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Christmas with kids in Lake Charles
In Lake Charles, Christmas arrives by the lake. Lighted boats float past the lakefront, fireworks bloom over the water, and the whole season kicks off the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
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Bright Star Theatre Presents: Holidays From Around the World
When: Thu, Dec 10, 4 to 5 pm
Where: Westlake Branch, Westlake Community Room, Westlake
Cost: Free
The story of Christmas in Lake Charles
How Lake Charles celebrates
The season begins with Light Up the Lake, a free city festival held the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Local choirs and Girl Scouts sing carols, an evening concert plays at the Arcade Amphitheater, and the mayor switches on the lights at the Lake Charles Event Center grounds and Millennium Park. Then a Lighted Boat Parade crosses the lake, followed by fireworks over the Lakefront Promenade. Neighborhoods join in too: Shell Beach Drive's historic homes glow with thousands of lights, and carriage rides are offered. We could not verify the year the festival began.
Christmas last year in Lake Charles
Light Up the Lake took place on Saturday, November 29, 2025, and added a first-ever Christmas Walking Parade at 3 p.m. Dance teams, bands and community groups walked a 0.65-mile route along Bord du Lac Drive instead of riding floats. The day also had Santa's Workshop crafts, food trucks, 30 to 40 vendors, a community band and a 20-piece big band. At 6:15 p.m. Mayor Simien led a countdown to switch on the lights, then boats lit up the lake and fireworks followed at 7:30 p.m. From December 5 to 26, a free Christmas Glow Show lit the lawn of Historic City Hall.
Fun facts about Christmas in Lake Charles
Fireworks joined Light Up the Lake for the first time in 2022, after pandemic and hurricane years scaled back the holidays. The fireworks are set to music that radio listeners can hear on KBYS 88.3 FM. On Canal Street, a family display has North Pole scenes, a full nativity and dozens of lighted trees, and Trinity Baptist Church covers an entire block with synchronized lights set to hymns on 88.9 FM. Prien Lake Park has a giant Christmas tree, and the lakefront displays show the 12 Days of Christmas.
Trains and Christmas near Lake Charles
Train lovers have a festive stop close by in DeQuincy, where the railroad museum grounds, including its historic trains, are lit up every Christmas season. The DeQuincy Railroad Museum is free and sits in a 1923 Kansas City Southern depot with a steam switch engine, a Pullman coach and two cabooses. Farther away, the Southern Forest Heritage Museum has three steam locomotives and railbus rides, and the Louisiana Art & Science Museum is inside Baton Rouge's 1925 railroad depot.
- DeQuincy Railroad Museum: The closest rail museum to Lake Charles, with a 1923 depot, a steam switch engine, cabooses and a playground, and its trains are lit each Christmas season.
- Southern Forest Heritage Museum: A historic sawmill site with a roundhouse, three steam locomotives and train rides on a vintage railbus.
- Louisiana Art & Science Museum: Kids' science spaces and a planetarium inside Baton Rouge's 1925 railroad depot on the river.
Traditions today
- Light Up the Lake: A free lakefront festival the Saturday after Thanksgiving with carols, a light switch-on, a lighted boat parade and fireworks.
- Christmas Walking Parade: A new parade that debuted in 2025, with dance teams, bands and groups walking 0.65 miles along Bord du Lac Drive.
- Lighted Boat Parade: Decorated boats glow on the lake right after the lights are switched on, then fireworks follow.
- Christmas Glow Show: A free holiday projection show on the lawn of Historic City Hall, with a 20-minute animated video on weekends.
- Shell Beach Drive and Canal Street lights: Historic homes and a long-running family display fill neighborhoods with lights, North Pole scenes and a nativity.
- Christmas Under the Oaks: A holiday market in nearby Sulphur with 40 or more artisans, carriage rides, a carnival and a parade.
A fact for kids
In Lake Charles, boats wear Christmas lights too. Every year a Lighted Boat Parade glides across the lake, and fireworks light up the sky afterward.
Questions about Christmas in Lake Charles
When does the Christmas season start in Lake Charles?
The Christmas season starts the Saturday after Thanksgiving with the Light Up the Lake festival. In 2025 that was November 29. The festival has carols, an evening light switch-on, a lighted boat parade and fireworks. Check our Lake Charles Christmas events guide on this page for this season's date.
What is Light Up the Lake?
Light Up the Lake is the city of Lake Charles' free annual Christmas festival on the lakefront. It has music, an art walk, carols, a switch-on of lights at the Event Center and Millennium Park, a lighted boat parade and fireworks. It is free for families to attend.
When did Light Up the Lake begin?
We could not find the first year of Light Up the Lake in our sources, but it is called an annual and beloved tradition. What is clear is that it was scaled back during the pandemic and the 2020 hurricanes, then returned in 2022 with fireworks for the first time.
What was new at Light Up the Lake in 2025?
The big new thing in 2025 was the Christmas Walking Parade, the first parade in the festival's history according to city officials. It rolled at 3 p.m. on Bord du Lac Drive over 0.65 miles. Santa's Workshop with kids' crafts and more food trucks were also part of the expanded fun.
What is the Christmas Walking Parade?
It is a parade of walking groups and live performances rather than floats. Dance teams, marching bands, theater groups and community organizations can join for free, and a Performance Zone lets groups stop and perform. The route is 0.65 miles along the Lake Charles lakefront on Bord du Lac Drive.
Is there a boat parade in Lake Charles at Christmas?
