Natchitoches Turns on the Holidays for 89th Annual Christmas Festival
Natchitoches, LA (PRWEB) November 18, 2015 -- The City of Natchitoches will "Turn on the Holidays" Saturday, November 21, 2015. A Louisiana Main-to-Main and Natchitoches Christmas event, Turn on the Holidays officially marks the beginning of the Natchitoches Christmas Festival season. The event will feature live musical performances, amusements, food, lights and an amazing fireworks show over the Cane River Lake. Admission is free and open to the public.
Turn on the Holidays, the official start to 45 nights of Christmas lights, is an entire day of family entertainment in Downtown Natchitoches. The event kicks off the Natchitoches Christmas season as the city anticipates and prepares for the 89th Annual Natchitoches Christmas Festival, which will take place on Saturday, December 5, 2015.
10:00 a.m., amusement and food vendors open. All vendors will require Natchitoches Christmas tickets for all purchases. Tickets can be purchased at automated ticket dispensers conveniently located along the downtown riverbank and in select Natchitoches businesses.
11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m., entertainment schedule begins with a Local Talent Showcase. Local spirit groups and dance teams participating in the annual Festival of Lights Parade on December 5 will give spectators a preview of what they can expect at this year's festival parade.
3:00-5:00 p.m., entertainment resumes with a live performance by the G.Q.P. Band. G.Q.P. exudes great quality with precision and is a versatile party band playing a mixture of Southern Soul, Zydeco, Blues, Classic Rock, R&B and Swing Out jams.
4:00 p.m., Holiday Open House hosted by the Natchitoches Historic Business District. Visitors will have an opportunity to preview the latest holiday merchandise and trends at shops along Front Street. Select shops will extend business hours until 8:00 p.m. to allow for additional shopping time during the Holiday Open House.
5:30-8:30 p.m., live music continues with a performance by Bluesiana Red. A blues band from southwest Louisiana, Bluesiana Red throws down some funky Blues, Rock and Roll, Soul and R&B.
6:45 p.m., Christmas lighting ceremony. The official turning-on of hundreds of thousands of Christmas lights will be the true highlight of the evening. As the lights illuminate the Natchitoches Historic Landmark District for the first time, the City of Natchitoches officially kicks off the Christmas season.
7:00 p.m., fireworks show. Following the lighting ceremony, a spectacular fireworks show will take place over the Cane River Lake. The view from the downtown riverbank is absolutely breathtaking as the Christmas displays provide a picaresque backdrop while the fireworks illuminate the Natchitoches sky.
Turn on the Holidays is sponsored by grants from the Natchitoches Historic District Development Commission, and the Office of the Lt. Governor, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism.
For more information on Turn on the Holidays, please call the Natchitoches Main Street office at (318) 352-2746 or visit http://www.downtownnatchitoches.com. For more information on the Natchitoches Christmas Festival and Christmas Season, visit http://www.NatchitochesChristmas.com. For more information on the Louisiana Holiday Trail of Lights, visit our website.
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NOTE TO MEDIA: High-quality, high-resolution photographs of signature events for the Louisiana Holiday Trail of Lights are available for use. For more information, contact Morgan Byrd, Communications Intern, at mbyrd(at)NatchitochesLA(dot)gov or at 318.352.2746.
Morgan Byrd, Shreveport-Bossier Convention & Tourist Bureau, http://www.holidaytrailoflights.com, +1 3183522746, [email protected]
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