Gulf Shores Christmas Tree Tinsel Trail Seeks $100 Tree Sponsors for Sims Park Debut

GULF SHORES, Ala. — The Gulf Shores Junior City Council is starting a new holiday tradition this year, and it is asking residents, businesses and community groups to help build it one tree at a time. The student council is seeking sponsors for the city’s first Christmas Tree Tinsel Trail, a walking display of decorated Christmas trees that will line a path through Sims Park next to the Kids Park from Nov. 30 through Jan. 3.

Sponsoring a tree costs $100, and the money raised will help the Junior City Council buy Christmas gifts for local children in need through its participation in the Angel Tree Program.

How the Tinsel Trail will work

Each sponsorship covers an 8-foot Christmas tree and a personalized recognition sign that will stand in front of the tree with the sponsor’s name. City of Gulf Shores Public Works crews will install all of the trees in Sims Park before the decorating period begins, so sponsors will not need to haul or set up a tree themselves.

What sponsors bring is the creativity. Each sponsor will decorate its tree with its own holiday theme, turning the trail into a collection of individual displays that reflect the businesses, churches, schools, families and groups behind them.

Decorating will take place Nov. 23-29. The trail’s official grand opening is set for Monday, Nov. 30, immediately after that evening’s Gulf Shores City Council meeting. The trees will remain on display through Jan. 3, giving residents and visitors more than a month to stroll the trail during the holiday season.

Sponsorship details at a glance

• Cost: $100 per tree
• Location: Sims Park, adjacent to the Kids Park
• Tree size: 8 feet tall
• Setup: Trees installed by the city’s Public Works crews before the decorating dates
• Decorating dates: Nov. 23-29
• Grand opening: Nov. 30, immediately following the Gulf Shores City Council meeting
• Trail open: Nov. 30 through Jan. 3
• Recognition: A sponsor sign displayed in front of each tree
• Benefit: Proceeds support the Angel Tree Program

The Junior City Council is inviting sponsorships from a wide range of participants, including businesses, organizations, churches, civic groups, schools, nonprofits, clubs, neighborhood groups, families and individuals. Anyone interested in sponsoring a tree can contact the City of Gulf Shores for details on how to sign up.

Where the money goes

Proceeds from the tree sponsorships will support the Junior City Council’s participation in the Angel Tree Program. The students will use the money to purchase Christmas gifts for local children in need.

Angel Tree programs, the best known of which is run by the Salvation Army, generally work by matching donors with specific children. Each participating child’s first name, age and holiday wishes are written on a paper “angel” tag and hung on a tree, and donors choose a tag, buy the gifts listed and return them so they can be delivered to the family before Christmas. The approach lets givers shop for a particular child while protecting the family’s privacy.

The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree began in 1979 in Lynchburg, Virginia, and has since become one of the most familiar holiday giving efforts in the country. Registration for the Salvation Army of Coastal Alabama’s 2026 Angel Tree program, which serves families in Mobile, Baldwin and Washington counties, opened earlier this month.

For the Junior City Council, the Tinsel Trail ties two holiday traditions together: a festive display for the public and a way for students to give back by shopping for children whose families are struggling this Christmas.

A new tradition in a familiar park

The Junior City Council said it hopes the trail will become a memorable holiday experience for both Gulf Shores residents and visitors, and it encouraged community members to use the trail as a chance to show their holiday spirit while supporting a meaningful cause.

Sims Park, home to the Kids Park, is a familiar gathering place for Gulf Shores families. The city recently approved a $1.1 million redesign of the Kids Park, which first opened in 1996, that will add accessible, sensory-rich and inclusive play features. Construction on that project is scheduled to begin in early 2027, so families can continue using the existing playground through the Christmas break, which means a visit to the Tinsel Trail can easily be paired with time on the playground this season.

Junior city councils are civic programs that give young people a firsthand look at how local government works, often involving them in service projects and community events alongside city leaders. Gulf Shores’ Junior City Council is using its first Tinsel Trail to do both, organizing a public event with help from city crews while raising money for a charitable cause.

Tips for decorating an outdoor tree

Because the trees will stand outdoors for more than a month, sponsors may want to plan decorations that can handle Gulf Coast weather. Some general tips:

• Choose shatterproof ornaments made of plastic, metal or fabric rather than glass.
• Secure ornaments and garland with zip ties, floral wire or twist ties so they stay put in wind.
• Use weather-resistant ribbon, and avoid paper decorations that can be ruined by rain or humidity.
• Keep your theme simple and bold so it reads well to people walking by.
• Check with organizers before planning anything that requires electricity, such as string lights.
• Consider whether the theme can share your group’s story, such as a church’s ministries, a school’s mascot or a business’s products.

Sponsors may also want to stop by during the run of the trail to tidy their trees after storms or windy days, so the display stays bright from opening night through the first weekend of January.