TIMELESS HOMESCHOOL EVENTS- CENTRAL ALABAMA
A Timeless Christmas Tradition
Christmas at Timeless is about more than just another event. Our Progressive Dinner is about slowing down and really enjoying the Christmas season, the beautiful decorations, the festive atmosphere, amazing holiday food, and spending an evening together celebrating one of our favorite times of year.
This will be our third year bringing the Progressive Dinner to Cullman, and this Christmas, we're adding a little twist!
Our holiday dinner is becoming Tinsel, Trouble & Tacky Sweaters: A Christmas Murder Mystery Dinner, where everyone has a part to play. Throughout the evening, our guests will step into character, mingle, uncover clues, share secrets, and try to solve the mystery, all while enjoying the Christmas dinner and traditions we've come to love.
And just like the Christmas spirit itself, this evening is about sharing. This free event is open to homeschool teens ages 14–19. We simply ask each family to bring an appetizer or dessert to share, while Timeless provides the main courses for dinner.
Stay tuned, the Christmas menu is coming soon! 🎄
The Story
Every year, the residents of Evergreen Falls put aside their differences, dress for the season, and gather at the Grand Christmas Lodge for an evening of beautiful decorations, incredible holiday food, Christmas cheer, and absolutely no unnecessary drama.
At least, that’s what the invitation says.
Because the truth is, Evergreen Falls is a small town.
And small towns have long memories.
Old rivalries have a way of resurfacing. Rumors travel faster than Christmas cards. Secrets rarely stay secret. Someone is still mad about something that happened three Christmases ago, somebody knows something they definitely weren’t supposed to hear, and there is always at least one person who knows entirely too much about everybody else’s business.
Still, the Christmas Gala is tradition.
The lights are glowing. Dinner is being served. The music is playing. Everyone is smiling.
Mostly.
Then something happens that nobody saw coming.
Suddenly, the whispers around the room aren’t just gossip anymore. Stories aren’t quite adding up. People have some explaining to do, and a few guests at the Grand Christmas Lodge are looking considerably more suspicious than they did when they walked through the door.
Now it’s up to you to follow the clues, question the stories, uncover hidden motives, and piece together what really happened. But here’s the catch. As the night unfolds, you may start to wonder whether you’re solving the mystery… or somehow part of it.
So grab your character, bring your appetite, and keep your eyes and ears open.
Because by the end of the night, everyone in Evergreen Falls will have something to talk about.
Sign up start September 25
Everyone Has a Part to Play
This isn’t a show you sit back and watch. You’re part of the story!
A few weeks after registering, each guest will receive their character role by email. Your role will tell you who you are for the evening and may include secrets, information to share, suspicious behavior to explain, or a little town gossip you just can’t resist passing along.
When you arrive, the story begins. Throughout dinner, new clues and information will be revealed as guests mingle, question one another, and try to figure out exactly what happened and whodunit.
No acting experience is needed, and there’s no script to memorize. Just have fun with your character, follow along with the mystery, and enjoy the evening.
🎄 About Those Tacky Sweaters...
We’ve hosted different versions of this event since our own children were in middle school, and one of the things the kids always loved most was figuring out what they were going to wear.
The photo is a little throwback to 2017, when our own kids were getting ready for one of our Christmas events. Some of those wonderfully tacky sweaters were thrift store finds just as they were, while others got a little extra help with added decorations and designs. 😂
That was part of the fun. You could hunt down the perfect hilariously festive sweater, start with something simple and make it your own, or get creative and see just how tacky you could make it. It didn't have to be expensive or perfect. The fun was in the hunt, the creativity, and showing up in something that made everybody smile.
Your character email will include more information about what to wear, so don’t worry about planning everything just yet. We’ll give you plenty of ideas when the time comes.
And yes, thrift stores are absolutely your friend for this one.
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Before the Mystery Begins
When you register, we’ll ask whether you would prefer a Major Role or Minor Role. Don’t worry, there’s a place in the story for different personalities!
Major Roles are more involved in the storyline and may be important to keeping the mystery moving. If you choose a Major Role, communication is especially important. If something comes up and you’re going to be late or can no longer attend, please call or email us as soon as possible. Your character may be someone the rest of the story is depending on!
Minor Roles are perfect for guests who want to be part of the mystery without taking on one of the larger parts. You’ll still have a character, interact with the story, follow clues, and participate in the fun.
Watch Your Email!
Sometime between registration and event night, you’ll receive an email from Timeless introducing you to your character and giving you some information about your role.
Please provide a working email address that you check regularly when you register. This is VERY important for this event.
Once you receive your character assignment, you must RSVP to that email to confirm your role. Your RSVP lets us know you received your character and are still attending. Until we receive that confirmation, we cannot guarantee that your character will continue to be held for you.
A few weeks before the event, we’ll email you again for a final RSVP and ask whether you plan to bring an appetizer or dessert to share. Please respond to that email too!
Questions? Please Ask!
If you receive your character and think, Wait... what am I supposed to do with this? 😂 That’s okay!
We didn’t always host murder mystery events. Years ago, we attended them with our own kids, and we remember having plenty of questions while waiting for that first one. They eventually became a co-op favorite, and now we get to create that same experience for other families.
If you’re confused about your character, what to wear, how the game works, what you should bring, or anything else, please ask us. You’ll be able to reach out directly to Jaime or Tamara, and we’ll be happy to help you get ready for the evening.
The mystery works best when everyone knows where they’re supposed to be, receives their information, and keeps us updated if plans change.
Good communication is one of the secrets to a great murder mystery party. The other secrets? Well... you’ll have to wait for those.
