Christmas in Hoover 2026: Santa at the Galleria, Hanukkah at the library Dec. 9, the Winter Spectacular Dec. 15 and Glow Wild lanterns at the Birmingham Zoo.

Last checked Oct. 17, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address; the dates below are for the 2026 season. Facts come from the Hoover Public Library’s event calendar, the Riverchase Galleria, the Birmingham Zoo and the City of Hoover, linked below.

Hoover’s Christmas season opens with the city’s tree lighting at City Hall on Tuesday, Dec. 1, covered on our separate Christmas parade and tree lighting page. After that, the Hoover Public Library carries most of the calendar, from a Hanukkah party to a staff variety show, and Santa settles in at the Riverchase Galleria.

At a glance

  • Tuesday, Dec. 1: city tree lighting, 6 p.m., City Hall
  • Wednesday, Dec. 9: Celebrate Hanukkah at the library, 5 to 6 p.m.
  • Tuesday, Dec. 15: Hoover Library Winter Spectacular, 4 and 6:30 p.m.
  • Dec. 18-23: Cozy Christmas in the library’s Children’s Department
  • Nov. 21 to Jan. 3: Glow Wild lantern festival at the Birmingham Zoo, select nights
  • Friday, Dec. 11: Ross Bridge Holiday Market, 4 to 8 p.m.
  • All season: Santa photos at the Riverchase Galleria
  • Library: 205-444-7800; Children’s Department, 205-444-7830

Santa at the Riverchase Galleria

Santa takes photos in Von Maur Court at the Riverchase Galleria, 2000 Galleria Circle. Visits are booked in 15-minute slots through whereissanta.com, and walk-ups are welcome every day until closing. The mall had not posted Santa’s 2026 arrival date or hours as of Oct. 17. Mall hours and holiday shopping notes are on our Black Friday and holiday shopping page.

At the Hoover Public Library

All at the library, 200 Municipal Drive, according to its event calendar:

  • Sunday, Dec. 6, 3 p.m.: The Swingles in the Library Theatre, part of its 2026-27 season (event page). Tickets are sold through the library.
  • Wednesday, Dec. 9, 5 to 6 p.m.: Celebrate Hanukkah, outside the library, with latkes, doughnuts, music and children’s activities for all ages (event page).
  • Thursday, Dec. 10, 6:30 p.m.: DIY Holiday Garlands, for adults (event page).
  • Friday, Dec. 11, 7 to 9 p.m.: the Yuletide Regency Ball, a night of period dancing hosted by the Red Mountain Regency Dance Society (event page).
  • Saturday, Dec. 12, 10:30 a.m.: Storytime: Holiday Edition, stories, music and movement for all ages (event page).
  • Tuesday, Dec. 15, 4 and 6:30 p.m.: the Hoover Library Winter Spectacular, a sing-along, winter-themed variety show starring library staff (event page).
  • Dec. 18-23: Cozy Christmas, themed crafts and quiet activities in the Children’s Department (event page).
  • Monday, Dec. 21, 11 a.m.: a showing of the 1966 “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (event page).

Holiday lights

Glow Wild: An Animal Lantern Celebration returns to the Birmingham Zoo on select nights from Saturday, Nov. 21, 2026, through Sunday, Jan. 3, 2027. The zoo is in Birmingham, north of Hoover over Red Mountain. Tickets and the nightly schedule are on the zoo’s site.

At home, the City of Hoover lights its Christmas tree at City Hall on Dec. 1. Neighborhood light displays are put up by residents and change every year; send us a street worth a drive through our contact page and we will add it.

Holiday market in Ross Bridge

The Ross Bridge Farmers Market closes its 2026 season with a Holiday Market from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11, at 2101 Grand Ave. in Ross Bridge. More on the market is on our farmers markets page.

Home for Christmas: Hoover Home Tours

Last year the City of Hoover presented Home for Christmas: Hoover Home Tours on Dec. 9 and 11, 2025, from 6 to 8:30 p.m., a two-night tour of decorated homes across the city with a stop at the mayor’s home, according to Aldridge Gardens. Proceeds went to Hoover Helps and the Hoover City Schools Foundation, shuttles left from the Church of Brook Hills and the Hoover Met, and guests were asked to bring a new, unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots. The 2026 dates were not out as of Oct. 17.

Parades nearby

Hoover holds a tree lighting instead of a parade. The nearest parade, Vestavia Hills’ Parade and Party in the Park, is Sunday, Dec. 6; details are on our Christmas parade and tree lighting page.

Christmas week: what is open and closed

Who Christmas 2026
Trash pickup Christmas is Friday, Dec. 25; Friday pickup moves to Saturday, Dec. 26 (city schedule)
Hoover City Schools Early dismissal Friday, Dec. 18; winter break Dec. 21 to Jan. 1; students return Tuesday, Jan. 5 (calendar)
Hoover Recreation Center 8 a.m. to noon Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 26, on its posted holiday schedule
Aldridge Gardens Closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (hours)

Frequently asked questions

When is Santa at the Riverchase Galleria?

Santa takes photos in Von Maur Court. The mall books visits through whereissanta.com and welcomes walk-ups until closing; it had not posted Santa’s 2026 arrival date as of Oct. 17.

Is there a Hanukkah event in Hoover?

The Hoover Public Library holds Celebrate Hanukkah from 5 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9, outside the library, with latkes, doughnuts, music and children’s activities.

Where can I see Christmas lights near Hoover?

The Birmingham Zoo’s Glow Wild lantern festival runs select nights from Nov. 21, 2026, to Jan. 3, 2027. Hoover’s own tree is lit at City Hall on Tuesday, Dec. 1.

Is Hoover trash picked up on Christmas Day?

No. Christmas is Friday, Dec. 25, and Amwaste runs a day late, so Friday pickup moves to Saturday, Dec. 26.