DENHAM SPRINGS - The spirit of Christmas is making a comeback in Denham Springs.

Businesses in the "Antique Village" are decked out and city hall is lined with lights, ready to celebrate.

"It's cheerful... You know, it's in the air. A lot of people decorating for Christmas," said Douglas Ennis, who owns Bayou's Best Restoration and Antiques.

And with the Christmas spirit already making itself present in the city of Denham Springs, business owners are feeling extra cheery for the tourism that's already ramping back up, especially after a not-so-cheery 2020 due to the pandemic.

"Since we kind of took a break from it last year, we're super excited to have it back. There's a lot of festivities coming, events, carols, girls' night is actually tomorrow night. So we're going to have a lot of women, their daughters and families coming and shopping in the village," said Betty Richey, salon manager at Allure Boutique.

Ennis said he's already seeing an influx of visitors ahead of the holidays.

"I've noticed this week we've been seeing a lot of people out of state. That's really big. That's huge. A lot of out-of-staters really love this 'sinker cypress' that I do here because it's Louisiana. It's the culture of Louisiana."