The Kinder Hometown Holidays is promising to be bigger than last year’s event when the parade was one of the biggest in the town’s Christmas celebration.
Barbara Savant, executive director and organizer for the Chamber of Commerce, said she has 55 booths already registered for the event, community merchants agreeing to participate and a large parade being organized for Saturday, December 2.
The booths will feature food items like gumbo, spaghetti, BBQ, BBQ burgers, two different sauce piquante dishes and macaroni and cheese. There will be crafts for sale, events for the children and lots of treasures to be found.
Local merchants are participating and will be open throughout the day. They have sales and other special items ready for Christmas sales.
“I’m so excited,” Savant said as she discussed the plans for this year’s event. She said many people that haven’t come in recent years are calling to return to the event.
A 1944 World War II Willies Army Jeep from Fort Polk will carry this year’s grand marshal during the parade, which starts at 10:30 a.m. at Lambert Park. Mason Fontenot, 99, a Navy World War II veteran, will be the grand marshal. Lineup at the park must be done by 10:15 a.m. The event is free. Jacob LaCour will be lining up the floats.
Booths open up at 10 a.m. Local businesses will follow their daily hours.
DJ Zack will be providing some music. Rosies Dance Center will dance at 11:30 a.m.
Lunch will begin serving at 11 a.m.
Kids bracelets will be sold for the games, face painting, pony rides, petting zoos, crafts and jumps. Pictures with Santa will be done at the Santa booth.
For more information before Saturday’s event, contact the Chamber at 337-738-5945.
Reeves
The annual Reeves’ Christmas Community Gumbo will be held Saturday, December 2, at 6 p.m. at the village’s recreational center. Santa will be visiting. Fire Chief Michael Dotson is organizing the event.
Police Chief Waylin Bertrand and the Reeves Police Department are conducting a toy drive for children in Reeves and the surrounding area. There will be a boxes at the local stores.
Elton
A day of activities has been planned for the Christmas celebration in Elton on December 9.
Events include:
•The Market on Main Street, located at 1010 Main St, will be observed from 12 noon to 6 p.m.
•A car show, sponsored by the Coushatta Tribe, will be held at Koasati Plaza from 2 to 5 p.m.
•Leroy Thomas also will be performing from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Koasati Plaza.
•The parade rolls down Main Street at 6 p.m. High school bands from Iota and Basile will perform.
•A fireworks show will start at 8 p.m. at the Coushatta Reservation.
Interested persons can contact city hall at 584-2992 about entering the parade. Lineup will begin at 5 p.m. in front of Elton High School on Saturday. Deadline for entries is 5 p.m., Friday, December 8.
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By: Carissa Hebert
Editor
The Christmas season is here, and several communities are planning parades, fireworks, visits with Santa, etc.
Oakdale
The community is planning its Christmas celebration, Christmas on Main 2023, on Saturday, December 9, from 10 a.m. to nightfall when a fireworks show will be shown.
Vendors must be there between 8:30 and 9 a.m., according to organizers. There are 20 vendors already signed with another 10 to 15 to be added by December 9.
The Miss Merry Christmas Court will be introduced at 10 a.m. Vendors and food trucks participating in the event also will be announced at 10 a.m.
“Photos with Santa” begins at 10 a.m. Entertainment will begin at 10 a.m. and last until 4 p.m. Local church groups and musical groups will take the stage. D.J. Webster Chamberlain will be on hand to spin some tunes between performances. Helen’s Dance Studio will perform at 2 p.m.
Lineup for the Christmas parade will begin at 2:30 p.m. behind Oakdale High. The parade starts at 4:30 p.m.
At dusk is the big fireworks show.
Need more information, contact Kim Ware (318)491-0266 or Lisa Chamberlain (318)623-0144.
Elizabeth
It’s the village’s 50th Annual Christmas in the Country celebration. Plans are for Saturday, December 2, on East Main Street in the village.
Vendor shops will begin setting up between 11 a.m. and 12 noon.
At 12 noon, the shops open, the festival’s gumbo cookoff begins and Marleens Dance Studio will begin entertaining the crowd. This continues throughout the afternoon.
After the dance studio, entertainment will include 26 West from 1 to 4 p.m. Parish Line takes the stage from 6 to 9 p.m.
Don’t forget to be downtown at 4 p.m. for the welcoming ceremony to the festival and the parade.
The gumbo cookoff will end at 6 p.m. Awards will be announced at 7:30 p.m.
Fireworks will begin at 9:30 p.m. The Village of Elizabeth is sponsoring this event.
At 10 p.m., the festival will close.
Police Chief Alan Shane Ware has imposed a curfew, effective Monday, November 27, for the village from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. The curfew continues until 5 a.m. on Sunday, December 3. The festival is known as a Homecoming for the community, and in the past there has been some vandalism and other events that authorities are trying to prevent this year with the curfew.
Oberlin
The Allen Parish Libraries, American Legion Post 144, Circle of Friends, Oberlin Fire District No. Five and the Town of Oberlin are sponsoring the Christmas in the Park, a free community event, December 16, from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
There will be a Christmas Scavenger Hunt and Crazy Christmas Sweater Pageant. There will be games, activities, vendors, live entertainment, hayride, pictures with Santa, a parade, fireworks and movie in the park.
Those interested in writing letters to Santa can visit the Holly Jolly Letter workshop.
Gates open at 8 a.m. Events will run from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. For more information, call 1-800-960-3015.