Christmas is coming up, and there's no place better to celebrate than Huntsville, Alabama. Check out the 12 Days of Christmas—Rocket City style—below.
Twelve Drummers Drumming
The biggest concerts in Huntsville are at the Von Braun Center, but so are showcases of local songwriter talent and everything in between. No matter your taste in drummers and their drumming, you can find tickets to please your true love at the Von Braun Center. Check out upcoming events here.
Eleven Pipers Piping
Say the word “piper” to a Huntsvillian, and don’t be surprised if the first words to pop into their heads are “and leaf.” Piper & Leaf offers a great variety of artisan tea blends and has something you’ll enjoy, whether your true love likes her tea cold or … piping hot.
Ten Lords a-Leaping
Little lords can leap anywhere, but if you want some real hang time, visit Huntsville’s trampoline park – Altitude. Folks of all ages can go and get their bounce on, or enjoy activities like a ninja obstacle course or extreme dodgeball!
Nine Ladies Dancing
Show your true love that you’re not afraid to class things up with tickets to a performance by the Huntsville Ballet Company. Right now, you can celebrate the holiday season with performances of the Nutcracker or plan ahead and grab seats for Cinderella.
Eight Maids-a-Milking
Spend much time learning about Huntsville's history, and eventually, you’ll come across stories of Lily Flagg, the top butter producer in the world, in 1892. Today, you and your true love can honor Huntsville’s famed cow with a six-pack of Lily Flagg Milk Stout from local brewers Straight to Ale.
Seven Swans a-Swimming
You may remember attending Space Camp when you were in junior high. But did you know the U.S. Space & Rocket Center offers more advanced levels of Space Camp training? In the Advanced Space Academy, Trainees experience a variety of astronaut training exercises, engineering challenges, and team-building activities, all culminating in an extended-duration simulated space mission. One of the experiences offered in this course is neutral buoyancy training while SCUBA diving in the Underwater Astronaut Trainer!
Six Geese-A-Laying
If you want to see geese in Huntsville, you want to go to Big Spring Park. And if you’re going to take your true love to Big Spring Park, why not do your goose-watching from Pane e Vino Pizzeria, located by the spring in the Huntsville Museum of Art? After all, nothing says amoré like a big pizza pie!
Five Golden Rings
Most people probably believe that the Twelve Days gift-giver was picking up some jewelry on the fifth day, but here in the South, we know those rings were probably golden brown onion rings. While you will find delicious golden fried onion rings on many Madison County menus, one local favorite is Bad Daddy's Burger Bars. With locations in Madison and South Huntsville, you will always be close to one.
Four Calling Birds
If birds are calling your true love, maybe they’d like to turn their yard into a bird feeding habitat that brings song, color, and life to their home. If so, the Wild Birds Unlimited folks will gladly help. Pick up a gift card, and you’ll be ready to answer when the birds call.
Three French Hens
Or, to be specific, free-range chicken with pasta, cherry tomatoes, roasted wild mushrooms, spinach, bacon and bleu cheese cream sauce. Maybe your true love would prefer French duck to hens. Or pork or veal or venison or lamb or lobster. Either way, The Bottle, Huntsville’s upscale eatery that features Southern cuisine with a French influence, has you covered. Francophiles will also appreciate baked daily croissants and other baked goods at L’Etoile Patisserie - French Bakery and Cafe. Retired Air Force veteran turned pastry chef Kevin Zurmuehlen and his team are in the bakery in the wee hours of every morning, turning out the tastiest pastries in North Alabama.
Two Turtle Doves
When you hear “Turtle Dove,” does your true love immediately think of Harry Turtledove, a speculative fiction author known for his series of alternative history novels? If so, your true love is probably a geek. And geeks of all ilk – whether they know the works of Harry Turtledove or not – will find something they’ll enjoy from Geek Out Huntsville. Looking for an actual pair of turtle doves? Lawren's Gifts in Huntsville has the perfect gift to remind your true love of your life-long devotion.
And a Partridge In a Pear Tree
Want to see trees? Then there’s one place you need to be – the Huntsville Botanical Garden. Give your true love tickets, a membership, or an awesome item from the gift shop, and be sure to check their calendar to see what exhibits and events are coming up. Even if your true love is your pet dog, they’ll have something you can enjoy together.
