Are you ready for the bigger, better, even more amazing Tinsel Trail? With the grand opening only days away there are some things you need to know!

What is Tinsel Trail?

The Tinsel Trail is a display of live Christmas trees to downtown Huntsville for one month. Beginning December 1, more than 200 trees will decorate Big Spring Park for the holiday season, circling the lake in the west park. This includes four large flagship trees at each entrance and the City of Huntsville’s tree in the center of the trail.

Where is it located?

This year’s Tinsel Trail is going to line the lake on the west side of Big Spring Park and will be complemented by the Huntsville Museum of Art’s ice skating rink and dozens of performers who will be playing on weekend evenings. Trees will be lined along the sidewalk so it is accessible to all. The main entrance is located outside the gazebo in Big Spring Park. It is close to the intersection of Williams and Lowe. You can see a map of the 2012 Tinsel Trail here.

Where can I park?

There is metered street parking along Williams and Church. There are also parking garages at: Summit/PNC building (Church St.), Von Braun Center (Monroe St).

When does it start?

Join us at the gazebo in Big Spring Park for our kickoff event this Saturday, December 1! We’ll have special performances from Cristina Lynn, the Army Materiel Command Band and appearances by Mayor Battle and Santa too.Immediately following the downtown Huntsville Christmas parade the kickoff will begin at 2 p.m. with performances by Cristina Lynn & Russ Holder.

The official lighting ceremony will take place at Saturday at 4pm. Join Santa and Mayor Battle as they officially light the 2012 Tinsel Trail! During the ceremony, Mayor Battle will announce his selections for the most creatively decorated trees.

Be sure to stay for a special performance by the Army Materiel Command Band at 4:30 p.m. directly following the tree lighting ceremony. At 5 p.m. you can meet Santa! Santa will be making a special appearance at the Tinsel Trail for photo opportunities and to greet trail visitors and children.

How long does it last?

The display will run from December 1, 2012 until January 2, 2013.

Do I have to pay to participate?

The display itself is free to the public.

Who organizes this?

The Tinsel Trail is a project of The Downtown 47, a nonprofit charitable organization whose mission is to encourage, support, and promote the ongoing cultural, aesthetic, social and economic vitality of the downtown area of Huntsville, Alabama. All tree sponsorships are 100% tax deductible. All funds raised cover the costs to execute this project. Proceeds will be invested in 2013 downtown Huntsville development projects.

How many years has this been done?

This is the second year that we have had the Tinsel Trail. The main goal was to attract visitor’s to the downtown area. Last year it attracted over 10,000 visitors! With such a huge turnout, we knew we wanted to do it again.

Who decorates the trees?

Each tree is sponsored by a local corporation, group or family, and decorated by its sponsor. Last year’s display brought more than 10,000 visitors to the park during the holidays. Tree can have themes that match the company’s mission, or sometimes they’re just totally off-the-wall! Each tree has a sign with the sponsor and decorator’s names.

How can I have a tree?

Sponsoring a tree is a great way to market your business, boost employee morale, and just be creative. Visit our website to download a sponsor information packet. Tree sponsorships are available for the price of $250.

If you’d like to support our initiative, but don’t have time to decorate a tree just let us know and we’ll donate your tree so a worthy nonprofit organization. If your organization would like to be considered to be a non-profit decorator please e-mail us to get on the waiting list for a sponsored tree. These trees are subject to availability, but we’ll do our best to accommodate all requests. To sponsor a tree, visit the Tinsel Trail website or e-mail us here.

What else will be happening around the display?

To bring more holiday cheer to the Trail and showcase the talents of local artists, we are currently scheduling performers every Friday and Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon for the month of December at the gazebo at Big Spring Park. Electricity will be provided. If you are part of a performing group (theater, choir, musical ensemble, dance studio, etc.) and would like more information or want to sign up as a performer, please contact perform@tinseltrail.com.

Have more questions?

Visit the Tinsel Trail website for answers to Frequently Asked Questions. Email us at here and a representative will respond within 48 hours of your request.

Thank you for supporting our downtown holiday display!

Event Information

Dates: December 1-January 2, 2013
Times: Trees are lit from 5pm-midnight
Location: Big Spring Park
Cost: FREE

About the Author

Kathleen Byrne is a Senior Consultant with TMRA Consulting, Inc. She moved to the Rocket City from her hometown of sweet little Fairhope, AL. Kathleen graduated from the University of Alabama with a major in International Business and a minor in Spanish. She spent the first three years of her professional career at the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County. Kathleen is a self-titled yes-aholic who during her time in Huntsville has committed her time over a dozen volunteer organizations including Committee of 100, Art Krewe, and Huntsville Young Professionals. She currently holds leadership roles as President for the Rotaract Club of Huntsville and Secretary for the Downtown Forty-Seven. Kathleen is also a graduate of Leadership Huntsville Madison County’s Connect Class 12, The Best Class Ever. She is a lifelong learner and loves to Google everything. In her spare time, Kathleen enjoys writing about herself in the third person.