Nacogdoches to ring in holidays with 17th Annual Nine Flags Festival
NACOGDOCHES – Historic downtown Nacogdoches will be transformed into a winter wonderland for the upcoming 2013 Nine Flags Christmas Festival with more than 3 million holiday lights, a sparkling fireworks display and the largest lighted Christmas parade in East Texas.
The 17th annual celebration of Texas history & culture will be held Nov. 23 through Dec. 14 in Nacogdoches, located about 150 miles north of Houston via U.S. 59. Nine different flags have flown over the oldest town in Texas throughout its rich history, and this year’s festival will pay special tribute to the Lone Star flag.
“From touring an elegantly decorated, historic home to watching the lighted Christmas parade wind its way through the brick streets of downtown to drinking wassail while shopping in our unique local shops and galleries, the Nine Flags Christmas Festival offers something for everyone,” said Mallori Brookshire, meeting and event coordinator for the Nacogdoches Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The official kick-off for the holiday season will take place in historic downtown with a lighting ceremony and a special showing of the “Polar Express” on the brick streets on December 6th.
Saturday, December 7th is packed full of events with the popular Jingle Bell Run 5K in the morning, Santa’s Workshop in the afternoon, and the largest lighted Christmas parade in East Texas as well as a dazzling fireworks display and movie on the brick streets that evening. “This is going to be a fun-filled weekend in Nacogdoches,” said Brookshire. “We have so many events planned to entertain the whole family.”
The Nine Flags Christmas Festival will also include the annual Old Fashioned Christmas celebration at Millard’s Crossing Historic Village on Friday, December 6th. Visitors to this charming reconstructed historic village will experience East Texas life as it was in the 19th century.
Other holiday events include the “Tour de Nac” bike ride, Tour of Homes, Holiday in the Pines shopping extravaganza, Mother-Daughter Christmas Tea, Pancakes with Santa, Wassail Fest and much, much more!
New this year is the Signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence Exhibit. Twenty panels of photographic images and captions present an inside look at the fifty-nine men who declared Texas to be free and independent from Mexico. “We are really excited to have this new exhibit,” said Brookshire. “It’s a wonderful way to pay tribute to this year’s honorary flag, the Lone Star flag.”
The exhibit will be on display December 10 – January 6. Admission is free.
“There is no better place to ring in the holiday season than right here in the Oldest Town in Texas during the 17th Annual Nine Flags Christmas Festival,” Brookshire said.
Platinum sponsors of the festival include Commercial Bank of Texas, Legends at SFA / Lumberjack Lofts, Mike Perry Motor Company, Texas Farm Products and Walmart.
For more information about the festival, call the Nacogdoches Convention and Visitors Bureau at 1-888-OLDEST-TOWN or log onto nineflagsfestival.com. Be our friend on facebook @ Christmas Celebration.