NEW ORLEANS (press release) – Patio Planters of the Vieux Carre will present the beloved Caroling in Jackson Square tradition to visitors and locals alike on Sunday, Dec. 22, from 7-8 p.m. The free community sing-along gathers thousands of people for a festive hour of holiday merriment, with carols led by local dignitaries and clergy. Gates open at 6:30 p.m. with Patio Planters volunteers stationed there to distribute complimentary song books and candles to participants in the non-denominational community celebration.
To help underwrite expenses associated with the annual Caroling event, Patio Planters offers a French Quarter Holiday Home Tour featuring private residences with varying architectural styles and home furnishings, festively decorated for the season. The self-guided walking tour takes place from 12 noon until 4 p.m., allowing plenty of time to enjoy Reveillon dining or Holiday cocktails prior to Caroling.
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Mark Romig, senior vice-president and chief marketing officer for New Orleans and Company, will return as master of ceremonies, along with local favorites Harry Mayronne, Chris Wecklein and Amy Alvarez leading carols. For a special treat this year, New Orleans entertainers, The Big Easy Boys and Marshall Harris, will each lead a holiday tune.
Patio Planters President Joey DiFatta invites participation from throughout the local community, region, and nation. He cites this as a momentous occasion. “Caroling has been our gift to people from near and far since 1946,” said DiFatta in a press release about the event. “We hope families will plan to spend the day in the historic neighborhood on Dec. 22, visiting private homes decked out for the holidays, shopping and dining, and gathering together in Jackson Square for joy and camaraderie as we celebrate Christmas with song.”
Caroling in Jackson Square will be live streamed on www.nola.com and www.patioplanters.net where songbooks may be downloaded. The event will also be available for viewing after Dec. 23 on WLAE channels. This year’s event will receive marketing support from Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser and the Louisiana Office of Tourism.
More on the Holiday Home Tour:
Tickets to the tour, which supports the annual Caroling in Jackson Square, are $35 each if preordered online at www.patioplanters.net and $40 the day of the event. Children 12 and under are free. A limited number of tickets will be available for purchase from noon-3 p.m. the day of under the alcove of the Louisiana State Museum Cabildo. Due to popularity, online ticket purchases are strongly encouraged.
