Dreaming of a green Christmas? The Natchez Christmas committee is.

And the green the committee’s members are seeing has a double meaning.

First, the group wants to string environmentally friendly Christmas lights from building to building downtown.

Combined with wreaths and garland, the completed look is the beginning of a plan to obtain much more green, in the form of dollars.

René Adams, Regina Charboneau and Ginger Hyland have started the effort to create a winter wonderland in downtown Natchez because they hope it will bring tourists to town.

They want to eventually promote Christmas in Natchez much like Natchitoches’ City of Lights.

But the idea could become part of a bigger “Christmas Pilgrimage” that would bring in gift-buying guests, wallets in hand.

We all know tourism in Natchez is essential to our community. And it’s becoming more and more obvious that the city has to do more to attract a younger, less historically-based audience.

Christmas lights are a great start to a new tourism market.

We are glad the group is getting such an early start on planning, and we hope downtown business owners will buy into the holiday joy.

The project will only be what we make it. Let’s work together to make this Christmas a green one.