Lifestyle

What is Louisiana FastSites? 19 Sites for Inaugural Round

BATON ROUGE (press release) — Louisiana Economic Development unveiled 19 sites spanning 16 parishes moving forward in the inaugural Louisiana FastSites round, marking the largest coordinated site investment effort in state history and redefining how Louisiana competes for high-impact, nationally…

Man on 5,800-Mile E-Bike Journey Reaches Louisiana

NEW ORLEANS — Riding solo, Dr. Gregory Maassen seeks to accomplish a 5,800-mile e-bike journey across the United States. According to the bike tour's Instagram page, Maassen arrived in Louisiana on Monday, April 6. The live GPS tracker currently shows…

Louisiana Moves to Top 10 for 2026 Best Fishing States

FishingBooker released the results of its 2026 Best Fishing States Index, the fourth annual nationwide analysis of recreational fishing performance across all 50 US states. Louisiana climbed back to the top 10 nationwide, finishing 6th overall after ranking 13th last…

Did Mardi Gras 2026 Have More Visitors than 2025?

NEW ORLEANS – "Mardi Gras 2026 was a resounding success, marked by huge joyful crowds, beautiful weather and strong regional visitation, as well as guests from around the nation and the world," said New Orleans & Company CEO and President…

Vintage Market Days Comes to Alexandria

ALEXANDRIA, La – Vintage Market Days of Southwest Louisiana will host a two-day Market by the River event at the Randolph Riverfront Center in Alexandria. Vintage Market Days is a vintage-inspired market featuring original art, antiques, clothing, jewelry, handmade treasures,…

May the Fourth Star Wars Festival Will Return to Houma

HOUMA, La (press release) – Louisiana's Star Wars festival, May the Fourth, will return this May in Downtown Houma. The full-day festival will blend Star Wars fandom, Louisiana culture and live music for community impact on Saturday, May 2, from…

What Are We Reading this Year?

March - April Liz Williams How to Cook a Coyote by nonagenarian food writer, Betty Fussell. It is a book about aging with a metaphor of a coyote laughing at us about our lives. It is funny and realistic. And…

New Orleans Francophone Nonprofit Awarded NEH Grants

NEW ORLEANS (press release) — The New Orleans Foundation for Francophone Cultures (Nous), a cultural nonprofit, received two grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).  With a focus on Cajun, Creole and Indigenous communities, Nous is committed to…

Louisiana King Cake Festival: Bakeries and Judges

THIBODAUX, La – The Louisiana King Cake Festival announced the list of bakeries participating in the King Cake Competition, the highlight of the fest, and its panel of judges.  The festival, presented by the Lorio Foundation, will return to Downtown Thibodaux…

Ways of Seeing

Sister Creatures Set in Pinecreek, Louisiana, Laura Venita Green’s “Sister Creatures” starts with the protagonist, Tess, encountering a stranger with her daughter and a friend. Venita Green writes the scene with equal parts wonder, terror and empathy. The encounter leaves…

The Perfect Getaway

In the 1950s, my mother and grandmother used to steal away to Gulf Hills Hotel & Resort in Ocean Springs where they lounged by the pool and rode horses. Harkening back…

New Year's Eve in Louisiana

Christmas chaos is over. Now it's time to celebrate the closing of 2025 and the new beginnings of 2026. While Christmas brought house parties, cooking and hosting, New Year's Eve brings a night out of the house, filled with music,…

Christmas Eve Bonfires, Told by the Builders

Unforgettable. Priceless. Tradition. Those were the three words residents used to describe the Christmas Eve bonfires. Unforgettable - Denise Burrell, executive director of the River Parishes Tourist Commission. Priceless - Camella St. Pierre Landry, founder of the Festival of the…

Free Louisiana Wildlife Activity Book for Kids

BATON ROUGE (press release) – The Louisiana Wildlife Federation (LWF) released a new edition of its “First Time Fishing in the Atchafalaya Basin” activity booklet, a free resource supported by the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area. “Since the first booklet was…

Who Will be at FAN EXPO? Plus New Art Showdown

NEW ORLEANS (press release) – FAN EXPO, a global comic book convention producer, will host its New Orleans show Jan. 9-11, debuting the Comics Xplosion Live Art Showdown. The Comics Xplosion Live Art Showdown, a live art showdown featuring iconic…

Lafayette's New Pet Stop and Shop and More Around the State

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…

Natchez for the Holidays

Historic Natchez on a dramatic bluff overlooking the Mississippi River makes for the perfect weekend getaway. Stroll down oak-draped streets with antebellum homes and historic buildings and churches, dine at restaurants overlooking the river, learn its extensive history at the…