Everyone Should Take This Spectacular Holiday Trail Of Lights Road Trip In Louisiana This Season

Gather up the family; it’s time for a road trip! This spectacular holiday trail of Christmas lights in Louisiana will lead you to some of the most amazing light displays in the state, and you’re not going to want to miss it!

The Louisiana Holiday Trail of Lights was established in 1992 and runs along I-20 and I-49 in northern Louisiana.

You’ll see spectacular lighting displays along the route in Shreveport/Bossier, Minden, Monroe-West Monroe, Natchitoches, and Alexandria/Pineville. The cities are all within driving distance, and the entire road trip will take just over four hours, but you’ll want to spend time in each city, so you better make a weekend out of it to get the full experience.

1.Alexandria & Pineville

Start your holiday light journey in Alexandria/Pineville, in the heart of Louisiana. Alexandria will host their annual Alex Winter Fete in late November/early December; you won’t want to miss it. There’ll be ice skating, live music, shopping, and even a Santa sighting! The holiday light safari at the Alexandria Zoo is a great attraction the whole family will enjoy. It runs every weekend in December, and visitors can enjoy train rides, kid’s activities, and live entertainment while strolling through the Zoo, which will be glowing with thousands of twinkling lights.

It’s the perfect start to our Christmas lights road trip!

2. Monroe

Next up on your epic adventure, we’ll head to Monroe-West Monroe, where the cities transform into a winter wonderland that will dazzle you. Christmas on the River is a family-friendly event jam-packed with activities that the entire family will love, including parades, a fireworks show, ballet performances, and shopping opportunities. The lighting display over at Antique Alley is a delightfully charming attraction, and it’s the perfect place to pick up some last-minute Christmas presents. Over 30 antique shops and boutiques are peppered along the street, offering everything from spices to home decor.

Don’t forget to check out Candy Cane Lane over in Calhoun! This drive-through Christmas light display features over a million lights on a mile-long road that simply must be seen to be believed.

We like making a stop in Calhoun one of our Louisiana Christmas traditions.

3. Minden

The next stop on the road trip takes us to Minden, also known as the "friendliest city in the South." During the holidays, Minden goes all-out with the decorations, lining the streets with hundreds of life-sized nutcrackers, thousands of dazzling lights, and more. Shop the historic downtown area, grab a bite at one of their local restaurants, and stick around for the Old World Christmas Lights Spectacular, which will run every night through New Year’s Day in the historic downtown area.

Minden is a great place to see Christmas lights in Louisiana.

4. Shreveport & Bossier

From Minden, pop over to Shreveport and Bossier for a fun-filled evening of holiday festivities. These sister cities transform into a winter wonderland that will mesmerize you. See the Louisiana Boardwalk Outlet’s Christmas Tree, the largest outdoor tree in northwest Louisiana, and is a truly incredible display. Check out Roseland, a 60-acre park filled with twinkling lights, giant, eight-foot-tall Christmas cards, train rides, and Santa.

Roseland has some of the best Christmas lights in Louisiana!

5. Natchitoches

End your holiday light trail with perhaps Louisiana's most famous lighting display: The Natchitoches Christmas Festival. Louisiana’s oldest city transforms into a spectacular holiday display that attracts thousands of visitors annually. Over 300,000 lights illuminate the historic downtown district and the Cane River Lake. During the six-week festival, shops and restaurants will stay open later than normal business hours; there will be live entertainment, carolers, a spectacular fireworks display, and so much more.

It’s one of our favorite stops on the Louisiana Christmas lights road trip!

For more information about the Louisiana Holiday Trail of Lights, visit the official website of the Holiday Trail of Lights and follow along on Holiday Trail of Lights’ Facebook page.

Have you ever been to any of these holiday attractions? Have you traveled the entire Louisiana Holiday Trail of Lights? Which display is your absolute favorite? Let us know in the comments below! Looking for more great Christmas lights in Louisiana? We love these Christmas towns in Louisiana! If you’re hitting the road, don’t forget your road trip snacks!