Four years ago, Glenn Smith stumbled upon a scraggly cedar tree that resembled a “Charlie Brown Christmas tree” while walking through the Roy Chapman Sportsplex & Walking Trail in Millry.

That humble tree would spark an idea that transformed this tiny, one-stoplight town of 540 residents into the state’s unlikeliest North Pole.

The result? Millry’s annual Christmas in the Park event, a celebration of lights, community, and holiday spirit that now boasts over 130 unique displays. This year, Millry achieved a remarkable milestone: winning AL.com’s first-ever poll for the best Christmas decorations in Alabama, beating out larger cities known for their elaborate displays.

“I just like this is something that will make us bigger and put on the map,” said Kim Anderson, marketing director for Christmas in the Park, which occurs at a park named after her late father, a former three-term mayor. “I’m excited for the community and the people.”

A miracle in Millry

Millry edged out Fort Payne and Opelika in a tight competition, receiving 13,136 votes — just 224 more than Fort Payne — out of nearly 31,000 cast in a non-scientific poll that closed Monday.

“This is a Christmas miracle unto itself,” said Smith, a retired music educator who envisioned the park’s transformation. “People come here and say, ‘My goodness, what do you have going on at that park?’ I haven’t had one person leave who wasn’t blown away.”

To get to the finals, Millry had to topple Andalusia, Fairhope and Foley in a South Region poll. At least two of those cities – Andalusia and Fairhope – have received regional or national fame for their holiday season displays.

“I compare (the poll) to David versus Goliath,” Smith said.

From humble beginnings

The story of Millry’s sudden emergence into Christmas supremacy can be linked to Smith’s cedar tree discovery.

“We had some cleaning up that was going on at the park, and not many were using it,” Smith recalls at the time of his stroll through the park in 2020. He said a conversation with a man who was clearing out the park’s shrubbery also led to a discussion about saving the small cedar tree, which was slated to be cut down.

A few weeks later upon a return stroll through the park, Smith said to himself, “I saw the cedar tree and thought, ‘We could turn this into a Christmas park.’ I went to the (town hall) and that following Monday, I went and sold the idea, and the council said, ‘Let’s roll with it.’”

Smith convinced the town council to fund the project with $10,000.

“We were in full support of it,” said Stanton Hendry, the former mayor of Millry who resigned earlier this month after he was elected to serve on a local school board. Hendry was mayor of Millry from 2016-2024.

“I fully supported anything to make the town better and in trying to bring folks together,” Hendry said. “You know how hard it can be to get folks together on common ground.”

Residents were invited to decorate 15-by-15-foot plots along the walking trail, dedicating them to loved ones, families, churches or businesses. The only requirement? Each display had to light up.

“I thought we’d get 10 or 12 people and decorate the infield of the baseball field or the softball field,” Smith said. “But the first year, we had 30. Now, we’re at 140 (plots).”

A labor of love

Christmas in the Park has grown into a community effort. Volunteers start decorating in August, stringing over 1 million lights throughout the mile-long trail. Everything except food is free, keeping the event accessible to all.

The plots with their personal touches make Christmas in the Park a unique draw, Anderson said.

“When you (encounter) those 15-by-15 (plots) that are about particular families or churches or businesses, that is what reminds people of Christmas,” she said. “The way each family decorates a spot with something having to do with a lost loved one or a fun activity that is going on with the family makes us a unique Christmas town.”

Key contributors include Smith and Anderson; Joshua Kucera, who manages electrical operations; and Kay Carter, the town clerk who oversees finances.

“It shows what people can do when they come together, even in a little place like us,” Hendry said. “They take pride in having something that everyone has contributed to.”

A bright future

Millry’s holiday display now draws visitors from across Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi. Even Fort Payne residents came to see the park during the voting period. It will remain open from 6-10 p.m. nightly through New Year’s Eve.

The challenge could be in maintaining a small-town appeal to an attraction that is likely to expand next year following the AL.com polling win. Smith said he has no intention of charging to participate in the event and is prepared to put in the extra work needed to make it bigger.

“It just shows everyone’s enthusiasm for being put on the map,” said Daniel Beech, Millry’s new mayor who was appointed to the position on Dec. 9. “We have the mindset that just because we are a small town, we can still be what everyone else is.”

Smith said he is happy that Millry won the overall contest, noting that the town hasn’t had many big victories in the past. Its football team, in recent years, has been competitive in the Class 1A state playoffs, but it has yet to win a state championship.

The town, about an 1-1/2-hour drive to Mobile, struggles to attract new businesses. It also suffered a blow this year when one of its dollar stores closed.

Smith has done his part to stir up voters and highlight a story about a close-knit town that comes together for Christmas. While operating a shuttle that leads visitors from their parking spots to Christmas in the Park, he made sure people were aware of the AL.com poll.

“I tell them, ‘AL.com,’ and they were like ‘We already voted,’” he said. “You can’t believe how much this means to everyone. For a little town of 500, there are people who are celebrating.”