Fifty years ago, when Christmas on the River was celebrated for the first time in Demopolis, Woody Collins was a freshman at the University of Alabama. The then-new event was the brainchild of his father, Barry Collins, along with another Demopolis native, Mem Webb, and Hal Bloom with the Demopolis Area Chamber of Commerce.
“I go way, way, way back with Christmas on the River,” says Woody Collins, who is currently serving his first term as the city’s mayor.
The businessmen had seen river parades in other cities, such as Chicago, and thought something like that might go over well in the historic Alabama town. “They took a crazy shot at putting folks on the river in December,” Collins says. “It has exploded over the years from a one-hour deal to an all-week-long deal.”
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the popular Christmas on the River, which comprises a plethora of events that started Thursday with the lighting of the Public Square in downtown Demopolis. On Friday night, there’s the official Alabama State Championship BBQ Cookoff, which attracts thousands of barbecue fans. Also on Friday evening are Christmas in the Canebrake at the historic Bluff Hall museum house and the Marengo County Historical Society’s Christmas in the Canebrake: Parlors and Trees, featuring Bluff Hall and several other private homes.
Saturday starts with the Jingle Bell 5K run; arts and crafts at Fair in the Square; and a Kids’ Hamburger Cookoff. At 11:30, the day parade rolls, with Grand Marshal Spencer Turnbull, a pitcher with the Detroit Tigers who spent his first 11 years in Demopolis, where his love of baseball was fostered. Turnbull’s grandfather was the mayor of Demopolis when Christmas on the River was first held 50 years ago.
Saturday night, the nautical parade starts at 6 p.m., ending with fireworks at 8 p.m. on the Tombigbee River. Meanwhile, the annual Christmas on the River Gala takes place at the Demopolis Civic Center.
Collins gets a kick out of the fact that Demopolis is so well known for its magical Christmas events. “I’ve been all over the country and have bumped into people who know Demopolis from Christmas on the River,” he says. “It’s kind of amazing. I’m proud of the whole community.”
When he thinks about Christmas on the River, he is “flooded with memories,” he says. Once, when he was a young man living “in a trailer in the country,” Mickey Mouse and Goofy were grand marshals of the day parade. The actors portraying the beloved characters stayed with him and told him “all about Disney and their adventures,” he remembers.
The Demopolis Area Chamber of Commerce sponsors Christmas on the River, which is made possible by a group of dedicated volunteers. “If there’s something that shines in Demopolis, it’s the volunteer, can-do spirit,” he says.
“I’m proud of what my father accomplished, proud of what it’s become,” he says. “Not many things survive for 50 years.”
For details about Christmas on the River, visit christmasontheriverdemopolis.com.
