Christmas on the River is a week-long annual

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...

festival held in

Demopolis, Alabama Demopolis is the largest city in Marengo County, in west-central Alabama. The population was 7,162 at the time of the 2020 United States census, down from 7,483 at the 2010 census. The city lies at the confluence of the Black Warrior River and T ...

. It features a week of events that culminate with a nighttime parade of boats lighted with Christmas-themed decorations on the

Tombigbee River The Tombigbee River is a tributary of the Mobile River, approximately 200 mi (325 km) long, in the U.S. states of Mississippi and Alabama. Together with the Alabama, it merges to form the short Mobile River before the latter empties int ...

at Demopolis. Attendance at the

Marengo County Marengo County is a county located in the west central portion of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census, the population was 19,323. The largest city is Demopolis, and the county seat is Linden. It is named in honor of the Battle of ...

festival averages about 40,000 people.

History

Christmas on the River began in 1972 as a night parade of decorated and lighted floats on

riverboat A riverboat is a watercraft designed for inland navigation on lakes, rivers, and artificial waterways. They are generally equipped and outfitted as work boats in one of the carrying trades, for freight or people transport, including luxury un ...

s along the river at White Bluff. This was followed by a

fireworks Fireworks are a class of Explosive, low explosive Pyrotechnics, pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a l ...

show. These main events have continued and the festival has been expanded over the years to now include several functions in the week prior to the nautical parade.

Events

Christmas on the River begins with a matinee by the Canebrake Players, a local theatrical group. Other events during the week include a reading of The Christmas Story in the

Demopolis Town Square Demopolis Town Square, currently officially known as Confederate Park, is a historic park in the city of Demopolis, Alabama, United States. It is one of the oldest public squares in the state. Demopolis had its beginnings in 1817 with the Vine and ...

, the Alabama Barbecue Championship, the crowning of

Saint Nicholas Saint Nicholas of Myra, ; la, Sanctus Nicolaus (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greeks, Greek descent from the maritime city of Myra in Asia Minor (; modern-da ...

which acknowledges the community members for their work in helping children, the "Lighting of the Tree" celebration, candlelight house tours, a community-wide church service, a concert by the Alabama Boychoir, the Children's Day Christmas Parade, and the Jingle Bell Run.Demopolis’ Christmas on the River kicks off tonight at Alabama.com
Retrieved 7 May 2013 The Alabama Barbecue Championship is an event involving teams from nine states, 75 judges, and roughly 8000 participants. It became the official state

barbecue Barbecue or barbeque (informally BBQ in the UK, US, and Canada, barbie in Australia and braai in South Africa) is a term used with significant regional and national variations to describe various cooking methods that use live fire and smoke t ...

championship on December 18, 1991. The "Christmas in the

Canebrake A canebrake or canebreak is a thicket of any of a variety of ''Arundinaria'' grasses: '' A. gigantea'', '' A. tecta'' and '' A. appalachiana''. As a bamboo, these giant grasses grow in thickets up to 24 ft tall. ''A. gigantea'' is generally ...

" party is held at

Bluff Hall Bluff Hall is a historic residence in Demopolis, Alabama, United States. The original portion of the house is in the Federal style with later additions that altered it to the Greek Revival style. It was documented as part of the Historic America ...

Gaineswood Gaineswood is a plantation house in Demopolis, Alabama, United States. It is the grandest plantation house ever built in Marengo County and is one of the most significant remaining examples of Greek Revival architecture in Alabama.Gamble, Rober ...

, and Lyon Hall, three of Demopolis'

antebellum Antebellum, Latin for "before war", may refer to: United States history * Antebellum South, the pre-American Civil War period in the Southern United States ** Antebellum Georgia ** Antebellum South Carolina ** Antebellum Virginia * Antebellum ar ...

homes, the night before the finale. It includes special candlelight evening tours featuring 19th-century-style holiday decorations of fresh fruit and greenery, confections, and yuletide entertainment. The Jingle Bell Run is a 5K road race for men and women and is held on the final day of the celebration.

References

{{coord, 32.524, -87.841, display=title Festivals in Alabama Christmas and holiday season parades Demopolis, Alabama Tourist attractions in Marengo County, Alabama