One of my favorite holiday events is coming up this weekend in West Alabama. The 34th annual Christmas On The River actually goes on all week in Demopolis, a lovely Black Belt community at the confluence of the Black Warrior and the Tombigbee Rivers. My attended the second Christmas On The River in 1973, when I was a high school student in Tuscaloosa. I worked with a group of amateur radio operators providing communications for the nautical parade on the Tombigbee River. My assignment was with the fireworks crew over on the Sumter County side of the river; we helped to coordinate the timing of the fireworks with each passing boat. That was a great view of the night parade on that west bank on cold, early December night when I was all of 17 years old.
I was impressed by the event way back then, and am still impressed today. The entire community works hard on the event, which draws over 25,000 people to the city every year.
Tomorrow night, there will be candlelight tours of three beautiful antebellum homes; Bluff Hall, Gaineswood, and Lyon Hall. Friday, the Alabama Barbecue Championship begins at the Demopolis City Landing (one of my favorites!).
The big day is Saturday; the Alabama BBQ Championship will continue, and during the day the annual Children’s Parade through downtown Demopolis begins at 11:30. The highlight is the annual nautical parade on the Tombigbee River; dozens of brightly lighted boats float down the river, with a spectacular fireworks show as a background. The parade begins at 6:30 p.m…. but people begin lining up to get a good spot along the historic White Bluffs of the river as early as mid-afternoon. The good news is that the weather looks excellent this year, with clear and chilly weather. Temperatures will drop through the 40s during the nautical parade.
With our SKYCAM atop the Demopolis Civic Center, we expect to get some great video of this big event! Learn more on the COTR web site here.
