History of Light Up Dunwoody

Adapted from an article published in the November 10, 2004 Dunwoody Crier

Light Up Dunwoody is one of the earliest community holiday celebrations among North Atlanta communities.

In the early 1990's, Bill Grant was landscaping The Triangle (intersection of Mt.Vernon and Ashford Dunwoody) when his wife, Peggy, and Fran Fuchs of Enterprise Bank decided to light the holly tree, which was planted in 1982 by the Dunwoody Garden Club.

They had a little ceremony with about ten attendees, and they lit the tree. In November 1995, the president of Dunwoody Homeowners Association lit The Triangle as a few dozen people cheered to kick off the holiday season.

Rick Jones was the next president of Dunwoody Homeowners Association in 1996, and Marion Jones was “appointed by marriage to give all the past volunteers a break and take over the lighting of the triangle.” They made it official by naming the event Light Up Dunwoody. Dick Williams, owner of the local newspaper Crier Newspapers, and Dunwoody Homeowners Association became sponsors. With their support, Marion took off in making Light Up Dunwoody a community event.

In the fall of 2001, Marion Jones and committee member, Mari Ann Gallant asked Dunwoody Preservation Trust if they could also light The Farmhouse. The weekend before Thanksgiving, hundreds of community members came out to listen to holiday music performed by Zephyr Band, to see Santa, and to help DHA’s president, Don Boyken, count down the official lighting of Dunwoody. The year of 2002 proved to be yet even greater, with Mari Ann (publisher of FYI Atlanta magazine) chairing the first Dunwoody Holiday Parade.

Light Up Dunwoody continues to grow, and we invite other property owners to join us in the holiday lighting. Come and enjoy one of Dunwoody’s most adored traditions.

In 2010, Light Up Dunwoody was moved to the Cheek-Spruill Farmhouse. In 2011, Light Up Dunwoody added vendor tents and musical and dance performances on Chamblee Dunwoody Road in front of the farmhouse.

Today, the farmhouse is lit up along with a giant Christmas tree and menorah on the triangle lawn across the street.  Santa brings his reindeer and sleigh.  Light Up Dunwoody scenery has become the backdrop of many families' Christmas and holiday greeting cards.

Light Up Dunwoody celebrations are now scheduled the Sunday before each Thanksgiving, providing a time for families and friends to reunite and mark the beginning of the winter holiday season.

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