Atlanta brings Southern hospitality to the holidays, anchored by the Rich's department store legacy that still shapes the city's seasonal retail calendar and by botanical and historic-park installations that give the season its visual signature.

• Macy's Great Tree at Lenox Square: Inherited from the Rich's department store tradition that lit the original Great Tree downtown for decades, the Lenox lighting remains one of the South's defining holiday events.
• Garden Lights, Holiday Nights: The Atlanta Botanical Garden's nighttime walk-through is one of the most established botanical light displays in the United States.
• Stone Mountain Christmas: The granite landmark east of the city hosts a season-long program with parades, light installations, and family programming.
• Southern Holiday Table: Country ham, pecan pralines, and sweet potato pie anchor Atlanta's holiday cooking, with Mary Mac's Tea Room and the Colonnade serving the traditional Southern Christmas spread that's hard to find outside the region.