Downtown Lafayette will ceremoniously open the Christmas holiday season with the fourth annual ‘Twas the Light Before Christmas... Downtown Lafayette will ceremoniously open the Christmas holiday season with the fourth annual ‘Twas the Light Before Christmas, an event made possible with support from AT&T. Fashioned as a traditional downtown holiday celebration to be enjoyed by the entire family, some new and interactive elements have been built in as well. With an assortment of activities from noon until 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 29 (the Saturday after Thanksgiving), ‘Twas the Light Before Christmas will kick off the holiday season. The signature activity for which the daylong event earned its name is the lighting of the city’s official Christmas tree by City-Parish President Joey Durel in Parc Sans Souci in a special ceremony. In addition to the lighting of the tree, Downtown Lafayette will hold its holiday open house, as restaurants, shops and art galleries will extend hours. Beginning as early at 10 a.m., visitors can enjoy a free pass to three exceptional museums – the Lafayette Natural History Museum and Planetarium, the Acadiana Center for the Arts and the Alexandre Mouton House. In addition, there will be a crafts market, horse drawn carriage rides, holiday musical performances from carolers and a band, a Children’s Christmas Sing-along, free photos with Santa Claus, and a 5K Rudolph Run and fun walk. There is no cost to participate and it is open to children of all ages and their families. It all happens on Saturday, Nov. 29 at Parc Sans Souci in downtown Lafayette. For more information, contact: [email protected] / 337-291-5566.