Tours to light way at Christmas

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, November 9, 2010

NATCHEZ — Items on Natchez’s Christmas wish list keep getting checked off.

Regina Charboneau, Christmas in Natchez: City of Lights organizer, said three tours of Natchez’s Christmas lights and decorations have been put together to showcase Natchez’s holiday beauty.

The tours include a downtown walking tour that starts in a lighted Memorial Park and takes walkers past decorated storefronts and hanging decorations on Franklin and Main streets. The tour also would take walkers past refurbished International Paper decorations that will be displayed on the Mississippi River bluff and decorated homes in downtown.

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A second tour would direct tourists to start downtown and tour lighted destinations through downtown and to The Towers.

The third tour would start at the Natchez Visitor Reception Center past Longwood, Melrose, Monmouth, Linden and other decorated areas.

All of the tours would include peeks at the IP decorations on the bluff.

“Everything is just clicking away,” Charboneau said.

The committee is also placing an electric train and Christmas village in the display window at Vaughan’s on Main Street, Charboneau said.

“Children will really love that,” she said.

Christmas in Natchez kicks off on Friday, Nov. 26 with a gumbo cook-off and the tree lighting on Main Street.

Events fill every weekend after that, Charboneau said.

Some notable additions to the Christmas displays this year are lights that are to be placed on the exterior of Longwood, Christmas displays put up in Memorial Park and additional decorations on the bluff.

The Christmas committee is also accepting donations from citizens and businesses to help curtail the maintenance costs and add more events and decorations to the city during the holiday season.

The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation has awarded a matching grant to the committee for up to $25,000, Chamber of Commerce President Debbie Hudson said. The foundation will match each donation dollar-for-dollar, Hudson said.

Tax-deductible donations should be sent to Christmas in Natchez, P.O. Box 18231, Natchez, MS 39121.

But what is a Christmas celebration without a Christmas parade?

The Natchez Christmas Parade is set for 6 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 4. Floats and other parade participants need to register now.

The registration fee is $10 for not-for-profit organizations including church, school, civic and military groups, $25 for commercial entries and $30 for political candidates.

Checks should be made payable to Christmas in Natchez. Application forms can be picked up at First Natchez Radio Group.

The deadline to enter is Friday, Nov. 19.