3 cheerful holiday lights and sights events in Auburn

Do you love looking at festive decor and lights? We’ve got you covered! Here are three leisurely events in Auburn-Opelika to get you in the holiday spirit.

1. Victorian Front Porch Tour

Enjoy the Victorian Front Porch Tour with a drive-thru or walking tour. (Auburn-Opelika Tourism)

Opelika is keeping it classic for Christmas with their annual Victorian Front Porch Tour. Over 60 homes in Opelika’s northside historic district will be adorned with colorful vintage Christmas decor that will give you a feeling of nostalgia. Keep your eye out for all sorts of Christmas-themed figures and decor, like life-sized Santas and gorgeous greenery. You can drive through the district all week or opt for a leisurely stroll on Saturday night when the streets are closed for the event.

The tour dates back to 1993 and has been voted one of the Southeast’s top-rated tourism events. Not to mention, it was featured in Better Homes and Gardens and Southern Living. Are you excited yet? The tour begins at Heritage House on North 8th Street and 2nd Avenue and includes over ten city blocks. 

Want the full old-timey experience? You can book a carriage ride tour from December 11-13.

• When: Friday, December 9-Tuesday, December 13 | (Driving Tour) Friday + Sunday-Tuesday, December 9, 11-13, 5-9PM | (Bike Tour) Saturday, December 10, 10AM | (Walking Tour) Saturday, December 10, 6-9:30PM
• Where: Opelika’s northside historic district
• Price: FREE

2. The Collinwood Luminaries

Drive along a candlelit path to a live nativity scene. (Collinwood Luminaries / Facebook)

If you’re in search for a nativity scene and a calm, charming night, the Collinwood Luminaries event is for you. Every year, the residents of Collinwood line the streets with 1,500 candlelit sacks that form a twinkling path to a live nativity (including live animals). Residents and locals work together to create scenes of shepherds, wise men and angels to tell the Christmas story along the candlelit path.

The Collinwood Luminaries event dates back to 1967 and has been a cherished tradition by Auburn and surrounding communities. Enjoy this calm, sentimental storytelling experience hosted by Collinwood.

• When: Friday, December 9, 5-9PM | (Rain Date) Saturday, December 10, 5-9PM
• Where: Off of 10th St Opelika, AL 36801
• Price: FREE

3. Gingerbread Village

Stop by the Hotel at Auburn University next time you’re in downtown Auburn to check out this year’s Gingerbread Village. (Elizabeth Hobbs / The Bama Buzz)

Get ready to be impressed—East Alabama’s largest Gingerbread Village is on display right now in the conference center of the Hotel at Auburn University. Come marvel at the detail and skill put into this elaborate 10-building display.

This isn’t your average gingerbread house—the Gingerbread Village is a team effort. The streetscapes of the display are switched up every year and created by Adam Keeshan, managing partner of food and beverage. The gingerbread structures are engineered by Auburn University College of Architecture, Design and Construction’s professor Paul Holley, and the gingerbread is made to perfection and attached to the structures by pastry chef Dallas Key.

Each building is imagined and decorated by a different team at the hotel, so you’ll see lots of different personalities of decor. There’s even an opportunity to donate to this year’s charity, Storybook Farms, who has their own building in the display with a QR code to donate.

• When: Sunday, December 4-Sunday, January 1
• Where: 241 South College St Auburn, AL 36830
• Price: FREE

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