Festival International de Louisiane (April 22-26) brings an international array of Francophone musicians and celebrated Cajun headliners to commemorate the 40th anniversary in downtown Lafayette. The festival’s official 2026 poster, pin and artwork by Francis Pavy (aka the Picasso of…
The all-new Mystic Kings Krewe parade (January 5) kicks off Mardi Gras (February 17) with bejeweled co-ed riders prancing through the streets of New Orleans atop graceful Arabian stallions amid artful floats and twirling flambeaux. In Lafayette, Mardi Gras parades…
A new nonprofit, MeowWOOF Animal Collective Café (2905 E. Simcoe Street), offers a unique community space for spending time with adoptable cats and dogs or your own pets. Guests can enjoy coffee while interacting with freely roaming cats at the…
The first annual Chicken and Blues Festival (October 4) features iconic Southern chicken dishes by celebrated chefs and a musical lineup that includes gospel soul singer Jamal Roberts, the dynamic hip-hop, bounce and street soul diva, Sweet Nay, and the…
The whisper of Michelin Guide’s undercover inspectors finally turning their gaze toward Louisiana has ignited a firestorm of finesse and competitive swagger. Among the profusion of notable new contenders in New…
The Beauregard Watermelon Festival has been moved up a month earlier (from late June to May 8-10) this year. Learn to dance the Watermelon Crawl, sign up for melon voice singing contests, seed spitting contests, bouncing watermelon races, goat roping,…
On Sunday, March 23, crowds gathering beneath the Pontalba balconies facing Jackson Square will repeatedly hear the heart-wrenching scream, “Stellllaaaaa!” during a shouting contest emulating Stanley Kowalski’s climactic, drunken scene from “A Streetcar Named Desire,” presented by the Tennessee Willilams…
From Twelfth Night to Superbowl LIX, ‘tis the season of king cakes, epic parades and official NFL events. Nothing gets Carnival season started like the celebrated Phunny Phorty Phellows’ Twelfth Night (January 6) streetcar ride festooned with “It’s Carnival Time”…
Baton Rouge | Ballet From the Bayou After 30 years of enchanting Baton Rouge audiences with the acclaimed holiday classic, “The Nutcracker — A Tale From the Bayou,” the show’s creators and original choreographers, Molly Buchmann and Sharon Mathews, have…
The first annual Natchitoches Louisiana Bigfoot Festival (September 7) features an enthusiastic gathering of fans, devoted researchers and investigators sharing documented field knowledge of the ever-elusive, hairy bipedal creature. It’s held near Kisatchie National Forest, known for hundreds of Bigfoot…
Louisiana’s first black bear hunting season was unanimously approved by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) for the first time since 1987 (five years later, Louisiana’s black bear was put on the Endangered Species List). The 16-day lottery-based…
Thanks to a generous grant administered by the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council, construction is underway for Phase 2 of the Houma Navigation Canal Lock Complex, led by the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority and the Terrebonne Levee…
Among the various Tennessee Williams festivals held annually, the Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival (TWFest; March 20-24) remains the oldest, liveliest and most diverse gathering since its 1986 inception. Headquartered in the famously haunted, elegant Hotel Monteleone…
Due to a police shortage, New Orleans is spending millions of dollars to add law enforcement to keep Carnival safe in 2024. New rules: Only 34 parades are allowed in 2024, no more silly string or mylar confetti canons…
An entire social media universe recently emerged about the unprecedented surge of New Orleans’ hip, new, in-demand Uptown eateries, most notably among fans trying to land a table at Osteria Lupo. A…
Recently ranked as the third most festival-obsessed state in the U.S., Louisiana boasts three competitive gumbo festivals in a single weekend: New Iberia’s 33rd annual World Championship Gumbo Cookoff features 100 teams of gumbo pros Oct. 14-15; (iberiachamber.org/gumbocookoff). Chackbay…
Grab your fiddle and head to the 43rd annual Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival (July 22) held in air-conditioned Prather Coliseum (NSU campus) featuring the celebrated Louisiana State Fiddle Championship. Enjoy three stages of live music plus Cajun, zydeco and Native American…
