Louisiana Life March-April 2014

march/april 2014

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contents

18

in every issue 6 From the Editor

22 Kitchen Gourmet

Crawfish Creations

4 fresh recipes

Pelicans Make a Leap

10 Rural Life

A Touchy Subject

Small towns can be intimate in ways you might not expect.

26 Home

Nottingham Meets Spain

Edwina and Richard Westrop’s pastoral hideaway in Natchitoches

12 louisiana Labeled

The Scoop on Rice

30 Art

The base for many local favorite dishes is grown right here.

Breaking Records With Beads

Natchitoches’ tricentennial is celebrated with a 384-square-foot bead mosaic, the largest in the world.

14 Biz Bits

26

Business News

Strength ripples through the Louisiana economy.

34 Traveler Sesquicentennial

The Red River Campaign

16 Health

Medical News

82 lifetimes

Health updates from around the state

Statewide Calendar

March/April events, festivals and more.

18 great louisiana Chef

Chef Kristen Essig

86 Quirky Places

Sainte Marie Brasserie, New Orleans

20 roadside dining

Film & Food

Abby Singer’s Bistro at Shreveport’s Robinson Film Center

73

Pat’s Fisherman’s Wharf

88 A Louisiana Life

Catherine Pears

Executive director, Alexandria Museum of Art

features

special sections

38 Spring Harvest

72 Around Louisiana

Our local bounty inspires a range of delicious seasonal dishes.

By Stanley Dry

Louisiana Life presents Around Louisiana, a section featuring events of North Louisiana, Central Louisiana, Cajun Country, Baton Rouge and Plantation Country and Greater New Orleans.

46 A Guide to festivals

By Bernard Frugé III, Karl Hasten,

Hayley Hoefer, Lisa LeBlanc-Berry and Sarah Ravits

52 Duty and “the Beast”

Benjamin Butler’s Occupation of New Orleans

By Ron Soodalter

on the cover Three-Berry Shortcake, Spring Harvest Recipes, p. 38 Photographed by Eugenia Uhl

2 | Louisiana Life March/April 2014

march/april 2014 Volume 34 Number 4 Editor Errol Laborde MANAGING EDITOR Sarah Ravits Art Director Tiffani Reding Amedeo Associate Editors Haley Adams, Lauren LaBorde Contributing Editor Paul F. Stahls Jr. Food Editor Stanley Dry Home Editor Bonnie Warren INTERNS Kristen Himmelberg, Lexi Wangler, Erika Vaughn sales manager Kathryn Beck Sanderson kathryn@louisianalife.com

Sales Assistant Erin Azar Production/Web Manager Staci McCarty Production designerS Sarah George, Antoine Passelac Chief Executive Officer Todd Matherne President Alan Campell Executive Vice President/ Editor-in-chief Errol Laborde VIce President of sales Colleen Monaghan Executive Assistant Kristi Ferrante Newsstand manager Christian Coombs subscriptions Erin Duhe (504) 828-1380

Gold Award Winner for Companion Website 2012 Silver Award Winner for Overall Art Direction 2011

Renaissance Publishing 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005 (504) 828-1380 Louisiana Life (ISSN 1042-9980) is published bimonthly by Renaissance Publishing, LLC, 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005; (504) 828-1380. Subscription rate: One year $10; Mexico and Canada $48. Periodicals postage paid at Metairie, LA, and additional mailing entry offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Louisiana Life, 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005. Copyright 2014 Louisiana Life. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the consent of the publisher. The trademark Louisiana Life is registered. Louisiana Life is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photos and artwork, even if accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope.

The opinions expressed in Louisiana Life are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the magazine or owner.

4 | Louisiana Life March/April 2014

from the editor

Pelicans Make a Leap

By Errol Laborde

Have you heard about the Pelicans from Louisiana who got into a scramble with a bunch of Hawks? They also rumbled with Raptors.

Pelicans, our state bird, have taken on a new status lately. For most of the state’s existence, the billed bird has been merely a symbol on the state seal – her wings outstretched while chicks peck at her breast.

There was a time when the bird glided majestically above the state’s waters, but then in the age of pesticides, the state bird became endangered, so scarce that a gang of them had to be shipped in from Florida and placed on barrier islands, where scientists could nurse the breeding process.

By 2005, the pelicans were making a comeback. They could be spotted on watery outlets, such as Lake Pontchartrain, standing on a post, eyeing the habitats of the water.

Then came Hurricane Katrina, and they – like everyone else – headed for safer ground. Katrina’s wrath reminded folks how fragile the coastline had become, so that by the time the birds returned, they were more than just a decoration on a flag, but a symbol of saving the wetlands.

6 | Louisiana Life March/April 2014

That in itself is a noble task for a bird that would be content with just spending its days eating fish, but then it got even newer status: No other state bird has the prestige of having an NBA team named after it. Credit Tom Benson, who, when he bought the former New Orleans Hornets, wanted a more local name. Benson had trademarked the Pelican name, which was once used for a minor league baseball team, when he had hoped to have such a team of his own. He could have never realized that the name he owned would instead one day have the status of the NBA. So now the state bird is in the news throughout the winter and spring, tangling with not only other birds but with a menagerie of Bucks, Grizzlies and Mavericks. While earlier pelicans were trucked from Florida, these Pelicans now fly to that state to feel the Heat and face the Magic.

There are no teams named after fish, for whom pelicans are natural predators, but there is one team name that fits in with the Pelicans habitat.

Pelicans live to boldly invade lakes. May Lakers of the future have reason to be fearful of them. n

LouisianaLife.com | 7

on the web

LouisianaLife.com Louisiana Life Photo entry Are you an amateur, professional or “just for fun” photographer with some Louisiana photos to share?

