St. Francisville, Louisiana, Hosts Old-Time Celebration of the Season by Anne Butler 
It’s been a tough year for Louisiana and the Gulf Coast. In times of turmoil and tragedy, there’s comfort in returning to the continuity of tried-and-true values and pleasures, and nothing warms the heart and soothes the soul like a good old-fashioned Christmas. It’s just like going back home to Grandma’s, and what could be more comforting than that??
According to tourism officials, that’s just what St. Francisville’s Christmas in the Country offers. Millions of tiny white lights trace soaring Victorian trimwork and grace gallery posts to transform this quaint little nineteenth-century rivertown into a veritable winter wonderland as it celebrates Christmas In The Country the first weekend in December. But the splendid decorations last throughout the month, joined by spectacular natural displays of blossoming camellias all over town and in the nearby antebellum plantation gardens. On Dec. 2, 3 and 4, special activities throughout the National Register-listed downtown Historic District provide fun for the whole family at Christmas In The Country, a safe small-town celebration of the season which has for decades provided a joyful alternative to mall madness. Beginning at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, Santa Claus comes to town to kick off the Lighting Ceremony of the Town Christmas Tree, followed by a public reception at Town Hall hosted by jovial longtime St. Francisville mayor Billy D'Aquilla and featuring performances by the First Baptist Church Children’s Choir. Also Friday evening, the St. Francisville Symphony Association presents its annual concert of seasonal selections at historic Grace Episcopal Church featuring members of the Baton Rouge Symphony’s brass and percussion ensemble, the Red Stick Ringers and the Women’s Ensemble; a reception follows. Tickets are available from symphony board members or the Bank of St. Francisville (225-635-6397, extension 231). And at the wonderful historic structure behind Grandmother’s Buttons that began life as the local Jewish temple and later housed the Presbyterian congregation, the St. Francisiville Transitory Theatre presents The Three Wise Men and The Night Before Christmas on Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m. 
Saturday, Dec. 3, begins with a 7:30 a.m. Community Prayer Breakfast at United Methodist Church on Royal St. This will be followed by Breakfast with St. Nick for children at Jackson Hall next to Grace Church at 8:30 and 10 a.m., sponsored by the Women’s Service League (advance tickets recommended; call 225-926-9000). Throughout the day there are fun childrens’ activities, pictures with Santa (10-4) and a multitude of food vendors in Parker Park. There will also be all manner of entertainment in various locations throughout the downtown historic district, featuring choirs, dancers, musicians, artisans and other performers. Musical entertainment ranges from the angelic voices of children’s choirs to the raucous rocking Angola Prison Band.
St. Francisville’s annual Christmas Parade is everybody's favorite small-town holiday parade, sponsored for decades by the local charitable group called the Women's Service League, which also sponsors the sale of immense natural Christmas wreaths on Ferdinand St. This year’s parade theme is “Throw Me Somethin’, Santa!” and it rolls down Ferdinand St. to Commerce St. beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday. Dozens of gaily decorated parade floats vie for coveted prizes, while high school cheerleaders, band members, marching ROTC units and dancers liven things up. There will also be bagpipes, clowns, vintage cars, and representatives of parish and town law enforcement and fire departments, all flinging plenty of candy and parade favors. Santa rides resplendent in a magnificent sleigh pulled by Louisiana State Penitentiary's immense prized Percheron draft horses, groomed and gleaming in the sunlight with their sleigh bells jingling. 
The First Baptist Church presents its inspiring Live Walk-through Nativity at 7 p.m., following the United Methodist Church’s old-fashioned Christmas Carol Sing-Along at 6 p.m. From 7 to 9 p.m. visitors are invited to step back into the pages of history at the Vintage Christmas Ball, featuring the Southern Vintage Dancers respendent in extravagant period costumes performing to 19th-century music at Jackson Hall next to Grace Church. Beginning at noon on Sunday, December 4, a Tour of Homes opens the doors to beautifully decorated private contemporary homes to benefit the Audubon Library; tickets are available at the parish library on Ferdinand St., or by calling 225-635-3364. The real focal point of Christmas in the Country remains the St. Francisville area's marvelous little shops, all of which go all out for this special weekend, hosting Open Houses with refreshments and entertainment for shoppers while offering spectacular seasonal decorations and great gift items. The Historic District of St. Francisville, thanks to an enthusiastic Main Street Program and sensitive preservation regulations, maintains its historic character hand-in-hand with present-day economic viability; this downtown area is very much alive, in fact the center of life in the community. 
