Top 10 Reasons to Christmas on the Coast
Banish your 2020 Grinch-side and Come Christmas on the Cajun Coast!
We’ve made it easy, compiling the Top 10 Holiday Happenings on the Cajun Coast!
Find the complete list on our Christmas page and see the Holiday Hotel Deals and a few more coupons on our specials page.
TOP 10 HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS ON THE CAJUN COAST
- Take Advantage of Shopping (and Dining!) Events – The Tinsel Trail Shopping & Eating Incentive Trail is November 23-28 where you can shop & eat, and get your card punched to drop off at Mistletoe and Moss Holiday Market for a special gift!
- There are several options to welcome Papa Noel (Santa Claus) to the holiday season, with Christmas Tree lightings and special visits from the jolly old elf on November 26 in Berwick and Morgan City, and Patterson November 29.
- Come see beautiful homes arrayed in holiday splendor with Victorian Christmas tours daily (closed Christmas Eve and day) at the Grevemberg House and Shadowlawn through December.
- Twinkling lights usher in the magic of Christmas! Take the Idlewild Plantation Christmas Lighting driving tour, now through the end of December or the see the lights along Bayou Teche, magically aligned to the music on 93.5FM, December 7 through January 6!
- Book an RV or Campground spot and plan for s’more’s and holiday stories!
- The Franklin Lamplighter Ceremony begins with a Christmas Golf Cart Parade on December 5, come spend the evening in Franklin!
- If you need to renew your Christmas spirit, make sure you take in the A Thrill of Hope event at Arlington Historic Home & Gardens on December 11, Bernice Street Christmas by Candlelight & Christmas Spectacular, December 12 and Crossing Place’s Christmas in the Swamp or Plugged in to Christmas in Lawrence Park, December 13. There’s even a holiday movie at Park Street Park on December 12!
- Don’t leave your 4-legged friends out of the holiday action! Enter them in the morning parade December 13 in Patterson, just before the Annual Street Parade on Main Street and then Shopping in Morey Park!
- Shop ‘til You Drop – With charming Main Street shopping and other local merchants, you’ll find just the gifts you need for everyone on your list (and a little lagniappe for yourself)! There are also a couple more shopping events with Mistletoe Market December 11 in Berwick and Shop Patterson on December 13 in Morey Park.
- Even our birding friends get some holiday love with the Audubon’s Christmas Birding Count on December 19.
So take in the Top 10 and make some holiday magic for yourself – Come Christmas on the Cajun Coast!
Distance Together on the Cajun Coast
The holidays are for getting together, but you’ll need some space this season! Not only do we have Friends & Family deals for lodging, there are so many staycation itineraries that no matter your favorite way to getaway, we’ve got you covered.
Plan for social distancing (and maybe even sanity), by getting your family members a great rate for a hotel on the Cajun Coast! Take the stress out of Thanksgiving and find your folks a Friends & Family Holiday Hotel rate!
Cajuns love to celebrate with food, so there is no shortage of dining options for your celebrations this season! Our mouth-watering choices cover Mom-and-Pop spots to four-star and everything in between. Check out the Eat pages for info.
We have entire itineraries with the kids in mind! Check out the high-flying fun at the Wedell-Williams Aviation and Cypress Sawmill Museum. Speed records and sky soaring will rev up their imaginations – Just don’t tell them it’s educational! Let them burn off some steam climbing up the “Great Wall,” a 21-foot seawall built for flood protection, where you can get a bird’s eye view of the traffic in the Atchafalaya River, one of the busiest rivers in the state. Find more water action along the he Atchafalaya Basin, home to the alligators every tourist is dying to see! While some November days may prove a little cool for spotting our swamp friends, tour operators, like Captain Caviar, provide entertaining and educational tours of the beauty and mystery of the Atchafalaya waters.
The Cajun Coast also features nine sites on the Atchafalaya Water Heritage Trail, including areas only available by boat. Take the family on a nature trek! Or, if you’d prefer to take in the scenery from the comfort of your vehicle, check out the Bayou Teche Scenic Byway and plan your route through this beautiful corridor.
