The We Are Huntsville Holiday Guide 2024 is sponsored by Burritt on the Mountain!
Beloved Huntsville attractions that locals and visitors alike enjoy!
Burritt on the Mountain Candlelight Christmas
- Date and Time: December 6-7 at 5:00 – 9 pm
- Location: Burritt on the Mountain
- Cost: Members $55 per carload (up to six people), General Public $70 per carload (up to six people)
- Event Information
Join us for a touch of Christmas past at Burritt on the Mountain’s annual favorite Candlelight Christmas. Burritt comes alive with the sights, sounds and smells of a traditional Christmas. Don’t wait, buy your tickets today.
String cranberries and popcorn, make paper punch ornaments, create handmade cards, ice cookies, taste figgy pudding and enjoy live music to kickoff the holiday season. Cabins are decorated with historic ambiance and the sounds of traditional music fill the air throughout the park. It is certainly an event for young and old to enjoy.
Kris Kringle is back! Visit Kris Kringle in Baron Bluff for a photo opportunity. Clicks Foto will be onsite to take pictures, but feel free to take your own with your phone. While waiting to see Kris Kringle children will have a chance to write a letter to Santa and hand deliver it.
We will have the music you love spread throughout the park. Activities for the kids and goodies for all will be spread throughout the site to ensure plenty of space for social distancing.
Galaxy of Lights
Location: Huntsville Botanical Garden
Galaxy of Lights is a regional holiday tradition that takes place every November and December at the Huntsville Botanical Garden. With both walking and driving experiences, Galaxy offers guests of all ages the chance to experience the magic, share in the tradition, and make memories together.
Walking Nights: Nov. 15 – Dec. 1 (closed Thanksgiving Day and Nov. 17), Dec. 4-8, Dec. 18-26 (Closed Christmas Day)
Dog Walking Nights: Every Monday and Tuesday during Walking Nights (November 18 & 19, November 25 & 26, December 23 & 24)
Driving Nights: December 9-17 & December 27-31
Tickets: Prices vary based on day and experience. Visit their website for pricing. All tickets to Galaxy of Lights are non-refundable. Tickets for Walking Nights may be rescheduled to a different date for a transaction fee of $5 per ticket. All unused tickets are considered a donation to the Garden in support of our mission activities. To reschedule your Walking Nights ticket(s), please email tickets@hsvbg.org with your order/ticket number and date you wish to reschedule. We ask that you kindly allow two business days for a response to ticket inquiries, including rescheduling requests.
Skating in the Park
Location: Big Spring Park at the Huntsville Museum of Art
Dates: November 27, 2024 – January 5, 2025
There are many wonderful holiday traditions in the Rocket City, but if you’re looking for a unique holiday experience, you’ll find it at Skating in the Park.
Regular Hours:
- Monday – Thursday: 4 p.m. – 9 p.m.
- Friday: 4 p.m. – 10 p.m.
- Saturday: 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
- Sunday: 12 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Admission & Rental Pricing:
- $15 Ages 10 & up
- $10 Ages 9 and under
- $13 Groups of 10 or more
- $5 Scooter rental
- $5 Discount if you bring your own skates
- 10% Discount at the Museum Store when you show your skating wristband
Holidays at the Orion
Ring in the season with a month of festive fun! From themed wintry markets and cocktail classes, to carnival games and solstice celebrations, there’s something for everyone as we celebrate the most wonderful time of the year. The calendar is so exciting, even Santa is taking time away from his workshop to visit Rocket City! All the details here.
Tinsel Trail
Location: Big Spring Park
Dates: November 29, 2024 – December 31, 2024
Cost: FREE
Tinsel Trail is a display of live Christmas trees in Downtown Huntsville’s Big Spring Park. An anticipated 400 trees will decorate the park for the holiday season. Intended to promote community, each tree is sponsored and decorated by a local corporation, group, or family.
Annual Madison Station Polar Express Christmas on Main
Location: Historic Downtown Madison
Dates: Friday, December 6 2024 – Thursday, January 2, 2025.
Cost: FREE
Trees will be displayed along Main Street in beautiful, historic downtown Madison. Whether using the tree to express your own creativity or to promote a business, it is a wonderful way to add charm to the holiday.
