Escapees November-December 2022

skp stops

Rose Garden Holiday Fun American Rose Society 8877 Je ff erson Paige Rd, Shreveport, Louisiana, 800- 637-6534, www.rose.org

the more extended blooming season and the national accessibility enhanced by Interstate 20. The garden is the nation’s largest park dedicated to roses. It features plants, sculptures and fountains, divided into small plots and a grand re fl ection pool. Magically transformed into a winter wonderland during the holidays, the 118-acre garden comes to life with special events and fun activities for the entire family, including nightly entertainment, roasting marsh mallows, shopping in the well-stocked gift shop and saying hello to Santa Claus. The event is the garden’s largest fundraiser of the year. This year on December 3 through 6, the annual Christmas Market will take place. Vendors with beautiful linens, holiday decorations, wood products and other handmade products and gift items sell their wares in festive surroundings. The annual Candlelight Sing-A-Long will take place Friday, December 23. One of the most popular displays at Christmas in Roseland is Christmas Cards to the Community made by area schools. The four-foot by eight-foot wooden cards

Before reaching the ticket booth, I can see the lights, a rainbow of sparkling holiday magic. The American Rose Center is trans formed into a festive destination every year when a chill fi lls the air and the roses no longer bloom. I n 2021, I visited Roseland, celebrating its 38th year, during the Christmas holiday season. The walking tour takes guests into the fantasy of the holidays and childhood once more. The American Rose Society Public Gardens, located just west of Shreveport, Louisiana, are dedicated to promoting the rose’s culture, preservation and appre ciation and improving its standard of excellence for all people through education and research. Established in 1892, in Washington, DC, the society moved of fi ces to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, before relocating, in 1954, to Columbus, Ohio. In 1974, the society and gardens moved to Louisiana, motivated by the region’s sandy and well-drained soil,

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ESCAPEES Magazine November/December 2022