Springtime Means TWFest time!

Though Louisiana spring is short, it sure is lovely and a time when most of us are happy to be outside enjoying the cool air and flowers in bloom. It’s a time when we’ve just finished and survived the Mardi Gras season and can take a breath. Only a small breath, though, because what comes next is spring festival season.

All over the state, spring festivals abound and range from celebrations of food to flowers to books to music. Just to name a few, there’s the Bayou Terrebonne Boucherie, Shadows-on-the-Teche Plein Air Painting Competition, World Championship Crawfish Etouffee Cook-Off, and the Washington Community Festival in March. Then there’s the Scott Boudin Festival, Abita Busker Festival, El Fesitval Español de Nueva Iberia, Le Fête Du Monde, Books Along the Teche Literary Festival in April. And that’s just a start — there are far too many to list.

My long-time favorite festival comes at the end of March — this year it will be March 20-24 — and that’s the Tennessee Williams and New Orleans Literary Festival. I started going to this festival about fifteen years ago — maybe longer — as a volunteer and attendee. I love this festival. It’s intimate and warm and makes a writer or reader feel like they have a place in a world where we otherwise can feel like outliers. It’s the perfect festival for us bookish types.

There are authors giving great talks and craft classes, literary panels where authors have interesting conversations and not only can we listen in, we are also able to meet and talk to them as well as other likeminded folks. It mostly takes place in the historic Hotel Monteleone right in the French Quarter. There are always fantastic theater performances at venues around town and fun musical acts, a drag brunch, and a books and beignets event—this year they’ll be discussing one my all-time favorite authors, Eudora Welty. This year’s festival will include Pulitzer-winner Michael Cunningham and National Book Award-winner Justin Torres, along with lots of New Orleans’ writers. Running within this festival, there’s also the Saints + Sinners LGBTQ+ Literary Festival, which includes a lively discussion of LGBTQ+ literature, and the Last Bohemia Fringe Festival. So within this one week, there’s something for anyone who loves literature, the arts, Tennessee Williams or New Orleans.

Louisiana has so much to offer year-round and festivals are one of the best ways to experience the diversity of our culture. Whichever festivals you choose to attend this spring, enjoy!

Reine Dugas
Editor
Reine@Louisianalife.com