No sitting on Santa’s lap, but visits continue at Avalon

ALPHARETTA, Ga. - We’re just more than a month away from Christmas — but Santa has already arrived at Alpharetta’s Avalon, bringing a long list of holiday activities with him.

We spent the morning at the restaurant, retail, and residential development getting look at those holiday activities, which officially launch for the season this week.  First up — the jolly old elf, himself, who will greet children this year from an open-air cottage and by appointment-only.  Due to the ongoing pandemic, Avalon staffers say visitors will need to wear masks, undergo temperature checks, and sanitize their hands, and visits will be limited to five per hour to allow for more cleaning time.  There won’t be any physical interaction with Santa, either — according to the Avalon website, visitors will be spaced six feet apart.  And even though nobody will be sitting on Santa’s lap this year, staffers say photo ops are still available and Santa will also engage in regular storytime sessions.

Ice skating is also back at Avalon, although it will look a different this year, too.  Staffers say the rink will be limited to 50 skaters at a time and all guests are required to wear masks; skaters are also required to purchase tickets in advance online. Regular skating hours are scheduled to continue through January 18, and general admission for adults is $18 (including skates) and $14 for kids ages nine and under.

Avalon is also hosting a Holiday Market through January 3, featuring local vendors selling handmade goods; a full list of those vendors may be found here.

Of course, we didn’t miss a thing at Avalon, hanging with Santa and taking a spin (and maybe a fall or two…) on the ice; click the video player in this article for a peek at our fun-filled morning!