TICKFAW, La. (WGNO) — They’ve built a reputation as a key destination for anyone looking for fun and fright during the Halloween season, but now the family-run business in Tickfaw is focused on the magic of Christmas. They’ve created an extravaganza that’s sure to start countless family traditions.
Mindi Plaisance is one of the co-owners of “Christmas at Rise” and here’s how she describes their mission: “You know there are so many places you can go and just look at the lights, but that’s not what we wanted to do here, we wanted to have that ‘Wow’ moment for kids. We wanted that wow factor, and just to light up the faces, we wanted interaction.”
Interaction comes in the form of characters, including Santa, Mrs. Claus, an ice princess, the Grinch and many more. There are opportunities galore to interact with other families too, with activities such as a snowball arena, face painting and a magic hayride.
Mrs. Claus has a reading room, and there’s a special cozy place where families get a private, one-on-one meeting with Santa himself. Santa’s helpers will take photos during the visit. Note that no personal camera or phone shots are allowed, however, families can take all the time they need to get the perfect shot.
Another “Christmas at Rise” co-owner, Shontay Laiche, says the goal was to create a personal experience that you won’t find in a mall setting. “Yes, Santa I would say is top of the list for most of our guests that come here, it’s top of our list, we love to see Santa each and every night that he’s here. We want them when they enter the room to feel like they are having a personal one on one session with Santa, so they can ask all those hard questions and make sure that he understands what they want for Christmas.”
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General admission is $15, inclusive of all the activities except for the hayride. A combo ticket that includes the hayride is $25. There are snacks available for purchase, including gourmet hot chocolate. Find out more about “Christmas at Rise” online.
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