Christmas Along Cane River is a magical time in a magical place. Nowhere in the City of Lights can you cast your eyes and not behold the Christmas season in all its glory. Certainly, in Natchitoches, Christmas is a season, and not just a day.

The Natchitoches Historic Foundation (NHF) provides an annual Christmas Tour of Homes, inviting those who want to come and share how this holiday is celebrated in the oldest permanent settlement in the Louisiana Purchase. Opportunities to sneak a peek at the beautiful decorations awaiting a visit from St. Nick are only afforded the very lucky during the days of the scheduled tours in December.

For that reason, and to share the amazing myriad of adornments suitable for the Christmas season, NHF is immensely grateful to the homeowners who graciously allowed their properties to be photographed and shared in this volume. By no means the only structures elaborately decorated for the holidays, the homes, businesses, and churches included here are just a sample of the amazing ways Natchitoches families celebrate Christmas.

The proceeds from this endeavor are dedicated to achieving the mission of NHF-advancing the preservation, education, and advocacy I of the history of Natchitoches. To that end, NHF members have worked tirelessly to compile what is contained within these covers, especially book designer, Angela Eversull, copywriter, Dr. Connie Melder, and editor, Dr. Steve Horton.