Green Street Santa Sprint

Click HERE to purchase 2025 Santa Sprint Shirts, Hoodies, Beanies & Ornaments!

We are excited to announce the 1st Annual Green Street Santa Sprint!  Run through a crowd of thousands lining each side of Historic Green Street to cheer you on as you race by the decorated historic homes and the Christmas light adorned Oak trees. All while wearing a green Santa Suit!  Then, join the City of Gainesville for our annual Christmas on Green Street celebration! This magical event includes a parade of antique cars, holiday floats, and marching bands starting at the Gainesville Civic Center and continuing all the way down Green Street!  

Before the parade, Green Street will be closed while people visit the historic homes and enjoy musical groups performing on front porches, magicians, face painters, balloon artists, storyteller, jugglers, Santa Claus, miniature train rides, and food trucks. The night will end with the Christmas on Green Street Parade and the traditional Lighting of the Rotary Tree at approximately 5:30 p.m. at the intersection of Green Street and West Academy Street!  For more info about Christmas on Green Street, visit our website: https://www.exploregainesville.org/christmas-on-green-street/

Make a difference in your community!  The Diaper Bank of North Georgia is a community outreach program provided by the Junior League of Hall County-Gainesville. We believe that all babies in our community deserve clean diapers, and that is exactly what we will do - provide free diapers to the families in need in our community through our partner agencies. 

The site map below provides a visual of the starting area, with notations for the approximate locations of the packet pick-up tent, portable restrooms, and the starting line under the arch. 

Please give yourself extra time to park and walk to the starting area. This event will start ON TIME. There will be no opportunity for late participants to join the event as the parade will kick off at 4:00 PM. 

Link to Starting Area:  https://w3w.co/hiking.label.episode

This course is going to be fast!  Green Street from start to finish is almost entirely downhill.  For an interactive course map, including elevations, click HERE.  USATF certification pending.  

• The course is point to point.
• You will be able to complete the race, then walk up to Green Street to watch the parade!
• No shuttles are provided.

Around 20,000 people will be attending Green Street Christmas on the afternoon of December 7th.  Due to preparations for the parade, Green Street will CLOSE to vehicles at 12:00pm.  Please arrive early and walk to the gathering area/START line.  The best locations for parking are the 3 parking decks near Gainesville Square.  All below options offer FREE parking. Click any address below for directions:

• Gainesville North Parking Deck  |  100 Brenau Ave NE, Gainesville, GA, 30501
• Main Street Parking Deck  |  301 Main St SW, Gainesville, GA, 30501
• Hall County Courthouse Parking Deck  |  225 Green St SE, Gainesville, GA, 30501

Additional parking available near finish line at Longstreet Clinic Parking Deck:

• Longstreet Clinic Parking Deck  |  701 Broad St SE, Gainesville, GA 30501

Any updates to parking will be communicated via email leading up to race day!

We encourage participants to pick up their race bibs, event shirts, and GREEN Santa suits on Saturday. Sunday's packet pick-up will end 25 minutes before the race start.

• Saturday, December 6th, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM at Junior League of Gainesville - Hall County (1547 Riverside Drive, Gainesville, GA 30501). 
• Sunday, December 7th, from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM near the starting line at the intersection of Holly Drive and Green Street.  

**Downtown Gainesville will be very busy on Sunday, with around 20,000 people attending Green Street Christmas on the afternoon of December 7th. Plan to arrive EARLY to give yourself time to park and walk to the starting area. There will be road closures and heavy holiday traffic to contend with.

Dogs and strollers are allowed.

Dogs must be leashed and friendly.

Strollers start at the rear

Last year's event was so much more than we could have ever expected!  Be ready for a jolly good time and lots of cheers!