Christmas at the Falls
Noccalula Falls - Gadsden, Alabama, USA

We discovered Christmas at the Falls in 2018 at our first visit to Noccalula Falls and it has become one of our favorite holiday events...So much so, that we decided to make it a family tradition for us that we repeat each year.

Each year for the last several years, we have made our pilgrimage to the small southern town of Gadsden, Alabama to beautiful Noccalula Falls for this colorful festival of lights in celebration of the joyous Christmas season.

Christmas at the Falls - A Holiday Must See!

A few years back, we discovered that each year after Thanksgiving, the city of Gadsden, Alabama lights up Noccalula Falls with colorful lighting and strings Christmas light displays all throughout Noccalula Falls Park.

They open up the park each night from Thanksgiving night through New Years Day.  In addition to the awesome and creative light displays throughout the park, families can take a train ride, grab some holiday snacks and various grub from vendors, do some Christmas shopping, check out some of the animals at the zoo, and just have an all around good time together.

More Festive? Yes, Please!

Starting last year, we added a fun twist to our tradition as we decided to dress extra festive for our visits to add to our enjoyment of the event.

In 2020, as pictured above, we all made sure to wear our most festive hat and shirt. As you can tell from the next photo from our 2021 photos of Christmas at the Falls, I seem to gravitate toward the elf theme. 😂

We had lots of laughs and fun in 2020 and 2021 as we bursted out in random Christmas carols, savoured the sights and sounds and smells of the holiday season.

Even though we were in the south, there was a good, cool nip in the air the nights that we visited.

We loved the holiday train ride.  In fact, on our '21 visit, we rode the train twice!

We found out that 2021 was the final year they are operating those particular trains that they had been operating since the late '70s or early '80s.  The conductors said that next year, they are purchasing larger and longer trains for the park.

Dancing Light Show at the Bridge

One of the highlights of the Christmas at the Falls celebration is the dancing light show, presented around the pond at the covered bridge.  

This just adds so much to the festivities.  Well, here's a sneak peak video, so you can decide for yourself.

So, if you have yet to find yourself enjoying the holiday fun in Gadsden, Alabama...You should definitely round up your family and head on over to Christmas at the Falls at Noccalula Falls this year!

Operating schedule and more information can be found at the official Christmas at the Falls page here.