A variety of quaint little shops occupy historic structures throughout the downtown area and spread into the outlying district, each unique in its own way, and visitors should not miss a single one. From the rich Victoriana of The Shanty Too, for thirty years the anchor of the downtown business community and always noted for spectacular Christmas decorations, to the eclectic selection of garden ornaments and chic clothing at Mosaic Garden, to the jewelry beautifully crafted from vintage buttons at Grandmother's Buttons, downtown St. Francisville is filled with fine shopping opportunities. Artist Herschel Harrington has a studio displaying his own works, while the St. Francis and Backwoods Galleries exhibit other local artists' works as well, and there’s a new outlet for used books full of fascinating reading material. The West Feliciana Historical Society’s tourist center and museum also has a large variety of tasteful souvenir and gift items, regional books and prints. On the outskirts of town, intrepid shoppers won't want to miss the one-of-a-kind collectibles at the Vintage Store on US 61 south and Border Imports with its huge inventory of Mexican pottery, ironwork and concrete statuary on US 61 north. Hillcrest Gardens and Interiors overflows with fine gift items at LA 10 and Commerce St., with The Nest nextdoor housing all sorts of varied vintage treasure. On US Highway 61 at LA 10 is an antique mall filled with a revolving selection of wares called the Audubon Antique Gallery. Most of the plantations in the St. Francisville area have gift shops as well, and a visit to those would allow enjoyment of the beautiful seasonal decorations there. 
In addition, the two state historic sites in the St. Francisville area, elegant 1835 Rosedown Plantation with its glorious 19th-century formal gardens and Oakley Plantation in the Audubon State Historic Site where artist-naturalist John James Audubon tutored the daughter of plantation owners and painted many of his famous bird studies in the early 1820's, are decorated in period style with lots of natural greenery, fruits and nuts, and both offer seasonal activities and demonstrations throughout the month of December.
So in this year of dislocations and loss, of new beginnings in new locales, take comfort in going back home to Grandma’s for Christmas. If that’s not possible, do the next best thing. Tourism officials say come on over to St. Francisville’s warm and welcoming Christmas in the Country, a celebration of the season just like it was at Grandma’s house, and take comfort in the fact that some things just never seem to change. 
Located on US Highway 61 on the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge, LA, and Natchez, MS, the St. Francisville area is a year-round tourist destination, but visitors find it especially enjoyable in the winter of the year when the antebellum gardens are filled with blooming camellias and the surrounding wilderness areas offer spectacular hiking opportunities. Six historic plantations-Rosedown and Audubon State Historic Sites, Butler Greenwood, the Myrtles, the Cottage and Greenwood-are open for daily tours, Catalpa Plantation is open by reservation and Afton Villa Gardens seasonally. Reasonably priced meals are available in a nice array of restaurants in St. Francisville, and eclectic shops fill restored 19th-century structures throughout the historic downtown area. Some of the state's best Bed and Breakfasts offer overnight accommodations ranging from golf clubs and lakeside resorts to historic townhouses and country plantations; a modern motel has facilities to accommodate busloads. The scenic unspoiled Tunica Hills region surrounding St. Francisville offers excellent biking, hiking, fishing, birding, horseback riding and other recreational activities. For online coverage of tourist facilities, attractions and events in the St. Francisville area, see www.stfrancisville.net, www.stfrancisville.us or www.stfrancisvilleovernight.com, or telephone (225) 635-3873 or 635-6330.
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