By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

The Alabaster Fire Department will be continuing a longstanding city tradition on Dec. 1 when it opens its kid-friendly Christmas village at Fire Station No. 1.

Station No. 1, which is at 890 First Ave. West and near the Albert L. Scott Public Library, will open the village after the city’s Christmas parade, which begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 1. The village will be in a large field behind the station.

The fire station, which draws hundreds of kids annually, has been hosting the Christmas village every year for the past few decades, said Alabaster firefighter John Aldrich.

“We see tons of kids,” Aldrich said with a laugh.

The village features several decorations such as miniature police and fire trucks, a train, a helicopter, a plane, a gingerbread house and more. Most of the decorations are large enough for children to play on.

After the village opens on Dec. 1, it will be open from 4-9 p.m. on weekdays and from noon-9 p.m. on the weekends. Firefighters will be present each day, and the village will run through Dec. 31.

Alabaster Fire Department Battalion Chief Jim Golden said the village provides a “safe, family friendly environment” for local kids during the holiday season.

Over the past several days, Alabaster firefighters have been working to construct the village and build a new fence to help promote safety. The fence will keep kids away from the roads surrounding the fire station, Aldrich said.