And, your golf enthusiasts will get to experience the beauty of the Cajun Coast as well. Check out our Golf Tour that begins at the Atchafalaya Golf Course at Idlewild, surrounded by the rich wildlife and incredible beauty found only in the heart of the Atchafalaya Basin. Designed by von Hagge, Smelek and Baril, the 7,533-yard course contains five lakes and ten native wetland areas!
History buffs in your crowd can take their pick from grand properties and humble dwellings as well as Civil War sites and awe-inspiring churches, with 400 spots on the National Register of Historic Places in the City of Franklin alone! Even the non-history buffs in your crowd will be inspired by the ingenuity as they walk aboard the only oil rig open to the public – the “Mr. Charlie” Oil Rig Museum.
You can take in the history of those caught in time with a ghost tour! Tours may be a little less crowded post-Halloween, so take advantage of cooler temps and explore the afterlife on a Ghost Walk of Franklin with Tours by Steven or Captain Caviar’s History & Mystery Haunted Plantation Tour in his Vintage Cadillac Limo. See our Ghosts page for more info and book early!
Grown-ups need a night out as well, and while we can’t always promise a winning hand, we can promise an exciting night of casino-action at Cypress Bayou Casino Hotel and Amelia Belle Casino.
Hopefully, you can take your winnings and go on a Main Street shopping spree! You’ll be delighted with one-of-a kind buys, eclectic finds, and tastes of Louisiana cuisine or cookbooks, and other mementos to bring home. Get your holiday shopping knocked out in one, fun-filled excursion!
If you want to get away and escape into nature, we have plenty of camping and RV recommendations in our bevvy of itineraries, one specifically planned for getting away from it all!
Regardless, of how you choose to distance and stay close to those you love during this season of thankfulness and celebration, we can make your stay special on the Cajun Coast!
Enjoy Spirit of the Fest
Drive, Bike & Enjoy Spirit of the Fest
The Spirit of the Fest Driving Tour provides an opportunity not only to support attractions throughout the area, but also to connect with the petroleum and shrimping industries. From the “Mr. Charlie” Oil Rig Museum, the only place in the world where the public can walk aboard an authentic offshore drilling rig, and Remote Operated Vehicle/Dive Museum to the Spirit of Morgan City Shrimp Boat, a trawler standing in monument to Morgan City, dubbed the “Jumbo Shrimp Capital of the World,” and the Southwest Reef Lighthouse which once guided mariners on the Atchafalaya Bay.
Additional tours and exhibits, also part of the Spirt of the Fest Driving Tour, include spots such as the Berwick Bay to Étouffée exhibit at the Louisiana State Wedell-Williams Aviation and Cypress Sawmill Museum as well as special exhibit documenting the history of the area displayed throughout festival weekend at the Brown House – Berwick’s Cultural Museum.
Trip Down Memory Lane
The Shrimp & Petroleum Festival goes back more than 80 years to its humble beginnings in 1936. Those 80-plus years provide for a lot of festival memories. From boat parades to the blessing of the fleet, to festival food and fireworks, people are sharing their memories even if they can’t share this year’s festival together. Here are just a few shares on our social media about the Favorite Memories of the Festival:
- Rosey Bottoms – “Being on the blessing boat, seeing great bands, and watching the fireworks with family and friends. Of course all the food and community love.”
- James Sharp – “Cajun Coast Visitors & Convention Bureau arts & crafts. Watching the grandkids ride the rides.”
- Mary Leonard Romero – “Riding my dad’s tug every year & decorating it.”
Tag #CajunCoast in your social media posts to let us know your favorite memories of the Shrimp & Petroleum Festival through the years!
Unity in the Community
There is also a Unity in the Community, evening bike ride on September 25 to support the Cajun Coast. The Unity in the Community Bike Ride a slow and easy bike ride from Greenwood and Second Street in Morgan City to Lake End Park. It is a free event, but you must register. Download the form to register.
Deric Anslum will be entertaining at Lake End Park. Groups may set up tents, blankets, chairs with food and drinks prior to the ride, keeping social distancing in mind and may also leave a vehicle to return home with bicycles. Food and drinks will not be available for sale at Lake End Park, so make sure you plan accordingly.
Some come celebrate the Spirit of the Fest this fall on the Cajun Coast!