Rocket City Christmas Light Show and Winter Wonderland
Location: Toyota Field
Drive Thru Dates: November 22 – December 29 | 5 pm- 9 pm
Cost: $30 per car – Includes access to Winter Wonderland*
*Additional costs for individual activities inside Toyota Field.
The Rocket City Christmas Light Show returns to Toyota Field for a fifth consecutive holiday season starting on November 22nd, presented by BJ’s Wholesale Club! Over a mile and a half of nearly one million lights will be on display for all to enjoy, complete with musical synchronization and a “Santa’s Beach Party” theme. After driving through the Light Show, guests can walk inside the ballpark for the Winter Wonderland to experience holiday activities, hot beverages, fire pits, character appearances, and visits from Santa Claus! Passes are $30 per vehicle, which includes admission into the Winter Wonderland! The drive-through Light Show is open nightly from 5 PM to 9 PM through December 29th.
Bridge Street Lights Up!
Date and Time: November 22, 2024 4:30 – 7:00pm
Location: Bridge Street Town Centre
Cost: Free
Join us as we light up Bridge Street at our annual kick-off of the holiday season, Lights Up!
Lights Up will feature live performances from Alabama Youth Ballet Theatre and local choir groups, giveaways, holiday characters and more.
Special this year, we are celebrating Sproclet’s, the mascot for the Rocket City Trash Pandas, 5th Birthday!
Santa will join us at the end of the ceremony to light up our 45-foot Christmas tree for the very first time this year and launch our holiday light show, that will continue on Friday and Saturday evenings leading up to Christmas.
Bridge Street Holiday Light Show
Show Times:
Saturday, November 23 | 6, 6:30, 7 + 7:30 PM
Friday, November 29 | 6, 6:30, 7 + 7:30 PM
Saturday, November 30 | 6, 6:30, 7 + 7:30 PM
Friday, December 6 | 6, 6:30, 7 + 7:30 PM
Saturday, December 7 | 6, 6:30, 7 + 7:30 PM
Friday, December 13 | 6, 6:30, 7 + 7:30 PM
Saturday, December 14 | 6, 6:30, 7 + 7:30 PM
Friday, December 20 | 6, 6:30, 7 + 7:30 PM
Saturday, December 21 | 6, 6:30, 7 + 7:30 PM
*All showtimes are weather permitting and will be canceled due to rain, snow or freezing temperatures.
Location: Bridge Street Town Centre
Cost: Free
Bigger and better this holiday season, we will be spreading cheer through a holiday themed light show at the Christmas tree near Cinemark.
Showtimes listed below will be the start times for the 10-minute holiday light show.
Christmas on the River
Location: Ditto Landing
Cost: Free
More Information
Festive Christmas Cards designed by Huntsville’s most creative companies, non-profits, families, and artists will line the mile-long Tennessee River Greenway. Christmas Card Lane along with Santa’s Model Railroad Depot will be open at sunrise and stay open to visitors until 10 pm every night.
12 Nights of Santa
Date and Time: Tuesday, December 12 – Saturday, December 23, 2024
Location: EarlyWorks
Cost: Members: $13, Non-members: $15, Children under one are free!
Tickets
Children are invited to visit Santa Claus and to enjoy an immersive holiday experience in downtown Huntsville. During 12 Nights of Santa, the jolly old elf himself will be on hand each night to listen to children as they share their wish lists. No visit to Santa would be complete without meeting his North Pole elves. Additional family-friendly activities adding to the whimsical fun include nightly snowfalls, making holiday crafts, a holiday themed experiment in the all-new Tinker Lab, mingling with costumed characters like the Grinch and Olaf, decorating a fresh made gingerbread cookie, mailing letters to Santa, sock skating and shopping in Santa’s gift shop. Kids will have plenty of room to play and enjoy the spirit of the season.
A limited number of tickets for the event will be offered online. This will be a timed entry, limited capacity event to ensure the safety and comfort of all involved. Holding the multi-night event inside the EarlyWorks Children’s Museum will not only provide a safe environment but will also allow visitors to enjoy all that the museum has to offer without worrying about the weather outside…if it’s frightful.
Looking for even more Christmas fun? Visit our Huntsville Holiday Guide 2024!
