New Orleans has so much to offer during the holiday season. Vibrant lights, festive music, and celebrations rooted deep in the city’s culture. One of the beloved traditions of Nola is Celebration in the Oaks, which combines all of the festivities into one place. With its elaborate displays and endearing history, Celebration in the Oaks has grown into an all inclusive holiday tradition that brings together communities across Greater New Orleans.
Celebration in the Oaks made its beginning in the 1980s, originally known as Christmas in the Oaks. The event was created as a fundraiser to help maintain and beautify City Park, restoring the historic oak trees and spaces for the public to enjoy. It quickly became a local favorite, drawing in families across the city and spreading holiday spirit for years and years. Today, the tradition continues to support the park, while celebrating community and providing a festive activity for the beginning of the winter season.
This year, the event begins on November 28th and lasts through January 1st, allotting plenty of time to enjoy the dazzling, radiant scenery and lights. Celebration in the Oaks offers both walking and driving tours, each being a different experience and having its own unique charm.
The walking tour of Celebration in the Oaks is an immersive experience, as guests can stroll through Carousel Gardens Amusement Park and enjoy the abundance of light displays in the cool winter air. The contrast of the bright lights and night sky makes this a dreamy experience that captivates visitors and surrounds them in the glow of the season. The event also features vendors that offer hot cocoa, holiday souvenirs, and festive trinkets, perfect for embracing the spirit of winter in New Orleans. Offering a magical and unique charm to the celebration, the tour even features a towering Poinsettia Christmas tree.
The driving tour offers a completely different perspective of Celebration in the Oaks, inviting visitors to cruise beneath the beautiful oak trees decorated with thousands of lights. For two miles, visitors will see a pathway lined by glowing figures, turning the park into an enticing holiday landscape. Whether driving through with family or friends, guests can stay cozy inside the car as they take in stunning sights. This makes the driving tour especially popular on chilly nights, although strolling through with a hot cocoa in hand is equally as pleasant and charming. Both tours offer a mesmerizing journey that emphasizes the beauty of the park all while supporting a fundraiser that helps to preserve that beauty for years to come.
What makes Celebration in the Oaks truly unique is how it reflects the spirit of New Orleans in its attractions. The lights hanging from the live oaks draped in Spanish moss make the experience one that is perfectly unique to New Orleans, blending the holidays seamlessly with the city’s natural beauty. The celebration has so much more to offer that can’t be captured in anything other than experiencing it, making it an essential holiday tradition for both locals and visitors.
