Johns Creek Gets Two Holiday Kickoffs This Year, One Week Apart and Both in Town Center

"We're going to make this the third place that Johns Creek has been lacking," Mayor John Bradberry said at Medley's Oct. 29 ribbon cutting, as Appen Media reported. The holidays will be the first real test of that idea, because Medley and the city's Boardwalk at Town Center have each scheduled a holiday kickoff, one week apart, inside the same Town Center district.

The bigger change comes after the kickoffs. Medley's outdoor ice rink stays open from Nov. 27 through Feb. 7, 2027. That puts the holidays in the middle of Johns Creek on ordinary weeknights all winter long.

Two Fridays, Two Sides of Town Center

The day after Thanksgiving belongs to Medley. Merry Medley runs Friday, Nov. 27, from 4 to 8 p.m. on Medley Boulevard. The program includes a holiday concert, curated performances, the opening of the rink and fireworks to finish.

Exactly one week later, the city takes its turn on the other side of Town Center. The Holly Jolly Block Party is Friday, Dec. 4, from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Boardwalk at Town Center, 11362 Lakefield Drive. It's free and includes a visit from Santa, the lighting of the city's 40-foot Christmas tree, hot cocoa, local choirs and lights.

Here's how the two compare:

• Nov. 27, Merry Medley: a four-hour evening on Medley's main street, run by the developer, with fireworks at the end
• Dec. 4, Holly Jolly Block Party: a two-hour evening in the city's park behind City Hall, centered on the tree lighting and Santa

That gives Johns Creek two holiday openers a week apart in one district. The city's tree goes up in the same Town Center district as a private development that opened only weeks before, and the event calendars of both sides now fill the same blocks.

The Rink Is What Stretches the Season Into February

Most suburban holiday calendars come down to a handful of dated evenings. Medley's Skate the Plaza turns The Plaza, the 25,000-square-foot gathering space at the center of the district, into an ice rink from Nov. 27, 2026, through Feb. 7, 2027. That's more than ten weeks.

The posted hours are built for after school and after work:

During the two-week school break from Dec. 21 to Jan. 4, the rink opens daily at 11 a.m., so a weekday afternoon with kids home and nothing on the calendar is covered. Christmas Day has hours too, starting at 3 p.m. Medley's event page is the place to check before you go, since it carries the current details on the rink.

What Sits Around the Ice

The rink sits at the center of a district that, according to Appen Media, opened with 145,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space and 20 eateries, ranging from fast-casual spots and bars to upscale dining.

The closest table to the ice is STIR, which sits at the edge of Medley's outdoor event space. It serves an upscale-casual American and seafood menu and has a patio, an indoor-outdoor bar and windows that open in good weather. The name comes from the cocktail list. The restaurant makes its own ice with a directional plate freezer that turns out two crystal-clear 300-pound blocks at a time.

The rest of Medley's dining roster, as listed in the North Atlanta Star's opening lineup, includes Tonic House, Rena's Italian Fishery & Grill, Lily Sushi Bar, The Nest Cafe and Knuckies Eatery. For something to carry around the plaza, the same lineup names Five Daughters Bakery, Cookie Fix, Amorino Gelato, Playa Bowls, Summit Coffee and Shake Shack. Its list of names arriving after the October debut includes Northern China Eatery, CRÚ Food & Wine Bar, 26 Thai Kitchen & Bar, Fogón and Lions, Minnie Olivia Pizzeria, CT Cantina & Taqueria, Tabla and Fadó Irish Pub.

Holiday shopping fits into the same loop. Moop's Boutique carries European-chic apparel and accessories, and owner Carolyn Gordon told Appen Media the shop moved to Medley from Alpharetta after ten years there. The Commodore barbershop, the Sugarcoat beauty bar and the BODYROK Pilates studio are also onsite, and the Trader Joe's at Medley opened months before the rest of the district.

The City's Park Is Changing Its Rules, Too

The Boardwalk side of Town Center is about to get food of its own. On Oct. 26, the Johns Creek City Council approved a 12-month pilot that lets permitted food trucks and pushcarts sell at The Boardwalk, with a permit fee of $50 per quarter for each vendor. As Johns Creek Now reported, it's the first time the city has allowed independent food vending in any of its parks. Until now, trucks could sell on city park property only during a city-run or city-permitted special event.

The pilot covers only The Boardwalk and the city land next to it. The ordinance describes that park as its trail, plazas, amphitheater, terraced seating, pond and constructed wetland. Vendors still need their permits before they can start selling. Once they do, the city's half of Town Center will have casual food on days with no event scheduled, much like Medley's half already does.

What Still Needs a Reservation

Drop-in events are clustering at Town Center, while the city's seated, ticketed events stay spread across town. If you'd rather plan ahead, two are worth booking now.

1. Literary Fair, Saturday, Nov. 14: 3 to 7 p.m. at Johns Creek United Methodist Church. Novelist Ariel Lawhon gives the keynote, and 30 local authors take part. Reserved tickets are free, and VIP tickets are $45.
2. Breakfast and Snacks with Santa, Saturday, Dec. 12: at Park Place at Newtown. Breakfast seatings are at 9 and 10:30 a.m., and snack seatings are at 1:30 and 3 p.m. The city scheduled registration to open Nov. 1, space is limited and signing up is required.

Both events fall on Saturdays, Nov. 14 ahead of the Town Center kickoffs and Dec. 12 after them, so neither one overlaps the two Friday nights.

Getting There on a Busy Night

Both kickoffs draw crowds to the same district, so where you park matters.

The roads around Town Center are still changing. In October, Appen Media reported that the city had already widened lanes at Medlock Bridge Road and Johns Creek Parkway. The city was also in the right-of-way acquisition phase of a project to add a third north and south through lane on Medlock Bridge Road between East Johns Creek Crossing and Johns Creek Parkway. On Nov. 27 and Dec. 4, leave a little extra time for that stretch.

Town Center will keep adding to its winter lineup in future years. Medley's second phase, Encore, broke ground in April and is slated for 2027, with 408 more homes and 20,000 square feet of ground-floor retail. A hotel from Mainsail Lodging & Development is expected to open in 2028.

If you live near Town Center, or you're wondering how Medley's first winter might shape life in the neighborhoods around it, I'd love to talk it through. Taylor Thompson follows what's opening in Johns Creek closely and is happy to share what she's seeing. Schedule a consultation, and maybe we'll meet at the rink.