On Tuesday, December 2, 2025, the City of Daphne moved its Annual Christmas Tree Lighting. The event had been scheduled for that Thursday. WKRG reported that the new date was Tuesday, December 9, and quoted Mayor Robin LeJeune: "The weather forecast for Thursday doesn't look promising for an outdoor event; therefore, we have made the decision to reschedule our Annual Tree Lighting for next Tuesday, December 9."
Three days later, around midday Friday, the city cancelled the Christmas parade planned for Saturday morning. WKRG's report said the mayor cited "the threat of inclement weather" and the city's wish to protect participants, attendees and city employees. When NBC 15 updated its regional holiday listing later that month, Daphne's entry read "Christmas Parade cancelled."
The 2026 calendar has the same shape as last year's. Each December event is in its usual weekday slot, a day earlier on the calendar, and most of the season is split between two addresses. The two Main Street events, the ones weather moved last year, again fall in the first week of December. Everything else is on US-98 or out at the Trione fields. The bay isn't part of it this year.
Why the Bay Is Missing From the Map
Bayfront Park has been closed since late October 2025, when the city closed it to build an amphitheater. Gulf Coast Media's report on the closure gave a completion forecast of around spring 2027. In August, FOX10 reported that the project "remains on track for a spring 2027 opening," with an April target. The same report said the pier is still reachable from Village Point Park.
That leaves this December on the same footing as last December. Holiday events run at Daphne City Hall on Main Street, the Daphne Civic Center on US-98 and the Al Trione fields off Whispering Pines Road. If you want a waterfront stop between events, the Village Point Park side of the pier is still open.
The 2026 Lineup, Set Against 2025
Every event below is listed on the City of Daphne calendar. The right-hand column shows the same event's 2025 date.
| Event | 2026 date and time | Where | Cost | 2025 date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16th Annual Daphne Christmas Extravaganza Gift Show | Sat., Nov. 21, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Daphne | $5; free for children 12 and under | n/a |
| Annual Tree Lighting | Thu., Dec. 3, 5 to 8 p.m. | Daphne City Hall, 1705 Main Street | Free | Set for Thu., Dec. 4; held Tue., Dec. 9 |
| Christmas Parade | Sat., Dec. 5, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Olde Towne Daphne route | Free | Sat., Dec. 6; cancelled |
| Baldwin Pops Christmas Concert | Thu., Dec. 10, 7 to 9 p.m. | Daphne Civic Center, 2603 U.S. Highway 98 | Free | Thu., Dec. 11, 6 to 9 p.m. |
| Movie Night in the Park | Fri., Dec. 11, 4 to 8 p.m. | Al Trione Football Fields, 8600 Whispering Pines Road | Free | Fri., Dec. 12 |
| Skating with Santa | Thu., Dec. 17, and Fri., Dec. 18, 4 to 8 p.m. | Daphne Civic Center | Free | Thu., Dec. 18, and Fri., Dec. 19 |
Every December event keeps its weekday. The Pops concert starts an hour later than last year's 6 p.m. listing. And the only two 2025 events that weather moved or cancelled are the two that take place on Main Street, outdoors, in the same first-week slots they hold again this year.
The First Week of December Belongs to Main Street
The tree lighting and the parade are two days apart. Both are based at the city's Olde Towne end, around City Hall at 1705 Main Street.
In past years, the tree lighting has drawn crowds well before the switch was flipped. When the event was rescheduled in 2025, festivities started at 5 p.m. and the ceremony itself was at 6 p.m. WKRG listed train rides, crafts, vendors and pictures with Santa. The 2024 version, as FOX10 described it, had Roman Street, Santa, the Christmas Express train, the city's historic fire truck and snow. Gulf Coast Media's 2024 holiday guide added caroling, children's activities and food trucks to that list. This year's calendar entry gives the 5 to 8 p.m. window at City Hall.
The parade follows on Saturday morning, December 5, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the Olde Towne Daphne route. In 2024, Gulf Coast Media listed the route as the Main Street Parade Route, starting at 1705 Main St. If it goes ahead, it will be Daphne's first Christmas parade since December 2024.
Last year, both changes came at short notice. The tree lighting change was announced two days before its original date, and the parade was called off the day before. For anyone with family coming into town that week, the city's announcements in the days before are what matter. A Thursday-and-Saturday plan built around these two events has already come apart once.
Most of the Rest Runs on US-98
Most of the rest of the season is at the Daphne Civic Center, 2603 U.S. Highway 98. This building hosts most of the city's December programming, and none of its events were disrupted last year.
The free Baldwin Pops Christmas Concert is on Thursday, December 10, from 7 to 9 p.m. Its 2025 listing had the concert at the same venue on December 11, starting at 6 p.m.
A week later, Skating with Santa returns for two free evenings, December 17 and 18, from 4 to 8 p.m. both nights. The city also ran it over two nights in 2025, on December 18 and 19. It's the last city event before Christmas week, and the Thursday-Friday pairing gives families with busy school-week schedules a second chance.
The season actually starts before Thanksgiving. The 16th Annual Daphne Christmas Extravaganza Gift Show is on Saturday, November 21, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is $5 and free for children 12 and under, and the event page promises gift vendors. It falls the weekend before Thanksgiving, nearly two weeks ahead of the first Main Street event.
The Night Out on Whispering Pines Road
One event is held at neither Main Street nor the Civic Center. Movie Night in the Park is on Friday, December 11, from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Al Trione Football Fields, 8600 Whispering Pines Road. Admission is free.
Last year's version took place on the Friday before Skating with Santa. The city called it "Snow" & Movie Night in the Park, and NBC 15's listing named the film as The Polar Express. Like the tree lighting and the parade, it's held outdoors in December. It comes the night after the Pops concert, so the middle of the month gives you two free city events on back-to-back evenings, one at the Civic Center and one on the fields.
Planning Around the Two Weather-Exposed Dates
Put the whole calendar together and the risk sits in one place. The Gift Show, the Pops concert and both Skating with Santa nights are all at the Civic Center on US-98. The tree lighting on December 3 and the parade on December 5 are on Main Street, and those were the only city holiday events last year to be rescheduled or cancelled because of the forecast. Movie Night on December 11 is the third outdoor date, and it went ahead last year as scheduled.
If you're hosting guests, the safer anchors for a visit are the Civic Center dates: December 10, 17 and 18. The first week of December is the better choice for City Hall's lights and the parade, as long as you keep those days flexible.
When Bayfront Park reopens next spring with its new amphitheater, Daphne's event calendar will likely shift toward the water again. For this December, it runs on Main Street, US-98 and Whispering Pines Road. If you're thinking about how changes like the amphitheater might affect what your home is worth, Shannon King Jha would be glad to walk through it with you over the holidays. Request Your Home Valuation whenever it suits your schedule.
