The 12 Days of Christmas, Louisiana-Style
Louisiana knows how to throw a party, and the holiday festivities are no exception. From parades to fireworks and visits with Santa, there is no shortage of holiday merriment.
With an extensive list of holiday festivities around Louisiana, figuring out how to celebrate can be overwhelming. We’re here to help you navigate with a guide that highlights some of the best events in every corner of the state.
1. North Louisiana Christmas Celebrations
Begin with Ruston's Kickoff to Christmas, featuring festive activities, holiday tunes, a tree lighting ceremony, carriage rides and a special visit from Santa. In nearby Monroe, visit the Christmas Open House at Biedenharn Museum & Gardens, where you'll be delighted by the holiday decor. Be sure to stop by the Coca-Cola exhibit.
2. Christmas on Caddo Fireworks Festival
In Oil City, near Shreveport, is the Christmas on Caddo Fireworks Festival, with arts and crafts, live music, food booths and pictures with Santa.
3. Natchitoches Christmas Festival
Celebrate one of Louisiana’s longest-running Christmas traditions — the Natchitoches Christmas Festival. Each year, downtown Natchitoches transforms into a holiday wonderland with hundreds of thousands of colored lights and set pieces. During the festival, shop for Christmas gifts at the Mistletoe Market, enjoy the Festival of Lights Parade and end the night with fireworks over Cane River Lake.
4. Christmas in the Country
St. Francisville hosts Christmas in the Country, where visitors can shop at local businesses, groove to live music, make new friends at a street party and enjoy a parade.
5. Light Up the Lake Christmas Celebration
Over in Lake Charles, experience the Light up the Lake Christmas Celebration featuring a holiday art walk, local food trucks with festive eats and drinks, live musical performances and Santa’s Workshop, where children of all ages can create holiday crafts and meet Saint Nick himself. This family-friendly event continues into the night with a lighted boat parade and fireworks show along the Lakefront Promenade.
6. Logansport Christmas Festival
The theme of this year's Logansport Christmas Festival, A Storybook Christmas, invites visitors to sit back, relax and enjoy decorations and lights straight from “A Christmas Story.” Browse food and craft vendors, visit Santa’s house and ride the holiday train, then wander Main Street after dark to take in the beautiful Christmas lights.
7. Christmas Markets
In the need of some retail therapy? Check out the Merry Market in Gonzales, one of the largest Christmas markets in the state, and browse vendors from across the country. Over in New Roads, visit the Holiday Market at the Mill for shopping, dining and a charming holiday atmosphere.
8. Cajun Bonfires
Celebrate the South Louisiana tradition of bonfires on the levee at the Algiers Bonfire & Concert. Listen to musical performances, eat delicious food from local vendors and shop at the holiday craft market as you watch a 30-foot sculptural bonfire set ablaze. The tradition is also kept alive at the Festival of the Bonfires in Lutcher, so head there for live music, amusement rides and Santa’s Very Merry Forest, a collection of 5- to 7-feet Christmas trees.
9. Northshore Christmas Events
On the Louisiana Northshore, you’ll find holiday options galore. See the town lit up and glimmering in holiday lights, celebrate with a Christmas parade on the Mandeville lakefront, hear the sounds of the season, shop the annual Christmas extravaganza arts and crafts expo, taste special holiday dishes and more.
10. Alexandria Holiday Events
There’s plenty of holiday cheer in Alexandria, including an annual holiday concert by the Rapides Symphony Orchestra and the Holiday Light Safari at the Alexandria Zoo.
11. A Rural Life Christmas
In Baton Rouge, stop by the Rural Life Museum for A Rural Life Christmas, a 19th-century Louisiana Christmas celebration with decorations representative of long-ago times displayed throughout the museum’s grounds. See artisan demonstrations like syrup making, open-hearth cooking, textiles, soap making and blacksmithing.
12. NOLA ChristmasFest
In New Orleans, NOLA ChristmasFest lasts for over a week — offering lots of time to experience all there is to do, such as ice skating on a real indoor rink, whooshing down ice slides, meeting Santa and friends, and more. Looking for the perfect holiday selfie? Stop by the famous Roosevelt Hotel in the Big Easy for a look at their wildly popular, ornate decorations — the perfect photo backdrop. While you’re there, have a drink at The Sazerac Bar or grab a sweet treat at Teddy’s Café.
Bonus! Holiday Trail of Lights
Take a trip along the Louisiana Holiday Trail of Lights and experience lights displays, parades, fireworks, shopping and other festivities in seven cities in north and central Louisiana.
