Halloween might be here just yet, but groups in Limestone County are already planning for other upcoming holidays.

One of those groups is the Athens-Limestone County Tourism Association, which is looking for sponsors to take part in the sixth annual North Pole Stroll.

According to ALCTA President Teresa Todd, individuals, families and businesses are invited to sponsor a Christmas tree that will be placed at Big Spring Memorial Park around Thanksgiving. The sponsors can then decorate the tree, with many participants working to see just how creative they can be. Todd said participants must use solar lights and nonbreakable ornaments to decorate.

“I have so enjoyed this event,” she said. “It is a great time for families and business people to get together, and they actually bond while they’re decorating. They may not always agree on what the look should be, but some of the ideas they come up with are unbelievable.”

The cost to sponsor a tree is $100. Interested parties can go online to visitathensal.com/2020-anps or call 256-232-5411 in order to register. The event will officially begin Dec. 1 and run through the end of the month.

Todd said the tourism association has 22 trees sponsored so far but is hoping for many more to be added.

“We are doing pretty well, but we can still do better,” she said. “We would love to have more people participate, because I want 100 trees this year.”

The money raised as part of North Pole Stroll goes towards the tourism association’s operating expenses, as well as the costs of materials like brochures used to promote Athens and Limestone County.

Once the trees are up and decorated at the park, visitors are invited to stroll through at their own pace, with the association recommending visiting just as night falls in order to best see the lights.

Ardmore Tinsel Trail

The Greater Ardmore Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a similar event, the 2020 Ardmore Tinsel Trail, from Dec. 4 through Jan. 1. Cost to sponsor a tree is $100, or $50 for Greater Ardmore Chamber members, and decoration will run Nov. 16 through the start of the event. The trail is located at the Bryant House, at the corner of Ardmore Avenue and First Street.

“Tinsel Trail is a wonderful opportunity for the community to come together and experience the feeling of Christmas,” Chamber Director Yolandia Eubanks said. “It is a chance to decorate a tree in honor of a love one’s memory or to celebrate and recognize an area business or organization. With 2020 and all its challenges, I believe we could use this time to celebrate and embrace the season more than ever.”

Deadline to submit a sponsorship is 4 p.m. Nov. 24. The Chamber advises sponsors to use decorations that can withstand the weather, including zip ties or string to secure decorations. Lights must be LED, and sponsors are responsible for supplying their own 20-foot, outdoor-rated extension cord.

Contact Eubanks at 256-423-6177 or yeubanks@greaterardmorechamber.com for more information.