Museum lighting ceremony is tonight

St. Mary Parish offers numerous holiday events during the month leading up to Christmas.
Among the highlights are lighted trails, splendid homes dressed for the season, parades, performances and more.
Among them are:
—The 18th annual Christmas Tree Festival will be held at the Louisiana State Museum in Patterson. Christmas trees decorated by children in the area will be on exhibit. The Christmas Tree Festival open house also will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. today at the museum. Visitors will be able to view the Christmas trees and hear children from local schools singing holiday carols. Admission is free.
—On Friday, Maison Jardin Assisted Living in Morgan City will hold a ceremony, Wreaths Across America, at 2 p.m. placing wreaths to honor and remember veterans who served. Contact 985-385-3003 for more information.
—A Christmas Gala will be held from 7:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday, at the Patterson Area Civic Center. Contact 985-395-5205 for more information.
—Bernice Street’s Christmas by Candlelight, celebrating its 25th anniversary, will be held from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday along Bernice Street in Morgan City. Entertainment will include a visit from Santa, face painting, refreshments and more. Canned goods collected for St. Mary Outreach.
—The Tour of Trees final exhibit open house is 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday at 4312 Cantrell St., Berwick. The public is invited to view 80 trees.
—Patterson’s Christmas parade will be at 2 p.m. Sunday. The parade starts at Place Norman Shopping Center and ends at Patterson High School. Line-up begins at 12:30 p.m. Local churches, schools, youth groups, dance groups, festival royalty and civic and social clubs are invited to participate. For information, call Sylvia Fields at 985-395-4422 or Kim Guarisco or Anita Wilkerson at 985-395-5205.
—The Patterson Community Center will hold a free Christmas Gumbo luncheon for senior citizens at 11 a.m. Dec. 17 at the Patterson Area Civic Center, 116 Cotten Rd. Call Sylvia at 985-395-4422 or Anita at 985-395-5205 for transportation. All senior citizens are invited.
—The annual Christmas Cantata will be held at 10 a.m. Dec. 22 at Pharr Chapel United Methodist Church on Federal Avenue in Morgan City. Contact 985-384-7984 for more information.
Throughout the month of December, historic homes in the parish will be decorated for the Christmas holidays.
—The Grevemberg House in Franklin will be decorated in the Victorian Style Christmas. Displays will include a traditional Victorian Christmas tree and displays of traditional foods and fruits. Admission: $10 per person, $8 for seniors.
—Also, Oaklawn Manor, the residence of Louisiana’s former governor and wife, Mike and Alice Foster, will be elaborately adorned for Christmas with a different style tree in every room. Visitors can tour Oaklawn to view its Christmas décor through Jan. 6. Admission is $15 per person and $10 for students. Hours to tour these homes are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, with the exception of Oaklawn Manor, which is closed on Mondays.