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Christmas with kids in Decatur
Decatur, Alabama, celebrates Christmas in historic neighborhoods and on the Tennessee River. Its homes tour, living tree trail and river parade of lights keep the old town glowing each December.
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The story of Christmas in Decatur
How Decatur celebrates
Decatur's Christmas season centers on its historic neighborhoods and downtown. The Christmas Tour of Homes visits decorated houses in the Old Decatur and Albany districts on the second Saturday of December, and longtime residents believe it began in 1978 or earlier. Downtown, the Enchanted Forest of Decatur is a trail of trees sponsored and decorated by local businesses and groups. A downtown Christmas parade with Santa is held in early December, and a Christmas Parade of Lights floats down the Tennessee River on decorated boats.
Christmas last year in Decatur
In 2025 the Historic Christmas Tour of Homes took place on Saturday, December 13, from 2 to 7 pm, with Old Decatur and Albany homes decorated in live cedar, magnolia and fir. The Enchanted Forest living tree trail ran from December 5 to January 1. The Young Professionals of Decatur presented the Lights, Camera, Christmas parade in early December at 6 pm, and towns like Trinity, Priceville, Eva, Falkville and Hartselle held their own parades. At the Decatur Public Library, Christmas story times were held every Tuesday.
Fun facts about Christmas in Decatur
Old Decatur was largely rebuilt after the Civil War, so only a few of its homes are older than that, and the Albany district developed in the late 1870s or early 1880s. Many of the historic churches on the tour weekend were built before 1900. Proceeds from the home tour help pay for preservation projects such as wayfinding signs and replacing canopy trees. At the library, Santa visits come with a Christmas scavenger hunt for an elf, a tree, a reindeer and a candy cane.
Traditions today
- Historic Christmas Tour of Homes: A volunteer-run, self-guided tour of decorated homes in Old Decatur and Albany on the second Saturday of December.
- Enchanted Forest of Decatur: A downtown trail of decorated trees sponsored by local businesses, free to walk through each December.
- Downtown Christmas parade: Floats, bands and Santa roll through downtown Decatur in early December.
- Christmas Parade of Lights: Decorated boats glide along the Tennessee River in early December.
- Library Christmas story times: The Decatur Public Library holds Christmas-themed story times on Tuesdays and a Santa visit with crafts.
- Neighbor town parades: Trinity, Priceville, Eva, Falkville and Hartselle each hold a Christmas parade in December.
A fact for kids
In Decatur, Christmas floats on water. A parade of decorated boats lights up the Tennessee River every early December.
Questions about Christmas in Decatur
What is the Enchanted Forest of Decatur?
The Enchanted Forest is a living Christmas tree trail in downtown Decatur, in front of the Old State Bank building. Each tree is decorated and sponsored by a local business or organization, and in 2025 it ran from December 5 to January 1. It is free to walk through, which makes it an easy outing with small children.
Who puts on the Decatur Christmas parade?
The Young Professionals of Decatur present the downtown parade, called Lights, Camera, Christmas, which was listed for early December 2025 at 6 pm. Earlier listings credit the Jaycees. Families can expect floats, marching bands and Santa Claus. Parade details shift by year, so always check the host's page.
When is the Decatur Christmas parade held?
The Decatur parade has been held on a weeknight or Saturday evening in early December. The Decatur Downtown Redevelopment Authority lists it for the first Monday in December, and in 2025 it was listed at 6 pm. Our Decatur Christmas events guide on this page has the current year's date and time.
What is the Historic Decatur Christmas Tour of Homes?
It is a self-guided tour of decorated homes in the Old Decatur and Albany historic districts, held on the second Saturday of December, 2 to 7 pm in 2025. Many homeowners decorate with live cedar, magnolia and fir from nearby yards. Volunteers run it, and proceeds support local preservation projects.
How old is the Decatur Christmas Tour of Homes?
Nobody is certain. A local researcher found materials dating to 1998, but longtime residents believe the tour began in 1978 or even earlier. Either way, it is a long-running holiday tradition in Decatur. It is run by volunteers, and proceeds help pay for preservation projects such as wayfinding signs and replacing canopy trees.
What are the Old Decatur and Albany districts?
They are the two historic neighborhoods on the Christmas tour. Old Decatur is older, with much of it rebuilt after the Civil War and homes in craftsman, Victorian and colonial styles. Albany developed later, likely in the late 1870s or early 1880s, with deep lots and grand homes.
