Madison Christmas events 2026: lights, Santa, parade Dec. 12

Last checked Nov. 6, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address; the dates below are for the 2026 season. The Christmas parade and the Polar Express tree lighting on Main Street have their own page: Christmas parade and tree lighting.

Madison’s holiday season runs from mid-November to New Year’s Eve. The biggest light show is Galaxy of Lights at the Huntsville Botanical Garden, about seven miles east. In town, downtown lights its Christmas trees on Main Street at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4, the city’s Christmas parade steps off at 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, Toyota Field hosts Breakfast with Santa the same day, and the Madison Public Library has a Christmas movie and a holiday band concert.

Updated Nov. 6: the city set the Christmas on Main lighting for Friday, Dec. 4, and the Christmas parade for Saturday, Dec. 12, on a new route.

At a glance

• Nov. 13 to Dec. 31: Galaxy of Lights, Huntsville Botanical Garden (closed Nov. 26 and Dec. 25)
• Friday, Dec. 4: Polar Express Christmas on Main tree lighting, 6 p.m., Main Street, free (details)
• Thursday, Dec. 10: Scrooged movie night, Madison Public Library, 6 p.m.
• Saturday, Dec. 12: Breakfast with Santa, Toyota Field; Madison Christmas parade, 5 p.m., free
• Sunday, Dec. 13: Holiday concert, Madison Public Library, 3 p.m., free
• Garden ticket line: 256-830-4447

Galaxy of Lights

The Huntsville Botanical Garden, 4747 Bob Wallace Ave. SW in Huntsville, opens its 31st Galaxy of Lights on Friday, Nov. 13, and runs it to Thursday, Dec. 31, according to the garden. It is closed on Thanksgiving, Nov. 26, and Christmas Day, Dec. 25, the garden says. Walking nights are Nov. 13-25, Nov. 27-29, Dec. 2-5, Dec. 16-24 and Dec. 26-27; driving nights are Dec. 6-15 and Dec. 28-31, with entry from 5:30 to 9 p.m., according to the garden and its 2026 calendar.

• Walking nights: a 1.75-mile route through the lights, with two new areas this year, Winter’s Edge and Crystal Glade, adding more than 200,000 lights.
• Driving nights: stay in your car; $30 a vehicle for members and $40 for nonmembers, up to 10 passengers. Military members and veterans get $5 off driving admission with ID.
• Walking prices (before tax): $17 for nonmembers and $10 for children 3 to 15 on non-peak nights, rising to $21 and $13 on peak nights and $24 and $16 on holiday prime nights; $25 at the gate. Children 2 and under are free.
• Evergreen Express: a 50-minute guided tram ride on select walking nights, admission plus $6 in advance.
• Dog Walking Nights: six nights when dogs may walk the route; dog tickets $5 in advance, $6 at the gate.
• Sensory Hours: 4:30 p.m. on four walking nights, with reduced audio.
• Last entry: 8:45 p.m. on walking nights and 9 p.m. on driving nights.
• Races: a 3K fun run on Tuesday, Dec. 1, and a 5K on Monday, Nov. 30, through RunReg.

The calendar color-codes which nights are walking, driving, peak and dog nights. Buying ahead before 4:30 p.m. on the day gets the lower price, the garden says.

In Madison

Christmas on Main, Friday, Dec. 4. The city and the Madison Station Historic Preservation Society line Main Street with decorated trees from Dec. 4 through Jan. 1, 2027. The lighting is at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4, with a visit with Santa, a glow-stick parade, carols, a reading of The Polar Express, hot chocolate and gingerbread houses, according to the city’s Special Events page. In 2025 Main Street Madison’s Wassail Fest followed the lighting; its 2026 date had not been posted as of Nov. 6.

Christmas parade, Saturday, Dec. 12. The city’s parade, part of Rooted in Christmas: A Madison Holiday Celebration, steps off at 5 p.m. on a new route: from Life Way north on Garner Street, east on Shorter Street and south on Celtic Drive to Madison City Stadium, followed by festivities at Home Place Park. Route, float entry and parking details are on our Christmas parade and tree lighting page.

Breakfast with Santa, Saturday, Dec. 12. The Rocket City Trash Pandas host a holiday morning at Toyota Field, 500 Trash Panda Way. Times and tickets will be announced, the team’s special events page says.

Scrooged movie night, Thursday, Dec. 10. The Madison Public Library, 142 Plaza Blvd., shows the 1988 Bill Murray comedy, rated PG-13, at 6 p.m. in Auditorium 1, as part of its MAD Movie-A-Thon-O-Rama series.

Holiday concert, Sunday, Dec. 13. The Huntsville Concert Band plays “Holiday Classics” at the Madison Public Library from 3 to 4 p.m., directed by Marsha Asquith, according to the library.

More downtown events. In 2025 the city’s Special Events page also listed Madison Christmas Capers with the Madison City Community Orchestra on Main Street, an open house at the Madison Roundhouse on Front Street and the orchestra’s Christmas concert at Madison Methodist Church on Church Street, all in the first week of December. We will add the 2026 dates when the city posts them.

Hanukkah

Hanukkah 2026 begins at sundown Friday, Dec. 4, and ends at nightfall Saturday, Dec. 12. No public menorah lighting in Madison or Huntsville had been posted on an organizer’s website as of Nov. 6. We will add one when it is announced.

Closures around Christmas

• Madison Public Library: closed Thursday, Dec. 24, and Friday, Dec. 25, per its holiday list.
• City of Madison: offices are closed Dec. 24 and 25, according to the city calendar.
• Schools: Madison City Schools are closed for winter holidays Dec. 21 to Jan. 4.
• Garbage: Madison’s Thursday pickup on Dec. 24 is not affected, according to our trash and recycling page.

What this means for you

• Buy Galaxy of Lights tickets ahead of the day for the lower price, and check which nights are walking or driving.
• Downtown’s big nights are Friday, Dec. 4 (tree lighting) and Saturday, Dec. 12 (parade); see the Christmas parade page for the route.
• The library and city offices close Dec. 24 and 25; Galaxy of Lights closes Dec. 25 only.

More guides: New Year’s Eve in Madison and Black Friday and holiday shopping.

Frequently asked questions

When is Galaxy of Lights 2026?

Huntsville Botanical Garden’s Galaxy of Lights runs Nov. 13 to Dec. 31, 2026, on a mix of walking nights and driving nights. It is closed Thanksgiving, Nov. 26, and Christmas Day, Dec. 25.

Where can kids see Santa in Madison?

The Rocket City Trash Pandas host Breakfast with Santa at Toyota Field on Saturday, Dec. 12, with times and tickets to be announced. Santa also visits the Polar Express Christmas on Main tree lighting at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4, on Main Street.

When is the Madison Christmas parade in 2026?

The parade is at 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, on a new route from Life Way north on Garner Street, east on Shorter Street and south on Celtic Drive to Madison City Stadium, with festivities at Home Place Park afterward, the City of Madison says.

Can I bring my dog to Galaxy of Lights?

Yes, on six Dog Walking Nights. Dog tickets are $5 in advance and $6 at the gate, according to the garden’s 2026 calendar.

When does Hanukkah start in 2026?

Hanukkah 2026 begins at sundown Friday, Dec. 4. No public menorah lighting in or near Madison had been announced on an organizer’s website as of Nov. 6.