Opelousas Celebrates Christmas Together
BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
It was a civic-sponsored evening of tradition and seasonal transition Saturday, as the St. Landry Parish Courthouse Square sparkled with a festive Christmas atmosphere of lights, music and singing.
A blocked off area of Court Street soon became crowded with families as a chilly dusk descended, while the glow from the freshly-lighted Courthouse nativity scene eventually illuminated the darkness.
Christmas carols from a church choir reached out several blocks away and touched those who were compelled to sing along while witnessing the scene.
Sponsored separately by Opelousas Main Street and parish government, the five-hour, downtown event featured mid-afternoon train rides around the Courthouse, while street vendors out of booths sold artwork and other self-designed items and served cups of chicken and sausage gumbo for a nominal prices.
Santa Claus greeted adults and children, as the train whistle blew. and youthful passengers waved their greetings. Later as night enveloped the Courthouse steps, zydeco musicians had the visitors dancing and Christmas music from DJ “Titanic,” rocked those cruising the sidewalks on each side of the street.
Occasionally persons slipped quickly across Landry Street and into Java Square to collect a hot latte, tea or chocolate before venturing back into onto the Courthouse grounds to absorb the atmosphere.
Main Street representative Robbie Sebastian said the nativity lighting signaled the continuation of a downtown event that stretched back several decades.
Cici Savoy, who assisted with preparing the parish government event that followed, noted that the effort was designed to further promote community involvement and community inclusion, by wrapping the festive atmosphere inside the Christmas spirit.