We want to hear from you! We want to see some great Louisiana photos, whether they’re of people, landscapes, food, culture or even animals. Don’t miss your chance to have your photo featured in the pages of our magazine for all of our readers to see.

Send in your photos by going to myneworleans.com/ Louisiana-Life/Louisiana-Life-Photo-Contest. Please note that the URL is case-sensitive.

Our readers’ photographs

January Bourbon Street: Martijn van der Velden of the Netherlands snapped this photo of New Orleans’ famous Bourbon Street on Oct. 18, 2013.

february Wildflowers: Bernadette Lewis-Murphy of Jennings spotted these flowers in Kinder, October 2013.

LouisianaLife.com | 9

rural life

A Touchy Subject Small towns can be intimate in ways you might not expect.

By Melissa Bienvenu

“Always wear nice underwear, because you never know when you might be in a car accident.”

Oh, how I once chuckled at that classic gem of motherly advice. What were the chances, I reasoned – whenever my underwear drawer got down to dregs – that I would wind up in an accident that day that resulted in strangers seeing

10 | Louisiana Life March/April 2014

my ratty lingerie? Hey, I drive defensively. I get the good drivers’ discount. Besides, if I were involved in a bad wreck, would wardrobe malfunctions really be one of my more pressing concerns?

As life would have it, I was involved in a fairly serious highway collision about 14 years ago. It totaled my car but miraculously left me with

nothing worse than a fractured foot that I ignored for weeks.

Afterward, my husband drove our 6-month-old and me to the emergency room only because I wanted to make absolutely sure our baby was OK. (He was.) Not a single stranger saw my undies.

In the end, then, it was no car wreck that changed my mind about intimate apparel. No, I have two decades of life in a small town to thank for that.

When practically every professional who sees you in a state of undress is somebody you also know socially or personally, underwear matters. At the same time, one must abandon any foolish notions of pride or privacy one had previously entertained.

Medical care in a small town is not for the demure.

Our family doctor is a perfect example of what I’m talking about. I first met Mark, a member of my future husband’s social circle, at a party in his swimming pool.

This was long before I moved here from Atlanta to marry Harvey. Mark and Harvey had known each other and each other’s families most of their lives. Mark’s younger brother and sister were among Harvey’s closest friends growing up. Mark and his wife, Holly, came to our wedding in Birmingham. And on and on.

You might assume that

having a longtime friendship with your family doctor would be one of the major perks of a small-town lifestyle. You would be correct in every way except one: the part where I have to take my clothes off.

Stripping down in front of a stranger I see for 10 minutes once a year? No biggie. Hey, I’ve had two babies. I’m a hardened professional when it comes to abandoning all dignity in front of a roomful of people I’ve never met before.

But, please. Don’t ask me to go topless in front of my husband’s buddy.

Fortunately, I have so far been blessed with excellent health and, in some two decades as Mark’s patient, have never had to remove anything more humiliating than my shoes. Should I ever develop some life-threatening condition that requires major disrobing, I would probably have to find another doctor or just go home and get my affairs in order. (Switching to one of Mark’s partners, whom we also know in private life, wouldn’t solve a thing.)

This naturally raises the question of how a prude like me handles the whole gynecologist thing in a small town. That one is easy. We don’t have a gynecologist – unless something has changed recently. All we have are visiting gynecologists from jane sanders illustration

larger, surrounding towns who periodically stop here like circuit-riding preachers of the old West. (There’s a joke about stirrups in that somewhere.) If you don’t get to see the doctor the day he’s in town, you have to see him at his real office 30 or 40 miles away. Having an out-of-town gynecologist is a little inconvenient, but at least I don’t have to worry about meeting him on every aisle of the grocery store.

I did, however, make the mistake of letting my roving ob-gyn perform a minor “female procedure” right here at our hometown hospital.

The procedure went fine. My regret is that I have no idea who all in this town has seen me knocked out in a blue shower cap, mouth agape, drooling and half-naked in one of the most unflattering positions imaginable.

If a few surgical nurses were all I had to worry about, I would be in good shape. But – wouldn’t you know – the one and only mammogram tech at the hospital is also a close friend. Shannon’s son and my son are buds. Our families have bonded over school and sports. She and I play pokeno with a small group of women every month.

Having a pal do your mammogram is a lot like having a friend for a family doctor. It’s great right up until the moment you have to whip those puppies out. The way I see it, having your bosoms smashed between glass plates like so much biscuit dough is unpleasant enough without getting friends and loved ones involved. The fewer witnesses, the better.

When all was said and done, however, I had to

admit my girlfriend gives one great mammogram. It was painless in every sense of the word. Well, there was that one weird moment when I realized that her 13-year-old son – my son’s friend – was gazing upon my nudity from a photo on her desk and Shannon had to turn the picture the other way.

Apart from that, I emerged unscathed.

There is one more friendslash-professional in town who has not yet seen me in a compromised capacity, but I know the day is coming. Alex is my younger son’s baseball coach. His son and my son are big friends, teammates and classmates. His daughter and my older son are classmates and friends. We are close to Alex and his wife.

Alex also works at the local funeral home preparing the

departed for burial.

I do believe this one worries me the most. There is simply no way to safeguard your reputation when you are dead. What if I expire after a long, incapacitating illness with awful-looking toenails or hairy underarms or gray roots or unsightly chin whiskers my family did not pluck despite my repeated instructions about what to do in the event of a coma? And what of modesty? I threaten Alex all the time that he better not look under that sheet when they bring me in for my final makeover.

On the bright side, at least I know I will be in the hands of an old, trusted friend.

Two other certainties give me comfort: I will be utterly unaware of how embarrassed I am, and I will be wearing nice underwear. n

LouisianaLife.com | 11

louisiana labeled

The Scoop on Rice The base for many local favorite dishes is grown and manufactured right here.