Head to the 2nd annual Bogalusa Balloon Festival (June 2-4) at George R. Carr Memorial Airfield to see hot air balloons flown by pilots from across the region with special events during the week leading up to the festival. Enjoy…
Lafayette’s year-long bicentennial revelries continue with the Celtic Bayou Festival bicentennial celebration March 17-18 (celticbayoufestival.com) followed by the March 26-30 Festival International de Louisiane bicentennial celebrations (festivalinternational.org). Chartered by the Louisiana Legislature in 1823 two years after its founding, the…
Due to New Orleans’ smaller police force, another year of shortened parade routes continues until Rex rolls on Fat Tuesday (Feb. 21). Diversity prevails, from the 1,600-member Krewe of Bacchus parading with 33 animated super-floats and 30 marching bands (Feb.…
The Louisiana Sweet Potato Commission is celebrating its 70th anniversary with various promotions that feature growers. René Simone, director, says it’s been a good year for our nutritious, delicious Louisiana sweet potatoes. The Beauregard harvest usually ends in mid-November. It…
LEGO fans, get inspired with mind-boggling life-size creations and exhibits, live shows by master LEGO builders and hands-on building activities during Brick Fest Live (Oct. 8-9), a traveling show held at the Shreveport Convention Center (brickfestlive.com). Jeanerette First in…
The retro glamour of Baton Rouge’s swank new hotspot, the Supper Club, owned by Brandon Landry (founder and CEO of Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux) is enticing diners with its seductive décor and luxuries such as Beluga caviar, baked Alaska and crème…
New Orleans’ Oscar-winning pianist/singer/composer Jon Batiste, who took home five Grammys at the 64th annual Grammy Awards including Album of the Year (“WE ARE”) following his electrifying performance of “Freedom” (with a frolicking finale atop Billie Eilish’s table) premieres his…
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (nojazzfest.com) makes a triumphant return April 29-May 8 after two COVID-cancellation years. Returning headliners previously slated for 2020 and 2021 are The Who, Stevie Nicks and…
Award-winning Cajun fiddler, Amanda Shaw, has launched a new live music program every…
Plans are underway to celebrate the life of the late Gothic novelist and New Orleans native, Anne Rice, who died after complications from a stroke in December at age 80. The event “will…
Celebrated Louisiana and Mississippi chefs are converging Nov. 13-14 at The Myrtles plantation and Restaurant 1796 for the third annual St. Francisville Food and Wine Festival. New for…
Chef Cory Bahr is bringing together growers and artisans from surrounding parishes to offer their produce, meat and hand-crafted products on Thursdays for “Grow the Roe Farmers Market,” situated on a lot beside his Parish Restaurant in downtown Monroe. “We’re…
In the aftermath of Hurricane Laura, Drago’s owner Tommy Cvitanovich (pioneer of the charbroiled oyster) and his team served over 5,000 plates of free shrimp pasta in L’Auberge Casino Resort’s parking lot, consequently…
Eleven-year-old Heath Hernandez couldn’t go fishing during the coronavirus lockdown, so he began watching YouTube videos about fishing lures. While experimenting with making baits, the Youngsville fifth grader perfected the art of making molds, adding items like glitter and ground…
Eleven-year-old Heath Hernandez couldn’t go fishing during the coronavirus lockdown, so he began watching YouTube videos about fishing lures. While experimenting with making baits, the Youngsville fifth grader perfected the art of making molds, adding items like glitter and ground…
Beloved New Orleans Saints quarterback, Drew Brees, (a graduate of Purdue University), is on board with his partners’ plans to expand the Baton Rouge-based Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux chain to myriad college campuses, including one at Purdue. Opening 25 more Walk-On’s…
Beloved New Orleans Saints quarterback, Drew Brees, (a graduate of Purdue University), is on board with his partners’ plans to expand the Baton Rouge-based Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux chain to myriad college campuses, including one at Purdue. Opening 25 more Walk-On’s…
Good Eats chef-owner, Boyer Derise, has expanded his Baton Rouge and Lafayette-based prepared food delivery service locations with the all-new Bayou Carlin Oyster Co. The Delcambre native is now shipping grilled Gulf oysters (via dry ice) with four topping options:…
