Nothing says Christmas on the Northshore quite like the annual Holiday of Lights celebration, and this year St. Tammany Health System is helping spread the cheer as presenting sponsor of the parish’s signature seasonal celebration on Koop Drive.
Of note, St. Tammany Health System representatives will be on hand this weekend (Dec. 12 and 13) with a free holiday craft inside Santa’s Workshop, the future home of the St. Tammany Health System Parenting Center, which is set to relocate to the Koop Drive campus in spring 2026. The move will bring the Parenting Center closer to families across the parish and expand its reach in a community that has embraced it for decades.
In the meantime, families can take advantage of the center’s year-end membership drive, with a reduced rate of $150 per family through the end of December. (The regular annual rate is $180.)
Now in its 26th year, Holiday of Lights has long been a staple of the community’s December calendar, drawing families from across the Northshore with its thousands of twinkling lights, carnival rides, photos with Santa, and performances from local schools and organizations. The parish’s 2025 celebration continues Friday and Saturday (Dec. 12 and 13) at the Koop Drive trailhead, with an added walk-through experience set for Dec. 19 and 20 for those who prefer a quieter, lights-only visit to Santa’s Enchanted Forest.
For those looking to soak up as much holiday spirit as possible, the walk-through experience on Dec. 19 and 20 will allow visitors to stroll the light displays at their own pace between 6 and 8:30 p.m., and while there will be no falling snow, carnival rides, performances or food trucks that weekend, the lights themselves remain the star attraction.
And for anyone who simply cannot get enough of the glow, the full light display will shine from dusk until dawn Dec. 22 through Jan. 1, ensuring the Northshore rings in the new year with a little extra sparkle.
Scroll down for photos from STHS’s bustling crafts station at Holiday of Lights 2025, find a full Holiday of Lights schedule of events at StTammany.gov – and happy holidays!