(Pre-)Christmas Festivities in Louisiana

Some musings on Advent, plus festive outings to the Roosevelt Hotel and Sazerac Bar in New Orleans, Houmas House and the Sympony Orchestra, and Louisiana Lights in Baton Rouge

Advent in Louisiana is a lovely and festive time filled with opportunities for (pre-)holiday cheer, but the natural world provides a more contemplative atmosphere that befits this season of waiting and preparation. A crisp, dry chill is finally in the air (except for those random days when the humidity returns, accompanied by 77 degree temps). The smell of woodfires permeates the grey skies. The leaves of the cypress and sycamore trees finally turn a deep orange and bright gold and bring a muted glory to the forests in December—two months late according to my Minnesota standards, but appreciated and enjoyed nonetheless. Beginning in late November, the classic hotels down in New Orleans display their perennially festive Christmas decorations; historic plantation homes offer special tours and holiday concerts; local parks take on a new and ethereal beauty when transformed by millions of colored lights. There is no shortage of festive events and places to visit in Louisiana during the Advent and Christmas seasons! And despite being very busy since Thanksgiving, we have been able to enjoy quite a few of these this year.

First, however, a word about the liturgical season of Advent. I have always loved Advent, these four weeks of waiting and preparation before Christmas. In this season of my life, working full-time as a university professor and administrator (plus teaching additional classes at another college), Advent is only filled with quiet expectation and peace in the early mornings or late evenings, when the sky is black and the lights of our Christmas tree, Christmas village, and twinkling garlands bring encouragement and cheer to the quiet house. The songs from our Advent playlist or the contemplative strains of classical guitar play out from Christopher’s vintage-style radio/speaker in the evenings. In the mornings, I have been getting up earlier than usual in order to pray with The Word Among Us devotional (compliments of our church) and to finish reading through Sarah Clarkson’s Reclaiming Quiet: Cultivating a Life of Holy Attention with a cup of coffee in the light of our Christmas tree.

I do think the “feeling” and essence of Advent is best represented by silence, darkness, twinkling lights, soft music, prayer, inner attentiveness, and the words of Psalm 52: My soul in stillness waits. We also try to re-read Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol aloud every year; I always gain some new insight from this amazingly rich story. However, for me (especially this year), Advent is also a time of extra busyness: grading papers; creating and administering final exams; grading final exams; planning and attending end-of-semester events like St. Nicholas parties and graduation ceremonies; creating homemade gifts for family members; taking down fall decorations and putting up Christmas decorations; baking and cooking traditional recipes; and making time to enjoy special holiday events and family gatherings.

This year, we have been able to partake in several holiday events in Louisiana—some old favorites, some entirely new—and I highly recommend all of them! Each one would make a great date night or family outing.

New Orleans: Immaculate Conception Church, the Roosevelt Hotel, and the Sazerac Bar, with coffee and beignets for dessert at Morning Call

Although many New Orleans hotels boast beautiful Christmas decorations in their elegant lobbies (and are often accompanied by fabulous bars)—shoutout to the Royal Senesta, Hotel Monteleone, and Omni Royal—my favorite has always been The Roosevelt Hotel just outside the French Quarter. Over Thanksgiving weekend, my family and I drove down to New Orleans to see the stunning lights in the long lobby of the Roosevelt—a holiday tradition for Christopher and me ever since we got engaged across the street at Immaculate Conception Church eleven years ago.

I personally think a visit to the Roosevelt around Christmas merits a standalone visit (I will explain), but it would also make a fabulous last stop after a morning and afternoon spent walking around the French Quarter (and we’ve done that many times). Usually, we begin with Mass at Immaculate Conception Jesuit Church across the street—the most beautiful thing in America, according to English writer Evelyn Waugh (who did not particularly like the USA)—or at least a few minutes of prayer in this stunning church. This year, sadly, the church closed just as we arrived.

Inside the Roosevelt Hotel, be prepared for a very festive atmosphere. The long lobby is usually filled with people, from hotel guests to curious tourists, people dressed up to celebrate, or children in matching outfits for the Teddy Bear Tea. You’ll definitely want to take photos. I always enjoy stopping into the gift shop and usually find something small to take home; it’s at least worth looking around.

Inside the hotel lobby there are two elegant restaurants (the larger modern Italian restaurant Domenica and the cozier Fountain Lounge), a fancy coffee shop with a lifesize gingerbread house, and the legendary Art Deco Sazerac Bar. The key word here is “elegant”; you are paying for the location, atmosphere, and ambiance (and the fancy drink), but it’s worth it. My parents and grandma enjoyed getting a drink there with us. If you can find a time when the Sazerac is not absolutely packed with people, you might snag one of the cozy booths. In my experience, late afternoon is a good time to go. You can’t go wrong with the classic Sazerac cocktail but they also offer other drinks as well as holiday cocktails.

After our evening at the Roosevelt, we decided to drive through the Garden District to look at Christmas lights and the beautiful old mansions that line St. Charles Avenue, Napolean Avenue, and Prytania Street, including a house once owned by the gothic fiction writer Anne Rice. Last year, when my parents visited, we stopped for a fun dinner and drinks at the eclectic Columns on St. Charles Avenue before an Advent concert; this year, we simply stopped to take photos.

After our short and scenic drive, we decided to stop for cafe au laits and beignets at Morning Call Coffee Stand, which sits near the end of the streetcar line on Canal Street. Although Cafe du Monde in the French Quarter is definitely my favorite place to get a cafe au lait and beignets (and they truly are the best there!), it can be hard to get there, unless you are prepared to pay $30 for parking or walk there from over a mile away. So, sometimes when we are out and about but not specifically in the French Quarter, we stop at Morning Call, which also has a classic New Orleans feel. It’s a fun way to wrap up a festive evening in New Orleans.

