|
Aside from 32 miles of sugar white sand, Alabama’s beaches showcase a
full array of events that span the seasons. Discover a charming Southern coastal
community as it prepares for the upcoming holiday season with these family-friendly events.
Shopping
 Quickly complete that long list shopping list with a
visit to the Holiday Market at the Orange Beach
Art Center. Open from now through January 9, 2009, the center showcases
items from local artists and craftsmen. For more information, click here, or call 251-981-1524.
Santa
Don’t
miss a chance to let Santa know how good you have been this year by visiting The Wharf. A Christmas tree lighting is scheduled
for the day after Thanksgiving (Friday, November 28) at 6:00 p.m. After an amazing
display, children will be able to talk to Santa and have a free picture taken.
Then, Santa will return to The Wharf every Saturday until Christmas from noon
to 4:00 p.m. for time with the children and free pictures. (Please note the time
change of 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on December 6th). For more information, click here, or call 251-224-1000.
Also, the City of Orange
Beach will hold a Christmas Tree Lighting
on Monday, December 1 at 6:00 p.m. on the front lawn at city hall. Santa will
once again make a special appearance. The free evening will also include games,
refreshments and children’s entertainment. For more information, click here, or call 251-981-6979.
The City of Gulf Shores
will hold its 28th Annual Christmas
Tree Lighting and Open House on Thursday, December 4 at the
Gulf Shores Municipal Complex. Free to the public, this two-hour event starts
at 6:00 p.m. and showcases a spectacular tree lighting, refreshments, entertainment
and a visit from Santa. For more information, click here, or call 251-968-2425.
Santa will finish his
rounds on Pleasure Island and will then head for his final stop at Magnolia Springs
Community Hall on Saturday, December 13. Breakfast
with Santa starts at 7:00 a.m. and will conclude at 11:00 a.m. Enjoy a
tasty breakfast of pancakes and then share your wishes with Santa. Admission is
$10.00 for adults and $5.00 for children age 12 and under.
Entertainment
Enjoy as must-see holiday classic as the South Baldwin Community Theatre presents Babes in Toyland. Friday and Saturday evening
performances (on December 5, 6, 12 and 13) start at 7:30 p.m. while Sunday matinees
(on December 7 and 14) begin at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $15.00 for adults, and $7.50
for students (grades K-12). Children under school age are $5.00. The theatre is
located at 2022 West Second Avenue in Gulf Shores, AL. For more information, click here, or call 251-968-6721.
 Continue the trip down memory lane (or make a new family memory) with
A Civil War Christmas at Fort Morgan.
Scheduled for Saturday, December 13th from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.,
this family-friendly event includes a candlelight tour of the fort, a weapons
demonstration, artillery firing and Civil War period Christmas music from the
Sons of Anak. Admission is $5.00 for adults, $4.00 for seniors, $3.00 for children
18 and under and free to those 6 years old and under. A family pass for two adults
and two children is $12.00. For more information, call 251-540-7127.
The
Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra will be featured at the 16th Annual Symphony by the Sea on Sunday, December 14.
Held at the Marriot Grand Hotel in Point Clear, the event starts at 4:00 p.m.
with a cocktail party and also includes a silent auction, concert and sponsor
dinner (at 8:30 p.m.). The $65.00 tickets will be on sale at Kaiser Realty and
the Baldwin County United Way. For more information, call 251-943-2110.
Finally,
the City of Gulf Shores’ Entertainment Series presents A Christmas Carol on Thursday, December 18 at the Erie Meyer Civic
Center. Tickets are $26.00 and $22.00. Doors open at 7:00 p.m., and the curtain
rises at 7:30 p.m. For more information, click here, or call 251-968-1172.
Parades
The
Wharf will hold its 1st Annual Pleasure
Island Christmas Parade at noon on Saturday, December 13th.
The parade route begins at Live Bait, meanders through The Wharf and ends at Fishtales.
For more information, click here, or call 251-224-1000.
Later that evening at
5:30 p.m., A “Nautical Night of Lights”
lighted boat parade will assemble at Homeport Marina and travels east to
the final stop of Sportsman Marina. Spectators are invited to line the banks of
the Intracoastal Waterway, and watch this unique holiday event. For more information,
click here, or call 251-968-6091.
For more information
on these or any other event on the Alabama Gulf Coast, click here.
| 
