Country Living magazine has named Andalusia one of the 30 best small towns in the United States for Christmas, and local officials couldn’t be happier.
Chamber Executive Director Chrissie Duffy said it’s a huge honor.
“Country Living is a national magazine,” she said. “Last year, Southern Living named us one of the best Christmas events in the South. To be recognized as a top Christmas town in the United States takes it a step further.”
Andalusia Mayor Earl Johnson said the ranking speaks highly of many people.
“As you can imagine, we are just thrilled and tickled to death,” he said. “This is not the first time we’ve been recognized. Southern Living named us one of the best last year.
“This peaks well for Chrissie and Maggie (Jones), and the Chamber board,” he said. “A great deal of credit goes to our hard-working city employees who help Chrissie and Maggie run that. It speaks highly of our city in general that people enjoy coming down here. And it just keeps getting bigger and better.”
This year, a maze has been added, and there is a Christmas in Candyland app that helps users capture the magic of Candyland and take it home with them.
The mayor said he’s particularly looking forward to two parts of Candyland.
“First, my grandchildren being here,” he said. “And driving the new train engine.”
Last week, the council agreed to upgrade the train engine that pulls the Candyland Express.
In Country Living’s description and slide show, it wrote, “It doesn’t get too cold in Andalusia, but that doesn’t stop the town turning into a winter wonderland. Every weekend in December, residents flock to Candyland, a kid-friendly event where children of all ages can ice skate, visit the different holiday cottages, and meet Santa. The best part? Admission is free!”
So who are the other 29 small towns that earned the ranking?
- Solvang, California – Located in wine country, the town hosts Julefest throught December.
- Lewisburg, West Virginia – Home of the Greenbrier Resort.
- Bardstown, Kentucky – hosts “Light up Bardstown.”
- Myrtle Beach, South Carolina – hosts an annual Nights of a Thousand Candles at Brookgreen Gardens featuring 4,500 hand-lit candles.
- McAdenville, N.C. – For the past 63 years, this Charlotte suburb has decorated 265 evergreen trees with 500,000 lights.
- Bernville, Pennsylvania – home of Koziar’s Christmas village, which began in 1948 when William M. Koziar began decorating his home for his family.
- Leavenworth, Washington – home to a Bavarian village with 21 miles of lights, a lively Christkindlmarkt, a weekly music festival, and gluhwein.
- Branson, Missouri – hosts the month-long Ozark Mountain Christmas festival. Also home to the Branson Scenic Railway’s Polar Express Train Ride.
- Woodstock, Vermont – celebrates America’s rural heritage with Wassail Weekend.
- Asheville, North Carolina – home of the Biltmore, which is lavishly decorated for Christmas.
- Frankenmuth, Michigan – known as Little Bavaria, activities include a traditional Christkindlmarkt, a holiday home tour, and the world’s largest Christmas store.
- Jackson, Wyoming – features a town square decked out in lights, and a torch parade of ski instructors snaking down the mountain on New Year’s Eve.
- Natchitoches, Louisiana – Celebrates with more than 300,000 lights and 100 set pieces displayed along the banks of Cane River Lake.
- Helen, Georgia – a former logging town in the Blue Ridge Mountains that reinvented itself as a Bavarian town.
- Williamsburg, Virginia – features Colonial holiday traditions like caroling by torchlight, and fife and drum performances.
- Durango, Colorado – former mining town operates a Polar Express-inspired train trip for kids, as well as Christmas tree runs on which passengers can cut t heir own trees and get them transported back to town.
- Delray Beach, Florida – Activities are centered in the historic district, which features a 100-foot tree which opens to reveal a wonderland.
- Annapolis, Maryland – showcases its 18-th century historic district, and hosts a water parade.
- Sierra Madre, California – imports snow to build a huge snowman, and is home to a live nativity scene and a 154-tree-long Christmas tree trail.
- Santa Claus, Indiana – volunteers answer thousands of letters to Santa in this town that has a candy castle and a 1.2-mile light show.
- Taos, New Mexico – a religious procession in ancient Taos Pueblo, the Native American settlement outside town, includes bonfires, luminarias, and historic gun salute.
- Oxford, Mississippi – activities include Gingerbread Village to benefit food banks, and an ornament auction featuring unique decorations made by local artists.
- Fredericksburg, Texas – honors its original German settlers with a Christkindlesmarkt and Texas-scale parades and other events, all featuring locally brewed seasonal beers.
- Red Wing, Minnesota – home of the Holiday Stroll, an event that starts with a pancake breakfast and continues all day to include parades, cookie decorating, live penguins and baby reindeer.
- Ogunquit, Maine – Christmas by the sea, featuring a calendar of old-fashioned activities.
