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Retire in Natchitoches Louisiana
Posted by Natchitoches Convention and Visitor's Bureau on November 15th, 2012
Category: "City of Lights" 5K and 1 mile Run/Walk, Christmas Festival Poster, Featured, Festival Parades, General News, Natchitoches City of Lights 5K, Schedule Updates, Street Closures & Parking Information, Vendor Information

    *For more information the public can call 800-259-1714 or visit http:/www.ChristmasFestival.com

    *For questions that you are unable to answer in regards to Vendors, Entertainment, Parade or Booths, please have inquires emailed to Festival@NatchitochesChristmas.com

    ARMBANDS

    1. How much are armbands for the Christmas Festival?

    Armbands purchased by 5pm Friday, November 30, 2012 from participating vendors are:

    Pre-sale armbands are available at all local banks, Causey’s Pharmacy, Brookshire’s, Hampton Inn & Suites and Neebo’s.

    $6 – Adults

    $4 – Children ages 6 through 11

    Free – Children under 5 years old

    Armbands purchased on Saturday, December 1, 2012 on Christmas Festival Day are:

    (MUST BE PAID WITH CASH, ONLY ON FESTIVAL DAY)

    $8 – Adults

    $5 – Children ages 6 through 11

    Free – Children under 5 years old

    Gates open at 6:30am, except Church Street and Bridge/Williams Ave, which open at 5:30am

    1.  Where can I purchase armbands for Festival Day on December 1, 2012?  Local businesses: Brookshire’s Food, Hampton Inn & Suites, Neebo Bookstore and all gates.

    2. **Armbands for Festival Day (pre-purchased or bought day-of) are not accepted on subsequent weekends.  Each weekend has a different armband.

    3.   Do you charge on other weekends after Christmas Festival Day? YES.  Admission to Downtown Riverbank beginning at 2 p.m. is $5 for ages 12 & Over on December 8th & 15th.

    Armbands for subsequent weekends will not be sold in advance.  They can only be purchased on the day of the event at the ticket booths on Front Street.

    *There is NO admission fee on Saturday, December 22nd & 29th

    TARPS ON RIVERBANK

    1. What time can I put down a tarp on the riverbank?  If you plan to sit on the South Side (right side) of the bridge, you can reserve a 6×8 or an 8×10 tarp for $60 by contacting Regina at Parks and Recreation at 318-357-3892.  You will receive 8 armbands to that gives you access to the tarp area; NOT THE FESTIVAL GATED AREA.  Festival Armbands are SOLD SEPARATELY.  Tarp sales began June 1st, so space is limited.

    If you are sitting on the North Side (left side-stage side) of the bridge, there is NO CHARGE to place a tarp in that area; however, tarps CANNOT be placed until 5:30 a.m. on Saturday, December 1, 2012.  Spots are on a first-come, first –serve basis.  You must provide your own tarp or blanket. Two gates will open at 5:30am—the Church Street gate and the Church Street Bridge gate (at Williams Avenue).

    1. Is there reserved seating? Refer to answer above – bleachers are available, first-come basis, across from the stage.

    FIREWORKS & LIGHTS

    1. What time are the fireworks? Are the lights on?

    -Festival Day on December 1, 2012-Fireworks at 6 p.m.

    -Every other Saturday show begins at 7 p.m.

    -Lights are turned on at dusk daily, beginning November 17, 2012 through January 6, 2013

    1. When are the lights turned on for the first time during the season?  Lights are “officially” turned on during the ceremonies Saturday evening at 6 p.m., November 17, 2012.  They are then on each night at dusk.

    PARADE & GRAND MARSHAL –(There will NOT be a barge parade this year)

    1. What time does the parade start?  1pm from the corner of Jefferson and University Parkway. This year, the Junior Parade will merge and roll with the large parade, so there will only be ONE parade.
    2. Is it too late to enter the parade?  YES, parade entries are no longer being accepted.
    3. Can I ride or walk with my child’s group?  No, only those with prior approval will be allowed to accompany the groups.
    4. Can you tell me where our float will be?  Directions were mailed to the float/group/band leader; you will need to contact that person.
    5. Can you help us find a driver for the parade?  No, you are responsible for your own driver.
    6. Can you help us secure a vehicle for the parade?  No, you are responsible for your own vehicle.
    7. Who is the Grand Marshal?  This year’s Festival pays tribute to our Hometown Heroes and veterans of various wars and age groups will be honored at the Opening Ceremonies (Noon) and on a float in the parade.
    8. For other inquiries, please call between the hours of 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. M-F

    Truman Maynard, main parade coordinator, at 318-228-7580    trumaynard@suddenlink.com

