Feeling down and need something to pick your spirits up?

Taking in the colorful lights at Cassidy Park during the annual Christmas in the Park is almost a sure way to beat the doldrums.

Coupled with the park’s natural beauty and the Christmas lights in various Christmas-themed designs, Christmas in the Park is a must-see for everybody in the area. Not every community is lucky enough to have a venue such as Cassidy Park that seems to fit perfectly with a Christmas theme.

The event has been a part of Bogalusa for 21 years and is put on by the Christmas in the Park Committee.

An added attraction this year is an additional $15,000 worth of lights to add to the more than 1 million Christmas lights already on display. It is sure to make this year’s Christmas in the Park bigger and better than ever.

Starting Dec. 15, Christmas in the Park will be open nightly through Christmas for drive-throughs from 6 to 7 p.m. and for those wishing to walk through from 7 to 9 p.m. Visits with Santa Claus will be available at the Pioneer and Native American museums for those who choose to enter on foot.

The Park will be open for viewing by car or by walk-through on the weekends of Dec. 5-6 and Dec. 12-13. Unfortunately, Christmas in the Park is closed on Sundays this year.

And Christmas in the Park is not the only Christmas-related event going on in the area. Franklinton has the Pioneer Christmas at Mile Branch Settlement scheduled for Dec. 6-7. The entire event is free, and folks have the opportunity to get a glimpse into the life of the area’s first settlers.

Both notable events are unique in their own ways, and everyone needs to get out and support all those who make it happen.