By Jenny Peterson

Affordable, delicious and easy-to-prepare, rice has been an integral part of Louisiana culture for more than 300 years. No crop is more recognizable in traditional Louisiana dishes – it’s the base for étouffée, gumbo, red beans and the main ingredient in jambalaya.

The grain has always had a place in Louisiana kitchens, from the state’s longstanding signature long-grain rice to a new Jasmine rice variety being developed by researchers.

Rice traveled with Acadian settlers from the Carolinas, and farmers would toss the seeds into bayous and shallow ponds to harvest for their own dinner tables. They called this casual form of planting 12 | Louisiana Life March/April 2014

“Providence Rice.”

Farmers then began cultivating acres of rice using water from rivers and bayous to flood the land.

They perfected the state’s signature variety – slender and fluffy long-grain rice.

Nearly 95 percent of rice grown in Louisiana today is of the long-grain variety and companies take pride in the fact that their rice is wholly made in Louisiana.

In Crowley, the state’s “rice capital,” the Falcon Mill remains the oldest family-run rice mill in the country, only manufacturing and selling rice grown in Louisiana.

The 72-year-old mill manufactures and sells “Certified Cajun rice” under the label Cajun Rice Company and the grain comes from

farms no further than 50 miles away. The mill was recently handed over to its third-generation of owners.

The Louisiana Rice Mill, LLC, the largest rice mill operation in the state, has two mills in Crowley and Mermentau.

It’s been selling locally made rice under the label Supreme Rice since 1936 and employs more than 150 people.

Historical landmark Conrad Rice Mill in Bayou Teche is the oldest rice mill in America, founded in 1912 by P.A. Conrad who would cut rice by hand and let it sun-dry on the river levees. Conrad Rice Mill sells many varieties of rice, including 100 percent Louisiana brown rice pilaf, under the label Konriko, all over the world.

Louisiana rice has always been both celebrated and studied. The first Rice Carnival and Festival was first held in 1927 in Crowley to get people aware and excited about the product. The International Rice Festival is still held the third weekend of every October.

The Louisiana State University Agriculture Center set

up a Rice Research Station in 1909 to study Louisiana rice varieties and learn new methods for harvesting the grain. Researchers have improved 44 varieties since the station’s founding, each taking years to test and perfect.

In 2012, the Rice Research Station developed its own variety of Jasmine aromatic rice that can be grown to Louisiana. Called Jazzman Rice, it’s designed to compete with Asian imported rice that has a softer, stickier texture after it’s cooked.

Working together with rice farmers and the research station, the 2012 Jazzman Louisiana crop was estimated to be between 15,000 and 16,000 acres, with farmers getting a premium for the new variety. Supreme Rice has its own Jasmine rice variety. A brown aromatic rice currently is being developed.

Versatile and easy, rice remains a mainstay in Louisiana kitchens. Enjoyed with gravy or simply sprinkled with Cajun spices, every bite has one thing in common – the distinct taste of Louisiana. n

Crowley’s Rice Festival The International Rice Festival held in Crowley, Louisiana will celebrate its 77th year Oct. 16-19 with rice-eating and rice-cooking contests, live music and much more.

The festival started in 1927 as a way to get more people excited about Louisiana rice by then-governor Richard Leche and Commissioner on Agriculture Harry D. Wilson. Today, it remains one of the state’s oldest agricultural festivals and celebrates Crowley’s history as an important part of the rice industry. The free festival will have more than 20 performers along with two parades, a Farmers Banquet and the Queen’s Ball.

New events have been added over the years, including the frog derby, a 5-kilometer walk/run, Rice Bowl Football Game, livestock show, classic car show and the selection of a Farmer and Junior Farmer of the Year. An arts and crafts exhibit will be held adjacent to the festival grounds. For more information, visit www.ricefestival.com.

biz bits

Elio Motors’ new threewheeled vehicles

Business News Strength ripples through the Louisiana economy.

By Kathy Finn

With new investments totaling more than $26 billion, Louisiana bagged more business development “wins” in 2013 than in any of the past six years, according to the state’s Economic Development Department.

Department Secretary Stephen Moret reported that projects launched last year eventually will produce about 27,000 jobs, including both direct employment and work generated by the projects in related businesses. Moret said 67 major projects, including new construction and expansions, were announced during 2013.

Here’s a look at a few of the more recent projects announced around the state.

Billion-dollar boom continues The explosion of investment in Louisiana’s petrochemical industry received still more fire power in December when Atlanta-based Axiall Corp. announced it will build a $3 billion manufacturing

14 | Louisiana Life March/April 2014

complex in the state. The company has not yet finalized the site of its new construction, but it already operates plants in the Lake Charles and Plaquemine areas. Axiall’s managers said they expect to award an engineering and design contract for the project soon, and the new plant should begin operating in 2018, employing about 200 workers. The facility is one of the latest additions to a long list of petrochemical projects begun in Louisiana to the tune of more than $60 billion of investment.

Progress on three wheels SHREVEPORT – A year after Elio Motors announced it would open a factory at a former General Motors plant here, the company is poised to begin a retrofitting of the assembly facility and could begin producing its new threewheeled vehicles there early next year. The energy-efficient cars are expected to average 65 miles per gallon of gasoline and could sell for about

$6,800. Company founder Paul Elio said the project is getting off the ground with help from the Caddo Parish Industrial Development Board, which recently purchased the former GM plant, making it available for new production.

Elio raised about $7 million to advance the project, he said.

Giving global warming a chill GEISMAR – Concerns about greenhouse gas emissions have helped spark development of a new autorefrigerant manufacturing plant here. Honeywell said in December that it will build a new Geismar facility as part of a $300 million investment the company is making to boost production of a new refrigerant for automobiles.

