Primeaux’s Adventure

Natchitoches Louisiana, population under 18,000 people, home to Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, multiple museums and historic plantations, meat pies, the filming location of the movie Steel Magnolias, and the annual Christmas Light Festival. Every year from around Thanksgiving to New Year’s the town puts up over 300000 lights and 100 plus set pieces on display every night at dusk. The display is along Front Street and the beautiful Cane River which magnifies the lights with reflections. Tourist get to stroll down through the multiple shops and restaurants while taking in the Christmas lights along the way. There is an amphitheater for live music, food vendors selling carnival favorites, and Christmas music playing throughout the city on street speakers. I made it for the first time a few years ago and came across a jewel of a cabin on Airbnb. It’s directly across from Front Street on the river and literally in the light show. This year after I posted on FB asking for friends to hit me up with travel ideas, my friend Wendy asked if I had ever been to see the lights. I was eager to share my past experience and then she asked if I wanted to go with her. Absolutely. We were fortunate that the dates we were free to go that the cabin was available. For 2 days we strolled up and down shopping, eating, and enjoying the lights like kids. We even caught a couple fish off the wharf at the cabin with a fire pit keeping us warm. From the wharf we could hear the Christmas music playing and watch people watching us in the lights. I love that a treasure such as the Natchitoches Christmas Light Festival is right here in my home state of Louisiana. It may not be the biggest light festival, but the charm of the town, its people, and warmth of tradition will have you grinning from ear to ear the whole time you visit.

Merry Christmas everyone and here’s to a Happy New Year!