Prattville replaces carousel with Christmas in Prattville Express train

Prattville Parks and Recreation is replacing the city’s 42-foot Christmas carousel with a new trackless train called the Christmas in Prattville Express, a change aimed at sending families on festive light tours through Historic Downtown Prattville. The new attraction is meant to give riders a different view of the holiday district, with decorated storefronts, light displays and the downtown atmosphere that has made Christmas in Prattville one of Autauga County’s biggest seasonal draws.

Prattville Parks and Recreation Director Kellie Carter said the department has long tried to create magical memories for families and that planning for Christmas starts in the summer. The train is part of that approach: keep the tradition familiar, but add something that feels fresh enough to bring more people downtown and handle more guests during the busy holiday stretch. City officials said the new ride should increase the number of visitors who can enjoy the event, a practical shift for an attraction that already pulls thousands from across Alabama each year.

The carousel being replaced was not a minor feature. City materials described it as a 42-foot Christmas carousel with 30 intricately designed animals, and the 2025 schedule listed rides Thursday through Sunday from 5 to 9 p.m. For years, it helped anchor a holiday lineup that has grown far beyond a single ride and into a full downtown district built around lights, shopping and family activities.

That district now includes a giant Christmas tree, extensive light displays, a Christmas market at the new Spillway Park Pavilion and an ice-skating rink at Spillway Park on the banks of Autauga Creek. City materials also say the annual Christmas Parade rolls out from the Autauga County Courthouse through downtown Prattville, and that it has featured more than 100 floats in recent years. Main Street Christmas, organized with the Prattville Area Chamber of Commerce and downtown merchants, remains another major piece of the season.

The city’s 2025 Christmas theme was Merry & Bright, and the broader celebration has been described in city promotions as growing brighter each year, with hundreds of thousands of lights. Funding for the new train will come largely through sponsorships from local businesses and community partners, which city officials said will help Prattville expand the event while staying responsible with public money. Details on dates, ride schedules, ticket prices and sponsorship opportunities will come later, but the city has already set the Christmas in Prattville Express up as the next centerpiece of a holiday tradition that continues to define downtown Prattville.