The product has a much lower potential than the currently used refrigerant to contribute to global warming, Honeywell said. Demand for the product is rising worldwide, sparked in part by new environmental regulations instituted by the U.S. and European governments. The Geismar plant could begin operating in 2016.

Expansion sparks hiring in central Louisiana PINEVILLE – Some 90 people soon will find new jobs in the local area as Crest Industries LLC completes an expansion of its headquarters. CEO Kenny Robison announced in January a $2 million investment to add a new office building to its existing complex to accommodate a growing staff.

The family-owned business

provides services to electric utility customers, commercial and industrial electrical contractors, and the forestry industry. The company currently employs about 560 people in the state.

Retail project under way NEW ORLEANS – Construction has begun on a new $24 million retail center that’s being hailed as a boon to an underserved section of New Orleans. Magnolia Marketplace, in Central City, is a 100,000-square-foot project being developed by Covingtonbased Stirling Properties, LLC and JCH Development on land that was formerly part of a public housing complex.

Tenants in the center, which will fully open in the spring of 2015, will include Ross Dress for Less, T.J. Maxx, Michaels, PetSmart and Raising Cane’s.

Company engineers an expansion MADISONVILLE – A $5 million investment by Pelican Energy Consultants, LLC will fuel an expansion of the company’s Madisonville headquarters and lead to the addition of 195 new jobs within the next few years. Company CEO Kenny Bogle said the 9-year-old engineering company, which also has offices in Metairie and Houston, has found a niche with its consulting and project management services to the oil and gas industry. The company currently employs 158 people in Louisiana, and Bogle said the new jobs will pay average salaries of $90,000 per year. n

LouisianaLife.com | 15

health roll or who have had frequent venipunctures, receive venipunctures quickly and without unnecessary discomfort.

Medical News Health updates from around the state

By Kristen Himmelberg

new technology to enhance patient care Shreveport – Willis-Knighton Health System has recently implemented a new device the AccuVein AV400 vein illumination system, which will make taking blood a lot more efficient in all of the nursing units at all all four of the Willis-Knighton hospitals.

The new device uses a beam of light that is projected onto a patient’s arm and will illuminate their peripheral veins making it easier for healthcare professionals to locate veins for venipuncture.

With venipuncture being one of the most common invasive medical procedures worldwide, and with up to one third of attempts to access a vein failing on the first time, the new AccuVein device is set to help improve first-stick

16 | Louisiana Life March/April 2014

attempts immensely at all Willis-Kingston hospitals.

“This is going to be good for the nursing staff, but even better for our patients,” says Georgia Stephens, MSN, RN and patient care coordinator for staff development. “It illuminates the arm so the veins are easy to see. The AccuVein System does not touch the patient. Its use will enhance the comfort and safety of the patient and increase nursing efficiency.”

The implementation of the AccuVein system is in accordance with the WillisKnighton’s commitment to the adoption of technology to enhance patient care and comfort. It is meant to help make sure that all patients, especially ones who are dehydrated, obese, have low body temperature, whose veins

a Medical Detox Program Lafayette – The University Hospital and Clinics has recently reestablished its Medical Detoxification Program, which has been closed since February 2012 due to state budget cuts. The 12-bed center is now open and taking patients, which makes it Lafayette’s only hospital-run inpatient medical detox center.

UHC President and CEO Jared Stark said that the facility fulfills a great need in the Lafayette community. “This is yet another former closure that we have brought back to our community. Our goal is to keep this momentum going.”

The voluntary inpatient program will be open to all eligible patients 18 years or older. In order to be eligible, patients must be diagnosed with substance dependance or withdrawal and they must be willing to undergo treatment.

The facility will be managed by Compass Health and is going to provide 24-hour medically supervised evaluation and treatment by trained detox nurses and counseling staff along with physician, pharmacy, testing, dietary and environmental services.

It is designed to be the “first step” in a patient’s detox recovery. The program looks to provide a safe, therapeutic experience and minimize the painful effects of withdrawal. The detox protocols usually have a 5-7 day duration, at which point patients will be assisted in transitioning into a more comprehensive facility to complete their recovery.

new virus-caused cancer drug New Orleans – LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans released information that reveals a new therapy treatment for preventing the production of lymphoma cancer cells caused by viruses, which are sometimes resistant to typical therapies.

The LSU research team was the first to show that a specialized fat molecule, called sphingolipids, may play a big role in the survival of aggressive cancer cells that are caused by viruses, the LSU research group’s paper said.

They focus on a type of lymphoma called primary effusion lymphoma which is deadly and usually found in HIV patients. In the past, developing effective therapies to treat virus-caused lymphomas has been difficult, but they have seen a change in this with the development of a molecule called ABC294649.

The ABC294649 molecule developed by Apogee Biotechnology Corporation, has proven to have anti-tumor effects within the kidney, prostate and breast cells. It has also not only inhibited Sphingolipids, but it has been a key factor in killing primary effusion lymphoma cells. The drug has been shown to spare the uninfected cells while killing the infected cells.

“This is a major potential advance. There are no therapies available to fight viral tumors by selectively blocking these pathways, all while not harming normal, uninfected cells,” said Dr. Christopher Parsons, Director of the HIV Malignancies Program at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans and senior author of the paper reporting this new research. n

LouisianaLife.com | 17

great louisiana chef

RECIPE Black-Eyed Pea Hummus “We are so lucky to have almost a boundless selection of fresh peas and beans. At Sainte Marie we love our locally grown black-eyed peas, but feel free to substitute any fresh bean or pea ... pink-eyed peas, lima beans or crowder peas would be delicious as well! Can’t find fresh? Use high-quality, low-sodium canned beans. Be sure to drain them well and you can enjoy a twist on traditional hummus any time of the year.”

