See Photos & Videos From Garyville’s 78 Foot Christmas Eve Gator Bonfire

for the people of Garyville, Louisiana, Christmas Eve is their time to shine. The community featured a Christmas Eve bonfires with a giant, 78-foot gator named Gator Millet. Garyville is just outside the greater New Orleans area, in St. Joh The Baptist Parish, near Laplace, Louisiana. 

Blood, Sweat, and Bonfires is the group behind this unique bonfire. The Gator even featured a head that moves and a jaw that snaps. See all the photos from this Christmas Eve bonfire below! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Families lined up today for photos in front of a 78-foot alligator in Garyville, Louisiana (pop. 2,775). The structure, built out of firewood, is part of a string of bonfires lining the levee of the Mississippi River in St. James Parish between Garyville and Paulina. The fires—separated by refineries and chemical plants—are set to burn on Christmas Eve, to light the way for Papa Noël, part of a tradition that dates back to the 1700s. #southlouisiana #cajunchristmas

A post shared by James Collier (@jamescollier) on Dec 23, 2019 at 6:19pm PST

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Bonfires on the Levee – this year’s masterpiece by “Blood, Sweat, and Bonfires” certainly doesn’t disappoint!! Great job again y’all!! . #ItsTheMartins #CajunCountry #louisiana #Bonfire #bonfiresonthelevee

A post shared by Bryan Martin -It’s The Martins (@bryanlmartin) on Dec 23, 2019 at 5:51am PST

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Rodney M Beals (@rodbealz) on Dec 24, 2019 at 5:11pm PST

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Here is another view of this amazing work of firewood art that will go up in flames tonight, after many months of work. This bonfire is a hundreds of years old Christmas tradition. There is beauty in pouring yourself into a creation, and then letting go. #artwethereyet #itaintnojoke #alligatorbonfire #louisiana #garyville #christmasevetradition #skoolie #busconversion #travel #buslife

A post shared by Art We There Yet? (@art_we_there_yet) on Dec 24, 2019 at 2:30pm PST

 

 

 

 

 

 

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December’s embers #bayoucountrychristmas #onlyinlouisiana🐊 #cajunkringle

A post shared by J. T. Velasco (@jtv_nola_photography) on Dec 24, 2019 at 7:47pm PST

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Featured Photo: James Collier