The We Are Huntsville Holiday Guide 2023 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 1-2 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
Burritt comes alive with the sights, sounds, and smells of a traditional Christmas. Cabins are decorated with historic ambiance and the sounds of traditional music fill the air throughout the park. String cranberries and popcorn, make paper punch ornaments, create handmade cards and ice cookies to kick off the holiday season. 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.
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: November 17- 26, 29, 30 (Closed Thanksgiving Day) & December 1 – 3, 16 – 24
Dog Walking Nights: Every Monday and Tuesday during Walking Nights (November 20 & 21 and December 18 & 19)
Driving Nights: December 4 – 15 & 26 – 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 17, 2023 – January 7, 2024
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
Winter Park
Located throughout Apollo South, Jeff & Blues, and The Orion Amphitheater, Winter Park brings the holiday cheer to Rocket City this winter!
Celebrating its second year, Winter Park will feature a variety of seasonal activities including an ice-skating rink inside the amphitheater, meet and greets with Santa Claus in his workshop, curling under The Dome, festive performances, train rides, holiday movies, and carolers as well as a variety of food and beverage offerings such as popcorn roasting and s’mores kits.
Location: Orion Amphitheater
DATE AND TIMES
Thursdays: 4PM – 9PM
Fridays: 4 PM -10 PM
Saturdays: 12 PM – 9 PM
Sundays: 12 PM – 9 PM
Closed: December 7 & December 25
Extended Hours
Starting December 19:
Open Tuesdays and Wednesdays: 4 PM – 9 PM
Christmas Eve: 12 PM – 4 PM
New Year’s Eve: 11 AM – 1 PM
New Year’s Day: 4 PM – 9 PM
Santa’s Workshop
Fridays: 5 PM – 9 PM
Saturdays: 12 PM – 8 PM
Sundays: 1 PM – 3 PM
Last Day to Visit Santa: December 23
Winter Park Express
Fridays: 5 PM – 9 PM
Saturdays: 1 PM – 9 PM
Sundays: 1 PM – 4 PM
Tinsel Trail
Location: Big Spring Park
Dates: Nov 24, 2023- Dec 31, 2023
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: More Information Coming Soon
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 17 – December 31 | 5 pm- 9 pm
Winter Wonderland Dates: Nov 17 – 19, Nov 22 – 26, Nov 30, Dec 1 – 3, Dec 7 – 10 , Dec 14 – 31
Cost: $30 per car – Includes access to Winter Wonderland*
*Additional costs for individual activities inside Toyota Field.
Enjoy the drive-through Light Show with a North Pole theme for 45 nights in a row! Experience the Winter Wonderland inside the ballpark where you can meet Santa and other characters, plus get your picture inside the giant snow globe, roast s’mores by the firepits, and more!
Bridge Street Lights Up!
Date and Time: November 17, 2023 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 music by Big Daddy Kingfish and local choir groups, giveaways, holiday characters and more.
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 Friday Flurries
Date and Time: November 17 from 4:30-7 PM (Lights Up!) and November 24 + December 1, 8, 15 & 22 from 6-8 PM
Location: Bridge Street Town Centre
Cost: Free
There’s SNOW place like Bridge Street Town Centre, especially during the holidays! Join us at the north-end fountains, near the Southern Living Store, for Friday Flurries to enjoy faux snow, a festive photo op, and more!
Bridge Street Holiday Light Show
Show Times:
November 18 & 19 | 6, 6:30, 7 + 7:30 PM
November 25 & 26 | 6, 6:30, 7 + 7:30 PM
December 2 & 3 | 6, 6:30, 7 + 7:30 PM
December 9 & 10 | 6, 6:30, 7 + 7:30 PM
December 16 & 17 | 6, 6:30, 7 + 7:30 PM
Friday, December 23 | 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.
The showtimes listed will be the start times for the 10-minute laser light show.
Christmas on the River
Date and Time: Dec 1-3, Dec 8-10, Dec 15-17, Dec 22
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, 2023
Location: EarlyWorks
Cost: $12 per person for the general public and $10 per person for members. Admission is free for children under one-year-old.
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 2023!
