Natchitoches, The One Christmas Town In Louisiana That’s Simply A Must Visit This Season
Established in 1714, Natchitoches is known for being the oldest settlement in the Louisiana Purchase. With its impressive 33-block historic district and countless bed and breakfasts peppered throughout the town, Natchitoches is a picture-perfect town to spend a few days exploring. While beautiful year-round, during the holidays the town transforms into one of the most impressive Christmas festivals in the country, attracting visitors from all over the United States. If you haven’t ever visited the Natchitoches Christmas Festival, be sure to carve out some time this holiday season to check out this dazzling display.
The Natchitoches Christmas Festival began with a humble string of lights back in 1927.
It all began when Natchitoches resident Max Burgdorf wanted to celebrate the Christmas season, so he purchased several Christmas lights to string up and down historic Front Street. He also purchased some lumber and materials to build a set piece to display on the riverbank. It was a piece of twisted metal formed into a star that stood six feet across and was decorated with Christmas lights. Another local resident then began volunteering his time, creating several more set pieces, and over the next 40 years, created 40 set pieces that were displayed on the riverbank.
Since then, it has grown into a six-week long celebration with over 300,000 lights and over 100 set pieces.
It is, after all, one of the oldest in the country!
For a full schedule of events and ticketing information, visit their website. If you’ve ever visited the Natchitoches Christmas Festival, share your memories with us in the comments!
Address: Natchitoches, LA, USA
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