- Corning, New York – home to Corning Glass, the season includes a parade of lights, and a Christmas tree in the town square decorated with glass ornaments.
- Prescott, Arizona – the courthouse is decorated with a million lights, and a local museum hosts Frontier Christmas Open House.
- Newport Beach, California – home to the Christmas Boat Parade, featuring everything from yachts to canoes, for five consecutives nights.
- Dyker Heights, Brooklyn – Residents of this walkable Italian-American enclave erect intricate and spectacular displays on and around their homes in South Brooklyn.
The Covington County Veterans Day parade is set for 9 a.m. Monday, Nov. 12, in Andalusia.
U.S. Marine Corps Major (Ret.) Christopher Lawson, a Pleasant Home graduate, will be the guest speaker at this year’s Veterans Day program, set for Mon., Nov. 12, immediately following the parade.
On Saturday, The Star-News will publish a magazine tribute to veterans, featuring the war stories of many from this area who served during times of conflict. John Vick contributed much of the content of the magazine, based on dozens of interviews he’s done with veterans.
And throughout the weekend, Huddle House restaurants throughout Alabama – including Andalusia and Florala – are honoring the military with a “sweet” gesture this Veterans Day. From Nov. 9-12, to all active duty, retired and veteran military members with a military ID will receive a free order of Sweet Cakes during their visit.
Just ask, and show a current military ID.
Mayor Earl Johnson helps demonstrate the Christmas in Candyland app, an augmented reality app, which is available for free. The app allows users to capture Candyland magic by adding snow to photos, or to find enchanted characters throughout the venue which add interesting items - like this snow scene and train - to photos.
The Andalusia City Council last night authorized a total budget of up to $96,000 for Christmas in Candyland, but expects to recoup a portion of its expenses in ticket sales and sponsorships.
Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Chrissie Duffy outlined the event budget, adding that a good portion of the budget is for capital expenses, including a new train engine for the Candyland Express, the development of a new Christmas in Candyland app, and a new maze.
Because the Candyland Express runs constantly when the venue is open, and is always pulling weight, the original train engine is beginning to show wear. The new engine will include a diesel engine, and the existing engine will be used as a back-up.
Duffy said the city recoups part of its expenses from ticket sales for the Polar Bear Slide and ice skate rentals, which usually generate an income of $30,000 during the month-long event.
This year, Duffy said, there also is a new website for the event, christmasincandyland.com, which includes information about lodging, dining and other local attractions for those who travel to Candyland from outside the market. It opens Dec. 1.
Purchase will settle decade-old debate over house
The Andalusia City Council settled a decade-old dispute Tuesday when it agreed to buy two lots at the intersection of Sheraton Drive and Lindsey Bridge Road.
The council, which authorized the purchase of the lots for $33,000, intends to put a pedestrian park there, with benches and lighting, for the convenience of those who use new sidewalks in the area and need a place to rest, Mayor Earl Johnson said.
The owner of the lots, Nathan Frank, has 60 days to remove a house or the city will demolish it, Johnson said.
The house has been a bone of contention for residents of the area who said it did not meet the standards of nearby Meadowbrook Subdivision for more than 10 years. Frank moved the house to the lots, but then learned the lots were zoned commercial. The Planning Commission denied a request to rezone the property residential in 2007, and outrage over the structure led the city council to pass a house-moving ordinance.
U.S. Marine Corps Major (Ret.) Christopher Lawson will be the guest speaker at this year’s Veterans Day program, set for Mon., Nov. 12, immediately following the parade.
Lawson is a graduate of Pleasant Home High School and currently works in the Social Security Administration office in Andalusia.
During his 21-year military career, he was stationed in Quantico, Va.; Parris Island, S.C.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Gainseville, Fla.; Cherry Point, N.C.; Whidbey Island, Wash.; Pensacola; Iwakuni, Japan; and San Antonio, Texas.
He was deployed in 2007 to WestPac in Iwakuni, Japan; and in 2008 and again in 2009 to Al Asad Air Base in Iraq.
He received the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal (5th Award), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Achievement Medal (3rd Award), Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism, Drill Instructor Ribbon, Recruiter Ribbon, Navy Unit Commendation, Navy Meritorious Commendation, Sea Service Deployment (3rd Award), Overseas Ribbon, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal (3rd Award), and National Defense Medal (2nd Award).
He also earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Auburn University in 2002.
Lawson is the son of Dige and Patricia Lawson of the Pleasant Home community. He and his wife, Renee, have two sons, Blake, 19, a University of Alabama student; and Brian, 17, a senior at Pleasant Home High School.
The annual Veterans Day parade will begin at 9 a.m. at the Andalusia High School and end at the Covington County Veterans Memorial. High school bands from area high schools will be marching in the parade.