Had it not been for a few men wanting to rescue a lost ritual seven decades ago, there would be no Cajun Mardi Gras to talk about today and only faded ancient memories. Carnival, especially as practiced in New Orleans…
Each year, we comb the state in search of Louisianians who stand out in their professions, give back and represent what’s best about the Pelican State. From teachers and artists to culinary pros and conservationists, these are the individuals enhancing…
At a Glance SQUARE FOOTAGE 2,080 ARCHITECT Original — Bill Calongne of Lawrence and Saunders, later renovation by previous owner — Cordula Roser Gray. INTERIOR DESIGN (OF RECENT RENOVATIONS) Betsey Hazard, House of Hazard Interiors. OUTSTANDING FEATURES Original walnut…
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.…
Conservation Occupation: Campaign Director, Restore the Mississippi River Delta - Hometown: Houma Simone Maloz Communicating effectively about the environment can be tricky. On the one hand, people need to know the severity of the situation and understand the urgent need…
Art & Culture Occupation: Artist - Hometown: Terrebonne Parish Janie Verret Luster Art can convey an emotion, perhaps tell a story or simply respond to the beauty of nature. To Janie Verret Luster, teacher, healer, practitioner of tribal ways and…
Education Occupation: Teacher - Hometown: New Orleans Brittany Bonnaffons Louisiana’s Teacher of the Year didn’t always see teaching as her career path. Hahnville High School math teacher Brittany Bonnaffons, 41, was working in corporate America when she started volunteering as…
Healthcare Occupation: Nurse Practitioner - Hometown: Baton Rouge Tanisha Smith When she was in college, Tanisha Smith, the winner of the 2022 Louisiana State Nurses Association’s Nightingale Award, wanted to be a doctor. But when she watched a friend giving…
Culinary Occupation: Restaurateur - Hometown: Shreveport Chapeaux Chapman Thirty years before Chapeaux Chapman was born, his grandfather, Willie “Brother” Chapman, went to work as a cook at Smith’s Cross Lake Inn in Shreveport. Opened in 1954 on a hilltop overlooking…
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.…
At a Glance Location Acadia Parish Flora Grooved flax, small palafoxia, shining indigo-bush Fauna Sabine map turtle, southern crawfish frog, Teche painted crawfish Three masked men climb atop a barn and pound their fists against its rusted roof. Below,…
Select photos by John Dupre Have you seen those two gigantic bees painted on the side of a small building on the corner of Karlstein and River Road near Vacherie? RISE St. James, a faith-based advocacy group based in…
A chill in the air doesn’t hamper the fun along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Even when temperatures drop too low for walks on the world’s longest man-made beach, there are indoor activities, including great dining and casinos. Coastal Carnival…
New Orleans La Société de Saint Anne parade revelers march the ashes of those who have died the past year to the Mississippi River on Mardi Gras Day in New Orleans.
At a Glance HOMETOWN Mt. Vernon, Illinois AGE 38 OCCUPATION Skincare creator, founder, Oxalis Apothecary WEB Oxalisapothecary.com Through the wild woods around her home in rural southern Illinois, Erin Wexstten used to run as a child, and that adventurous…
Mardi Gras is early this year, which is unfortunate for bakeries since they will have a short king cake season. For celebrants, the Feb. 21 date virtually guarantees the weather will be damp and cold. In addition to booze, parade-goers…
LINKED IN BOUDIN: A GUIDE TO LOUISIANA’S EXTRAORDINARY LINK “Boudin: A Guide to Louisiana’s Extraordinary Link” is at once a culinary history of that special sausage, a love letter to those that make it, and a collection of historic and…
Like most South Louisiana cities, Lake Charles pulls out the stops for its annual Carnival festivities — more than 60 krewes and a host of related events. What makes this southwest city unique, however, is the annual gala that…
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