On the Sunday night New Year's Eve that led into 2024, The Randolph Leader estimated that more than 750 people stood in downtown Wedowee watching an illuminated cutout of a fish at the top of the First Bank of Alabama flagpole. Live music played from the bank's steps. As midnight got closer, the fish came down the pole the way the ball drops in Times Square, the crowd counted down the last 10 seconds, and fireworks opened 2024.
The Wedowee Merchants Association organized that night, and the paper said the event was believed to be the first of its kind in Randolph County. The same is true of the whole season. Shops on Main Street set Wedowee's holiday calendar, so it opens in early November with a store's open house and closes on New Year's Eve at a bank. It also explains why the big dates usually show up later than people expect.
The Fish Came Down Over Old Swann Land
The spot the merchants chose has its own history. The Leader reported that Dr. J.C. Swann founded the Bank of Wedowee in 1904, and that bank is now First Bank of Alabama. A later Swann, John Griggs Swann, also served as the bank's president. A Swann family home once stood where the current First Bank of Alabama building sits. The family eventually sold the property, and it ended up back with the bank the family had started.
Will Swann, a longtime Wedowee resident whose great-grandfather was Dr. Swann and whose grandfather was John Griggs Swann, described the old place to The Randolph Leader:
"It was a very unique home. From my understanding it was the first home in Wedowee with indoor plumbing. Many fond memories there. There was a barn located there. There was a little tractor shed and another little storage facility, as well as the house."
So on New Year's Eve, downtown Wedowee gathers on a lot that has been part of the town's story for more than a century. A barn and a tractor shed once stood where the countdown now happens.
Swann also told the paper how the crowd built up that night. "As soon as the crowd let out at 48 West, everybody that was there pretty much migrated on down," he said. He credited the Merchants Association and Barry Waldrep with "energizing the town's potential." That walk from a downtown venue to the bank steps shows how the event works. Main Street businesses fill the hours, and the fish marks midnight.
Who Actually Runs the Calendar
Downtown businesses and civic groups are behind each event on the season's calendar.
- Trick or Treat in Downtown Wedowee. According to the 2026 Alabama Small Towns events guide, Miss Amber's Cafe at 15 Main Street South has championed it, and other downtown merchants hand out candy alongside.
- Arts & Crafts on the Median. The East Alabama Arts Society presents it on the second Saturday of June and October.
- Christmas in Wedowee. The same guide says downtown businesses traditionally start the season with holiday shopping and Christmas activities. The annual Christmas Parade follows in December.
- New Year's Eve Fish Drop. The Wedowee Merchants Association organizes it, and the guide calls it "Wedowee's small-town answer to Times Square."
The town does have a formal role. In October 2024, the Wedowee Town Council set that year's parade for Dec. 5 at 6 p.m. and the Fish Drop for Dec. 31 at 10 p.m., with a concert and fireworks. The Randolph Leader reported those dates as part of its budget-meeting coverage. Most of what fills the weeks between those dates, though, comes from storefronts.
First Stop: Holly Dolly Weekend at 18 Main
The first confirmed date of the 2026 season belongs to one shop. The Peaceful Porch at The Parker House, 18 Main St. S, is hosting its Holly Dolly Christmas Open House the week after this post goes up.
- Opens: Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, at 5 p.m. Central
- Closes: Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, at 4 p.m. Central
- Format: three days of holiday shopping, with more details still to come from the shop
That timing matches the past. Last year, the downtown Wedowee Christmas Open House ran Nov. 6 to 8, 2025, across the Main Street district. A districtwide open house for 2026 has not been announced, so the Holly Dolly weekend is the only 2026 holiday event with set hours so far. With the 2025 version falling on the same first-weekend-in-November stretch, watch for other storefronts to post their own hours around Nov. 5 to 7.
The Main Street Stretch, by Address
Wedowee's downtown is compact enough that the holiday season works best on foot. Here are the Main Street stops that Alabama Small Towns features updated in 2026 describe as open, listed in street-number order.
| Address | Stop | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Main Street South | The Crow's Nest | Boutique |
| 15 Main Street South | Miss Amber's Cafe | Cafe that leads the downtown trick-or-treat |
| 18 Main Street South | The Peaceful Porch at The Parker House | Boutique hosting Holly Dolly weekend |
| 29 Main Street South | Lake Wedowee Winery and Brewery | Downtown tasting room |
| 108 Main Street South | Wake and Shake Donut Shop | Donut shop |
The first four are within 20 street numbers of each other on Main Street South, so a Saturday open-house loop can start with breakfast at Miss Amber's, take in both boutiques, and end with a stop at the tasting room without moving the car. For a December evening, the 2026 events guide suggests combining a Christmas outing with shopping, dining, and a drive around the Lake Wedowee area.
The restaurant list goes beyond those few blocks. An Alabama Small Towns food feature updated in September 2026 covers Boondocks BBQ and Creamery, which is open Thursday through Sunday and offers grits and greens in fall and winter. It also covers Lynniebo's, known for fried or grilled catfish; Porch Dogs, a hot dog spot at 1499 Main St.; and Thai Table Kitchen, which serves curries and noodle dishes. Miss Amber's appears there too, with its Sunday lunch buffet.
The Dates That Haven't Been Posted Yet
Because merchants run the season, the dates come out on their schedule. This is how the calendar has filled in over the past three years.
- New Year's Eve into 2024: The first Fish Drop at First Bank of Alabama, organized by the Wedowee Merchants Association.
- Late 2024: The council-set parade on Dec. 5 at 6 p.m. and the second Fish Drop on Dec. 31 at 10 p.m., with a concert and fireworks.
- Late 2025: The downtown Christmas Open House on Nov. 6 to 8. The Merchants Association's events page lists the "3rd Annual New Years' Celebration and Fish Drop" on Dec. 31, with details marked TBD.
- 2026 so far: The Holly Dolly Christmas Open House, Nov. 5 to 7, is the only event with posted 2026 hours. The Merchants Association page still shows its 2025 calendar.
The celebration that welcomed 2024 was the first Fish Drop, the one that welcomed 2025 the second, and Dec. 31, 2025, the third, which makes a Dec. 31, 2026, celebration the fourth. The 2026 events guide lists the parade for December and the Fish Drop for Dec. 31, and it notes that exact dates and schedules can change from year to year. A Dec. 5 parade in 2024 suggests the parade could again land in the first week of December. Until it is announced, the start time, route, and day are not set.
Two sources are worth checking as November goes on: the Wedowee Merchants Association's events page and The Randolph Leader, which reported both the council's 2024 holiday dates and the first Fish Drop.
Bill Coats lives on Lake Wedowee and pays attention to what happens on Main Street as closely as what happens on the water. If you are new to the area this season, or you have family coming for the holidays and want help planning a day downtown around the open house or the Fish Drop, reach out to Bill Coats and Schedule a Free Consultation.