Yes. A Lighted Boat Parade is part of Light Up the Lake, with boats lit up on the lake right after the mayor switches on the lights. In 2025 it started right after the 6:15 p.m. countdown, followed by fireworks at 7:30 p.m. Bring blankets or lawn chairs.
When did fireworks start at Light Up the Lake?
Fireworks were added to Light Up the Lake for the first time in 2022. The finale quickly became a favorite part for many families, who described the night as a yearly gathering with fireworks and hot chocolate. The show is set to music broadcast on KBYS 88.3 FM, McNeese Radio.
What happened to Christmas in Lake Charles after the hurricanes?
Lake Charles scaled back its holiday celebrations because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 hurricanes. By 2022 the city brought Light Up the Lake back with a concert and fireworks, and Mayor Nic Hunter said the community was glad to have its holiday traditions back.
What is the Christmas Glow Show in Lake Charles?
The Christmas Glow Show is a free holiday projection experience on the front lawn of Historic City Hall Arts & Cultural Center on Ryan Street. In 2025 it ran December 5 to 26, with still holiday graphics Monday to Thursday and a 20-minute animated video show Friday to Sunday.
Where can kids see Christmas lights in Lake Charles?
Lake Charles has several famous light spots: Shell Beach Drive's historic homes, a long-running Canal Street display with a nativity, Trinity Baptist Church's block of synchronized lights, a giant tree at Prien Lake Park and 12 Days of Christmas displays on the lakefront. See our Lake Charles Christmas events guide on this page for this season.
What is the Canal Street Christmas display?
The Richard family display on Canal Street spans nearly a block, with North Pole scenes, a full nativity and dozens of lighted trees on the front lawn. It is described as a long-running neighborhood tradition. Kids enjoy spotting the different scenes, so take your time.
Can you listen to Christmas music while looking at lights?
Yes, at Trinity Baptist Church, which covers an entire block with displays and synchronized lights. Visitors tune their car radio to 88.9 FM to hear holiday hymns while the lights move to the music. It is a cozy way to see lights from the warmth of the car on a cool evening.
Where is the big Christmas tree in Lake Charles?
Prien Lake Park has a giant Christmas tree, and the city also installs a Christmas tree display in front of the Lake Charles Event Center for Light Up the Lake. In nearby Sulphur, Christmas on the Hill has a 20-foot tree. See our Lake Charles Christmas events guide on this page for this season's details.
What Christmas food is popular in Lake Charles?
Gumbo is on the Lake Charles Christmas menu, along with hot chocolate at the lakefront fireworks and holiday drinks around town. The city's tourism site even uses the label Cajun Christmas for its food and drink picks. Many restaurants stay open on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day too.
How can I explain the lake lights to a toddler?
Tell your toddler that the whole city counts down and then switches on the lights at once, like a giant nightlight. Then boats sparkle on the lake and fireworks go boom in the sky. Bring blankets and a hat, since coolers and pets are not allowed, and practice the countdown at home.
Is there a Nutcracker ballet in Lake Charles?
Yes. Nutcracker ballet productions are part of the Lake Charles holiday season. Lake Area Ballet Theatre has staged The Nutcracker at the Lake Charles Event Center, and the city's tourism page lists Nutcracker performances each year. Check our Lake Charles Christmas events guide on this page for this season's dates.
Is there a Christmas parade in the Lake Charles area?
Yes. The city's new Christmas Walking Parade debuted at Light Up the Lake in 2025, and nearby Sulphur's Christmas Under the Oaks includes a parade, carriage rides and a carnival. DeQuincy's Dickens in DeQuincy also has a parade and a tree lighting. Our Lake Charles Christmas events guide on this page has this season's schedule.
Where can kids see trains near Lake Charles at Christmas?
The DeQuincy Railroad Museum, north of Lake Charles, has its grounds and historic trains lit up each Christmas season. It is housed in a 1923 Kansas City Southern depot with a steam switch engine, a Pullman coach and two cabooses, and admission is free. The museum is open Tuesday to Saturday, so plan accordingly.
Is there a steam train museum in southwest Louisiana?
Yes. The Southern Forest Heritage Museum in Long Leaf is a 57-acre sawmill complex with a roundhouse, a machine shop, three steam locomotives and train rides on a vintage railbus. Check its news or Facebook page for closures before driving out, especially in winter.
What makes Christmas in Lake Charles different?
Lake Charles celebrates by the water. The season opens with a lighted boat parade and fireworks over the lake, and a new walking parade joined in 2025. Neighborhood displays, a projection show at Historic City Hall and a steam train depot in nearby DeQuincy add to the season.
Sources
- Light Up the Lake adds new Christmas walking parade to celebrations, KPLC 7 News
- Walking Parade at Light Up the Lake, City of Lake Charles
- Light Up the Lake to return with walking parade, expanded festivities for 2025, KPLC 7 News
- Light Up the Lake: Celebrate the season under the glow of holiday lights, American Press
- Lake Charles lights up the lake with Christmas celebration, KSLA
- Christmas in Lake Charles, Visit Lake Charles
- Christmas Light Displays in Southwest Louisiana, Visit Lake Charles
- City of Lake Charles Announces the Christmas Glow Show at Historic City Hall, City of Lake Charles
- DeQuincy Railroad Museum, Rally Takes the Train
- Southern Forest Heritage Museum, Rally Takes the Train
- Louisiana Art & Science Museum, Rally Takes the Train