Mississippi River: Houmas House Estate and Gardens, Turtle Bar, The Carriage House Restaurant, and the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra’s “Holiday Brass” Concert

Just over a week ago, Christopher and I visited the Houmas House Estate and Gardens with his parents and enjoyed several hours of festivities there. Houmas House is one of the many old plantations along the Mississippi River, about midway between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Every year, Houmas House serves as the setting for one of the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra’s Holiday Brass concerts. Usually, it is held outdoors on the lawn in front of the historic house, but this year it was held inside the Great River Road Museum due to rain.

When we arrived at Houmas House after church, we saw a Viking Cruise bus in the parking lot. Sure enough, after climbing up the bridge that runs over the road to the levee, we could see that a large river cruise ship had docked along the Mississippi in front of Houmas House. If you have never visited the Mississippi River in Southern Louisiana, you might be surprised to learn that you cannot see the river because of the high levees that have been built around it to protect the city of New Orleans and surrounding areas from floods. You have to first climb up the levees in order to look down at the river.

We began our afternoon with a stop in the gift shop, a walk through the extensive grounds that are filled with tropical plants and giant live oak trees (including one that is 700 years old), and a tour of the historic plantation house, which was decorated for Christmas. Strolling the lawns, we also encountered a turkey, swans, and a peacock.

I must admit that I was somewhat distracted on the tour, preferring to look at the beautiful landscapes hanging on the walls, the strange objects in the house (including an authentic victorian vampire-fighting kit!?), and the interesting people from the Viking River Cruise, so I did not catch much about the house’s history.

After the tour, we had a little bit of time before our restaurant reservation, so we stopped for drinks in the tiny historic Turtle Bar. I had an absolutely amazing (but very strong!) Brandy Alexander.

We had barely received our drinks before our reservation was ready. We enjoyed a late lunch / early dinner in the ornate Carriage House Restaurant. The food was delicious (but I was not quite prepared for the prices!). Both Christopher and I had seared redfish topped with crab in a meunière sauce. After coffees and a quick shared dessert of cannoli and bread pudding, we rushed over to the museum in order to make the concert.

Most people were dressed up for the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra’s Holiday Brass concert (including us), so it felt very festive. The orchestra played renditions of popular holiday songs like Jingle Bells and The Christmas Song as well as true Christmas carols like Greensleaves. It was a nice way to end the second Sunday of Advent.

Even if you can’t make it for the Holiday Brass concert, I would definitely recommend a half-day trip to Houmas House during the Advent or Christmas seasons in order to explore the grounds, tour the house, and stop for an elegant meal (or at least drinks). If you have time, also visit the Great River Road Museum, which is on the premises.

Baton Rouge: Poinsettias and Prosecco at Lousiana Lights in Burden Gardens / Windrush Gardens

One of my favorite places in all of Baton Rouge is the property bearing the Burden Gardens, LSU Rural Life Museum (and historic village), and Windrush Gardens, which together encompass 440 acres (!) of forests, meadows, ponds, swamps, gardens, agricultural projects, and walking trails hidden in the middle of the city. When I heard that they would be offering a new Christmas experience this year called Louisiana Lights—with an event for adults called Poinsettias and Prosecco—I knew that I wanted us to attend.

At Poinsettias and Prosecco, we got to experience the mile-and-a-half trail of lights that weaves through the gardens with special additions: small plates and drinks offered by various restaurants in tents along the way, live music, an auction, and a gathering place near the end of the trail with more food, coffee, desserts, and several bonfire pits. It was very magical!

Then we returned about a week later with a set of comp tickets (it had been slightly rainy on the night of the event), so we got to experience Louisiana Lights in its ordinary form. I loved everything about it. When we first entered the gardens on the other side of the museum gift shop (after checking in), we were greeted by a glowing tent selling hot cocoa, coffee, beer, wine, holiday cocktails, candy, and snacks. Festive music was playing. The nearby trees were covered in changing lights. Families had brought decorated wagons for their children. I got a hot cocoa with Bailey’s irish cream that I was able to carry with me as we walked.

What stands out to me about Louisiana Lights is not only the setting—a winding trail through lush gardens and forests—but also the special touches along the way, from the cozy glowing tent selling beverages and snacks next to the small lake, to the occasional benches and picnic tables for resting, to the unique music playing in each lighted part of the forest, to the bonfire pits and s’mores and childrens’ activities (a giant glowing ball pit!?) near the trail’s end. If you are looking for light-up displays of Rudolph, Frosty the Snowman, Santa, etc., this is not the right place (for that, I’d suggest Christmas in the Oaks in New Orleans City Park); rather, this is more of an enchanted forest type of experience.

Although tickets are somewhat expensive at $20 per person, I think it’s definitely worth it for a special family outing. The experience is unique in the area. Strangely enough, it reminded me somewhat of the Christmas markets in Europe, perhaps because of the beautiful outdoor setting and the glowing tents promising festive treats. We for sure plan to return next year.

Reflecting on all of these experiences, I have come to the conclusion that the Advent and Christmas seasons mark the best time of year to visit Louisiana! The weather is nice, everything is festive (in a more wholesome way than at Mardi Gras), and there is a certain je ne sais quoi to the atmosphere—especially in New Orleans—that I think can only be experienced between Thanksgiving and Mardi Gras.