To cook the peas: 2 cups fresh black eyed peas 3 cups water 2 garlic cloves, whole 3 bay leaves 2 sprigs thyme Zest of 1 lemon Combine all the ingredients and cook over medium high heat and cook until peas are tender. Strain, remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs and place on a parchment lined sheet pan.

Kristen Essig Sainte Marie Brasserie, New Orleans

Born and raised in Florida, Kristen Essig worked in the kitchen starting at an early age alongside her mother and grandmother, developing a passion for good food and cooking. After attending Johnson & Wales Culinary Institute and graduating Summa Cum Laude in 1998, Essig met Emeril Lagasse and gained a position at his flagship restaurant, Emeril’s. She has called New Orleans home ever since and spent five years at Peristyle with Anne Kearney. She has also worked with noted chefs Susan Spicer, Corbin Evans and Greg Sonnier. A love of collaborating with local farmers and purveyors led Essig to take a position as manager for the Crescent City Farmers Market. She continued to support local vendors as executive chef at a local cooking school and as CEO of her own catering company, NOLA Bean. Essig decided to jump back into the restaurant world and join Sainte Marie in early 2013 as executive chef.

Sainte Marie, 930 Poydras St., Suite 101, New Orleans, (504) 304-6988, saintemarienola.com.

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For the hummus: cooked beans from above 2 ounces tahini 1 ounce lemon juice 1/2 cup water 2 Tablespoons olive oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper Zest of 1 lemon Combine the cooked beans (processing them while still warm is best) with the remaining ingredients in the work bowl of the food processor. Puree till very smooth, being sure to season well with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Serve cold. Yields 3 cups.

cheryl gerber photograph

LouisianaLife.com | 19

roadside dining Royale with Cheese

Food & Film Abby Singer’s Bistro at Shreveport’s Robinson Film Center

By Karl Hasten

Everyone knows what it is like to be at the movies when you’re hungry, and your choices are pretty much limited to hot dogs, nachos, popcorn and candy. Embracing a new generation of movie goers, the Robinson Film Center in Shreveport’s revitalized downtown arts district offers Abby Singer’s Bistro.

Abby Singer’s Bistro is open for lunch and dinner and, particularly given the high cost of theater food today, is always an affordable option. Even at lunch, you can get some exceptional choices that transport the concept of theater food to a galaxy far, far away.

One such choice is the exceptional Tuna Tower Salad. This selection is 20 | Louisiana Life March/April 2014

stacked and deserves a standing ovation. This is not your grandmother’s tuna salad, but offers mixed greens, avocados, red bell peppers and sesame seeds on with seared tuna steak and sesame vinaigrette. Their exceptional gumbo is definitely worthy of Louisiana.

The Royale with Cheese is a burger that will please any crowd. If you are not a meat-eater, the vegetarian burger will still be wellreceived.

The shrimp remoulade is a real award winner: fried green tomatoes topped with sautéed shrimp, Louisiana hot sauce and house-made remoulade.

A stunning cast of salads is offered along with sandwiches, soups and signature entrees, including

a Southern tradition: chicken and waffles. Fish tacos are also popular.

At night, the already Oscar-worthy menu adds supporting stars such as duck nachos and Singer Rolls (four shrimp eggrolls with garlic and cilantro served with sweet and sour chili sauce).

The bistro offers an excellent array of wines to complement each dish and also a full bar.

Abby Singer’s Bistro is setting the standard. Catch a good affordable meal before or after some of the top independent and foreign films available in the country.

Abby Singer’s Bistro at Robinson Film Center, 617 Texas St., Shreveport, (318)459-1125. n

Mopho in New Orleans People in New Orleans get fired up whenever a chef from a notable restaurant breaks off on his or her own. In the last few months of 2013, the anticipation reached a fever pitch as Michael Gulotta, former chef de cuisine at perhaps the best restaurant in the city, August, announced his new Mid-City eatery would be opening in mid-January.

Mopho is a fusion spot that combines Vietnamese traditions with local flavors, filling a gastronomical niche in Mid-City, one of the city’s largest residential neighborhoods.

Mopho has a casual, barbecue joint-like feel, situated in a tiny strip mall at 514 City Park Ave., across from the historic Holt Cemetery.

For appetizers, we tried the grilled shrimp spring rolls and crispy chicken wings. The spring rolls are light and packed with crunchy veggies and large Gulf shrimp and are served with one of the better peanut dipping sauces I’ve ever had.

The fried chicken wings are coated in a delicious ginger sauce with a slight lemongrassy bite and are delectable.

Next, we tried the titular pho. After choosing a broth (pork, beef, poultry or veggie) one is confronted with a daunting number of protein and veggie options for the contents of the soup. We had beef broth with oxtail, chicken thigh and pork shoulder. The beef broth is the darkest pho broth I have ever encountered, and was incredibly rich and flavorful, as were the meats floating around in it. The star of the show, however, was the slow-roasted lamb neck and beet in green curry. It’s served with Creole cream cheese roti (very similar to Indian naan bread) so that one is free to make little lamb rolls and sop up extra curry and generally make a mess. This dish is a reminder that Mopho is helmed by a skilled chef from an award-winning restaurant and is not your typical strip mall spring roll depot. Be prepared to wait for a table and to later consider the wait worth it. Mopho, 514 City Park Ave., New Orleans. (504) 482-6845, mophonola.com – Bernard Frugé III

photo courtesy of Robinson Film Center

LouisianaLife.com | 21

kitchen gourmet

Crawfish Creations 4 Fresh Recipes

By Stanley Dry

Trying to divine what kind of crawfish season we’ll have brings to mind Yogi Berra’s observation that it’s difficult to make predictions – especially about the future. And that goes double for the wily crawfish, who is more unpredictable than the weather. We do know that demand for crawfish is highest during Lent, so it would seem to follow that since Easter isn’t until April 20 this year, well into the traditional crawfish season, the supply might be higher and the price lower.

