Frequently Asked Questions

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Armbands
How much are armbands for the Christmas Festival?
Armbands may be purchased online November 1st for ALL Admission weekends.
Where can I purchase armbands in advance?
**Armbands for Festival Day ARE NOT accepted any other weekends. Each weekend has a different armband.
Do you charge on other weekends?
YES. November 30th, December 7th, 14th, & 21st.
General
When is the Natchitoches Christmas Festival?
Tarps on Riverbank
What time can I put down a tarp on the Riverbank?
Is there reserved seating?
Will seating be available in the Amphitheatre?
Fireworks & Lights
What time are the Fireworks? Are the lights on?
When are the Lights turned on for the first time during the Season?
Parade & Grand Marshal
What time does the Parade start?
Is it too late to enter the Parade?
Can I ride or walk with my child’s group?
Can you tell me where our float will be?
Can you help us find a driver for the Parade?
Can you help us secure a vehicle for the Parade?
Who is the Grand Marshal?
Rick Rowe - Television Personality
Street & Bridge Closures
Which streets will be closed on Christmas Festival Day?
At 11:00am, University Parkway from Jefferson Street to Second Street will CLOSE for parade line up.
What time does the bridge close on Christmas Festival Day?
Church Street Bridge closes at 5:00am to vehicle traffic and at 4:30pm to foot traffic.
Pine Street/Keyser Avenue Bridge closes at 12:00pm (noon) for vehicle traffic, but will reopen after the Parade which starts at 1:00pm.
Subsequent weekends – Church Street Bridge closes at 6:30pm to vehicle and foot traffic for all other weekends and will reopen about an hour after the Fireworks Show.
Is Front Street closed other weekends during the Christmas Season?
Front Street is subject to close between 2:00pm – 8:00pm on Saturdays, November 23 through December 28, 2019.
What streets will be one-way on Festival Day?
Third Street – From Church Street northbound to Texas Street
Church Street – From Third Street westbound to Fifth Street.
Fourth Street – From Texas Street southbound to Church Street
Fairgrounds Road – From Rapides Drive westbound to Hwy 1 Bypass.
RV, Bus, & Auto Parking
Where can I park my car, RV, mobile homes or bus on Christmas Festival weekend?
Handicap/Special Needs
Is there any Handicap Parking?
ATVs & Golf Carts
Can I use a golf cart or ATV?
Vendors & Booths
Are food vendors open during the week on the Riverbank?
What methods of payments do the food and merchandise vendors accept?
All Festival vendors inside the gated area will require green tickets to purchase food and/or merchandise.
Tickets may be purchased from all ticket booth locations as well as at automated ticket machines on Festival day.
Tickets may be purchased in advance at Dickens & Co., Georgia’s Gift Shop and Kaffie-Frederick.
Ticket machines take $1’s, $5’s, $10’s or $20’s.
An ATM is located on the Riverbank underneath the Church Street Bridge.
Is it too late to be a food vendor?
Anyone interested in becoming a vendor for the 2019 Christmas Festival please email Festival organizers at festival@natchitocheschristmas.com after February 1st, 2019.
For Craft booths call the Women’s Resource Center – 318-357-8888 or visit their website – www.wrcfriends.com.
Can I set up on Second Street and sell items?
No, only Festival-approved vendors can set up to sell items and\or food.
Who can I contact about setting up a booth?
For food booths email Festival organizers at festival@natchitocheschristmas.com after February 1st, 2019.
For Craft booths call the Women’s Resource Center – 318-357-8888 or visit their website – www.wrcfriends.com.
Pets/Animals
Can I bring my pet with me to the Festival?
Miscellaneous
Can we bring coolers on Christmas Festival day?
Can we bring lawn chairs or folding chairs?
YES. However, chairs cannot block sidewalks or public right of ways. No areas may be roped off for chairs at any time. Any unattended chairs will be removed. Chairs may not be placed in the Fireworks Safety Zone as defined previously.
Can I pass out flyers promoting my business?
NO. There is a City Ordinance against debris.
Will there be a mass at Immaculate Conception Church?
Please contact your church administrator for alternate church services at 318-352-3422.
Cancellations/Bad Weather
Where will there be information about cancelation or rescheduling, should the weather get bad?
Holiday Kids Fest Events
What time are the Kids’ Events?
Santa House
When is the Santa House open?
Santa Claus will be at the Santa House nightly from 6:00pm-8:30pm from Sunday, December 8th through Sunday, December 22nd. No admission charge.
Entertainment
Who is the Entertainment and what are the times bands play?
Please see our complete schedule HERE including Entertainment and performance times for each weekend.
T-Shirts
Where can I purchase a T-Shirt?
Georgia’s Gift Shop, Gift’s Galore, The Hall Tree, Kaffie-Frederick General Mercantile, Louisiana Purchase, Dickens & Co. and Posey’s Sports Center in Natchitoches.
How much are T-Shirts?
Please contact the above listed vendors for pricing.
What are the sizes of the T-Shirts?
Adult - S, M, LG, XL, XXL, XXXL
Youth - XS, S, M, L
Festival Poster
Where can I purchase the Christmas Festival poster?
Posters are on sale for $35 each and miniature versions of the poster are sold for $3 each.
They can be purchased at Cane River Gallery and Georgia’s Gifts downtown on Front Street, or at the Office of Community Development.
For more information call the Office of Community Development at 318-357-3838.
Front Street Businesses
Are the shops on Front Street open?
Most shops on Front Street are open from 10:00am-6:00pm during the month of December.
Other Events
Are there other events on the Riverbank during the week other than the Lights?
YES, CLICK HERE for a complete Christmas Season Schedule.
Hotels & Bed and Breakfast
Do you have a list of places to stay in Natchitoches?
YES. Go to the Information Tab for a list of Bed and Breakfasts, Hotels/Motels and Campground/RV parking.
Also, visit www.Natchitoches.com for a complete list of accommodations in the immediate area.
If all of the hotels are booked, where do I call?
Call local numbers for best results only.
Check with the Tourism Office at 800-259-1714. They keep an up-to-date list of openings.
Is there transportation from the hotels?
No, we do not have shuttle services available for 2019.
Do you have pet friendly hotels?
You will need to contact hotels and ask their policy on pets. Call local numbers best results only.