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Parade participation is free.
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Entry forms can only be submitted online (below).
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ENTRY FORMS WILL BE EVALUATED AND ACCEPTED ON A FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVE BASIS UNTIL THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS IS REACHED.
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Submission of entry form does not guarantee acceptance in the parade.
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The City of Kennesaw reserves the right to accept or decline any entry for any reason.
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APPLICANTS WILL RECEIVE OFFICIAL NOTIFICATION OF ACCEPTANCE IN THE PARADE VIA E-MAIL WITHIN TWO WEEKS OF APPLYING.
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THE DEADLINE FOR APPLYING IS WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15. THE LAST ACCEPTANCE WILL BE SENT OUT ON THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16.

The parade route will start at Adams Park; leaving from Park Drive, right on Main Street (headed south), right on Watts Drive and right on Park Dr. (back into Adams Park). Road closures are as followed: Park Dr., Dallas St., Whitfield Pl., Moon Station Rd., J.O. Stephenson Ave., and Watts Dr. The best viewing areas are anywhere along Main Street between Park Drive and Watts Drive and along Watts Drive from Main Street to the entrance of Adams Park.
Parking
FREE public parking will be available at the following locations:
- Adams Park, the Recreation Center, 2737 Watts Drive and the Ben Robertson Community Center, 2753 Watts Drive
- Along Lewis Street, between North Main Street & Dallas Street
- Surface Parking behind Revival on Main (access entrance from Watts Drive)
- First floor of the parking deck at Revival on Main (access entrance from Watts Drive
- Handicap ONLY parking is available in the lot at the intersection of North Main Street & Moon Station Road.
ROAD CLOSURES
The following road closures support the A Day with Santa Event and Parade on Saturday, December 2:
Parade
- Main St. will be closed from Park Dr. to Watts Dr. 1:45pm – 3:30pm. (access entrance from Watts Drive
- Cherokee St. will be closed from Big Shanty Dr. to Main St. 1:45pm – 3:30pm. (access entrance from Watts Drive)
- The following roads will be closed at Main St. 1:45pm-3:15pm: Park Dr., Lewis St., Dallas St., Whitfield Pl., J.O. Stephenson Ave. NW, Moon Station Rd., J.O. Stephenson Ave., Cherokee Str NW, Watts Dr.
- Event
- Main St. will be closed from Summers St to J.O. Stephenson Ave. 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM.
- Watts Dr. will be closed from Little General Cloggers Ln to Main St 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM.
- The City parking lot at Tunnel Plaza will be closed 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM on Saturday, December 2nd.
The City of Kennesaw mobile app features a parking map for the downtown area. Using the map, app users can see what specific parking lots are open and follow directions to all downtown public parking lots using the phones’ map system. The City of Kennesaw mobile app is available on both the Apple App Store & Google Play!
Directions from
Cartersville, Ga
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On I-75 South, take Exit 273, turn right off ramp onto Wade Green Road
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Drive South on Wade Green Road, which becomes Cherokee Street
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Continue on Cherokee Street for 2.5 miles towards Historic Downtown Kennesaw
directions from
Atlanta, GA
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On I-75 North, take Exit 271, turn left off ramp onto Chastain Road
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Drive 1 mile on Chastain Road, which becomes McCollum Parkway
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Continue on McCollum Parkway for 1.5 miles
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Turn right onto US-41/Cobb Parkway
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Drive 0.5 mile on US-41/Cobb Parkway
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Turn right on Watts Drive (after BB&T Bank)
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Continue on Watts Drive, towards Historic Downtown Kennesaw

In addition to providing activities for event-goers, our goal is to offer a variety of food items, unique merchandise and unusual gifts for sale - everything needed for the perfect holiday celebration. Vendor options are outlined below.
General Merchandise Vendors: One 10' x 10' booth space for the sale of general merchandise can be reserved for $50. Examples include candles, t-shirts, cookware and antiques.
Non-Profit Vendors: One 10' x 10' booth space can be reserved by non-profit organizations for $50. Examples include the sale of raffle tickets or other fundraising activities.
Food/Beverage Vendors: One 10' x 10' booth space for the sale of food and beverage items can be reserved for $75 for a single item or $100 for multiple items.
ON THE DAY OF THE EVENT, VENDORS ARE REQUIRED TO BE SET UP BY 12:30 PM (30 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE EVENT START TIME). VENDORS ARE ALSO ENCOURAGED TO PROVIDE BOOTH/TABLE DECORATIONS. FESTIVITIES WILL CONCLUDE AT 6:00 PM. VENDORS WILL BE REQUIRED TO REMAIN OPEN FOR THE DURATION OF THE EVENT.
More than one booth space can be reserved for vendors requiring additional space. Vendors will be selected on the basis of type of food. Event staff will make final decisions on vendors. Booth locations will be allocated at the discretion of event staff.
Please select “Special Events” and then “2023 Vendor Applications” to see a full list of vending opportunities for A Day with Santa. For questions about vending please email our Event Coordinator, Brittani Farmer at bfarmer@kennesaw-ga.gov.
Vendor spots for the 2023 A Day with Santa event are sold out. Thank you for your interest in being a part of our event.
The City of Kennesaw's 2023 A Day with Santa event would not be possible without the support of local businesses and organizations.
For more information on Sponsorship, please email our Partnerships & Events Specialist.

Volunteers
Kennesaw Parks & Recreation seeks willing hearts and helping hands to assist with the set-up, execution and breakdown of event activities.
We invite you to explore our list of volunteer opportunities and sign-up for a volunteer shift on our registration website, CivicRec. Please select “Volunteer Opportunities” to see a full list of volunteer opportunities for A Day with Santa.
For questions, please email our Events and Partnership Specialist.