Community Christmas events coming up

By Editor | December 5, 2025 |

By Christa Jennings
Senior staff writer

With the holiday season upon us, there is no shortage of Christmas events available for individuals and families to enjoy in Coosa County and surrounding areas.

Tomorrow is the annual Kellyton Christmas Celebration, which is always held the first Saturday in December. This free event will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. and will include a gift shop, sweet shop, kid zone, Hot Cocoa Cafe, and Santa’s Workshop.

Vendors will be on site selling a variety of crafts, candles, personalized gifts, and more. The sweet shop will feature vendors selling homemade fried apple pies, salsa, jellies, jams, baked goods, pickles, and more.

The kid’s zone will include games, face painting and a bounce house. Additionally, popcorn and cotton candy will be sold in the concession stand in the hallway.

Free hot chocolate and coffee will be readily available for all guests in the cafeteria area. Each person will also be given a ticket that entitles them to a free hot dog, chips and a soda.

The highlight of the evening is Santa’s Workshop, with Santa arriving at 6 p.m. to greet the children and be available for photo opportunities.

The Kellyton Christmas Celebration is a rain or shine event as it is held indoors at the Kellyton Civic Complex, located at 145 Church Street, Kellyton.

Also tomorrow, youth in Goodwater can delight in seeing Santa himself ride through town on a fire truck, thanks to the Goodwater Volunteer Fire Department.

Santa’s ride will start at 12 p.m., and he will be passing out gifts to all children as he rides through their neighborhoods. The route will take the fire truck through downtown Goodwater, along County Road 66, on Highland Street, Nebo Street, Holmes Street, Hackneyville Street, Harris Street, and Clay Street.

Originally scheduled for yesterday evening, Goodwater’s annual Christmas parade in downtown Goodwater was rescheduled to Tuesday, December 9, beginning at 6 p.m.

Goodwater’s festivities also include the 2025 Goodwater Christmas Tree and Yard Decorating Contest, where area residents and businesses are encouraged to “spread holiday cheer all through Goodwater” with their most festive Christmas decorations.

For the Christmas Tree Contest, participants are encouraged to take a photo of their tree and share it for judging.

For the Yard Decorating Contest, the judges will be driving around December 20-21 to view decorated yards throughout Goodwater.

Prizes will be awarded for first, second and third place winners. Those wishing to participate should submit their Christmas trees and enter their yards for the contests no later than December 20.

The tree and yard contests are hosted by the Goodwater Youth Development Center. For more information call 256-743-1252.

The Town of Rockford’s Christmas event was originally also scheduled to be held tomorrow. However, on Tuesday the town reported that “for a variety of reasons, one being the weather” the event was moved to Saturday, December 13.

As such, Rockford’s Winter Fest is now scheduled for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. next Saturday, with the Christmas parade starting at 6 p.m. Both will be held downtown along U.S. Highway 231.

Winter Fest will include vendors, food trucks and music, as well as children’s activities. The theme for this year’s parade is “Santa’s Workshop.”

Because of rescheduling the event, those interested in registering as a vendor or participating in the float now have more time to sign up. The deadline has now been extended to Wednesday, December 10, and those interested in being a vendor or being in the parade can call Town Hall at 256-377-4911 to register.

The town is also holding a Christmas Decorating Contest for area homes or businesses, with judging taking place at 5 p.m. today. Winners will be announced next Saturday following the parade.

Not to be left out, the Cottage Grove community can also look forward to Christmas in the Grove, being held December 14 from 1 to 3 p.m. The J.D. Thompson Alumni Association invites everyone to attend.

Held at the J.D. Thompson Alumni School Building; located at 1854 County Road 93, Kellyton, 35089; Christmas in the Grove will include refreshments and fun activities.

The Hanover Community Club and Neighborhood Watch is also hosting an event with the Hanover Community Christmas Party and Carol Singing scheduled for Tuesday, December 16, from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

The event will be held at Andrews Chapel Methodist Church, located at 112 County Road 75. Guests are encouraged to bring their favorite Christmas finger foods to share.

The group will enjoy a time of socializing and singing Christmas carols, as well as conduct a short business meeting for the Hanover Neighborhood Watch.

Outside of Coosa County, surrounding areas also have holiday events scheduled throughout the month.

Wetumpka will hold its Downtown Dickens Christmas from 5 to 8 p.m. today and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. tomorrow in the downtown area along East Bridge Street.

This annual two-day event transforms Wetumpka’s historic downtown into a Victorian-era Christmas festival with the city’s official Christmas tree lighting ceremony, a live nativity, period costumes, vendors, music, photo opportunities with Father Christmas, and activities such as candle dipping and cheese making.

This evening’s events include a tree lighting at 6 p.m., followed by A Dickens of a Christmas Dance at the corner of Commerce and East Bridge streets with an old-fashioned promenade dance. This evening will also include the live nativity, photos with Father Christmas, carriage rides, after-hours shopping, arts and crafts vendors, live music, and carolers.

Tomorrow’s portion of the event will include a costume contest at 10:30, photos with Father Christmas from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., live music and entertainment, downtown shopping, and the monthly Farmers Market, which ends at 1 p.m.

The Alexander City Parks and Recreation is also bringing back its Christmas in the Park event for the first time in nearly a decade. That event is scheduled for next Saturday, December 13, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will include an ice skating rink, photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, Princesses in the Park, a holiday market, food vendors, trolley rides, letters to Santa, inflatables, Home Depot’s Tiny Workshop, a Snowflake Station, cookie making, and more.

For those who cannot make it to next Saturday’s event, the ice skating rink will be available for everyone to visit from Thursday, December 11, through Saturday. It is open tot he public from 4 to 9 p.m. that Thursday and from 4 to 10 p.m. that Friday.

While the ice rink will be free to the public during next Saturday’s Christmas in the Park event, rink passes will be sold for the preceding Thursday and Friday for 30 minutes at a cost of $5 for children 12 and under and $10 for adults.

The Christmas in the Park will be held at the Charles E. Bailey Sportplex in Alexander City, with Sportplex Boulevard closed to the public on Saturday, December 13, for the event.

Sylacauga’s Christmas parade was held yesterday, but Christmas at The Olde Marketplace, formerly the Pickle Patch Market, will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. next Friday, December 12, with Santa visiting from 5 to 7 p.m. for pictures with Santa.

The evening will include refreshments such as festive snacks, sales and holiday shopping, as well as door prizes at 6 and 7 p.m. The Olde Marketplace is located at 42490 U.S. Highway 280 in Sylacauga.

Sylacauga will cap off the holiday season with Christmas Movie Night at the Rec, with the Sylacauga Parks and Recreation hosting movie night at 6 p.m. Thursday, December 18, at the J. Craig Smith Community Center.

This special movie night will feature a festive showing of “Elf,” sponsored by the Central Alabama Community College Adult Learning Program. The full event is completely free to the public.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for snowflake ornament decorating for the youth. Children must be accompanied by an adult, and guests are encouraged to bring the whole family as “Elf is fun and appropriate for all ages.”

Seating is provided, but guests can bring a comfortable bag chair if they prefer. There will be free popcorn provided by Heritage South Credit Union and free hot chocolate provided by Sylacauga Parks and Recreation.