Earlier this summer Tom Llamas took over the reigns as the anchor and managing editor of NBC’s Nightly News. A graduate of Loyola University New Orleans, and married to a local New Orleanian, the Big Easy has been like a…
Next to the St. Louis Cathedral and the Crescent City Connection, the Superdome is a visual icon of the city of New Orleans, completing the well-known skyline of the Big Easy. Through the ups and downs of football to playing…
Lafayette has been nominated in USAToday’s 10Best Reader’s Choice Awards for Best Place to Visit for Fall. A contest you can help the city win by voting up until Sept. 8. This week, Ben Berthelot, president and CEO of the…
Last December Louisiana Life writer Kevin Rabalais set out in the early morning hours outside of Natchitoches with Richard Armstrong, his daughter Camille, dog Gage and the rest of their crew to go duck hunting. A hunter his entire life,…
About 30 minutes outside of Covington, sits Isabel, Louisiana in Washington Parish - the now host of a crystal-clear private lake that has officially opened to the public for day passes and cabana bookings. With kayaks, fishing spots, a 3-mile…
"The Dirty South" recently became available to stream on Amazon Prime and Roku. The 2023 film – staring Shane West, Willa Holland and Dermot Mulroney – was meant to bring a viewers into the small towns that create the South...…
On July 17, the state officially canceled the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion project - the biggest coastal restoration project in the country, made possibly by funds from a settlement of the 2010 BP Oil Spill. This week, Pontchartrain Conservancy Executive Director…
GRAND ISLE, La – This spring, Louisiana Life Magazine held a contest for Best Town in Louisiana. After months and thousands of votes, Grand Isle won Best Town out of the over 130 towns eligible for the contest. Readers overwhelmingly…
NEW ORLEANS – On July 19, the Press Club of New Orleans held their annual awards ceremony, where Louisiana Life took home the grand prize of Best Magazine. Louisiana Life outperformed 64 Parishes (2nd place) and Arthur Hardy’s Mardi Gras Guide (3rd…
Canal Street in New Orleans has a long history of fashion, culture, nightlife and great food. For decades it was a main stop for New Orleans visitors and families alike. In recent years, Canal Street has lost a bit of…
Abi Caswell opened her BATTER, A Bakery in Downtown Hammond in 2022. The self-taught baker went from popping up at local farmer's markets to going viral on TikTok and expanding to open a new shop in New Orleans. Caswell shares…
The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe recently held their 27th annual Pow Wow, which highlighted the tribe's culture and community. Additionally, the Pow Wow marked the opening of the tribe's new Justice Center. In this week's episode, Chairman Marshall Pierite shares insight into…
This week, we get a little dose of the Cajun culture with content creators and podcasters Koa Melancon and Sarah O’Pry - better known as the Cajun Mamas. Melancon and O'Pry rose to fame on TikTok documenting their lives in…
This week, we're headed to the Louisiana state capital. Laura Cating, senior vice president of marketing & communications for Visit Baton Rouge, gives listeners an insight to the history of the city, a little of the lore, plus what to…
On May 8, 2025, Robert Francis Prevost was introduced as Pope Leo XIV, the new head of the Catholic Church. Prevost is the first American to be elected as Pope and while that would be enough for American Catholics to…
In new host Kelly Massicot's first episode, NOWFE Executive Director Aimee Brown shares the ins and outs of a festival that brings together wine connoisseurs and aficionados a like for one week each summer. Now in its 33rd year, NOWFE…
The United States has long been… intriguing to those outside of the country. As someone who follows British pop culture pretty well, the British people especially find us as Americans, and as a country, interesting. See also the current debate…
"Louisiana Insider" is on a brief hiatus. But while we gear up for a new season, we want to hear from you, our listeners! Do you have an episode suggestion? Do you know someone in Louisiana making waves in their…
In tandem with the new season of sister publication New Orleans Magazine's "Beyond the Beads" podcast, we're launching a crossover episode. Producer, and occasional host, Kelly Massicot talks to Vice producer and storyteller Jackson Garrett. Garrett and Vice will release…
Photo by Kelly Massicot, New Orleans
KEITHVILLE, La (press release) – February reminds us that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., but at the world’s largest chimpanzee sanctuary where more than 300 of humans’ closest living relatives reside, heart disease also…
NEW ORLEANS – On Feb. 4, celebrities and musicians filled the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles for the 66th Annual Grammy Awards. It was a night of memorable moments. Miley Cyrus won her first award. During an acceptance speech for…
BATON ROUGE, La (press release) – Origin Hotel Baton Rouge, a Wyndham Hotel, opened today following an extensive transformation led by Tandem Hospitality Group and The Thrash Group in partnership with Benson Capital Partners. Located downtown in a historic 68-year-old building…
From crawfish and Heavenly Hash to conjuring spirits and exploring the rhythm of America, we've covered a lot this year on "Louisiana Insider." For the final week of the year, we're shining some light on some of our most popular…
BATON ROUGE, La (press release) – Art Bridges Foundation, the national arts nonprofit founded by philanthropist Alice Walton, announced this week the launch of “Access for All,” providing $40 million in funding to 64 museums nationwide. The initiative aims to increase…
