A Leap Back in Time
Bigger, Better Dinos in Breaux Bridge
Prehistoric Park, Louisiana’s sole immersive dinosaur adventure, was recently transformed. Guests walking the trails will encounter 24 towering new dinosaurs tucked into the landscape. Five are fully robotic, with lifelike movements and sounds, including the must-see 40-foot Tyrannosaurus Rex with a lingering roar. Also new is the Safari Cruises experience, adding independence and adventure for children as they steer their vehicles along the track like real safari rangers.
Bunkie | Aw Shucks!
Follow the rows of corn to Bunkie’s 38th annual Louisiana Corn Festival (June 11-13) featuring a children’s parade, pirogue races, a statewide softball tournament and the annual corn shucking, cooking and eating contests. Nightly street dances include Ryan Foret’s swamp pop and the high-energy ‘80’s theatrics of The Molly Ringwalds.
Lake Charles | Crawfish Under the Knife
A Lake Charles surgical team recently decided to test the precision of the advanced da Vinci 5 (dV5) robotic surgical system at St. Patrick Hospital by using it to peel a crawfish. They found that the level of precision was unmatched. While dV5 excels at peeling crawfish, its primary use is assisting with human surgeries. Not to worry! The dv5 is only used on crawfish for training purposes, and can’t operate on people independently.
Jean Lafitte | Fun in the Sun
Nestled beneath a 41-acre cypress swamp nature preserve, the unique Jean Lafitte Seafood Festival (May 29-31) honors the bayou culture with continuous live music, abundant fresh seafood, a festive wine walk through the swamp, local art, carnival rides, a kids’ zone, swamp tours and kayak rentals to explore adjacent waterways.
Shreveport | Under the Sea
CAMPAQUA is offering unique, interactive summer camps at the Shreveport Aquarium. During Scales & Tails: Reptiles of Louisiana and Beyond (June 15-26), campers will meet snakes, snapping-jaw turtles and crocodilians paired with hands-on experiments. Apex Alliance: Top Predators of Aquatic Ecosystems (June 29-July 10) delves into the science behind sharks, alligators and other top predators. Regular visitors can touch moon jellies and sea stars, feed stingrays and explore Louisiana’s only indoor, climate-controlled gemstone and fossil mining experience.