Staycation Off-the-Beaten Path
You can staycation (or vacation) off-the-beaten-path on the Cajun Coast. We’ve provided several itineraries to make the planning easy for your getaway! While we have itineraries for everything from golf to ghost tours, these itineraries will provide you with some seclusion for socially distancing the world!
Off-the-Beaten-Path Outdoor Vacation Staycation
Featuring stays at Cypremort Point State Park or Burns Point Park, the itinerary provides details on fishing guides, paddling trails, and birdwatching excursions. And being a Louisiana State Park, there are even extra discounts during the fall.
In addition to military and badge discounts for active/retired military and first responders, visitors staying Monday-Thursday, Sept 1-Jan 31 will receive a 15% discount on overnight cabin stays with the code GETOUTSIDE, and customers aged 62 and over are not only eligible for 50%-off campsites year-round with the code 62PLUS, but also if they book 4 consecutive campsite nights, they will receive the next 3 nights free with code SNEAUX, Oct 1-Jan 31. Get the details and book now!
Situated on Lake Palourde, Lake End Park offers bank or pier fishing, a boat launch and a marina with 47 slips (monthly and yearly rental rates are available). 147 RV Sites, 20 Tent Sites, and 4 Pavilions are also available. A sand beach alongside beautiful Lake Palourde with access to amazing bass fishing or paddling, as well as oak-shaded walking trails will provide a lot to do on-site. Additional paddling options are available on the Cajun Coast’s paddling trails. Nearby you can climb aboard the Mr. Charlie Oil Rig and Diving ROV Historical Preservation Room, delighting the kids and grown-ups alike with its engineering marvels. The Great Wall provides an amazing view of the Atchafalaya River and Atchafalaya National Heritage Trail Kiosks will help you learn more about the largest wetlands system in the country. There are plenty of options for dining on Louisiana’s famous cuisine, and strolls along the historic districts and even Main Street shopping will provide options for everyone. Casinos and nightlife options are available for adult recreation, and swamp tours or even ghost tours can add in a little more excitement as well!
Kemper Williams Park in Patterson features traditional RV and tent spots as well as nearby tennis courts, ball fields, nature trails and a sanctioned horseshoe facility. It is also adjacent to the Atchafalaya Golf Course at Idlewild and the Wedell-Williams Aviation and Cypress Sawmill Museum, noting speed records of Louisiana’s aviation history and documenting the cypress industry of the area.
The newly renovated Nineteen 06 Bed & Breakfast will provide elegant surroundings, and Wax Lake Lodging has “out-the-back-door” hunting and fishing, so take your pick and relax.
And while the campgrounds themselves may provide you enough amenities that you don’t want to leave, the Cajun Coast has plenty of other outdoor activities to keep you entertained! The Atchafalaya Basin is our playground, and its many inlets provide opportunities for boating and fishing, swimming, and other water sports.
So check out the rest of the itineraries on your Staycations page, and make your reservations to relax today!
Coast with the Most
Many coasts can boast of beaches or deep sea fishing, but the Cajun Coast has so much more! From Cajun culture, food & music, to inland swamp tours and the largest wetlands in the country, you’ll want to visit the coast with the most!
The Cajun Coast is a sampler of everything Louisiana offers, in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere that’s the heart of Cajun hospitality. Explore the exotic beauty of the Atchafalaya on a drive along our scenic byway or in the water along a paddling trail. [See our top 10 water activities] Visit our antebellum homes and historic communities. Explore our museums. Try your luck at a casino. Or play a round of golf at The Atchafalaya at Idlewild, an Audubon Golf Trail course! We have a golfing itinerary prepared along with just about any itinerary you want to follow – from Ghosts to Easy Rider!
The perfect place to start your Louisiana adventure is right here in St. Mary Parish. We’re 90 minutes or less from New Orleans, Baton Rouge or Lafayette. Come to the Cajun Coast and immerse yourself in what National Geographic called this “hauntingly beautiful land” – for a taste of the real Louisiana. We have plenty of accommodations to allow you to stay and explore! From historic homes to houseboats, and national chains to local boutiques, you can find your favorite spot. And, don’t forget the great outdoors; we offer everything from primitive camping spots to cabins and plenty of RV hookups, some steps away from the water.
And, because we want you to play it safe when you come to the coast, our accommodations, attractions, and even the visitor centers are maintaining strict protocols when it comes to cleaning and safety standards. Our shops are practicing social distancing as well, so come enjoy main street shopping and take home a memento of your travels or have your items shipped ahead!
