The best things to do in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach in December! Christmas events, holiday concerts, great shopping, and so much more.
Things to do in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach in December
December is such a fun time to be in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Alabama. There are so many holiday events, concerts, and Christmas Lights your schedule can be as busy as you want it to be.
We were amazed last December how busy we were trying to go to all of the fun events we could and drive around town looking at holiday decorations.
December Events in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach
We will continually be updating this list as events are announced and updated.
Photos with Santa
Dates - December 1st, 6-8, 13-15, 20 - 24, hours vary by the day.
Location - The Wharf
The Wharf has a fantastic Photos with Santa set up perfect for holiday photos.
The Wharf Ice Skating Rink
Dates - Opening November 15th at 4 pm through January 20th, hours vary by day
Location - The Wharf
The Wharf has an amazing Ice Skating Rink and hot chocolate stand that normally opens in November.
The City of Orange Beach Christmas Tree Lighting
Date - December 3rd, 5:30 pm
Location - Main Street at the Wharf
Enjoy musical performances, an appearance by Santa Holiday Spectra laser light experience, fireworks, and more.
Cookie Decorating with Mrs. Claus and Storytime
Date - December 5th, 10:30 am
Location - Gulf Shores Public Library
Community Christmas at Sims Park
Date - December 5, 2024
Location - Johnnie Sims Park
Enjoy pictures with santa, holiday trees, and the 9th annual Snowball drop. The snowball drop is a man-made blizzard of 8,000 ping pong dropped by Santa.
Christmas Night Market
Date - Thursday December 5th, 5 - 8 pm
Location - Coastal Alabama Farmers and Fishermens Market
Christmas in the Park - Foley
Date - Friday, December 6th, 6 pm
Location - Heritage Park Foley
Enjoy Christmas carols, the lighting of the Christmas Tree, and Santa!
Foley Christmas Parade
Date - Saturday, December 7th, 10 am
Location - Downtown Foley
Let it Snow Marketplace - Foley
Date - Saturday, December 7th, 9 am - 2 pm
Location - Heritage Park Foley
Santa Drop at the Flora-Bama
Date - Saturday, December 7, 2024
Location - Flora Bama
Have you ever seen Santa skydive onto a white sandy beach? You can at the Flora Bama Santa Drop.
They also have kid's games, crafts, live music, face painting, juice and sweet treats.
This free event is a local and visitor favorite. You can bring unwrapped and unopened toy donations to benefit the Toys for Tots.
Anyone who donates a toy gets a free drink card.
Adult Christmas Card-Making Class
Date - December 9th, 10:30 am
Location - Gulf Shores Public Library
A Christmas Tea Party
Date - December 10th, 11 am
Location - Adult Activity Center
The Baldwin Pops Holiday Concert
Date - December 10th, 7 pm
Location - Erie H. Meyer Civic Center
Cost - Free, First come first serve
This is a great holiday concert put on by the City of Gulf Shores
Santa! Storytime
Date - December 12th, 10:30 am
Location - Gulf Shores Public Library
Breakfast with Santa
Date - Saturday, December 14, 8 am
Location - Erie Meyer Civic Center
Cost - $5.00, Children 3 and under are free
Breakfast with Santa at the Erie H. Meyer Civic Center is a great time with breakfast (sausage, bacon, eggs, and pancakes) and of course, Santa Claus.
LuLu's Billy Claus and the LuLuBelles
Date - Saturday, December 14th, 1-3 pm
Location - LuLu's Gulf Shores
1 pm - a letter writing station to Billy and Santa, LuLuBelle crafts and the reading of Billy Claus and the Spirit of Christmas Island.
2 pm - Billy Claus arrives
LuLu's Lighted Boat Christmas Parade
Date - December 14th
Location - Intracoastal Waterway between the Wharf and LuLu's
This is one of our favorite Christmas events! Make sure to go early to get a spot. Everyone in town heads to the Intracoastal Waterway on Canal Street to watch the lighted boats parade by.
Elf Academy
Date - December 14th - 15th
Location - Downtown OWA
Kids can learn all the ins and outs of being one of Santa's elves.
Rat Pack Holiday Revue
Date - December 14th, 7:30 pm
Location - OWA Theater
Breakfast with Santa
Date - December 19 -23
Location - OWA
Join Santa for a holiday-themed breakfast and make unforgettable Christmas memories.
Christmas Ornament Making Storytime
Date - December 19th, 10:30 am
Location - Gulf Shores Public Library
Sugarplum Festival
Date - December 21 - 22
Location - Downtown OWA
Enjoy a holiday festival with arts and crafts vendors, sweet treats, and all things sugarplum.
LuLu's Christmas Cookie Movie Night
Date - Saturday, December 21st, 6 pm
Location - LuLu's Gulf Shores
Free Popcorn, Christmas Cookies, Hot Chocolate & a showing of FROZEN!
Cocoa With Critters
Date- Tuesday, December 24th, 10 am
Location - Gulf State Park Nature Center
Enjoy a family-friendly program with hot chocolate, learn about local wildlife, and meet the naturalists.
Flora Bama Annual Christmas Potluck
Date - Christmas Day, December 25th
Location - Flora Bama
Join locals and visitors in an amazing Christmas Potluck at the Flora-Bama. Bring a covered side dish to share with everyone.
The Flora Bama provides the ham and turkey. There is live music and so much joy.
Flora-Bama Make it to the Line Run/Walk
Date - Saturday, December 28, 2024
Location - Flora Bama
Run, walk, or crawl to the line of the 4 mile run/walk or 1 mile fun run. The First 300 participants will receive run packets that include t-shirts and other goodies.
