Pooler gets two holiday kickoffs this year. On Saturday, November 7, Santa lights the tree at Tanger Outlets Savannah at 7:30 p.m. Seven days later, on Saturday, November 14, the City of Pooler holds its own Tree Lighting & Movie Night across town at the Recreation Complex on Preston Stokes Drive.
For anyone in Savannah Quarters, both events are a short drive from the gate. Tanger runs a week ahead of City Hall, and then fills the city's weekend with a three-day food festival of its own. Plan around those two Saturdays and the rest of November mostly falls into place.
Tanger Gets There First, on November 7
The Tanger Savannah Tree Lighting Celebration runs from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 7, at 200 Tanger Outlets Blvd. Tanger's event page promises Santa and his reindeer, Anna and Elsa, cookie decorating, face painting and "winter wonderland activities throughout the center." Santa lights the tree at 7:30. The page asks guests to RSVP through Tanger's Facebook event and doesn't list an admission charge.
The lighting comes late in the evening, so you can shop during the day and still make it. If you have small children, arriving at 5:30 gives you two hours of activities before the main event, and you can be home soon after the lights come on.
Visit Pooler's November calendar also lists a Veterans Day Celebration & Touch-a-Truck at Tanger on November 7. Its description mentions military vehicle displays, hands-on activities for kids and live entertainment. It also says organizers had contacted several military branches and were still working to bring in the Army Rock Band. Since those pieces were still being arranged, check the listing before you build your day around them. If it goes ahead as described, November 7 at Tanger could fill most of a Saturday.
November 14 Puts Both Venues on the Same Saturday
The second Saturday is where Pooler's calendar gets crowded. The City of Pooler's notice, updated October 15, sets Tree Lighting & Movie Night for Saturday, November 14, at the Pooler Recreation Complex, 200 Preston Stokes Drive. Gates open at 4 p.m. and The Grinch starts at 6. The city's 2026 events calendar lists the same date, runs the event from 4 to 7:30 p.m. and sets Sunday, November 15, as the rain date.
Some online calendars show the city's tree lighting on November 22. The city's own notice and calendar both say November 14, so go by those.
The city's lineup is aimed at families: face painting, bubble snow, s'mores, train rides, inflatables, food trucks and live music from 8 Mile Bend.
That same weekend, Foodees Fest comes back to Tanger Outlets Savannah, Friday through Sunday, November 13 to 15. The organizer promises more than 100 food vendors plus crafters and artisans, free on-site parking and ADA-accessible grounds. Tanger's own Foodees listing shows November 11 to 13 in its date header but November 13 to 15 in the description. The organizer's page gives November 13 to 15, 2026, so use those dates.
Admission is free. Registering through the organizer is free and optional.
The two schedules overlap for three hours that Saturday, and the hours line up well enough to do both:
- 11 a.m. Foodees Fest opens for Saturday at Tanger, 200 Tanger Outlets Blvd.
- 4 p.m. Gates open for the city's Tree Lighting & Movie Night at the Recreation Complex.
- 6 p.m. The Grinch starts at the Recreation Complex.
- 7 p.m. Foodees closes for the day.
- 7:30 p.m. The city event wraps up.
You can eat your way through Foodees at midday and still be at Preston Stokes Drive when the gates open. If you'd rather keep Saturday for the city event, Foodees runs from 1 to 7 p.m. on Friday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday. The city's rain date is Sunday the 15th, so a wet Saturday would put both events on Sunday. That's the one scenario where you'd have to choose between them.
The Weekday Mornings Belong to the Mighty Eighth
On weekends, November in Pooler is retail and holiday lights. On weekday mornings it's the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, whose November programs lean toward remembrance. Two programs fall in the week after Veterans Day:
| Date | Program | Time | Cost | Registration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, Nov. 18 | History Headquarters: Remembering the Fallen | 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. | $8 per participant, free for members | Required |
| Thursday, Nov. 19 | Mighty Talks: Enemies No More, with author Adam Makos | 11 a.m. to noon | Free to the public | Required |
Museum members registering for Remembering the Fallen use the code MIGHTY8THMEMBER. Enemies No More costs nothing, but the museum still asks guests to register, so sign up ahead of time.
To spend more time in the galleries, the museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. It's closed Mondays. Its online ticket shop lists adult admission at $13, children 6 to 12 at $9, seniors 60 and older at $12, retired military at $10, active-duty military at $9, active-duty children at $8, and World War II veterans free.
For many families, the museum works best on a weekday rather than on either of the busy Saturdays. If out-of-town guests arrive early for Thanksgiving, a talk on the 19th plus an afternoon in the galleries fills a day the outlet calendar leaves open.
The Short Version for Your Fridge
- Saturday, Nov. 7: Tanger Savannah Tree Lighting Celebration, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Santa lights the tree at 7:30.
- Friday to Sunday, Nov. 13 to 15: Foodees Fest at Tanger. Free, with 100-plus food vendors. Friday 1 to 7 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Saturday, Nov. 14: City of Pooler Tree Lighting & Movie Night, Recreation Complex, 4 to 7:30 p.m. The Grinch starts at 6. Rain date is Nov. 15.
- Wednesday, Nov. 18: Remembering the Fallen at the Mighty Eighth, 11 a.m., $8, registration required.
- Thursday, Nov. 19: Enemies No More with Adam Makos at the Mighty Eighth, 11 a.m., free, registration required.
Tanger's current events page lists its tree lighting and Foodees for November but no Black Friday event yet. As things stand, Tanger owns the first two weekends and the city owns the 14th.
At Oliver Group, we keep track of Pooler's calendar the same way we keep track of its streets, because both shape life in Savannah Quarters. If you're wondering what your home is worth heading into the holidays, ask us for a home valuation and we'll walk you through the numbers.
