87th Annual Natchitoches Christmas Festival December 7
NATCHITOCHES – The 87th Annual Natchitoches Christmas Festival will take place Saturday, advice December 7 in downtown Natchitoches. The Natchitoches Historic District Business Association and the City of Natchitoches will usher in the holiday season with children’s activities, treatment entertainment, drugs parades, food vendors, and fireworks. North Louisiana’s own Frank Foster will serve as the Grand Marshal and will headline the day’s entertainment.
This year’s Christmas Festival will feature both a Mrs. Claus parade and a Santa Claus Parade. There will be no motorcycle or barge parade at this year’s Christmas Festival.
The Mrs. Claus parade will begin at 11:00 a.m. and feature floats, spirit groups, and performers of junior high school aged and younger participants. The Mrs. Claus parade will begin at the corner of Amulet Street and Jefferson Street and continue down Front Street turning left onto Lafayette Street and left onto Second Street ending at Amulet Street.
The Santa Claus parade will begin at 1:00 p.m. at the corner of Jefferson Street and University Parkway. The parade will feature floats of reigning Queens including Miss Merry Christmas and the Christmas Belles and local dignitaries, marching bands, dance lines, parade Grand Marshal Frank Foster and Santa Claus. The Santa Claus parade will travel along Jefferson Street to Front Street, turning left onto Lafayette Street and Second Street, and ending at University Parkway.
Musical entertainment begins at 2:30 p.m. with a performance by Lainey Wilson, a country singer from Baskin, Louisiana, followed by headliner Frank Foster and the Blue Collar Boys. Frank Foster is a country-western singer born and raised in north Louisiana. Influenced by outlaw country and southern rock, Frank Foster has released three independent albums including 2011’s Rowdy Reputation, 2012’s Red Wings and Six Strings, and 2013’s Southern Soul.
At 6:00 p.m., the festivities will be capped off by a spectacular fireworks display over beautiful Cane River Lake and the lighting of thousands of lights, including two new set pieces for the Natchitoches Tri-Centennial Celebration and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum. In addition, an electrifying light show will take place on the Church Street Bridge.
Admission to the festival is $8 for adults (12 years of age and older) and $5 for children ages 6 to 11. Children under 5 are admitted free to the festival. Armbands may be purchased day of the festival from ticket booths located throughout the Downtown Historic District beginning at 6:30 a.m. Discount armbands may be purchased in advance online at www.NatchitochesChristmas.com and the following area businesses: Bank of Montgomery, City Bank & Trust Company, Exchange Bank, First Federal Bank of Louisiana, La Capitol Federal Credit Union, MidSouth Bank, Sabine State Bank, Brookshire’s Food, Causey’s Pharmacy, Hampton Inn & Suites, and Neebo Bookstore.
For more information on the 87th Annual Natchitoches Christmas Festival, please visit www.NatchitochesChristmas.com.