Do historic churches take part in Decatur's Christmas season?
Yes. Westminster Presbyterian, First United Methodist, First Baptist and other historic churches take part in the Christmas tour weekend, and some offer special programs or live nativity scenes. Many of these churches were built before 1900, so kids can see some of the town's older buildings.
Does Santa visit the Decatur Public Library?
Yes, Santa has visited the Youth Services Room at the Decatur Public Library on a December evening, where children told him their wishes and then made crafts like a cotton-ball Santa and a foam sticker reindeer. A Christmas scavenger hunt had kids look for an elf, a tree, a reindeer and a candy cane.
Are Decatur Public Library programs free?
Yes. The library says all programs are free and open to everyone, with no library card or Decatur residency required. Tuesday story times are Christmas-themed in December, and so is Thursday's Lego hour. Cindy Lou Who has also visited the Youth Services Room during the season.
Does Decatur have a Christmas tree lighting?
Yes. The 2025 holiday guide listed a Decatur tree lighting at the Alabama Center for the Arts, along with lightings in Hartselle, Eva, Falkville and Priceville. Exact dates shift each year, so check our Decatur Christmas events guide on this page before you plan your evening.
Which nearby towns have Christmas parades?
Trinity, Priceville, Eva, Falkville and Hartselle all hold Christmas parades in early to mid December. The Hartselle parade is presented by the Kiwanis Club, and the Priceville one is named the Shelia Smith Christmas Parade. Smaller parades can be easier with little kids than a big city crowd.
What is Eva's Christmas on the Mountain?
Eva, a small Morgan County town, holds a Christmas parade on a Saturday in early December and a tree lighting at 6 pm that same evening under the name Christmas on the Mountain. It may suit families who prefer a smaller crowd.
What does the downtown Decatur Christmas parade include?
Past listings for the Decatur Christmas parade described colorful floats, marching bands and Santa Claus, and it was held on a Saturday evening in early December. Today the Young Professionals of Decatur present the Lights, Camera, Christmas parade. Floats, bands and Santa are the main sights.
Is there a Christmas parade of lights on the water in Decatur?
Yes. The downtown association lists a Christmas Parade of Lights on the Tennessee River, with decorated boats, in early December. Decatur sits on the river, so a boat parade fits the town. Check our Decatur Christmas events guide on this page for the current date and viewing spots.
What is the Downtown Decatur Christmas Open House?
It is a shopping evening held on the second Thursday in November, when participating downtown stores and restaurants offer specials, prizes and entertainment. It is aimed at shoppers more than children, but it is the first sign that the Decatur holiday season has begun.
Is there a Christmas event at the Cook Museum of Natural Science?
The Cook Museum has held a Christmas Store Open House in late November, starting around November 21 and running for two days. It is a gift shopping event rather than a children's program. See our Decatur Christmas events guide on this page for current family events.
How do I explain a historic home tour to young kids?
Tell them it is like a walk through a storybook neighborhood where grown-up homes are dressed up for Christmas with real greenery from yards and woods. Point out cedar, magnolia and fir, and let kids count wreaths. The houses in Old Decatur and Albany are over a century old.
Where can kids see a Christmas tree in downtown Decatur?
The Enchanted Forest in front of the Old State Bank has a whole trail of decorated trees each December, and Decatur also holds a tree lighting at the Alabama Center for the Arts. Our Decatur Christmas events guide on this page lists the current year's dates.
Does the Decatur Public Library have a story walk?
The library plans to set up its Festival of the Cranes story walk at the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge around the start of Christmas break, with more Festival of the Cranes activities in January. A story walk lets families read a picture book page by page while strolling outdoors.
What does a small-town Christmas in Decatur look like?
Decatur mixes historic neighborhoods, a downtown tree trail, a parade, a river boat parade and a library with Santa visits and Christmas story times. Neighboring towns like Hartselle, Eva and Priceville add their own parades and tree lightings, so families can pick a quiet or lively evening.
Sources
- Christmas in Decatur & Morgan County, Decatur Morgan County Tourism
- Strolling Through Decatur's Most Festive Historic Homes, North Alabama Tourism
- Events, Decatur Downtown Redevelopment Authority
- Santa Claus visits the Decatur Public Library, The Decatur Daily
- A Guide to the Festive Holiday Parades in Decatur & Morgan County, Decatur Morgan County Tourism