Mobile's free Lighting of the Tree is 5:30 to 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, at Mardi Gras Park: Santa at 6, the tree lit at 6:20 and a drone show at 7 p.m.

Last checked Nov. 8, 2026. This page is updated each year. Sources: the City of Mobile’s 2026 calendar of events, its 2026 Lighting of the Tree page and holiday market page, Bellingrath Gardens and Home and the Downtown Mobile Alliance calendar.

Mobile’s free Lighting of the Tree is 5:30 to 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, 2026, at Mardi Gras Park, 109 Government St. Santa arrives at 6 p.m., Mayor Spiro Cheriogotis lights the tree at 6:20 p.m. and a drone show starts at 7 p.m., according to the City of Mobile. The city’s 2026 calendar does not list a Christmas parade. Mobile’s big parade season is Mardi Gras.

Updated Nov. 8: the city posted the 2026 schedule, with a new drone show at 7 p.m.

Who to call

  • City of Mobile Special Events: 251-208-1550, events@cityofmobile.org; text MOBILEEVENTS to 91896 for alerts
  • Bellingrath Gardens and Home: bellingrath.org
  • Mobile Symphony Orchestra box office: 257 Dauphin St., 251-432-2010

Lighting of the Tree

The 2026 program, from the city’s event page:

Time What happens
5:30 p.m. Mobile Ballet performance
5:45 p.m. Holiday opera performance by Hania Ghaful
6 p.m. Santa arrives
6:20 p.m. Mayor Spiro Cheriogotis lights the tree
6:45 p.m. Danze 101 Academy of Ballet Studio and Company
7 p.m. Drone show
  • Free for all ages, with local vendors, food trucks, holiday crafts, games and inflatables.
  • Bring chairs and blankets, the city says.
  • Weather: outdoor events are subject to change. For alerts, text MOBILEEVENTS to 91896.
  • Getting there: Mardi Gras Park is at 109 Government St. downtown. See our getting around Mobile page, which covers downtown parking, and our road construction and closures page before you drive. The city had not posted street closures as of Nov. 8.

In 2025 the celebration ran 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the same park.

Small Business Saturday Holiday Market

Noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 28, Mardi Gras Park. Gifts, seasonal treats and handmade goods from local vendors and food trucks, plus games and face painting. Rain or shine. City of Mobile

Magic Christmas in Lights at Bellingrath

Bellingrath Gardens and Home in Theodore, in south Mobile County, lights its gardens for Magic Christmas in Lights from Friday, Nov. 20, 2026, to Saturday, Jan. 9, 2027. It is closed Nov. 25, Nov. 26, Dec. 25 and Jan. 1. From Bellingrath’s page:

  • Event hours are 5 to 9 p.m.; the last garden ticket is sold at 9 p.m. and the gardens close at 10 p.m.
  • Guided tours of the Bellingrath Home run every 30 minutes; the last home tour ticket is sold at 7:30 p.m.
  • Day tickets and night tickets are sold separately, and tickets are not refundable.
  • Hot evening meals and s’mores are sold in the Magnolia Cafe from 5 to 9 p.m.

More holiday events downtown

  • A Gilded Age Christmas, Richards-DAR House Museum, 256 N. Joachim St.: gala 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3; house tours 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6. The 1860 townhouse is not wheelchair accessible. Details
  • Christmas concert, “Heaven and Nature Sing,” 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6, Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, 2 S. Claiborne St. Details
  • Mobile Symphony Orchestra, “Swing into the Holidays,” 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13, Saenger Theatre, 6 S. Joachim St., with conductor and trumpeter Byron Stripling. Details
  • Mobile Ballet, The Nutcracker, 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 20. Mobile Ballet
  • Wheels & Reels Drive-In Movie, Friday, Dec. 4, a City of Mobile event on its events calendar.
  • LODA ArtWalk Celebrates Christmas, 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11, along Dauphin Street: local artists and makers, food trucks, a kids’ zone and Santa in Cathedral Square. City of Mobile

Frequently asked questions

When is the Mobile Christmas tree lighting in 2026?

5:30 to 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, 2026, at Mardi Gras Park, 109 Government St. Santa arrives at 6 p.m., Mayor Spiro Cheriogotis lights the tree at 6:20 p.m. and a drone show starts at 7 p.m., according to the City of Mobile.

Does Mobile have a Christmas parade?

The City of Mobile’s 2026 calendar of events does not list a Christmas parade. The city’s holiday events are the Lighting of the Tree on Nov. 20 and the Small Business Saturday Holiday Market on Nov. 28. Semmes, about 12 miles northwest, holds a Christmas parade at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 12.

When does Magic Christmas in Lights open at Bellingrath?

Friday, Nov. 20, 2026. It runs nightly 5 to 9 p.m. through Jan. 9, 2027, and is closed Nov. 25, Nov. 26, Dec. 25 and Jan. 1, according to Bellingrath Gardens and Home.

Is the Mobile tree lighting free?

Yes. The city calls it a free event for all ages, with local vendors, food trucks, holiday crafts, games, inflatables, a drone show and a visit from Santa.

Is there a drone show at the Mobile tree lighting?

Yes. The City of Mobile’s 2026 schedule lists a drone show at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, after the tree is lit at 6:20 p.m. Outdoor events are subject to change because of weather, the city says.