The Cahaba Center Annex on Wednesday will open its doors to welcome the community to Cahaba Christmas Village from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

For the many who enjoyed the earlier villages (December 2004 to present) this holiday offering brings alive the true meaning of Christmas once again, as well as a shopping opportunity.

Entering the lobby, visitors are greeted by a fragrant, ceiling-high evergreen tree that sparkles with lights. Its branches are filled with a variety of ornaments, most handmade by the Cahaba consumers. There are small packages, tiny dolls and little creatures, miniature Santas and the list goes on.

The handcrafted ornaments in the Trim the Tree Forest will be offered for sale.

In the Elves’ Workshop, there is a variety of unique gifts for sale: woodwork, hand-designed and handmade crafts, decorated shirts and dolls. Ceramics are also available.

A short walk will reveal the Poinsettia Place, filled with flowering plants in shades of cream, white, pink and the traditional scarlet.

Grown in Cahaba Center greenhouses, a new variety, the rose, is offered this year. A surprise offering for this Christmas is a miniature cactus that flowers like an African violet and is priced at $5.

Linda Harrell oversees the greenhouses and is well known locally for her supervision of the downtown flower beds. Greenhouse assistants include Clara Dukes and Sheneata Johnson, who say poinsettia prices are reasonable: a six-inch plant for $10; three-gallon plant for $14; five-gallon plant for $20; and baskets $14.

During the Wednesday opening, the Cahaba Center Choir, directed by Debbie Anderson, will sing Christmas music in Carolers’ Corner. Refreshments will be available at the Sweet Shop.

Floyd Sanders, one of the creators of this Christmas wonderland, recalls the earlier efforts, which began at Queen of Peace, moved to the Morgan Convention Center and now have a permanent yearly home.