November in Atlanta turns halfway through. The first two weeks belong to game days and the last big outdoor festival of the fall. Then the Botanical Garden switches on its lights, the Hawks and Georgia Tech fill the weekends, and the whole month rolls toward Thanksgiving.
We run more than 150 furnished homes across intown Atlanta, so we plan around these weekends every year. This guide takes November one weekend at a time, tells you what to expect from the weather and the calendar, and points to the neighborhood that puts you closest to each weekend's main event. If you're here this weekend, start with our Halloween weekend guide; for the month that's ending, see October 2026.
November 2026 in Atlanta at a glance
- Sun, Nov 1: Clocks fall back one hour; Día de Muertos at Oakland Cemetery, noon to 5 p.m., free
- Tue, Nov 3: Election Day
- Sat, Nov 7: Chomp & Stomp in Cabbagetown, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Georgia Tech vs Louisville at Bobby Dodd Stadium
- Sat, Nov 14: Garden Lights, Holiday Nights opens at the Atlanta Botanical Garden (nightly through January 10, 2027)
- Sun, Nov 15: Falcons vs Kansas City Chiefs, 1 p.m., the Falcons' only home game this month
- Fri, Nov 20: Hawks vs Charlotte, 7 p.m., an NBA Cup game
- Sat, Nov 21: Georgia Tech vs Wake Forest at Bobby Dodd Stadium
- Sun, Nov 22: Hawks vs Detroit, 3:30 p.m., Kids Day
- Thu, Nov 26: Thanksgiving; Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon at Center Parc Stadium
- Sat, Nov 28: Georgia Tech at Georgia, in Athens
What to expect in Atlanta in November
Weather. November is mild by most standards. Over the past three decades, Atlanta's average November high has been about 64°F and the average low about 44°F, with roughly 4 inches of rain over the month. Bring a real jacket for the evenings, especially if you're walking through the Garden Lights after dark.
The clocks change on day one. Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 1, so sunset comes an hour earlier from the first weekend on. Holiday lights look better for it.
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3. If you're registered in Georgia and visiting or staying with us that week, your polling place is set by your home address, so check it before you travel.
Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26. It's the busiest travel stretch of the month. AAA hadn't released its 2026 Thanksgiving forecast when we published, but book early for that week either way.
The holiday season starts mid month. Garden Lights opens November 14, and more light shows around the metro area are listed to open the following weekend.
Week 1: Día de Muertos, Chomp & Stomp, and Georgia Tech (Nov 1 to 8)
Día de Muertos at Oakland Cemetery (Sunday, Nov 1). Oakland's free celebration runs noon to 5 p.m. It's the calm close to Halloween weekend and the first thing on the November calendar.
Chomp & Stomp (Saturday, Nov 7). Cabbagetown's chili cookoff and bluegrass festival is the last big neighborhood festival of the fall. The festival runs 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., with a 5K at 8 a.m. for anyone who wants to earn the chili first.
Georgia Tech vs Louisville (Saturday, Nov 7). The same day, Georgia Tech hosts Louisville at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Check Georgia Tech's site for kickoff, which can be set later in the season.
Staying close. Chomp & Stomp happens on the streets of Cabbagetown, where we have 13 homes, including two bedroom cottages like Starry Night that sleep four. Grant Park, next door, has 10 more, all with fenced yards. You can walk to the festival, walk home for a break, and walk back for the music.
Week 2: Garden Lights opens and the Falcons host the Chiefs (Nov 9 to 15)
Garden Lights, Holiday Nights (from Saturday, Nov 14). The Atlanta Botanical Garden's holiday light show opens November 14 and shines nightly through January 10, 2027. The garden is open until midnight on Garden Lights nights, with last entry at 11 p.m. Book tickets ahead, especially for weekend nights.
Falcons vs Kansas City Chiefs (Sunday, Nov 15). Kickoff is 1 p.m. on CBS, and it's the Falcons' only home game in November: they play in Madrid on November 8 and are on the road or on a bye the rest of the month.
Staying close. The Botanical Garden sits on the edge of Piedmont Park in Midtown, where we have 15 homes, plus two more in Ansley Park, which borders the garden. For the Falcons game, Inman Park and Old Fourth Ward are a short ride to the stadium, and we have 48 homes between them.
Week 3: A Hawks weekend and the lights spread out (Nov 16 to 22)
Hawks vs Charlotte (Friday, Nov 20). A 7 p.m. NBA Cup game at State Farm Arena.
Georgia Tech vs Wake Forest (Saturday, Nov 21). Georgia Tech's last home game of the regular season, at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
Hawks vs Detroit (Sunday, Nov 22). A 3:30 p.m. Kids Day game, an easy afternoon for families.
More lights around the metro. Several holiday events outside the city are listed to open this weekend, including Magical Nights of Lights at Lake Lanier (from November 20), Six Flags Over Georgia's Holiday in the Park (select days from November 21), and the Atlanta Christkindl Market in Lawrenceville (from November 20). Confirm dates and tickets on each site before you plan a drive.
Staying close. For the Hawks, our homes in Old Fourth Ward and Castleberry Hill keep you close to State Farm Arena. For Georgia Tech, Midtown is next door to campus.
