"Being able to welcome guests to The Orion all year long is another way our Amphitheater is unique," Kamerra Liles, assistant general manager at The Orion, told The Madison Record when the 2026 holiday lineup was announced. If you live in Midtowne on the Park, The Orion is a short drive away. CastleRock Communities, the subdivision's builder, lists the amphitheater among the neighborhood's nearby destinations, a few minutes from University Drive and Research Park.
This season, MidCity also has places that keep regular daily hours between its big dated events. Hotel Indigo opened in August with a coffee bar and a restaurant in its lobby. A home and gift boutique opened on November 6. A Christmas tree lot opens Monday and stays open until Christmas Eve. On any ordinary evening in December, you now have somewhere to go at MidCity.
The Dated Events Come in Two Clusters, With a Gap Between
Put this season's ticketed and one-day events on a calendar and they bunch up in two places.
The first cluster is underway now. Venardos Circus presents "Alice," a Broadway-style circus created by a former Ringling Bros. ringmaster, at MidCity District, 5909 University Dr., from November 12 through November 22, 2026. As of this Thursday, you have one more weekend to catch it.
The second cluster is "Holidays at The Orion," which packs most of its calendar into the first half of December.
- Saturday, Dec. 5: Backstage Dinner with Odette, featuring a Creole Christmas menu
- Sunday, Dec. 6: Orion Holiday Market: Jingle & Mingle, with a student performance from Merrimack Hall, plus Jazz Brunch with the Josh Couts Quartet
- Thursday, Dec. 10: Seasonal Sips: Merry & Mixed, a cocktail class
- Friday–Sunday, Dec. 11–13: Arts Huntsville's Christkindlmarket
- Thursday, Dec. 31: New Year's at Noon, a family-friendly celebration
That leaves almost two weeks between the circus's last show and the Odette dinner with nothing on the event calendar. Hotel Indigo, Maison Rose and the tree lot fill that gap.
Lost Boy Coffee and The Indie Keep Daily Hours
Hotel Indigo Huntsville – MidCity opened at 940 Nunnuhsae Park Drive NW in August 2026 with 112 rooms. It has two food and drink spots in the lobby. Hville Blast listed both as open by August 24.
Lost Boy Coffee is the daytime half. AL.com reported that it serves coffee made with locally roasted Coffee Break HSV beans, along with pastries and sandwiches. Its signature drink is a vanilla latte made with espresso ice cubes. The hotel lists Lost Boy's hours as 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. On a December morning, that works for coffee before a shift in Research Park or a stop on the way back from the tree lot.
The Indie is the evening half. It's the lobby restaurant and bar, with American, Asian and Latin-inspired food and craft cocktails. Visit Huntsville's October restaurant roundup mentions shareable plates like a flat iron steak board with a trio of dipping sauces and caviar service with kettle chips and crème fraîche. Huntsville Magazine's October profile says the kitchen opens at 4 p.m. and the bar tends to stay open later than the dining room. Holiday weeks can bring schedule changes, so check the hotel's dining page for current hours before you go.
Together, the two give MidCity something to do from early morning to late evening, every day of the week. Early December has more open days than event days, so this year that matters.
Maison Rose Opened Two Weeks Ago
MidCity also gained a holiday gift stop this month. Maison Rose is a European-inspired boutique. AL.com described its stock as home accessories, linens, serving pieces, candles, decorative accents, gifts and artisan goods. Owner Mia Muschek Alberson opened it at 900 Mid City Drive, Suite I, according to WAFF. The grand opening was Friday, November 6, and the shop's site now says its doors are open.
Serving pieces and linens are the kind of thing people buy in late November, ahead of hosting a holiday meal.
The Tree Lot Opens Monday, Nov. 23
The MidCity Christmas Tree Lot is back for 2026 at Artemis Pavilion, 800 MidCity Drive, on the corner of MidCity Drive and Sanderson Road. John and Susan Clift of S&J Produce supply the trees. Visit Huntsville's listing shows the lot open every day from Monday, November 23, through Christmas Eve, with a listed time of noon to 5 p.m. The organizers note that the lot closes early if the trees sell out.
The lot runs right through the quiet stretch between the circus and The Orion's December events. Any Saturday in that window, you could get a vanilla latte at Lost Boy Coffee, pick up a tree on Sanderson Road, and stop at Maison Rose for a table runner without needing a ticket for anything. Because sellouts are possible, it makes sense to shop earlier in the run than later.
Christkindlmarket Is the Weekend It All Comes Together
The season's biggest weekend is Dec. 11–13, when Arts Huntsville's Christkindlmarket, presented by Redstone Federal Credit Union, comes back to The Orion. The Orion's event page says more than 8,000 guests came last year, making it the largest community event the amphitheater has hosted. More than 60 juried visual artists from across the region sell handmade work. The Orion handles food and drinks, and a MidCity Market Pop-Up brings holiday treats from local vendors. Admission is free, and parking is free courtesy of Woody Anderson Ford.
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| Friday, Dec. 11 | 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. |
| Saturday, Dec. 12 | 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Sunday, Dec. 13 | 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
Last year's turnout of 8,000 people is the number to plan around. On the busiest weekend of a MidCity December, the Friday evening session is the shortest, and The Indie's evening hours overlap it. It also overlaps the tree lot's run, so you can pick up a tree and shop the market on the same weekend.
The Full Season, in Order
| Dates | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Through Sun., Nov. 22 | Venardos Circus presents "Alice" | 5909 University Dr. |
| Mon., Nov. 23 to Thu., Dec. 24 | MidCity Christmas Tree Lot, noon to 5 p.m., or until trees sell out | Artemis Pavilion, 800 MidCity Dr. |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Backstage Dinner with Odette | The Orion |
| Sun., Dec. 6 | Jingle & Mingle Holiday Market; Jazz Brunch with the Josh Couts Quartet | The Orion |
| Thu., Dec. 10 | Seasonal Sips: Merry & Mixed | The Orion |
| Fri., Dec. 11 to Sun., Dec. 13 | Christkindlmarket | The Orion |
| Thu., Dec. 31 | New Year's at Noon | The Orion |
| Daily | Lost Boy Coffee, mornings; The Indie, evenings | Hotel Indigo, 940 Nunnuhsae Park Dr. NW |
The Next Additions Are Already Named
More of MidCity's next restaurants are already known. Floriana, a family-owned Italian restaurant founded in 1979 and led by Jamie Branda and Dino Tapper, has a two-story, 8,000-square-foot corner space in the NOLA Building at MidCity Drive and Stax Street. AL.com reported that the menu will include scratch-made northern Italian pasta, a raw bar, wood-fired pizzas and a wine cellar. Visit Huntsville's October roundup lists it as expected in MidCity in 2026. Perry's Steakhouse & Grille is listed on MidCity's directory for 2027. Both will add more year-round options to a district that this year already has a hotel lobby, a boutique and a tree lot open between its big events.
If you're in Midtowne on the Park and having all of this down the road has you thinking about your own home this season, I'd love to help. Whether you're wondering what your place is worth or just curious about the neighborhood market, Amanda Wasenius can give you a clear, local answer before the holidays get busy. Get Your Instant Home Valuation, and I'll follow up personally.