Complimentary food and beverages are available to participants immediately following the race.
LuLu's Noon Year's Eve
Date - December 31st, 10 am
Location - LuLu's Gulf Shores
Ring in NOON with us with a huge Beach Ball Drop, Festive Music, Fun Crafts and Surprises!
Flora-Bama's New Year's Eve Bash
Date - December 31, 2024
Location - Flora Bama
Make sure to get a ticket for the Flora-Bama's NYE Bash as soon as they go on sale! Tickets include an all you can eat buffet from 6 - 11 pm, breakfast buffet starting at midnight, free champagne split, party favors, live music on three stages, and fun surprises all night long!
Additional December Events along the Gulf Coast
We will continually be updating this list as events are announced and updated.
Daphne's Annual Tree Lighting
Date - Thursday, December 5th, 5 pm
Location - Daphne City Hall
Train rides, caroling, food trucks, and the tree lighting!
Christmas in the Park 2024 - Loxley Christmas Parade
Date - Friday, December 13,
Christmas Parade - 6 pm
Christmas in the Park 7 pm
Location - Municipal Park Dr, Loxley
December Things to Do
Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo
The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo is fun for the entire family. Make sure to check out their sloth and Lemur animal encounters.
They would make a great family photo for holiday cards! I took our nephew and it was so much fun.
Foley Railroad Museum and Model Train Exhibit
The Foley Railroad Museum and Model Trail Exhibit are a great family-friendly attraction in Foley, Alabama.
The “O”-gauge model railroad set model train exhibit covers 1,200 square feet of a tabletop with a replica city and trains.
It is hard to believe there is a quarter mile of track on the display table.
Orange Beach and Gulf Shores Weather in December
The weather in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach cools down in December.
Gulf Shores and Orange Beach enjoy cooler weather with temperatures ranging from 46 degrees to 67 degrees.
Daylight hours continue are pretty consistent in December with the shortest day of the month is December 21, with 10 hours, 12 minutes of daylight and the longest day is December 1, with 10 hours, 20 minutes of daylight.
The earliest sunrise of the month in Gulf Shores is 6:30 AM on December 1 and the latest sunrise is 17 minutes later at 6:47 AM on December 31.
The earliest sunset is 4:49 PM on December 2 and the latest sunset is 11 minutes later at 5:01 PM on December 31.
Water temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico starts to fall in November from 69°F to 65°F, over the course of the month.
Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Lodging
If you are visiting and need to book accommodations, here are our recommendations. We have stayed at each of these lodging options:
The Beach Club Resort and Spa (Fort Morgan): This resort offers beachfront condos with amazing amenities and a great spa. Don't miss dinner at Coast Restaurant.
Use Code - GULFJOURNEY for a discount when booking with Spectrum Resort.
Turquoise Place Luxury Vacation Rentals (Orange Beach): This is our favorite resort in the area! It offers luxury amenities, epic beachfront views, and unbelievable condos.
Use Code - GULFJOURNEY for a discount when booking with Spectrum Resort.
Springhill Suites Orange Beach: Located next to The Wharf, it is an excellent location near shopping and dining. We enjoyed their gorgeous pool.
The Lodge at Gulf State Park: Located on the beach in Gulf State Park, this Hilton Hotel offers epic beach views, a sustainable hotel experience, and great restaurants.
The map below shows the current hotels and vacation rentals available in the area. You can select the dates you are visiting to see current availability.
Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tours
These are some of our favorite tours available in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Alabama.
Dolphin Tours - Book a dolphin cruise here
Check out our experiences on Hammock Time Tiki Tours, Explorer Dolphin Cruise, Southern Rose Dolphin cruise, Cruise OB (Orange Beach), Sail Wild Hearts, and the Sunny Lady Dolphin Cruise.
Pontoon Boat Rentals - Enjoy cruising the waters of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach on a Pontoon. Check out the pontoon boats with slides for extra fun. Book your Boat Rental Here
Parasailing - Check out the epic views as you parasail in the Gulf of Mexico. Look for wildlife and you float high above the water. Book your Parasaiing Trip Here
Jet Ski Rentals - Jet Ski Tours and rentals are a great way to explore the back bays of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. Book your Jet Ski Rental Here
Click here to see all of the top rated tours and activities available in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.
Additional Gulf Coast Travel Guides
Best Sunrise spots in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach - All of the best places to view sunrise.
Gulf Shores Restaurants with a Water View – Check out these great restaurants that offer a water or beach view.
Donut Shops in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach - Start your morning with a sweet treat!
Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo - They offer amazing animal encounters (Lemurs, Kangaroos, Giraffe Feeding, and Sloths)! This little zoo is packed with fun. They have a great petting zoo area with goats, donkeys, and more.
Best Bars in Orange Beach & Gulf Shores - Check out the best bars to enjoy a great drink, live music, and fun atmosphere.
Unique Things to do in Orange Beach and Gulf Shores - There are so many amazing and unique things to do in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Alabama!
Looking ahead make sure to check out our January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December Guides to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach!
Don't miss our other Gulf Coast destinations, including Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Dauphin Island, Fairhope, Fort Morgan, Foley, Mobile, Bayou La Batre, Alabama, and so many more!
We also have articles on the Emerald Coast of Florida, including Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Pensacola Beach, Navarre Beach, Panama City Beach, Perdido Key, Pensacola, and more.
Keep an eye out for articles on the Gulf Coast of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, and Florida!
Check out our Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok pages for more great ideas for the Gulf Coast.
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