Your holiday guide to experiencing Birmingham during Christmas

With so much to do and see in Birmingham during the holidays, it’s hard to choose.  See all the fun events here!

Where to bring the kids

Parades galore.  There’s a parade for every city surrounding Birmingham and beyond.  Enjoy the one closest to you or all of them (hey, we’re not judging).

• Sensory Santa 2017. Dec. 9. 2 -4 PM @ 128 Market Center Drive. FREE.

For families with special needs, Angel Warriors Foundation has the perfect event for you. Get pictures with Santa and enjoy lots of other fun activities with your kids in a sensory-friendly environment. They deserve a round of applause.

• Jingle Bell Breakfast. Dec. 9. 8:30-9:30 AM @ McWane Science Center. $30.

Enjoy a holiday breakfast, make some fun crafts and watch Santa vs. the Snowman in the IMAX theatre with your kids.

• Griffin Farms of Helena’s 1st Annual Barnyard Bash. Dec. 9. 9 AM-3 PM. $5 (or FREE if you bring your own camera).

Pet the barnyard animals, buy crafts from local vendors, enjoy live music, a dance performance, and a live nativity with food trucks to top it off.  Sounds like the perfect Christmas celebration for your family this season.

• Alabaster Christmas Parade.  Dec. 2. 10 AM @ Ernest McCarty Ford. FREE.
• Helena Christmas Parade: A Christmas Movie Memory.  Dec. 2. 1 PM @ Helena Road. FREE.

Come enjoy Helena’s 47th Annual Christmas Parade with your family!

• Bluff Park Christmas Parade. Dec 2. 10 AM @ Shades Cliff Pool. FREE.

Who doesn’t love parades? Plus there will be food trucks, music and activities for your kids.

• Holiday Parade of Mountain Brook. Dec. 3. 3-4 PM @ Mtn. Brook Village. FREE.

See your favorite holiday floats and get a photo op with Santa!

• Homewood Christmas Parade. Dec. 5.  6:30 PM @ Homewood Library. FREE.

Come for the floats, Santa, and the Christmas tree at City Hall.

• Holiday in the Hills: Vestavia Christmas Celebration. Dec. 10. 2-4 PM @ Liberty Parkway. FREE.

Food. Music. Pictures with Santa.  You know the drill.

Where to go (to wear that ugly Christmas sweater your grandma gave you)

We all have one.  Let that ugly Christmas sweater shine in all its glory at these tacky Christmas sweater parties.

• Crestwood Christmas Extravaganza. December 9th. 5-9 pm @ The Shoppes of Crestwood.

Seasick Records and the Crestwood Pharmacy and Soda Fountain team up for a super fun Christmas bash. Wear your ugliest Xmas sweater and stay for the eggnog, goodie bags, and food by chef Robby Melvin (plus some sick Christmas carols).

• The Reindeer Dash. Dec. 23. 8-9 AM. @ Pure Fitness. $15.

Work off the holiday weight with a 2 mile fun run starting at the Pure Fitness in Vestavia.  Register by Dec. 1st for early pricing.

Where to shop

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Save yourself the stress and find those last minute gifts that are sure to keep you on the nice list this year. Support your local makers and check out these holiday markets!

• Annual Holiday Art Opening. Dec. 2. 6-9 PM @ Daniel Day Gallery. FREE.

Come buy special, one of a kind gifts from local artist.  Plus wine.

• Cahaba Village Open House. Dec. 5. 5-8 PM @ Cahaba Village. FREE.

Wander the wonderful stores of Cahaba Village, enjoy free snacks, stock up on holiday gifts and join their scavenger hunt!

• Crestline Open House. Dec. 7. 4-7 PM @ Crestline Village. FREE.

See Santa while you browse the cute shops at Crestline Village and enjoy free snacks!

• Pepper Place holiday open house. Dec. 6. 5:30-8 PM @ Pepper Place. FREE.

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Based in Birmingham’s design district, the Pepper Place open house will make you the best gift giver in your circle this season. Come taste and see some amazing retailers and restaurants who will have pop-up shops throughout Pepper Place.

• Gifts of Art. Dec. 7. 10 AM-7 PM @ the House at Aldridge Gardens. FREE.

Get the best one of a kind gifts from local artisans at this market! Come buy jewelry, ceramics, mini paintings, and fabrics.

• CahaBAZAAR holiday market. Dec. 9. 12-7 PM @ Cahaba Brewing Company. FREE.

All you need to know is there will be art and gifts from local makers and great food and beer.  Need we say more?

Where to see the best Christmas lights

• Hoover Tree Lighting Ceremony. Nov 30. 5 pm @ Hoover Municipal Center. FREE.

Come watch the Christmas Tree lighting at Hoover City Hall and bring the kids to see Santa!

• Helena Christmas Tree Lighting. Dec. 1.  8-9 pm @ Caboose Welcome Center. FREE.

Activities start at 5 with handbell choirs and ornament decorating. Plus local vendors and food trucks (and pictures with Mrs. Clause of course).

• Zoolight Safari by Wells Fargo. Dec. 8-10, 15-23, 26-31. 5-9 PM @ the Birmingham Zoo. $10 + $3.50 ride ticket/ FREE for members.

Listen to holiday music with the Singing Santa and enjoy rides like the Shipt Candy Cane Ride, Jingle Bell Carousel, and the 100 foot Yuletide Slide. Beer/wine available on Fridays and Saturdays.

• Christmas Tree Lighting. Dec. 9.  5-9 pm @ Old Baker Farm. $5 (WORTH IT).

Celebrate the Christmas season with a Christmas tree lighting at Old Baker Farm.  See the lights (and Santa), enjoy hayrides, a live Nativity, and Christmas music.

• Wacky Tacky light tour. Avondale Brewing Co. Dec. 12-14. 5:30-8 pm. $30.

Don your tackiest Christmas sweater and meet at the upstairs of Avondale Brewing co. for the best way to see the wackiest Christmas lights in the ‘ham.  This 2-hour bus tour includes dinner and a snack from Dreamland BBQ and proceeds benefit the Fresh Air Family.  Get all the info here.

What to watch

From Christmas movies to plays and performances, you can’t be bored in Birmingham this holiday season.

• A Christmas Carol. Dec. 7. 7:30-9:30 PM @ Hoover Library. $27.50.

See this performance of a new twist on a classic Christmas play at Hoover Library.

• A Christmas by Candelight: A Christmas Alleluia. Dec. 10. 2 & 6 PM @ Shades Mountain Baptist Church. FREE.

NYACP (not your average Christmas performance).  Don’t miss this special Christmas concert featuring incredibly talented musicians, artists and filmmakers that’s been drawing local and international crowds for years. And catch their Christmas short-film Out for Delivery on local stations Dec. 15-17.

• Polar Express PJ Party. Dec. 9-10. 1 or 3 PM. McWane Science Center. $20 ($5 discount for members!)

Put on your Christmas jammies and win a prize! Plus you get to enjoy milk and cookies with Santa before watching Polar Express in the IMAX movie theater.  Sounds like a pretty sweet gig to me.

• Bluegrass Christmas Carol. Dec. 8-17. Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30 PM @ Virginia Samford Theatre. $15-$30.

Bluegrass more your style? See a completely new retelling of A Christmas Carol featuring the Herb Trottman Band.

Did we miss something? Let us know!