Birmingham Mom Collective, the go-to influential resource for parents in and around Birmingham, Alabama, is thrilled to announce our 2nd annual Holiday Drive-In with Santa! This event will be held at the Grand River Drive-In on Sunday, November 21 and will feature the Christmas movie ‘A Christmas Story’ starting at 6 pm. Santa will see families and take professional photos from 4 pm to 6:30 pm on a stage near the snack shack.
This event will feature swag bags (for the first 100 cars in the gate) that includes a $10 snack voucher (for a popcorn, drink, and candy) provided by UAB Callahan Eye Hospital, an opportunity to meet and take a photo with Santa, a parking spot to watch A Christmas Story, and a chance for families to meet with local businesses.
Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter and mark ‘Interested’ or ‘Going’ on the Facebook Event Page for all of the up-to-the-moment updates on Holiday Drive-In with Santa.
PRESENTING SPONSORS
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Ascension St. Vincent’s was founded in 1898 and specializes in medical services including oncology, cardiology, women’s and children’s services, orthopedics/sports medicine, neurology, community/corporate wellness services, and surgical services. St. Vincent's Birmingham has a long history of recognition, including being named the “Best Hospital to Have a Baby,” “Best Birthing Suites,” “Favorite Hospital,” and the Most Wired list for Hospitals and Health Networks.
CO-TITLE SPONSORS
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For over 55 years, UAB Callahan Eye Hospital has focused on delivering innovative eye care and pioneering breakthroughs in the preservation and restoration of eyesight. Our outstanding services and accomplishments include one of the few facilities in the world entirely dedicated to advancements in ophthalmology, one of only two Level 1 Ocular Trauma Centers in the United States with a 24/7 eye emergency department, only dedicated facility in Alabama specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of the eye!
The UAB Women and Infants Center is a world-class health care facility dedicated solely to the care of women and infants. From surgical care to routine outpatient office visits, we offer complete care for mother and baby under one roof. The state-of-the-art facility offers a comfortable, family-friendly atmosphere and expert medical staff. UAB is the only hospital in the state with high-risk maternal and fetal physicians available in-house 24/7 and the only Maternity Evaluation Unit.
WHEN & WHERE
Holiday Drive-In with Santa will be held at the Grand River Drive-In in Leeds on Sunday, November 21 (the Sunday before Thanksgiving) with the movie A Christmas Story starting at 6:00 pm. Gates will open 2 hours before showtime at 4:00 pm, and Santa will be on stage starting at 4:00 pm. Check out our Family Movie Night at the Grand River Drive-In for more information about what to expect at this venue.
MOVIE
You’ll shoot your eye out, kid! For Holiday Drive-In with Santa, we will be showing the movie A Christmas Story. We love this movie set in the 1940’s, about a young boy Ralphie who wants a Red Ryder BB Gun for Christmas.
FOOD
Every car will receive a snack voucher (worth $10) provided by UAB Callahan Eye Hospital for a drink, popcorn, and candy redeemable at the Grand River Drive-In Snack Shack. If you’re looking to grab dinner while at the event, and Saw’s BBQ and Neighbors Brew and Pie are now open in The Backyard. {Outside food and drinks are prohibited.}
SWAG
The first 100 cars will get a fabulous swag bag filled with goodies, including an Aviate BHM hat. The gates open at 4 pm, so be sure to get there early to get a swag bag and get in line for Santa and snacks!
SANTA CLAUS
Santa. The big man. The head honcho. The connection. Santa Claus will be making a stop at the drive-in starting at 4:00 pm and staying through 6:30 pm (movie starts at 6 pm). Santa will be on a stage near the snack shack. Only Birmingham Mom Collective attendees for this event will be eligible to meet Santa. In order to meet Santa, you must bring a household cleaning item or make a monetary donation to our non-profit partner, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Alabama (more details below).
NON-PROFIT PARTNER
This year’s non-profit partner for Holiday Drive-In with Santa will be Ronald McDonald House Charities of Alabama! To take a professional photo with Santa, we ask that you bring a household item or monetary donation to this non-profit at the event (donations are always appreciated and one of the best ways to support this organization). Some of the items they are in need of are on this list: https://www.rmhca.org/how-can-you-help/our-wish-list/.
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Alabama provides comfort, hope and care for thousands of families each year. The best known program, the Ronald McDonald House, has 73 guest suites. They manage 2 Ronald McDonald Family Rooms and a Happy Wheels cart.
