Regions Bank Christmas display in downtown Birmingham returns [PHOTOS]

Reading time: 2 minutes

Regions
Regions Center Christmas display in downtown Birmingham (Regions Bank)

One of The Magic City’s most beloved Christmas traditions is back. 

The Regions Bank 30-story Christmas display made its 2023 return to the Birmingham skyline the evening after Thanksgiving.

Christmas lights on the Regions Center began in 1970s

Regions
Regions Center Christmas display in downtown Birmingham (Regions Bank)

Last year, Bham Now published an in-depth story about the tradition. We featured its history, which dates back to the 1970s and what it takes to illuminate the iconic Christmas Trees, wreath and stocking.

Displayed downtown at the Regions Center on  5th Ave. North and 20th Street, each window (nearly 2500) from floor five to 30 has a tube light wedged between the window and the blinds. The images are created by placing red and green ‘gel sleeves’ over the white light tubes above each window. Crews operate with a grid showing the pattern of the display on each side of the building that lets them know which windows need which colors.

Photos of Regions Christmas display

Special to Bham Now — Below are photos of past lightings, the holiday designs and the light tubes that are installed inside the building.

Regions Christmas lights featured in Alabama Short Stories

Want to learn more about the history of the Regions holiday lights? Just in time for Christmas, the podcast — Alabama Short Stories — released an entertaining 8 minute story about the special tradition.

Got a favorite Regions Bank Christmas display story? Tell us on social media at @bhamnow

Pat Byington
Pat Byington

Longtime conservationist. Former Executive Director at the Alabama Environmental Council and Wild South. Publisher of the Bama Environmental News for more than 18 years. Career highlights include playing an active role in the creation of Alabama's Forever Wild program, Little River Canyon National Preserve, Dugger Mountain Wilderness, preservation of special places throughout the East through the Wilderness Society and the strengthening (making more stringent) the state of Alabama's cancer risk and mercury standards.

Articles: 2628