    Cassie Thompson, junior parade coordinator, at  318-332-6885 information@natchitochesla.gov

    STREET & BRIDGE CLOSERS

    1. Which streets will be closed on Christmas Festival Day?
    • Barricades in the downtown area go up at 5:00 a.m., including the Church Street Bridge.  At 5:30 a.m., the gate entrances at Church Street and Williams Avenue will be open and armbands can be purchased at this location. At 6:30 a.m., all other gates will be open for access downtown and for armband will be on sale.
    • Jefferson Street from Amulet Street to rue Touline will CLOSE to vehicle traffic at 6:00 a.m.
    • Washington Street from Texas Street to Lafayette Street will CLOSE to vehicle traffic at 6:00 a.m.
    • At 9:00 a.m., Amulet Street will be blocked at 2nd Street, 5th Street, and at 4th Street.  At 11:00 a.m., Amulet Street between Jefferson and 2nd Street will CLOSE to allow the Junior Parade to line up at Amulet Street.
    • At 11:00 a.m., the Pine Street Bridge will CLOSE to vehicular traffic and all parade route barricades rom University Parkway north to Texas Street will go up for the parade which is at 1:00 p.m.
    • University Parkway will remain open to east/west traffic until 12:00 p.m. (Noon), and then its barricades will go up at Jefferson and 2nd Street to allow the motorcycles to line up on University Parkway.  Eastbound Traffic on University Parkway will be stopped at Boyd Street and westbound traffic on Mill Street will be stopped at Airport Road.
    • After the parade has ended and foot traffic allows, Jefferson Street, as well as 2nd Street will open from Amulet south to University.
    • At 4:30 p.m., the Church Street Bridge will CLOSE to foot traffic for firework preparations.
    • At 5:00 p.m., barricades on Williams Avenue north of Henry Avenue to St. Maurice Lane and the intersections of East Second Street with Stephens, St. Clair, Whitfield, Sirod Street, and Adelaide Street will go in place.

    1. What time does the bridge close on Christmas Festival Day?  Church Street Bridge closes at 5:00 a.m. to vehicle traffic and at 4:15 p.m. to foot traffic.  Keyser Bridge closes at 11:00 a.m. for vehicle traffic but will reopen after parade, which starts at 1 p.m.

    Subsequent weekends-Church Street Bridge closes at 6:30 p.m. every other firework show and reopens about an hour after the show.

    1. Is Front Street closed during other weekends after Christmas Festival Day?  Front Street is subject to close between 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. on subsequent weekends.
    2. What one-way streets will be closed on Festival Day?

    Third Street – From Texas Street southbound to Church Street

    Church Street – From Third Street westbound to Fifth Street

    Fourth Street – From Amulet Street northbound to Texas Street

    Rue Beauport – From South Ramp to North Ramp

    Fairgrounds Road – From Rapides Drive westbound to Hwy 1 Bypass

    Demeziere Street – From Second St. eastbound to Jefferson St.

    Poete Street – From Second St. eastbound to Jefferson St.

    CAR, RV & BUS PARKING

    1. Where can I park my car, RV, mobile homes or Bus?  There is a reserved parking list on www.christmasfestival.com .  Look under the “RV & Bus Parking” tab.

    HANDICAP/SPECIAL NEEDS

    1. Is there any handicap parking?  Most parking lots are on level ground and sidewalks are handicap accessible.
    2. Is there a shuttle? No

    ATV’s & Golf Carts

    1. Can I use a golf cart or ATV?  No, golf carts are not allowed. Children may ride in strollers and small wagons. For safety reasons, children scooters, roller blades or skate boards will NOT be allowed downtown on Festival Day.

    VENDORS & BOOTHS

    1. Are food vendors open during the week on the riverbank? Food vendors are open on the riverbank daily.
    2. Is it too late to be a food vendor? YES, it is too late to become a vendor for the 2012 Christmas Festival. Anyone interested in becoming a vendor in the future please email Festival organizers at Festival@NatchitochesChristmas.com
    3. Can I set up on Second Street and sell items? No, only Festival-approved vendors can set up for Festival Day.
    4. Who can I contact about setting up a booth?  Email Festival organizers at Festival@NatchitochesChristmas.com

    PETS/ANIMALS

    1. Can I bring my pet with me to the Festival? NO.  Pets of any kind (cats, dogs, reptiles, farm animals) are NOT allowed downtown on Festival day. Pets carried in a bag, stroller or kennel are not allowed. Anyone caught with a pet on the riverbank or downtown during the festival will be asked to leave. *Only service or assistant dogs for those with special needs ARE allowed.  Owner must present appropriate credentials upon entering downtown riverbank.