At least that’s what I theorized when I looked at the calendar last fall. Then came our unusually cold winter, and I had to revise my prognosis. Cold weather causes crawfish to burrow into the mud, and they won’t emerge until the water warms. As I write this, I’m inclined to think that we may be in for a late crawfish season, as well as a late Easter. So I’m not counting on lower prices, and I’m putting aside some extra money, just in case. In fact, if I were a banker, I’d offer Crawfish Club accounts so people could sock away some savings each month the same way they do with Christmas Club accounts. Nobody should come up short during crawfish season.

And what better way to celebrate the end of winter than to eat boiled crawfish? As a harbinger of spring, the appearance of live crawfish in the market and on the menu is right up there with the blooming of azaleas and the arrival of ruby-throated hummingbirds from their winter retreat on the other side of the Gulf. Sure, we can buy frozen crawfish tails year round now, and as much as we might enjoy a winter etouffee, it’s just not the same.

After everyone has eaten their fill of boiled crawfish, there are often leftovers that can be enjoyed the following day. Crawfish are infinitely adaptable, so they can be incorporated into a wide variety of different dishes. Following are four possibilities. Each of them is quick and easy to prepare. eugenia uhl photograph

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recipes Crawfish, Avocado And Quinoa Salad Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) has acquired a trendy reputation in recent years, but don’t let that put you off. In addition to being nutritious, this nutty-tasting grain (actually a seed) native to South America is also quite delicious and adaptable.

2 cups chicken or vegetable stock 1 cup quinoa ¼ cup olive oil 1 pound cooked crawfish tails ½ cup chopped green onion tops ½ cup chopped parsley Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper Hot sauce 2 avocados 2 tablespoons lemon juice In a medium pot, bring stock to a boil, add quinoa, stir, cover pot and simmer until all the stock is absorbed, about 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and leave undisturbed for 15 minutes. Pour cooked quinoa into a mixing bowl and slowly add olive oil while fluffing with a fork. Add crawfish and toss. Add onion tops and parsley, toss and season to taste with salt, black pepper and hot sauce.

Peel, seed and slice avocados and cut into bite-sized pieces. Add to mixing bowl, drizzle with lemon juice and toss gently. Makes about 4 servings.

24 | Louisiana Life March/April 2014

Spicy Tofu with Crawfish

Crawfish Rice Dressing

Crawfish Frittata

This is an adaptation of a favorite Chinese dish, spicy bean curd with pork – bean curd being another name for tofu. Tom yum paste is an all-purpose hot and sour chili paste from Thailand that is flavored with lemon grass, shallot, dried shrimp, lime, garlic and other seasonings.

It is available in Asian grocery stores and can be used in a variety of preparations. This dish can be prepared in less time than it takes to cook the rice.

This is a very versatile dish that can be used in a variety of ways. It is good served on its own or used as a stuffing for peppers or poultry.

This is a pretty dish because of the golden eggs studded with red and green. Accompanied by grits and biscuits, it is a fine brunch dish or, when served with salad and crusty bread, it can double as a light lunch or supper.

1 pound firm tofu (bean curd) 2 cups chicken broth 1 tablespoon tom yum paste 1 teaspoon soy sauce 1 pound cooked crawfish tails 2 teaspoons corn starch 1 tablespoon water ¼ cup chopped green onions 1 teaspoon sesame oil 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro Cut tofu into ½-inch cubes and set aside. In a wok or large skillet, combine chicken broth, tom yum paste and soy sauce and bring to a boil. Add crawfish tails and simmer for 1 minute. Add tofu and simmer for another minute until heated through. In a small bowl, stir cornstarch into water until dissolved. Add cornstarch mixture to wok or skillet and stir carefully to avoid breaking up tofu. Add chopped green onions. Taste for seasoning and adjust as desired.

Simmer until slightly thickened, then turn out into a serving bowl.

Drizzle with sesame oil and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Serve with steamed rice. Makes about 4 servings.

2 tablespoons olive oil 1 small onion, diced 1 small bell pepper, diced 1 stalk celery, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced ½ pound cooked crawfish tails, roughly chopped Cajun/Creole seasoning 2 cups cooked brown or white rice ¼ cup chopped green onion tops 2 tablespoons chopped parsley In a large skillet, simmer oil, onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add crawfish, season to taste with Cajun/Creole seasoning and simmer about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cooked rice and stir to combine.

Adjust seasoning, and add onion tops and parsley. Makes about 4 servings.

2 tablespoons butter 1 small onion, diced 1 small bell pepper, diced 6 large eggs ½ teaspoon coarse salt Freshly ground black pepper ½ teaspoon hot sauce 3 tablespoons chopped green onion tops 2 tablespoons chopped parsley 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese ½ pound cooked crawfish tails Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 12-inch ovenproof skillet, preferably nonstick, melt butter and simmer onion and bell pepper, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, beat eggs with salt, black pepper and hot sauce. Add onion tops, parsley, Parmesan and crawfish tails. Turn egg mixture into skillet, smooth top with a rubber spatula and bake in preheated oven until puffy and set around the edge of the skillet, about 10 minutes. Place skillet under broiler for a few minutes to set the middle and brown the top. Cut into wedges for serving. Makes 4-6 servings.

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home

Nottingham Meets Spain Edwina and Richard Westrop’s pastoral hideaway in Natchitoches.

By Bonnie Warren / Photographed by Craig Macaluso

With its 18-acre pastoral setting that includes a view of Sibley Lake in the Oak Grove community of Natchitoches, the home of Edwina and Richard Westrop looks as

26 | Louisiana Life March/April 2014

though it belongs in Richard’s hometown, near Nottingham, England.