LETTERS TO SANTA
There will also be a Santa letter writing station near the Santa stage sponsored by Alabama Splash Adventure. Grab the letters and crayons and put your letter in the Santa mailbox. Be sure to fill out your return address because Santa and his elves will write you back!
FREE MINI GOLF
Every family at Holiday Drive-In with Santa will get a free round of mini golf in The Backyard! The mini golf course is located next to the Santa stage.
THE PIXEL ROOM DISCOUNT
PHOTOGRAPHY
We are excited to have Hillary from Je Vois Photography as our event photographer. Be sure to take a cute photo to be considered for our photo contest (see below). If you are looking for a family or wedding photographer, we highly recommend Hillary!
DECOR
Our friends at The Rainbow Balloon Company will be creating a ‘North Pole’ around our Santa on the stage. The Rainbow Balloon Company makes amazing balloon sculptures for any occasion! Check them out for your next event.
GIVEAWAYS
There are 2 special giveaways for this event : 4 Super Passes to Dollywood for the entire 2022 season, and 4 one-day passes to Alabama Adventure and Splash Adventure.
To win the 4 Super Passes for 2022 to Dollywood:
Be sure to get your photo made by one of our photographers at the event, either at the Santa stage or around the event. About 2 weeks after the event, the event photographers and the BMC team will choose 4 of their favorite photos from the event that we will let everyone on social media vote on. The photo with the most ‘Likes’ will be the family chosen for the Dollywood Super Pass giveaway. Winners must contact us to redeem their prize within 24 hours of being announced the winner.
To win 4 one day passes for 2022 to Alabama Adventure and Splash Adventure:
Be sure to take a photo at the drive-in of your family! We want something cute and festive. Then post your photo on Instagram and/or Facebook and tag Birmingham Mom Collective on Instagram and Birmingham Mom Collective on Facebook and use the hashtag #bmcholidaydrivein21 in the description of the post. We will choose one winner the day after the event to win the 4 one-day passes to Alabama Adventure and Splash Adventure! (Please Note :: for Instagram posts, you may need to make your account public so we can see your post)
© Curtis Hilbun / Dollywood
TICKETS
Due to the nature of the event, tickets will be *extremely limited* and available on a first come, first served basis only. Last year this event sold out, so we encourage you to save the date now and make arrangements with friends so that you do not miss out once ticket sales open in Eventbrite starting on Wednesday, October 20 at 8 pm for Early Bird tickets ($30 per car) and Monday, October 25 at 8 pm for all tickets ($40 per car).
All ticket sales are 100% final and Birmingham Mom Collective is unable to offer refunds for any reason, as this event will happen rain or shine.
{Note: Never purchase an event ticket from a third party before first checking with Birmingham Mom Collective. This helps all of us prevent fraud.}
Tickets include:
- Entry for one car (doesn’t matter how many adults and children are in the car; the price is for one car full of people)
- Parking space to watch the movie, A Christmas Story
- A snack voucher (worth $10) for 1 box of popcorn, 1 candy, and 1 drink
- A swag bag for the first 100 cars in the gate
- Professional photo opportunity for the entire family to meet Santa (with donation of a household item (ie tissues, gloves, paper plates, cleaning products, etc.) or a monetary donation to our non-profit partner, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Alabama
- Chance to meet local businesses that are sponsoring the event
- Free Mini Golf
- Discount to The Pixel Room
Tickets go on sale starting on Wednesday, October 20 at 8 pm for Early Bird tickets ($30 per car) and end on Sunday, October 24. Regular price tickets go on sale Monday, October 25 at 8 pm ($40 per car).
Holiday Drive-In with Santa attendees will be expected to abide by all of the safety precautions at the event that are based on the recommendations of the CDC, Alabama Department of Health, and Grand-River Drive-In in order to minimize the risk of COVID-19 exposure. However, because the risk cannot be completely eliminated, attending Holiday Drive-In with Santa is done so at the risk of each attendee, representative, and volunteer.
By purchasing a ticket, you understand that your photo may be taken and you give permission for Birmingham Mom Collective to use it on their site, in promotional materials, and/or on social media platforms. Everyone who purchases a ticket will be subscribed to our email list (if they have not been already) in order to provide the most timely and up-to-date information.