How the Evening Works
Tinsel, Trouble & Tacky Sweaters is not a dance. It is a fully interactive murder mystery experience that unfolds throughout the entire evening.
Every guest has a character, every character has a part in the story, and the mystery develops in rounds as new information, secrets, and clues are revealed. You will mingle, talk with other characters, follow leads, enjoy dinner, and work your way toward solving the mystery.
And because this is Christmas at Timeless, we are making dinner part of the experience too!
Guests will enjoy a four course Christmas dinner throughout the evening, beginning with appetizers and continuing with soup and salad, the main course, and dessert. Rather than stopping the mystery for dinner, each course will be worked into the evening as the story unfolds.
Why Registration Opens So Early
You may notice that registration for this event opens several months in advance. There’s a reason for that!
Unlike our dances and larger events, a murder mystery requires quite a bit of behind-the-scenes preparation for each individual guest. Characters have to be assigned, roles coordinated, materials prepared, clues organized, dinner planned, and the mystery adjusted around the people who are actually attending.
Because of that, registration may close earlier than you’re used to with other Timeless events.
Once we reach our event capacity, it may also be difficult to add additional guests. Every person becomes part of the story, so adding someone isn’t always as simple as adding another chair at the table.
If you know you’d like to attend, please don’t wait until the last minute to register. Signing up early gives us the time we need to make sure your character and your experience are properly prepared for you.
Want first access? Join our subscriber list on the Timeless Central Alabama homepage. Subscribers will receive access to registration a few hours before it opens to everyone else, giving our Timeless families on the list the first opportunity to claim a spot.
For this one, your seat at the table really does come with a part in the story.
Coming Alone? Feeling a Little Shy?
If this sounds like something you would love to experience, but you're thinking, “I don't know anybody there,” come anyway. We mean it.
You won't be walking into a room where everyone already has their group and you're left trying to figure out how to join in. Everyone is there for the same reason: to play the game. You'll have a character, information to share, questions to ask, and a reason to start talking to the people around you.
And if you need a little help breaking the ice, we can help with that too.
We're keeping this experience small, with no more than 30 guests, so you'll have a chance to actually get to know people throughout the evening. You may meet completely new faces, recognize a few familiar ones, and discover that someone else there enjoys at least one of the same things you do.
That's one of our favorite things about an event like this. You don't have to figure out what to say to a room full of strangers. The story gives you something to talk about.
So if you're shy, coming by yourself, or simply trying something new, come on. There's a place for you in the story. ❤️
A Sample Evening
5:30 PM | Welcome to the Lodge
Doors open and the experience begins. Pick up your character materials and your first round envelope, get familiar with your role, grab some appetizers, and begin meeting the other residents of Evergreen Falls. This is your chance to settle in, learn who everyone is, and start figuring out who you might want to keep an eye on.
6:00 PM | Round One
The Christmas gathering officially gets underway. Conversations begin, information starts changing hands, and the first pieces of the story begin falling into place.
6:30 PM | Soup & Salad + Round Two
Dinner continues, but so does the mystery. New information and clues are revealed, stories begin to overlap, and you may discover that some of your new friends have been leaving out a few important details.
6:50 PM | Main Course + The Mystery Deepens
The main course is served as the investigation picks up. By now, you should know the characters, understand some of the town drama, and have a growing list of questions. Pay attention. What seemed unimportant earlier may suddenly matter.
7:30 PM | Dessert + Round Three
Dessert arrives, along with another round of revelations. Secrets come out, motives become clearer, and this is your chance to put together everything you have learned. By now, you may even be wondering whether you're solving the mystery or somehow part of it.
8:15 PM | Final Accusations & The Big Reveal
Time to make your final decision. Who do you think is responsible, what really happened, and did you catch all the clues? We'll reveal the truth, wrap up our characters, and see who managed to solve the mystery.
8:30–9:00 PM | Stay Awhile
The mystery may be over, but you don't have to rush out the door. Hang out, laugh about everything that happened, exchange numbers with the new people you met, take pictures, and maybe make plans to see each other at the next Timeless event.
At 9:00 PM, we'll say goodnight and thank everyone for making another Timeless Christmas one to remember.
Please note: We plan to end at 9:00 PM, but we don’t want to rush the mystery or dinner. Depending on how the evening unfolds, the event may wrap up anytime between 9:00 and 9:30 PM.
One Very Important Thing
Because every registered guest is part of the story, please do not be a no call, no show for a murder mystery event. A missing character can affect the experience for everyone else.
We completely understand that plans change and unexpected things happen. If you discover that you cannot attend, please notify us as soon as possible so we have time to make adjustments to the mystery.
If you are running late on the evening of the event, please call us. We would much rather know you're on your way than begin the story without knowing whether your character will be arriving.
Once you sign up, you're not just reserving a seat at dinner. You're accepting a part in the story.
Event Information
December 18th 2026
Grandview Community Center
Cullman Alabama
5:30-9:00
Age 14-19
Want to Get Involved?
Timeless events happen because parents and community members are willing to jump in and help make them possible, and we’d love to have you join us!
Even if you aren’t able to volunteer for this particular event, we’d still love to hear from you. Maybe you’d like to help with a future event, have a skill you can share, or have an idea for something you’d love to see Timeless bring to Central Alabama.
There are lots of ways to get involved, and volunteering doesn’t have to mean taking on a huge commitment. Sometimes we simply need an extra set of hands and some good company!
Interested? Reach out to Jaime (she is the Event Host for this event) at timelesscentralalabama@gmail.com and ask how you can get involved.
Come help when you can, share your ideas, meet some other parents, and be part of creating these experiences for our homeschool community.
We’d love the company. ❤️