But upon closer inspection, one will notice the Mediterranean flair to

this English country home, inspired by the couple’s extensive travels through Spain, France and Italy as well as Edwina’s heritage – she is from the Spanish Lake area of

Natchitoches Parish, an area that was originally claimed and settled by Spain in the 1700s.

She, like many residents of the area, can still trace her lineage back to both Spanish and Adai

Facing page: Architectural designer James Hearron of Natchitoches created a unique 8,000 square-foot floor plan for the Westrops’ home on 18 acres in the Oak Grove neighborhood of Natchitoches. Top: A lazy stream meanders throughout the gardens. Bottom: Edwina and Richard Westrop

Native American ancestors.

Being born and raised in rural Spanish Lake instilled in Edwina an appreciation for the land, which is expressed in their home’s beautifully landscaped gardens. “The gardens are a never-ending project,” she says. “One of my greatest joys since we moved into our home 17 years ago has been developing the gardens

and collecting the featured statues.”

Inside the home is a feeling of coziness, reminiscent of an English country home. “I like the warmth throughout the house,” Richard says. “It captures the homey feeling I remember from my youth in England.” He praises architectural designer James Hearron, who accommodated his wishes

by adding beams to the ceiling of some of the rooms and English-style windows with small panes.

Hearron explains that one of the unique features of the house is that it has two second-story wings: one for the master suite and another one for the guest bedrooms and bathrooms. “They wanted a lush master suite with French

doors opening onto a balcony overlooking the gardens,” he says. “The floor plan featuring the guest bedrooms and bathrooms on the opposite side of the house with its own stairway allows the couple complete privacy in their master suite wing.”

In addition to their love of travel, they are both avid collectors. “We are both

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collectors of antiques,” Edwina explains, “So our house is chock-a-block with antiques we have collected from throughout the world.

We can always find one more spot to add something from our last trip to Italy, Spain, France or England,” she says.

“This house fits us perfectly,” Richard says. “It’s a bit quirky, a bit over-the-top, handsome and pretty enough – and definitely with a playful sense that makes you feel as if Robin Hood may pop in for a visit at any moment. We are always at home here at our country hide-away in our own forest. It isn’t Sherwood Forest, but it will do.” n

Top, left: The stairway to the guest suites doubles as an art gallery for the couple’s extensive collection.

Middle: Dressed in a lush brocade, the antique bedspread matches the drapes. Bottom: The spacious loggia at the rear of the house was created for entertaining. Top, right: Stained glass windows were commissioned by the Westrops to add interest in the kitchen. Facing page, top: Fine china, crystal and sterling flatware grace the dining room table. Facing page, bottom: Furnished in fine antiques, the living room displays many of the treasures the Westrops have collected in their extensive travels.

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art Artist Stephan Wanger standing in front of Natchitoches Tricentennial Mardi Gras bead mosaic, “Une Rue Principale en Louisiane.”

Breaking Records with Beads Natchitoches’ tricentennial is celebrated with a 384-square-foot bead mosaic, the largest in the world.

By John R. Kemp

The art of creating mosaics with tiny pieces of colored stones or glass can be found on the walls and floors of temples, cathedrals and palaces throughout the ancient world. Yet, the honor of making the world’s largest – and most unusual – mosaic goes to the City of Natchitoches in Northwest

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Louisiana and to a German-born New Orleans artist who is on a mission to promote Louisiana history and culture.

Early last December, Natchitoches unveiled “Une Rue Principale en Louisiane – A Main Street in Louisiana” – depicting the city’s architectural heritage along Front

Street and Cane River. The monumental panoramic mosaic celebrates the city’s founding in 1714 by the French Canadian explorer and adventurer Louis Juchereau de St. Denis. Natchitoches is the oldest European settlement in Louisiana and by most accounts the oldest European

settlement within the entire boundary of the 1803 Louisiana Purchase.

What makes the 8-by-48-foot mosaic so unusual, however, is that it is made almost entirely of recycled Mardi Gras beads – more than two million beads, to be exact. Also embedded in a small section of the mosaic

are tiny prehistoric seashells and fossils salvaged by 11-year-old Veronica Sturman from a local highway construction site. Sturman was but one of more than 1,500 local schoolchildren, students from Northwestern State University of Louisiana and Natchitoches residents who volunteered to work on the project.

According to Guinness World Records, which sent a representative down last December to measure the 384-square-foot mosaic, “Une Rue Principale en Louisiane” is now the largest bead mosaic in the world. It beat out the

next largest in the Netherlands that weighed in at a paltry 189 square feet. Thanks to a committee of volunteers and businesses, headed by Natchitoches businesswoman Kym Habig, the community raised the $11,000 needed to bring the Guinness representative to Natchitoches. Also, the Cane River National Heritage Area, which sponsored Bead Town’s visit, chipped in another $4,000 to purchase materials to make the Natchitoches mosaic.

The artist behind this exceptional project was 46-year-old Stephan Wanger

of New Orleans, who has developed a considerable following across the nation and into Canada for his radiant “bead art” compositions such as carnival masks, butterflies, portraits, New Orleans street and riverfront scenes and, more recently, panoramas of Louisiana towns and cities. Wanger is a one-man troubadour, touting the glories of the state’s history and culture to as many audiences as he can reach.

Born in Wilhelmshafen, Germany, Wanger settled Chicago in 1990 after a four-year stint traveling the globe in the German navy. “The United States is a beautiful, multi-cultural country and I wanted to make a life here,” he said. For the next 16 years, he worked in Chicago first for the City of Chicago in special projects and later in the Chicago office of a Canadian computer software company. During those years, he got his GED and then a bachelor’s degree in marketing and communications. “I am very grateful to the United States,” he says, as his eyes scan the length of the Natchitoches mosaic.

