Holiday shopping in Birmingham 2026: Christmas Village Festival Nov. 4-8, Market Noel Nov. 19-21, The Summit's hours and Small Business Saturday Nov. 28.

Last checked Oct. 17, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address; the dates below are for the 2026 season. Store hours come from each center’s own page; we do not list prices or deals.

Black Friday is Nov. 27 and Small Business Saturday is Nov. 28, 2026. Birmingham’s holiday shopping season starts earlier than that: the Christmas Village Festival fills the BJCC the first week of November, and the Junior League’s Market Noel runs the week before Thanksgiving in Hoover. The city’s main open-air shopping center is The Summit off U.S. 280.

Who to call

  • The Summit, 214 Summit Boulevard: 205-967-0111
  • City services: 311, or 205-254-2489 (closed Nov. 26 and 27)
  • Police non-emergency: 205-328-9311; 911 in an emergency

Holiday shopping calendar

When What Where
Nov. 4-8 Christmas Village Festival BJCC North Exhibition Hall, downtown
Nov. 19-21 Market Noel, Junior League of Birmingham Finley Center, 5508 Stadium Trace Parkway, Hoover
Friday, Nov. 27 Black Friday; The Summit hours below 214 Summit Boulevard
Saturday, Nov. 28 Small Business Saturday; Pepper Place Saturday Market, 7 a.m. to noon 2829 2nd Ave. S.
Saturday, Dec. 5, 4 to 8 p.m. Vulcan’s Holidays on the Mountain with local vendors Vulcan Park and Museum, 1701 Valley View Drive
Saturday, Dec. 12 Last Pepper Place Saturday Market of 2026 2829 2nd Ave. S.

The Summit

The Summit is at 214 Summit Boulevard, off U.S. 280. Its regular hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. As of Oct. 17 the center’s hours calendar still showed regular 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. hours for Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday, with no holiday hours announced. Individual stores and restaurants set their own hours; the center’s store directory lists each one. We will update this section when The Summit posts holiday hours.

Small Business Saturday

The Pepper Place Saturday Market is open Saturday, Nov. 28, from 7 a.m. to noon, rain or shine, with Alabama-grown, -raised and -made goods from state-certified vendors. Its 2026 season ends Saturday, Dec. 12, according to the market’s website. The market accepts SNAP; see our farmers markets guide. For shops that opened this year, see our new businesses page.

Holiday markets

  • Christmas Village Festival, BJCC North Exhibition Hall: Wednesday, Nov. 4, is a VIP day (9 a.m. to 4 p.m., VIP ticket only). General hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Nov. 5-7, and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8, with earlier early-shopper hours on a separate ticket. The festival says Saturday parking will be very limited because of the UAB football game and points attendees to the P-10 and P-11 lots on 19th Street by the arena, according to its show information page.
  • Market Noel, Finley Center, Hoover, about 10 miles south: general shopping Thursday, Nov. 19, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday, Nov. 20, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Saturday, Nov. 21, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Proceeds support the Junior League of Birmingham. Parking is free, according to the market’s FAQ.
  • Vulcan’s Holidays on the Mountain, Saturday, Dec. 5, 4 to 8 p.m., includes shopping with local vendors along with photos with Santa and a DJ. The park closes at 1 p.m. that day to set up. Tickets are sold online, according to Vulcan Park and Museum.

Getting there and parking

  • Downtown on Saturday, Nov. 7, the Christmas Village Festival’s page warns of very limited parking because of a UAB football game and suggests a ride service if you are staying nearby.
  • U.S. 280 carries The Summit’s traffic; check ALGO Traffic’s live map before you leave, and see our road construction and closures page.
  • City offices and 311 are closed Thursday and Friday, Nov. 26 and 27.

What this means for you

  • Buy market tickets ahead: the Christmas Village Festival and Market Noel both sell online.
  • Plan Black Friday around store hours, not just the center’s: individual stores set their own.
  • Shop local on Nov. 28 at Pepper Place, then see Thanksgiving in Birmingham and holiday lights and Christmas events for the rest of the season.

Frequently asked questions

What are The Summit’s Black Friday hours in 2026?

As of Oct. 17, The Summit’s online hours calendar showed its regular 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. hours for Thursday, Nov. 26, and Friday, Nov. 27. Stores set their own hours, so check the center’s hours page and each store before you go.

When is Small Business Saturday 2026?

Saturday, Nov. 28, 2026, the day after Black Friday. The Pepper Place Saturday Market is open that morning from 7 a.m. to noon.

When is the Christmas Village Festival in Birmingham?

Nov. 4-8, 2026, at the BJCC. General hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday to Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday; Wednesday, Nov. 4, is a ticketed VIP day.

When and where is Market Noel 2026?

The Junior League of Birmingham’s Market Noel is at the Finley Center in Hoover. General shopping hours are Thursday, Nov. 19, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday, Nov. 20, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Saturday, Nov. 21, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.