Christmas on the River, an Alabama original, celebrates 50 years of fun
For 50 years Demopolis has thrown its Christmas party for the world the first weekend of December. Organizers believe this year may be the best yet.
Since its 1972 inception, Christmas on the River, Alabama’s original, has not only captivated the hearts of those in and around West Alabama, but the event has grown into one of the Top 20 Tourist Attractions in the Southeastern United States and named an Ultimate Holiday Town by A&E TV.
Sponsored by the Demopolis Area Chamber of Commerce, volunteers and local organizations spend countless hours preparing to welcome visitors to COTR.
Crowds number from 20,000 on up for the final day of COTR. In fact, it is believed some 80,000 visitors flocked to Demopolis in 1996, the year Heather Whitestone, the former Miss Alabama and Miss America, served as Grand Marshal.
The West Alabama Watchman joins the anticipation of the golden COTR with a series on the history of the celebration and the many events planned to add to the fun. This first article details how three men came up with the idea of lighted floats that really float.
Christmas on the River started as a meeting of the minds and combination of ideas, thanks to two Demopolis natives, Barry Collins and Mem Webb.
Both Collins and Webb had seen river parades in larger cities outside of Alabama. Webb was attending a cotton school in Memphis, learning to grade cotton, when he participated in a night river boat parade, complete with fireworks. With Demopolis’ prime location on the Tombigbee River, Webb thought Demopolis could host a similar celebration with lighted boats and fireworks.
About the same time, Collins was impressed by a river parade of lights he witnessed while attending a convention in Chicago. Collins too thought this would be a great event for Demopolis.
Collins and Webb compared notes and immediately decided Demopolis should have its own parade. The two men convinced the Demopolis Chamber director at that time, Hal Bloom, to take on the project and get it organized.
Planning and construction began in the summer of 1972. Collins, Webb and Bloom spearheaded the event, with the Chamber of Commerce, Interact Club and Demopolis Jaycees as co-sponsors. They were aided by the schools, civic organizations and the general public who put together lighted boats and fireworks for the first Christmas on the River in 1972.
For the first year, and many years thereafter, the nautical parade’s lighted boats were built by area schools, clubs, organizations and individuals. These private entries competed for cash prizes in several categories. The local Interact Club, as co-sponsor of the event, would build a “grand float” as the feature of the parade. Often animated or featuring local landmarks, the construction of the lead float was directed by Tommy Pearson, who became synonymous with spectacular lighted floats for more than 20 years.
First Lady Cornelia Wallace, who served as Grand Marshal in 1976, requested that one of Pearson’s floats be displayed on the lawn of the Governor’s Mansion in Montgomery for that Christmas season.
The second year saw the first Day Parade has grown to one of the largest parades in the state. It is said that the 197 6 Day Parade took nearly three hours to travel through the city. Thousands of spectators jammed the streets for nearly a mile to view the dozen or so bands, children in homemade costumes, marching groups, floats and much more.
By the third or fourth year, Jim Bird entered a float in the river parade depicting a large elf carrying a red banner that read Christmas on the River. The next year, Bird added another elf. Soon Bird’s entry grew to include five animated elves followed by a small dog barking at the last elf’s heels.
Thus was born Christmas on the River’s signature lead float, which was later duplicated in papier-mache to lead the Day Parade.
The tugboat that carried Bird’s famous elves would often sink during rainy years, but Bird and helpers would rescue the boat just in time to carry the elves one more time.
Demopolis Mayor Woody Collins, son of COTR co-founder Barry Collins, said being mayor for the 50th COTR is one of the most rewarding moments of his life.
“Who ever thought from the humble beginnings of COTR that it would become what it is today. For me to actually get to enjoy it as Mayor is totally overwhelming for me.”
It is fitting that Demopolis, the people’s city, is home of Alabama’s original Christmas on the River. Since its inception, COTR has been created, built and celebrated by its people.
For more information on COTR and its 2021 events, go to: www.ChristmasontheRiverDemopolis.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ChristmasontheRiverdemopolis.