The Bayou State is known for passing a good time at events throughout the year, but folks from Monroe to the banks of the mighty Mississippi and everywhere in between go even further during the holidays. From millions of twinkling lights to towering bonfires to help guide Papa Noël, there are a whole host of ways to fill up on seasonal cheer.
Whether you’re the type of person who’d love to sing with hundreds of carolers in New Orleans’ Jackson Square or one who prefers the relatively quieter experience of viewing the lighted displays along Cane River, there are some memorable holiday experiences for you and your whole family.
From the top of the Sportsman’s Paradise to way down the bayou, we say, “Heaux, heaux, heaux! Off we go!”
Natchitoches
More than 300,000 twinkling lights and 100 lighted set pieces enchant visitors to downtown Natchitoches each holiday season for its annual Festival of Lights. Now celebrating its 93rd year, the festival features fireworks over Cane River Lake every Saturday of its six-week run, live music, a Christmas Tour of Homes, parades, and more. On the first Saturday of December, the city hosts its annual Christmas Festival, the largest event of the season. Visitors can enjoy Natchitoches meat pies, hot gumbo, and more from the restaurants and food vendors near the riverbank.
New Orleans
What began in 1984 as a tent full of Christmas trees decorated by local artists has grown into a holiday extravaganza with over 1 million lights and more than 165,000 visitors. From November 29 through New Year’s Day, New Orleans’ City Park Botanical Garden and surrounding areas are bedecked with holiday spirit. For the best view, take the 2-mile-long train ride around some of the most festive displays.
New Orleans
Prior to settling in Louisiana, French Catholics broke their Christmas Eve fast with a glorious midnight feast. Called Réveillon, these decadent affairs would last until the wee hours of the morning, and they carried that tradition to Louisiana. In recent years, restaurants around New Orleans—including Arnaud’s and The Grill Room at the Windsor Court Hotel—have started offering prix fixe Réveillon menus (at dinnertime, thankfully).
With a brisk breeze blowing of the Mississippi River, hundreds of people will gather in Jackson Square on Sunday, December 22, to sing Christmas classics. Shortly before 6:30 p.m., candles will be distributed to help brighten the mood (but you may want to bring a lighter just in case). For the best experience, plan to arrive early so you can claim a good spot.
New Orleans
Festive feasts, holiday tea, and grand décor await visitors to New Orleans’ Windsor Court Hotel during the holidays. The culinary team at The Grill Room offers prix fixe menus for Thanksgiving, Réveillon, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve. Le Salon’s annual holiday tea draws hundreds of guests for tea service with English tea sandwiches, seasonal scones, gourmet desserts, and wine or cocktails. The hotel’s awe-inspiring décor includes a 19½-foot Christmas tree with more than 25,000 mini white lights, a classic toy train, and more than 1,500 feet of gold magnolia garland.
Lake Charles
This holiday event is a fantastic way to celebrate the season in Lake Charles. Taking place on December 7, the evening’s festivities will begin with a street parade on Ryan Street followed by a tree lighting ceremony at the front steps of the Lake Charles Civic Center. Afterward, catch the lighted boat parade on the lakefront and end the evening by watching the spectacular fireworks display over the lake. All events are free, and food will be available for purchase from food booths along the lakefront.
Along Interstates 20 and 49
Pack your car and get ready for some serious fun along Interstates 20 and 49. Cities in central and northern Louisiana have teamed up to create a trail of authentic and charming holiday events throughout the season. From Shreveport’s Christmas in Roseland and the Garden District Holiday Tour of Homes in Alexandria to dozens of life-size nutcrackers in Minden and the Ouachita Kiwanis Club Christmas Parade in Monroe (pictured below), there are boundless options for holiday fun.
St. James Parish
While many of the modern Bayou State holiday displays involve countless twinkling lights, the Festival of the Bonfires hearkens back to an earlier time. Each Christmas Eve along the banks of the Mississippi River— particularly in St. James Parish—families gather to light large bonfires to help guide Papa Noël. If you can’t make it to the Christmas Eve festivities, plan to attend Festival of the Bonfires in Lutcher, where they will light bonfires on the evenings of December 13 and 14.
New Orleans
Each holiday season, The Roosevelt New Orleans draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to marvel at its beautiful lobby decorations, appropriately named Waldorf Wonderland. The hotel adorns its block-long lobby with 46 Christmas trees and 78 birch trees, 605,000 lights, and thousands of glass ornaments. Stop in for a photo op on your way to the hotel’s famed Sazerac Bar. Throughout December, the hotel will also host its annual Teddy Bear Tea, a holiday tea party with food and tea as well as visits from Santa and Mrs. Claus.
