NEW ORLEANS – NOLA ChristmasFest opens today for its 10th anniversary and will welcome thousands of guests into 300,000 square feet of holiday excitement, activities, parades and performances through Dec. 30 at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Visitors to NOLA ChristmasFest are transported from New Orleans to the North Pole, enjoying an indoor winter wonderland of activities, such as expanded ice bocce courts and a redesigned ice-skating rink, plus the return of festival favorites like Skating with Santa, which sold out two weeks before opening day. Exclusively in 2023, NOLA ChristmasFest also features free special anniversary programming daily and exciting giveaways on select dates.
“We have transformed Halls H through J of the Convention Center into a uniquely New Orleans holiday spectacular, complete with indoor snowfall, attractions made with real ice, thrill rides and a whole neighborhood of gingerbread houses,” said Michael J. Sawaya, Convention Center President and CEO. “To mark our 10th anniversary, NOLA ChristmasFest will deliver new surprises you cannot find anywhere else, while still dazzling local families and visiting friends with an exceptional experience that has truly become a favorite local holiday tradition.”
For more information about NOLA ChristmasFest 2023, anniversary programing and a full schedule of events and activities, visit nolachristmasfest.com.
Letters to Veterans:
Leading up to the festival’s opening, New Orleans’ favorite elf, Swirly, joined the Convention Center’s NOLA ChristmasFest crew at the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Home in Reserve, Louisiana, to deliver hand-written holiday cards to America’s heroes. Guests can once again participate in this annual tradition by writing more letters at NOLA ChristmasFest and extending 10 years of cheer to the River Region.
NOLA ChristmasFest Tickets, Hours and Awareness:
Tickets to NOLA ChristmasFest provide guests with a block of time to enjoy. Most days include a morning and an afternoon session. Each session is 4.5 hours in length, except on Christmas Day. Morning sessions are 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and afternoon sessions are 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. NOLA ChristmasFest is one of the few events open Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, with one session offered on both days.
Guests may purchase $25 tickets for weekdays and $30 tickets for Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets are sold exclusively online at Plan Your Visit – Nola ChristmasFest and are valid for a single admission on the specific day and session selected.
Reserved parking is highly recommended and can be booked in advance through ParkMobile.
NOLA ChristmasFest 2023 is a credit card-only event, including ticket purchases and onsite concessions. For guests under 18 years of age, a parent or guardian is required at all times.
Theater and Thrill Rides:
NOLA ChristmasFest is packed with holiday activities for all ages, including a tiny tot zone for small children, full-scale carnival rides for older kids and adults, as well as the Kringle Carousel, a Ferris wheel and performances on the Capital One Holiday Stage. For a list of performances, visit nolachristmasfest.com/special-events.
The Big Freezy:
The area’s only real ice-skating rink has been redesigned this year and features a dusting of indoor snow at regular intervals. The Big Freezy zone of NOLA ChristmasFest also includes two ice bocce lanes, dueling tube-slalom ice slides and the perfect perch for adults to warm up with a cocktail, NOLA ChristmasFest’s Polar Pub.
Tastes and Treats:
Prancer’s Pizzeria and two American-style grills, Mistletoe and Season’s Eatings, will satisfy even the pickiest kid’s cravings with a variety of pizzas, burgers, fries, hot dogs, chicken tenders, mac n’ cheese, gumbo and more.
Mrs. Claus’s Sweet shop is full of almost any sweet treat you desire, including freshly baked New Orleans beignets, smores and ice cream sundaes, along with coffee, hot chocolate and espressos.
The Nutcracker Sweet offers spiced, sweetened and salted nuts, Coke products and bottled water. The Polar Pub features adults-only cocktails and sports on the big screen.
Pictures with Santa: Santa is available for professional photos with families at NOLA ChristmasFest Dec. 21 – 24. Prices vary by photo size and package details. View Creole Santa and Papa Noel’s photography schedule and find pricing information online on the NOLA ChristmasFest special events page.
About the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (NOENMCC)
New Orleans is Built to Host! With 1.1 million square feet of prime exhibit space on one level, all under one roof, NOENMCC is the sixth largest Convention Center in the United States and provides the largest single exhibit space in the country. NOENMCC is a 2023 IAVM Venue Excellence recipient and is consistently named a regional top workplace by The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate. Our recent LEED Gold certification makes NOENMCC the largest LEED-certified project in Louisiana and the largest convention center project in the U.S. certified under LEED v4.1 Operations and Maintenance, as well as the first convention center in the world to be awarded initial certification under LEED Gold v4.1 O+M. A leading contributor to the city’s robust tourism economy, NOENMCC event activity has produced $90.1 billion in economic impact since its 1985 opening.
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