Thanksgiving week in Atlanta (Nov 23 to 29)
Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon (Thursday, Nov 26). The Atlanta Track Club's Thanksgiving morning race, with a half marathon, 5K, mile, and kids' dash, starts and finishes at Center Parc Stadium. The half starts around 8 a.m.; check your start time on the Track Club's site. Number pickup is the Sunday before, November 22.
Garden Lights over the holiday. Garden Lights runs every night of Thanksgiving week, which makes it the easiest after dinner outing in the city for a family in town for the holiday.
Georgia Tech at Georgia (Saturday, Nov 28). Clean, Old Fashioned Hate is in Athens this year, about an hour and a half east of Atlanta. Plenty of fans base in Atlanta and drive over for the day.
Staying for the holiday. Thanksgiving is the week a home beats a hotel by the widest margin. You get one kitchen for the whole family, one table, and separate bedrooms for everyone who isn't hosting. For a big group, Amber Lenox in Virginia Highland has five bedrooms and sleeps 11, and Aquarius Rising in East Atlanta has four bedrooms and sleeps eight. Running the half on Thursday morning? Center Parc Stadium sits in Summerhill, next to Grant Park, and five of our homes there sit within a mile of the start line. For more on group stays this season, see our guide to big house rentals for homecoming, Thanksgiving, and bowl season.
Driving in for a November weekend
Most of the Southeast can reach Atlanta in an afternoon. Estimated drive times without traffic, from each city's center to downtown Atlanta:
| From | Miles | Drive time (about) |
|---|---|---|
| Athens, GA | 72 | 1 hr 30 min |
| Macon, GA | 83 | 1 hr 35 min |
| Columbus, GA | 108 | 2 hr |
| Chattanooga, TN | 117 | 2 hr 15 min |
| Birmingham, AL | 146 | 2 hr 45 min |
| Augusta, GA | 148 | 2 hr 45 min |
| Greenville, SC | 145 | 2 hr 50 min |
| Nashville, TN | 247 | 4 hr 40 min |
| Charlotte, NC | 244 | 4 hr 45 min |
Under three hours makes Garden Lights or a game a realistic one night trip. Over Thanksgiving, the same drive can take far longer on the busiest travel days, which is one more reason to arrive early and stay through the weekend.
Where to stay in Atlanta in November
Match the neighborhood to the weekend:
| If you're coming for | Stay in | Minty homes there |
|---|---|---|
| Chomp & Stomp, Día de Muertos at Oakland | Cabbagetown, Grant Park | 23 |
| Garden Lights, Georgia Tech games | Midtown, Ansley Park | 17 |
| Falcons, Hawks | Inman Park, Old Fourth Ward, Castleberry Hill | 50 |
| Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon | Grant Park, Summerhill | 12 |
| A big Thanksgiving gathering | Virginia Highland, East Atlanta, Inman Park | 54 |
Why our homes. Every Minty home is designed and furnished by our in house design team, led by architect and cofounder Sidra Gross, with full kitchens built for a holiday meal, not just a coffee maker. Stays run from hourly to annual, so a Saturday for Garden Lights or a full Thanksgiving week books the same way. Support is available 24/7 during your stay. Our homes hold a 4.9 Google rating and Airbnb Superhost status, and our eligible homes meet Plum Guide's Top 1% selection criteria.
Bringing the dog home for the holidays? 138 of our 153 listed homes are pet friendly.
Looking ahead to December
The SEC Championship comes to Mercedes Benz Stadium on Saturday, December 5, and Garden Lights runs through the holidays. If you're planning a December trip, now is the time to look at dates.
Frequently asked questions
What is there to do in Atlanta in November 2026? The highlights are Chomp & Stomp in Cabbagetown (November 7), Garden Lights, Holiday Nights at the Atlanta Botanical Garden (from November 14), the Falcons vs Chiefs (November 15), Hawks home games on November 20 and 22, Georgia Tech home games on November 7 and 21, and the Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon on November 26.
What is the weather like in Atlanta in November? Mild days and cool nights. Atlanta's average November high is about 64°F and the average low about 44°F, with roughly 4 inches of rain across the month.
When do the Atlanta Botanical Garden holiday lights open in 2026? Garden Lights, Holiday Nights opens November 14, 2026, and runs nightly through January 10, 2027.
Do the Falcons play at home in November 2026? Once: against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, November 15, at 1 p.m.
Is the Georgia Tech vs Georgia game in Atlanta this year? No. The 2026 game is in Athens on Saturday, November 28.
Where should a big family stay in Atlanta for Thanksgiving? A furnished house with a full kitchen and separate bedrooms. Minty Living's largest intown homes sleep 8 to 11, in neighborhoods like Virginia Highland and East Atlanta.
How Minty Living Can Help
November in Atlanta is about picking the right weekend and the right block. Minty Living has furnished homes across intown Atlanta, including Cabbagetown, Grant Park, Midtown, Inman Park, Old Fourth Ward, Virginia Highland, and East Atlanta, so you can stay next to the festival, the lights, or the game.
A weekend or the whole holiday. Stays run from hourly to annual.
Room for the family. Homes range from one bedroom apartments to five bedroom houses that sleep 11, each with a full kitchen.
Bring the dog. Most of our homes are pet friendly.
Help when you need it. Support is available 24/7 during your stay.
Browse our homes, call or text 404.999.0841, or email [email protected].