    MISCELLANEOUS

    1. Can we bring coolers on Christmas Festival day?  No.
    2. Can we bring lawn chairs or folding chairs?  Yes.
    3. Can I pass out flyers promoting my business? NO.  There is a City ordinance against debris.
    4. Will there be a mass at Immaculate Conception Church? Please contact your church administrator for alternate church services.

    CANCELLATIONS/BAD WEATHER

    1. Where will there be information about cancellation or rescheduling, should the weather get bad.

    Rain, shine, sleet, ice or snow, the Christmas Festival will go on. We will notify the local media of any major cancellations or changes. Also, any such announcements will be made from the stage area downtown. Also, visit us online at http://www.ChristmasFestival.com for updates, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter at 86th Annual Natchitoches Christmas Festival for such announcements.

    SNOW FEST-CHILDREN EVENTS

    1. Are there events for children? Yes, Snow Fest on Nov. 23 & 24, Dec. 14 – 16 & Dec. 21-23

    Snow Fest is Frosty’s Avalanche Slide, tubing down 110 ft. of fun for children on the riverbank. It’s $3 per slide, per child.

    SANTA HOUSE – Santa Claus will be at the Santa House nightly from 6:00-8:30 p.m. from Sunday, December 2nd thru December 23rd.  No admission charge.

    ENTERTAINMENT

    1. Who is the entertainment and what are the times band’s play? You can find a list online at http://www.christmasfestival.com

    T-SHIRTS

    1. Where are can I purchase a T-shirt? Georgia’s Gift Shop, Gift’s Galore, The Hall Tree, Kaffie-Frederick General Mercantile, Louisiana Purchase, and Mimi’s Hallmark in Natchitoches.  There will not be a vendor on the riverbank selling T-shirts this year.
    2. How much are T-shirts?  Long sleeve shirt for an adult is $21.98, and a short-sleeve shirt for an adult is $16.98.  Larger adult sizes are available.  A long sleeve shirt for a child is $19.95 and a youth short sleeve shirt is $14.95.
    3. What are the sizes of the T-shirts? Adult-S, M, LG, XL, XXL, XXXL. Youth S, M, L & XL

    FESTIVAL POSTER

    1. 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

    1. Are the shops on Front Street open?  Most shops on Front Street are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the month of December.  There are extended hours during the holidays.

    CITY OF LIGHS 5K RUN 

    1. Where can I get more information on the City of Lights 5k run event? Information and registration forms can be found online at NSUDemons.com (click on the banner on the front page), or visit ChristmasFestival.com. Contact NSU Track Office and ask for Leon Johnson at (318) 357-4290 or Adam Malloy at (318) 357-4472 or email Adam at malloya@nsula.edu.  
    2. When is the City of Lights 5K Run/1 Mile Fun Walk?  December 1, 2012 – 8:00 a.m. 5K and 1 Mile, Corner of Williams Avenue and St. Clair Avenue
    3. Is there a new route this year?  YES, NEW 5K COURSE- Starting line at Church St. and Williams Ave, right on Salter, right on East 5th, right on Short, right on Loren, left on Bird, left on Nettie, left on St. Maurice, right on East 5th St., right on St. Clair, finish at Williams. COURSE CLOSES AT 9:00 A.M. SHARP!!!!!  PARTICIPANTS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO PARK ON EAST SECOND STREET.  ALL VEHICLES PARKED IN NO-PARKING AREAS WILL BE TOWED.

    What is the registration fee?  Entry Fee:  $20.00 for pre-race registrants & $25.00 for race-day registrants – Make checks payable to:  Posey’s Sports Center.

    What are the age groups?  5K Age Groups: 12 & under, 13-17, 18-24, 25-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60 & over.

    Do I need an armband to get on the riverbank for the City of Lights 5k event?  No, the race does not enter the gated area.  If coming from the west side of town, use Keyser Bridge.

    HOTELS & BED & BREAKFAST

    1. Do you have a list of places to stay in Natchitoches? YES, for a list of accommodations, please go online to http://www.Natchitoches.net and click on the tab “Places To Stay”.  Please call the local numbers during the Festival of Lights season.
    2. Are all of the hotels are booked, where do I call? Call local numbers best results only. Check with the Tourism Office at 1-800-259-1714; they keep an up-to-date list of openings.
    3. Is there transportation from the hotels?  No, you will need to drive closer to downtown and look for parking or reserved parking in advance at one of the available lots.
    4. Do you pet friendly hotels?  You will need to contact hotels and ask their policy on pets.  Call local numbers best results only.
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