Holiday events begin Thursday, Candyland officially opens Friday

Published 1:24 am Wednesday, November 29, 2017

The tree is decorated, the lights are strung. The Polar Bear slide has been built bigger and longer than ever.

The play cottages have been moved set up on the Court Square and at Springdale, and youngsters are already playing all around them, even though they’re not officially open.

The finishing touches are being put in place in Andalusia, which Southern Living called one of its “Best Small Towns for Christmas in the South.”

What Southern Living doesn’t know is that this year will be bigger than ever.

The Polar Bear Slide is 10 feet higher than last year, and 30 feet longer.

“It looks like we’re building a rocket launcher out there,” Mayor Earl Johnson quipped when the construction began.

Holiday events begin this Thurs., Nov. 30, with the official tree lighting and Christmas parade in Andalusia. Candyland opens Friday and will continue with weekend hours through Dec. 30.

Other community events also kick off this week.