Yes, the Cajun Coast is a dash of history, a cup of natural beauty, seasoned generously with the spice of new things to see and do-you’ll sample all this and more. We’re lucky enough to enjoy life on the Cajun Coast every day. That’s why we love to welcome visitors to share in the fun. Whether you stay a week or a weekend, you’ll find we’re the perfect place to enjoy part of any trip to Louisiana. Yes, the temperatures may rise, but along the water’s edge in Louisiana, you’ll feel cooler on the Cajun Coast – the Coast with the Most!
Bring Your Wild Ones to See Ours!
While we have had a lot of togetherness lately, getting together on the Cajun Coast will provide plenty of room to roam, so bring your wild ones to see ours! We have a variety of outdoor experiences for the entire family. See our list, from paddling trails to tours, and come enjoy your summer on the Cajun Coast!
We have put together a Family-friendly itinerary, and a list of things to do with the kids this summer on the Cajun Coast!
Outdoors on the Cajun Coast
With characters both on the boat and in the water, swamp tours and deep sea charters are favorite highlights of a trip to the Cajun Coast. From Captain Caviar’s adventures to Blu Dog Charters to renting a houseboat, you’ll have great time whether or not you see an alligator or land the huge catch!
With a self-guided driving trail, the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area will take you on an adventure, showcasing the dramatic affect water has had on this area.
Byway drives along with biking, paddling and hiking trails, along with the Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge and Boardwalk in Franklin will keep your nature-lover happy as well.
Walk the “Great Wall,” a 21-foot seawall. Built for flood protection, visitors can climb up for a bird’s eye view of the traffic in the Atchafalaya River, one of the busiest rivers in the state.
Let Them Explore
These FREE tours will make it easy for you to take the whole family exploring! (Only you have to know there is learning wrapped in all that fun!)
The only place in the world where the public can walk aboard an oil rig, kids will enjoy learning about the oil industry and the many ways oil is used at the International Petroleum Museum & Exposition, the “Mr. Charlie.”
Visit the Wedell-Williams Aviation & Cypress Sawmill Museum (A Louisiana State Museum). Their imaginations will soar with all of the aviation exploration, and a Louisiana shrimping exhibit will teach them about this thriving, local (and yummy) industry.
The Southwest Reef Lighthouse in Berwick is an iconic symbol and one of only 3 lighthouses in Louisiana that are easily accessible. Visitors can see the structure up-close for FREE at the Everett S. Berry Memorial Lighthouse Park. A Fresnel lens and fog bell similar to what would have been used in the lighthouse are displayed in the lobby of Berwick Town Hall, located 2 blocks west of the park on Third Street. If you have a Lighthouse Passport (available from https://uslhs.org/products/items/lighthouse-passport), bring it by the Berwick Town Hall during regular business hours for a stamp!
Get in the Water
Summer on the Cajun Coast also means basking in the sunshine along with ways to beat the heat! Spending time on the water is easy on the Cajun Coast. Check out a few locations to play!
Lake End Park in Morgan City, 985-380-4623 (beach, fishing)
Cypremort Point State Park, 337-867-4510 (beach, fishing)
Other Recreation
Bowling, Movies, and Mini-Golf and other recreation can also be found on the Cajun Coast! Check out the adventures, plus a petting zoo and plan your summer fun!
If your adventurer likes to skate, we have a few skate parks as well
Morgan City Skate Park, 985-380-4600
Swamp Skate Park in Bayou Vista, 985-395-6552
Franklin Skate Park, 337-828-3631
COOL TREATS
Cooling off with a good old fashioned snowball is also a delicious solution! These shaved ice concoctions of sugary syrup and any number of add-ins, from condensed milk to fruits and candies, are a prized commodity on a summer afternoon. Below are a few locations to pick up one of these treats around the Cajun Coast!
- Adams’ Snoball – 905 Iberia Street, Franklin, 337-471-1082
- Cajun Sneaux Snowballs – 804 Marguerite Street, Morgan City
- The Big Chill – 202 Tournament Boulevard Berwick, 985-329-2525
So, pack up your crew and find fun in the summer sun on the Cajun Coast!