 There is no parish or town in Louisiana known as Chinquapin.  "Chinquapin" is the name for a type of fish and a particular breed  of oak tree. The town of Natchitoches in the parish of the same name  served as the backdrop for the film. The town was named after the  "NAKTOSH" Indians whose names means "chinquapin eaters".  Natchitoches actually does have a large Christmas Light Festival  annually. Natchitoches was also the first settlement in the  Louisiana Territory.