Have you voted yet? If not, now is your chance to help bring a little Hallmark Christmas cheer to Alabama – and the City of Cullman is asking for your help.
Cullman is one of 25 finalists in Hallmark’s Merriest Christmas Towns Contest — and the only Alabama community in the running for the national recognition.
Voting is underway and continues through Sept. 4, giving Alabamians a chance to rally behind a town that has already turned Christmas into one of its biggest winter attractions.
And Cullman has quite a case to make.
Each winter, the North Alabama city transforms into a German-inspired Christmas destination for the Cullman Christkindlmarkt, a celebration rooted in the heritage of a community founded by German settlers in 1873.
The market’s organizers didn’t simply borrow the idea — they experienced Germany firsthand. Teams from Cullman Parks, Recreation & Sports Tourism traveled to Germany, visiting Christmas markets in Nuremberg, Rothenburg, Stuttgart, Dresden and other cities to study their craftsmanship, food, layout and traditions.
What began in 2019 with just eight vendor huts has grown into a major holiday destination. Cullman Parks, Recreation & Sports Tourism estimated approximately 415,000 visits during the 2025 season, with visitors coming from all 50 states.
“From our humble launch to now reaching nearly nine acres of German-themed wonderland, our small community has shown what vision, teamwork, and authenticity can create,” Nathan Anderson, executive director of Cullman Parks, Recreation & Sports Tourism, said in previous coverage of the festival. “We set out to bring the charm of Germany’s Christmas markets to the heart of the South, and today, Cullman is delivering that experience on a scale that rivals some of the most iconic holiday destinations in the country.”
One of the market’s most visible connections to that heritage is what organizers call the world’s largest walk-through Schwibbogen, a traditional German Christmas candle arch measuring 47’5″ inches wide and 24’4″ tall.
“This arch is more than a structure–it’s a symbol of who we are,” Cullman Mayor Woody Jacobs said at the time. “It honors our founding heritage, strengthens our downtown, and creates a sense of wonder for every family who visits the Christkindlmarkt. I’m grateful for the extraordinary work of our CPRST team and the shared vision that made this possible.”
Germany’s Käthe Wohlfahrt Christmas shop also opened its first Alabama location inside Festhalle Market Platz.
Visitors to the 2025 Christkindlmarkt found nearly 80 merchants and European-style food vendors, Alabama’s largest outdoor ice rink, a 108-foot Ferris wheel, a Venetian-style double-decker carousel and a 100-foot tubing slide.
Even the menu carries the German theme, with foods including flammkuchen, or German pizza, chimney cakes and raclette.
Now Cullman’s Christmas spirit is getting national attention.
Hallmark selected 25 communities from across the country as finalists for bringing Christmas to life through their traditions, celebrations and sense of community.
The grand-prize winner will earn the title “Hallmark’s Merriest Christmas Town” and the opportunity for the community to serve as a filming location for a Hallmark movie.
Public participation is part of the contest, but the town receiving the most votes does not automatically win. After voting concludes, a panel of judges will evaluate the finalists based on community spirit, holiday traditions, neighborhood charm and goodwill.
Voting continues through 11:59 p.m. ET Sept. 4, and participants may vote once per calendar day. Voters may choose Cullman each day throughout the voting period.
The winning community is expected to be announced on or around Oct. 31.
For Alabama, that leaves plenty of time to help put Cullman — and a little Alabama Christmas spirit — on Hallmark’s map and possibly its television channel.
Sherri Blevins is a reporter for 256 Today.
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