Fear runs deep in humans. Fear of the dark, alligators, public speaking — Alabama football. But some fear is exciting. Throughout Louisiana this time of year haunted attractions and structures built with creepy settings animated by costumed actors abound.…
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…
Lafayette has a festival for everything – from beer to boudin, shrimp to sugarcane, gumbo to gratons – there is always something happening. Experience the vibrant culture Lafayette has to offer at these upcoming…
At a Glance Location Cameron and Vermilion parishes Fauna Each year from November through January, biologists conduct aerial waterfowl surveys that cover more than 550,000 acres of LDWF’s coastal wildlife management areas and refuges. Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge opened to public…
While it may also be known as Sportsman’s Paradise, Louisiana is home to more than just natural beauty. From top restaurants and breweries to music venues, museums and dance halls, the state is brimming with individuals keen to make…
Tree stumps in the lake at Toledo Bend are one of the reasons the area has become a hot spot for fishing. …
At a Glance Location Iberia Parish Flora Rip Van Winkle Gardens consists of approximately 15 acres of semi-tropical gardens that include irises, magnolias, camellias, azaleas, hibiscus, and…
“America has only three cities: New York, San Francisco and New Orleans. Everywhere else is Cleveland.” - Tennessee Williams We would amend Williams’ comment to include all of Louisiana. With apologies to Cleveland — seriously, we mean no harm…
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…
Founded in 1714 and known for being Louisiana’s oldest city, Natchitoches’ rich history set the stage for the cultural city’s hereafter. Celebration on the Cane is a riveting event to look…
We love our furry friends, so why not take them on the road when we travel? Recent polls show that pet owners want to bring their dogs and cats with them when they travel, which is why many accommodations, attractions…
At A Glance Location Evangeline Parish Environment Bottomland hardwood forests grow in low-lying areas that surround lakes and rivers. Hickories, oaks and plants provide food for wildlife in these forests that store water, filter pollutants and act as a…
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…
From the Bible Belt’s forested woods to the South’s delectable Creole and Cajun cuisine, Louisiana’s unique blend of Spanish, French, and African American cultures offers a special experience for all travelers! Boasting its vibrant personality, the Pelican State is home…
Location Pointe Coupée Parish Parish seat New Roads From Easter until sugarcane harvest, the 19th-century bell in front of the Alma General Store in Lakeland rings twice each day. The first bell, at 7 a.m., signals the start…
In 1986, Mabyn Shingleton, her husband, TV personality Pat Shingleton, and her baby son Michael in a stroller, lined up at the Baton Rouge City Park Golf Course and headed toward Perkins Road where the couple owned Zee Zee Gardens…
A great egret fluffs its feathers, which is a post-preening behavior to remove dirt and dust and get feathers back in place. Houma
Monroe/West Monroe West Monroe native Becky Thompson always loved baking, so it was only natural that she earned her degree in hospitality management at Ole Miss, then the L’Art de la Pâtisserie at the French Pastry School in Chicago.…
For over six decades, Monroe artist Don Cincone has been on a remarkable journey that has taken him from a sharecropper’s cabin in Richland Parish to San Francisco, New York’s fashion district, movie sets in Hollywood, down to Mexico…
It’s an Acadiana tradition about to hit its golden anniversary. And even though it hit a speedbump during the pandemic, Festivals Acadiens et Créoles has returned. Twofold. The annual fall festival, which turns 50 in 2024, has been celebrating…
Marie-Madeleine Hachard arrived in New Orleans in the early 1700s with a group of Ursuline nuns. She wrote of her new home in the French colony and that collection of personal accounts would become one of the first books about…
Summertime and the living is … hot! Louisiana may be a sportsman’s paradise, but finding places to cool off this time of year can be daunting, especially in the great outdoors where waterways veer toward tepid and slow-moving. For those…
Did You Know? Facts and Figures • There are 154 national forests in the United States, and the U.S. Forest Service manages 193 million acres. • The Calcasieu Ranger District, which includes two non-adjacent “Units” — Vernon and Evangeline…
Stepping from The Enterprise (“It boldly goes where no boat should go”), Bryan Piazza and Joseph Baustian enter the dry bed of a nameless bayou. It’s winter in the Atchafalaya Basin, a season of low water and expectation. In…
