Magical Christmas Experiences Await You in North Louisiana

NEWS RELEASE

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Chris Jay, Public Relations Manager
Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau
cjay@sbctb.org or 318-429-0658

November 3, 2016

Holiday magic sums up the Louisiana Holiday Trail of Lights. Eight of north Louisiana’s most festive cities display millions of twinkling lights and host fun events for the entire family. Enjoying some or all of the cities is easy with each being an hour drive from the other. Monroe-West Monroe, Minden and Shreveport-Bossier, dot I-20 east to west and Natchitoches and Alexandria/Pineville are best traveled on I-49 north to south.

One of the most enchanting and celebrated festivals along the Louisiana Holiday Trail of Lights is the Natchitoches Christmas Festival, Nov. 19 to Jan. 6, 2017. This year the town, named a Best Southern Town by USA Today, is putting on its 90th festival. The city generally strings up 300,000 lights throughout the downtown area, and this year in honor of this 90th event city leaders are piling on even more lights and bringing in the 610 Stompers from New Orleans, a 100-man strong dance group, to lead the annual parade procession, Saturday, Dec. 3.

In Shreveport-Bossier, known for its six Vegas style casinos, the popular Rockets Over the Red Fireworks Show is returning bigger and better than ever on Saturday, Nov. 26. This event will span both cities with activities for families at the Louisiana Boardwalk Outlets in Bossier City and Riverview Park in downtown Shreveport. There will be food and craft vendors, as well as a performance by area choirs and bands. Fireworks will light up the neon-lit skyline at 7 p.m. Dec. 3, Dec. 10, and Dec. 17, Riverview Park will be the location for three holiday events, Christmas Carnival, Lights and Sounds of the Holidays and Wrapped in Red. Visitors will be treated Christmas movies, food trucks, laser light show, arts and crafts and more.

Minden, known as the “Friendliest City in the South,” loves to pay tribute to its German roots. Saturday, Nov. 19, make plans to be a part of the Fasching Fifth Season Celebration. Fasching is Germany’s carnival season and Minden recreates that fun with German food, a midway of carnival rides for kids, live music and more. Throughout the holiday season, do a self-driving tour of Minden’s downtown to see the Christmas lights and life-size nutcrackers strewn among the quaint antique shops, bed and breakfasts and local restaurants.

The Alexandria Zoo’s Holiday Light Safari offers a real adventure and holiday exploration of the zoo, Dec. 2-3, 9-10, and 16-23. While Festival Weekend in Monroe-West Monroe, Dec. 2-4 is a real shopper’s paradise. The 100 to 300 block of Trenton Street in West Monroe gets all decked out for the holidays. Nestled in between the shops are some great restaurants, too. But the real magic of the Louisiana Holiday Trail of Lights is in the people that you meet and the diversity of events. Alexandria’s Tour of Homes, Monroe-West Monroe’s Santa’s Christmas Village, Shreveport-Bossier’s Christmas in Roseland, Minden’s Christmas at Germantown and Natchitoches’s NSU Christmas Gala are just some of the popular events that visitors flock to.

“During the holidays something special happens – we slow down and make time for the people that matter the most to us,” said Madeline Deblieux, marketing and public relations manager for the Natchitoches Convention and Visitors Bureau. “The Louisiana Holiday Trail of Lights gives families a chance to gather, have fun and create unforgettable memories.”

This year, the Louisiana Holiday Trail of Lights launched a re-designed website that has more holiday events, is easier to navigate and is filled with trip planning ideas that include local restaurants, shops and other holiday-related experiences. Check out www.holidaytrailoflights.com for the latest events and updates.

NOTE TO MEDIA: High-resolution images of all eight cities along the Louisiana Holiday Trail of Lights are available by contacting the Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau at (318) 429-0658 or cjay@sbctb.org.