The LSU AgCenter’s Louisiana Farm to School Program has launched a new educational website, Seeds to Success. The project offers free educational resources on agriculture and nutrition and includes growing guides, lesson plans and info on careers in agriculture, food…
It resembles a New Orleans courtyard, with indigenous plants for hair,” says multimedia artist Skye Erie, creator of the compelling “Garden of Legends” featuring seven statues of famous musicians in JAMNOLA’s luminous Finale Room. The quirky, 12-room interactive exhibition ranges…
Total Wine & More, a wine superstore (with 205 locations in the U.S.), is slated to open soon in the former Stage retail space at 4407 Ambassador Caffery, featuring wines from every wine-producing region in the world, more than 2,500…
LSU researchers and hospital leaders have recently created, obtained fast-track federal approval for and started running coronavirus tests at a newly minted River Road Testing Lab. The new lab testing capacities could give coronavirus test results to the most critical…
The 34th annual Festival International de Louisiane presents francophone music from 24 countries, including such headliners as Ayrad, a percussive Canadian group integrating gypsy funk with Moroccan gospel and desert rock. Lisa Stafford, the festival’s revered programming director of 20…
With his rock star persona, tattoos marking culinary milestones, penetrating eyes and an easy laugh that obscures an indefatigable, serious work ethic, Chef Ryan André is at the top of his game at Soji Modern Asian in Baton Rouge. Opened…
As twilight gives way to darkness, and spirits wander through the Myrtles’ wintry mist, the alluring aroma of burning logs, fat dripping onto coals and ribeye steaks charring over leaping flames puts guests in a smoky trance at Restaurant 1796.…
Chef Nathan Richard of DTB (dtbnola.com) was crowned the 2019 King of American Seafood for his luscious crawfish and goat cheese king cake with cream cheese pepper jelly and Cajun caviar. “I’m serving it at DTB with optional caviar during…
MONROE, BATON ROUGE, NEW ORLEANS, SHREVEPORT, LAKE CHARLES Prancing and Pirouettes Now on a national tour that includes five Louisiana cities (Nov. 10-Dec. 30), the Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker (rated by the New York Times as a “hot ticket”)…
NEW ORLEANS Let’s Go out to the Movies On October 16-23, the Oscar-qualifying 30th Annual New Orleans Film Festival brings screenings of more than 250 films, including new works such as “Burning Cane,” which recently won the top award, “Best…
NEW ORLEANS Let’s Go out to the Movies On October 16-23, the Oscar-qualifying 30th Annual New Orleans Film Festival brings screenings of more than 250 films, including new works such as “Burning Cane,” which recently won the top award, “Best…
COVINGTON Purrrrfect for Cat Lovers The 5th annual Covington Cat Party, Cat Art and Film Festival (artforcatssake.org) is Aug. 29 in Covington featuring funny cat videos, cat agility and training, fabulous feline-themed art and jewelry, unique cat accessories and furniture,…
By the time you read this, Mardi Gras celebrations will be wrapping up all over the state, but one of the krewes I’m in will have just started its year’s worth of events. While I love watching parades, I used…
Ruby, my maternal grandmother, was a picky eater and had high expectations when visiting restaurants. Bacon had to be a level of crispy achieved only by some dark magic that enabled the cook to remove it from the pan by…
Car sickness, breweries and the grand Southern tradition of road trips
Cheré Dastugue Coen is a veteran food and travel writer who combs Louisiana searching for hidden gems. A native of New Orleans and current resident of Lafayette, she celebrates her home state in her writing, which includes award-winning plays and books. Her non-fiction books include “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History;” “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana;” “Magic’s in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris Bags & Sachets” with Jude Bradley; “Cooking in Cajun Country” with Carl Breaux; and “Exploring Cajun Country: A Historic Tour of Acadiana.”
She is also the author of several romance novels and the Viola Valentine Mystery Series under the pen name of Cherie Claire (cherieclaire.net). Visit her Weird, Wacky & Wild travel blog at WeirdSouth.com.