BATON ROUGE, La (press release) – Gov. John Bel Edwards joined Senior Military Assistant to the U.S. Secretary of Defense Lieutenant General Ronald Clark, Col. Joey Strickland, secretary of the Louisiana Dept. of Veterans Affairs, members of the U.S. Dept.…
French is perhaps one of the most beautiful languages. It is also a vital part of Louisiana’s history. Through the effort of some dedicated individuals looking to preserve our culture, we have the opportunity to hear more of the language…
SHREVEPORT, La (press release) – The Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau (SBCTB) is partnering with the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl to create a gamified experience pass program, encouraging audiences visiting for the event to explore the Shreveport-Bossier area. Visitors and…
When you need a way to promote your state that will draw lots of attention and is fun to look at, a spin-off of a Mardi Gras float might work, especially if your state is Louisiana. State tourism promotion is…
We're out of the office this week, but geared up for a new episode next week with Louisiana Life columnist Stanley Dry. Until then, we're taking a look back at some of our most popular episodes of "Louisiana Insider."…
LAFAYETTE, La – Festivals Acadiens et Créoles is going virtual this year, but that doesn't mean you can't add a little something special while celebrating at home. Acadian Slice sent their "Brown Butta Pecan Pie" recipe to Acadiana Profile…
While New Orleans is the most well-known place in Louisiana to celebrate Mardi Gras, Louisianians know there are lively parades and events for weeks all over the state. From Shreveport to Eunice and everywhere in between, here's your guide to…
World Championship Gumbo Cookoff Oct. 12-13, New Iberia With more than 20,000 eventgoers expected, the annual Gumbo Cookoff in New Iberia is clearly a popular event. In addition to the cookoff, attendees can participate in the Roux Run, cooking demonstrations…
The LTEC team is taking a hiatus Thursday and Friday to celebrate our country’s independence, but before we go, we wanted to offer advice on those potentially tying in the nation’s celebration with wedding festivities. Putting a theme to…
NEW ORLEANS White Linen Night Each year, Hancock Whitney and the Contemporary Arts Center host an outdoor celebration of local artists in the New Orleans Arts District. Don all white while perusing the art galleries and shops along the 300…
Last week I wrote about great places to view alligators, but for those more adventurous here’s a spot where you can zip line over dozens of the scary reptiles. There’s so much to see and do at Gators and…
One of the first things visitors ask me when they land in Louisiana is where to find gators — well, second to the nearest drive-through daiquiri. Then they go all freaky like when I tell them we get up…
Big Creek Trade Days may be hard to find through the backroads outside Ruston, but even if you get lost and stop several times to check your GPS – like we did – the stress is worth the final…
Last year, Lafayette debuted a musical event that matched local songwriters with national and international professionals in a collaborative workshop. Titled South Louisiana Songwriters Festival and Workshop (SOLO), this four-day event partnered with the Buddy Holly Educational Foundation to…
Settled by the French in the 1700s, Natchitoches Poste became the oldest town in Louisiana. It was here that Pierre Baillio served as an officer at Fort St. Jean Baptiste, marrying Marie Catherine Poissot and raising a family. His eldest…
I must admit, I dearly love a food festival, and after sampling Eddie Hughes’ famous stuffed shrimp recipe at the restaurant named for the former chef, I’m thrilled to discover that the Eddie E. Hughes Foundation and Budweiser will be…
Shreveport native and fashion designer Latasha Henderson says she grew up “less fortunate.” Her mother dressed her in hand-me-downs to save money and she says the other kids bullied her for it. By age 10 or 11, Henderson was customizing…
Odds are the edifice often called Louisiana’s finest structure of the Art Deco era would never have been built had Shreveport dragged its feet. By luck, though, the three-year task of erecting the city’s Municipal Auditorium was complete (not yet…
The Louisiana Peach Festival has been around since 1951. The surrounding area is known for its wealth of peach orchards and the event has grown exponentially since its inception. It now includes a kid’s fishing tournament, tennis tournament, rodeo, parade,…
I am willing to accept that there are lots of things in life that I don’t know. What bothers me however, is the things that I don’t know, but everyone else seems to know. As I stood near the front…
Sitting in solitude, cross-legged, with the Gulf waters gently rolling onto shore, former president Theodore Roosevelt seemed at peace on the remote Louisiana barrier island. One can see why — he worked to save it, after all, and he had…
In 2014, the Mississippi River Basin was designated a Critical Conservation Area by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The river is home to countless species of wildlife as well as a source of drinking water, recreation and industry for millions.…
KEITHVILLE Expansion Underway for Refuge They react with indignation, laugh like us, wage war, they are selective at choosing friendships and their ability to remember numbers on a screen at age 5 is considerably higher than adult humans. When it’s…
Bonus: Louisiana seafood a local and sustainable food! But if you’re watching your weight and trying to stay heart healthy, is it something to embrace or avoid? The Good News! Local seafood is good for you! Molly Kimball, a registered…
“Adventures of a Louisiana Birder, 1 Year, 2 Wings, 300 Species” by Marybeth Lima A tale of intrigue, a near-death experience, humorous mishaps and a year-long road trip. Does this sound like the most recent account from your favorite dashing…
