General

1831 Turner Street, 8a.m. Sponsored by YWCA of Alexandria-Pineville. Cost: See website, www.ywcaalex.org. Call YWCA: 445-8880.  

St. Frances Cabrini Church, 6:15p.m. Sponsored by AMGA & St. Frances Cabrini Church. The burning of the greens will immediately follow mass (7:15). The blessing of the King Cake will follow with serving of the Queen’s Soup to follow (7:30). A small donation is appreciated. All Krewe Royalty in attendance will be recognized followed by a second line.  Cost: Free. Call Church Office: 445-4588. 

All libraries, during hours of operation.  Sponsored by Rapides Parish Library.  Kick off the New Year with Adult BINGO Book Challenge! Challenge yourself to read more, to read more widely and to have fun doing it all! Multiple ways to play, traditional or get creative and cheeky and find as many combinations you can! When you’ve completed your card, fill in the back information and turn it in for a final drawing! Cost: Free. Call Tammy DiBartolo: 442-2483 x 1906.

Individual Tax Forms, Tax Season. Sponsored by Make-A-Wish Texas Gulf Coast and Louisiana. You can help make wishes come true by donating a portion or all of your Louisiana state income tax refund to Make-A-Wish Texas Gulf Coast and Louisiana. Help grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions right here in our Louisiana community. Check What Matters to share the power of a wish. Cost: Free. Call Jackie Heroman: 504-846-9474.  

Proudly Presented by The Garden District Neighborhood Foundation and the Alexandria Historic Preservation Commission

Tickets $25 available at GardenDistrictNeighborhood.org or at Southern Chic Boutique and Main Dish & More.

1921 Jackson St. and The Gallery House will be open for business during the tour.

Tour Homes

Downtown Alexandria/Block party on 3rd Street, 5 – 9p.m. Walk begins at 6:30p.m. Sponsored by Cenla Zombie Association.  A slow-paced, police escorted walk through Downtown Alexandria.  This is a smoke-free, alcohol free, family-friendly event. Proceeds benefit the Cenla Chapter of the Special Olympics. Cost: Free, food and t-shirts may be purchased. Nominal fee for entering costume contest.  Contact: Facebook/Zombie Walk of Alexandria, Louisiana page.

Alexandria Zoo, 5:30-8:00p.m. Sponsored by the City of Alexandria and FOTAZ. Create wonderful holiday memories at an event unlike any other in the area. Thousands of lights, wild animal theme displays, train rides, Santa, crafts for kids, entertainment on select evenings, photo ops, gift shop, Palm Café, and more family fun. The 19^th is the 12^th Night of the 12 Nights of Christmas.  Cost: $7 per person, children ages 4 and older. Call Lee Ann Whitt: 441-6832.

Alexander Fulton Mini Park, 5p.m. Sponsored by the City of Alexandria Division of Community Services. School groups, dance troupes, and Community Choirs perform as the mayor lights the park for the Christmas season. 1^st Night of the 12 Nights of Christmas. Cost: Admission Free. Call Courtney Paige: 449-5108.

Alexandria Zoo, 6-8:30p.m. Sponsored by City of Alexandria and FOTAZ. Biggest Halloween extravaganza in Cenla. 3 nights of family friendly spooktacular, scare free fun! Trick-or-treat trail and lots of activities for kids of all ages. Visit www.thealexandriazoo.com for more information. Cost: $7 per person, ages 1 and older.

Third Street, Downtown Alexandria, 5-8p.m. 15^th Annual United Way Cook-Off. Come out and enjoy music and drinks while sampling great BBQ, Ribs, Cajun and Wild Game dishes. Each category will have a winner decided by our panel of judges, and we also have a People’s Choice Award voted on by the tips each team receives from the community. Cost: Free to public. Call Abby Flynn: 443-7203 ext. 3.