Today's photo-of-the-day is from Natchitoches, Louisiana, the self-styled City of Lights. For our visit, the full moon conveniently rose above the Three Wise Men, adding its light to the already impressive display all along the riverfront, of which this scene is just a tiny fraction.
Named after a Native American tribe, Natchitoches (pronounced Nack-a-tish ), is the oldest permanent settlement in the Louisiana Purchase Territory. Since 1927, we are also home to one of the oldest community-based holiday celebrations in the country. Our festival has evolved from a one day event into a six-week long Christmas Season. Over 300,000 lights and 100 plus set pieces are on display every night at dusk. Come enjoy Kid's Fest, a carriage tour through the historic district, food vendors along the downtown riverbank, as well as various shops and restaurants. Events take place in the Landmark Historic District and the Cane River National Historical Park area. Fireworks are held every Saturday throughout the Season as well as events to be enjoyed by every age. The Natchitoches Christmas Season has been listed as a "Top 100 Events in North America" by the American Bus Association for numerous years and has also been honored as one of the "Top 20 Events" for December on six occasions by the Southeast Tourism Society. In 2013, we were ranked 3rd "Best Holiday Light Show" behind the Rockefeller Center and Disney World in the nation by Yahoo.com.
So there you have it — Christmas in Natchitoches.