The City of West Monroe has announced the schedule of events for this Saturday’s Christmas Festival activities including the 2024 Kiwanis of Greater Ouachita Christmas Parade.
Christmas Festival Day will take place on Saturday, Dec. 7. This day is considered a “Pedestrian Day” in downtown West Monroe. Visitors should make plans to park and walk to scheduled festivities in the downtown area.
Activities taking place that day in downtown West Monroe include the following:
- 11 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. – food trucks and festivities in Alley Park
- 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. – live music in Alley Park featuring Monty Russell & Friends
- 2:30 p.m. – Pearl Harbor Remembrance Ceremony in Alley Park
- 3:30 p.m. – Kiwanis of Greater Ouachita Christmas Parade
- 6 p.m. – Christmas on the River Fireworks Show presented by the Downtown West Monroe Revitalization Group
- 7-8:30 p.m. – wagon rides throughout the Christmas lights; pick up at Alley Park every 30 minutes.
Saturday, December 7 is known as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. A special remembrance ceremony will be held on festival day at 2:30 p.m. in Alley Park. The public is invited to honor and remember the Louisiana casualties from that day. A limited number of yellow roses will be provided free of charge by Raising Cane’s.
The theme for this year’s parade is “Elf Takeover.” The parade will begin at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 2 in downtown West Monroe. The parade route travels from downtown West Monroe across the river into downtown Monroe and ends back in downtown West Monroe.
The Christmas Parade will line up on Wood Street, traveling to Riverfront Street and over the Endom Bridge into downtown Monroe. The parade will then turn left onto Walnut Street, then left onto Louisville Avenue in Monroe before crossing the Lea Joyner Bridge into West Monroe. The parade will turn left onto Trenton Street, and the parade will end back on Wood Street where it began.
To ensure public safety, Saturday is considered a pedestrian day in downtown West Monroe. In preparation for the parade and Christmas festivities taking place, the following street closures will take effect on Saturday, Dec. 7:
- Trenton Street will be closed to all traffic from Pine to Wood Streets, beginning at 7 a.m.
- Trenton Street from Bridge south to Pine Street will be closed at noon.
- Natchitoches Street from Trenton to Cotton Streets will be closed at 7 a.m. until sometime after the fireworks.
- Endom Bridge will be closed to both vehicles and pedestrians at 3 p.m. until the completion of the Christmas on the River Fireworks Show presented by the Downtown West Monroe Revitalization Group (the fireworks show begins at 6 p.m.).
- Louisville Bridge will be closed to both vehicles and pedestrians beginning at 3 p.m. until the parade is completed.
- Wood Street from Trenton to N. 4th Street will be closed at 9 a.m.
- Cotton Street will be used for emergency traffic only.
- Commerce Street will be closed at 7 a.m. and will reopen after the fireworks.
- South Riverfront to Austin could be closed at approximately 5 p.m. in preparation for the fireworks. This decision will be made on site by the West Monroe Police Department.
- Coleman Avenue at South 1st will be closed at 5 p.m. until after the fireworks.
- North Riverfront at the Railroad Tracks will be closed at 5 p.m. until after the fireworks.
For more information about street closures, please contact the West Monroe Police Department at (318) 396-2772.
Information about the day’s activities can be found on the Downtown West Monroe Facebook page at www.facebook.com/downtownwmrg
