Harris Vacations Staff Writer | November 26, 2024
Towering Christmas tree palms decked out in twinkling lights, sand-man contests, and Santa Claus has even traded in his heavy velvet suit for a breezy floral shirt—welcome to the Alabama Gulf Coast version of a “white” Christmas, where silky white sand just might be confused for snow. Gulf Shores, Alabama, is a popular destination for families, couples, and friends all year round, but the shores bring a little extra magic come Christmas time.
With most visitors looking to escape the seasonal frigid chill, our beachfront vacation rentals with panoramic ocean views become extra enticing this time of year. Here, you can spend the holiday season connecting with family and creating lasting memories you’ll cherish for decades. If you’re sticking around for the holidays, New Year’s Eve in Gulf Shores is the perfect way to ring in 2025 with spectacular beach parties and fun events to celebrate the end of the year.
This guide will help you fill your Christmas vacation with seasonal events and activities that guarantee this spectacular beach town feels like Christmas, even at 60 degrees!
Here’s a small collection of local events in and around the Gulf Shores & Orange Beach area. Many are free to attend, but you should check the events calendar in advance to confirm.
Photo Credit: Bruce Alan Bennett
Ring in the holiday season with your favorite hits from the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. This is one of the year’s first “Christmas” events and easily a local favorite. Grab your tickets here.
It’s like the New Year’s Eve Ball drop with a little Christmas cheer and adrenaline sports thrown in. Every year at the Flora Bama Bar, Santa does a sky-high jump over the stark white sand and kicks off a fun day of kid’s games, crafts, live music, and celebration. This bar is an absolute staple of the community and well worth a visit regardless of the season.
Photo Credit: Laura Battiato
In Europe, Christmas Markets are a staple of the holiday season. This festive market is hosted at the Coastal Alabama Market and offers a similar ambiance for those looking to embrace the Christmas spirit. Here, you can purchase all your locally crafted gifts and try some tasty homemade Christmas treats.
This beach bar isn’t just dropping Santa. It’s also cooking up one of the best Christmas day dinners in town. But this isn’t your average sit-down dinner. This is a full potluck with the community. Flora-Bama provides the Ham and Turkey, but each family should bring a side dish to share with their fellow diners.
Photo Credit: Cynthia Liang
Rather than hitting the streets searching for the best Christmas lights, gather your loved ones and let the lights come to you! Station yourself by the Intracoastal Waterway on Canal Street to see a boat parade and the city’s best light displays float by.
Is your family the kind that loves a 5k after Thanksgiving? Why not make it the 4-mile Flora-Bama Make It To The Line Run after Christmas, then? Participants receive free food and drinks after the event. Even better, some of the proceeds from the run go to benefit the local Secret Santa program that gives to families in need. So you can feel doubly good about your morning run.
Set at the Brandon Styles Live Theatre, this themed murder mystery plated dinner is sure to intrigue and entertain. While not family-friendly, this is a unique way to get into the holiday spirit. Enjoy a spectacular meal with an up-close interactive show.
While there are plenty of single-day events, the month of December hosts a variety of activities for those not keen to book ahead or plan on specific dates. Here are some of our favorite things to do for the whole family.
Photo Credit: Ground Picture
Everyone gets a photo of Santa Claus in a red suit. But only the chosen few who vacation to Gulf Shores get to nab a family photo with a bearded Hawaiian shirt-clad Santa. Enjoy the unique vacation Santa this season down at the Wharf.
Photo Credit: Monkey Business Images
Known as Holly Days on Main, the gift shops and stores of Gulf Shores are bursting with goods this time of year. While the Wharf offers excellent shopping throughout the season, December 9 and 10 offers live music and a Santa-themed pub crawl for those 21+ visitors on the Wharf.
Still need help finding the perfect gift for your special someone? Make it yourself. The Clay Studio and The Hot Shop allow you to try your hand at pottery and glass blowing. Your friends and family will appreciate it even more as it’s homemade.
Christmas fun is synonymous with ice skating. You don’t have to be a professional on the ice to have some fun. This family-friendly activity is a great way to bond with the kids. The Wharf floods the rink every winter, and visitors enjoy beachfront skating for $15 a person. Buy a package ticket, and you can even throw in a ride on the sky-high Ferris Wheel.
This annual Christmas pageant is held at the South Baldwin Community Theatre for early visitors to Gulf Shores. Known to be comical and light-hearted, it’s a beautiful night of laughter and fun for theatre lovers.
Lit from late November through early January, the stunning Bellingrath Gardens will be luminescent with millions of lights. You can walk through the 16 Christmas scenes and get in the holiday spirit. Outside of the Christmas Season, you can also visit the gardens for a more traditional floral display that’s equally impressive.
Photo Credit: kjungmann
From December 4 to the 31st, you can head to the Lake Shelby Picnic area to see some of the best-lighted displays on the Gulf Coast. Pack up the car, grab a thermos of Hot Cocoa, and make an evening of it. Your stunning photos of Christmas Card Lane might make your Christmas card next year.
Gulf Shores in December is chilly—for Alabama’s beaches, that is, not for the average US town in winter. One of the main reasons people love to visit the Gulf in the wintertime is the comfortable temperatures and the lack of crowds.
Daytime temperatures range between 55 and 60 degrees, with nighttime lows around 45. This means you’ll want to pack at least a few Christmas sweaters in lieu of bathing suits. Here are a few other items besides your regular Gulf Shores packing list you should remember to throw in the suitcase for the holidays.
For those not looking to savor the snow this holiday season, you can get outside and enjoy a beach vacation at Gulf Shores, Alabama.
With incredible beaches, delicious eats, and lots of family-friendly attractions, this is the perfect family vacation destination this December. Our luxurious beach houses allow you to revel in the natural beauty of the Gulf while still maintaining an easy distance from all the amenities and attractions that will bring you to the oceanside town in the first place.
With no shortage of holiday events to fill your time with, you’ll soak in the sea AND the holiday spirit of a coastal Christmas this year. Make this a holiday tradition to remember!
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