Then came Hurricane Katrina in 2005. “Many people said New Orleans was not worth saving,” he says. “People saw bodies floating in the water and the floods. I felt I had to do something and give something back to the U.S.” Being German, he explains, made him sensitive to the question of rebuilding. He said many people felt the same way about Germany after World War II. Shortly after flood waters receded, Wanger quit his job in Chicago, moved to New Orleans and joined on as a carpenter’s assistant to help

rebuild the city.

Like many young people who came to help New Orleans, the city changed Wanger’s life.

Sitting home at night, for his own amusement, he decorated planters with various patterns and colors of beads that he had found while working around town. “I was frustrated with the planters,” he recalls.

“They looked like something you make in kindergarten.

Then something changed my focus.” He saw a television commercial that promoted local tourism. He felt those commercials should be played in other states to attract “fresh money” to Louisiana. “That was my ‘Ah Ha!’ moment,” he says. “I could create images to show outside Louisiana but represent Louisiana.”

Still fascinated with the Mardi Gras beads concept, Wanger began his quest to promote Louisiana with images of New Orleans.

Because the city is already known throughout the world, however, he decided to take his bead art to other sections of the state. He began with a large mosaic of Oak Alley Plantation in Vacherie, La. “I was inspired by those 350-year-old oaks,” he recalls. “Those oaks inspired the Bead Town project.”

Wanger decided to visit towns and cities across Louisiana with his “Bead Town” exhibit.

In 2012, Winnsboro in Northeast Louisiana was the first city to host Bead Town.

While there, Wanger, with the help of local school children and a $750 grant from the state Main Street Program, created mosaics of the city’s Old Post Office Museum and cotton fields. From Winnsboro, Wanger went to Ruston in Lincoln Parish and then other

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Top, Left: Guiness World Record’s Amanda Mochan, kneeling, measuring the Natchitoches Mardi Gras mosaic Une Rue Principale en Louisiane, along with Kym Habid of Natchitoches and artist Stephan Wanger. Photo courtesy of Galeria Alegria. Top, Right: A section of the 8-by-48-foot mosaic

cities around the state. In each place, the community chose the imagery for their Bead Town mosaics. Delhi in Northeast Louisiana, for example, included sweet potatoes; Ruston, a dogtrot house, a train and peaches; a swamp scene for Slidell; in Denham Springs, the old city hall; for New Orleans, an 8-by-42-foot panorama of the New Orleans skyline; and now the record-breaking Natchitoches mural. In each city, Wanger hopes to create nonprofit foundations to receive money made from the sale of products generated from the mosaics, such as posters, cups, and T-shirts. The goal for

32 | Louisiana Life March/April 2014

these foundations is to improve the lives of local people through education, health care or other means determined by the local community.

To date, the Bead Town exhibition consists of 80 murals made from more than 10 million beads. In January and February the entire exhibit was scheduled to visit cities in Northwest Indiana and Chicago before returning in April for stops in Houma, Morgan City and Thibodaux before moving on to Minden, Springhill and Shreveport in October through December. In each city, Wanger, and a small army of local volunteers, will make mosaics to add to his Bead Town traveling exhibit. “It is a great Louisiana story,” Wanger says. “No other state has this. It is a tourism campaign created by the local community. People can touch it and read about it.”

When creating a Bead Town mosaic, Wanger recruits local school children to help him.

Even before launching his city and town murals project, he worked with students at Rudolph Matas Elementary School in Metairie and Andrew

H. Wilson Charter School in New Orleans in 2011 and 2012 to create murals depicting aspects of Louisiana history and culture. He has taken this same concept to other schools across the state. He says more than 6,000 schoolchildren have participated in the Bead Town project. “It teaches teamwork,” he says. “We all work together.

It teaches them to be environmentally cautious and not be wasteful. It also instills pride in what comes from their local areas. It teaches them skills in carpentry and how to build things.”

In each case, Wanger sketches and paints the images on plywood panels. He then trains the children and other volunteers in how to cut the beads from their strings, arrange them by size and color in little containers, and finally how to glue them to the panels.

Beads for the mosaics come from various sources. Most are donated. Others he buys from Arc of Greater New Orleans, a nonprofit organization that serves mentally and developmentally challenged children and young adults in the New

Orleans area.

To host a Bead Town exhibit, cities must agree to pay for shipping and promotion costs, provide lodging for Wanger, and space for the exhibit and his workshops. Though he is not paid for his Bead Town mosaics, Wanger makes his living selling his own work and through paid commissions picked up along the way. “Bead Town has received so much attention,” says Wanger, “I’m being contacted by cities all over the country. They know how important the program is for children, but I want to stay in Louisiana and do that first.”

Where these Bead Town mosaics, including Natchitoches, will eventually end up, no one knows. “At some point we will have a space where the entire collection can be viewed, this might be anywhere,” says Wanger. For the time being, however, Bead Town is on the road promoting Louisiana. n for more information Visit beadtown.org or galeriaalegria.com

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traveler

Cavalry re-enactors pass the Mouton/dePoulignac monument

Sesquicentennial The Red River Campaign Paul F. Stahls Jr.

One-hundred-fifty years ago Lincoln was stewing about Shreveport. He wanted it eliminated, with its infernal foundries, shipyard and downright annoying roles as the capitol of Confederate Louisiana and military headquarters of the CSA’s Trans-Mississippi Dept. Oh yes, and the Red River city would make a dandy staging area for an invasion of Texas to end the existence of the Confederacy west of the Mississippi. And so was planned the Red River Campaign, whose sesquicentennial months are March and April 2014.

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By March 10, 1864, Gen. Nathaniel Banks, commander of the Dept. of the Gulf (former speaker of the U.S. House who needed a big military victory to launch a run for the presidency) had sent his 20,000-man army up Bayou Teche and on to Alexandria under Gen. William Franklin, while Adm. David Porter’s armada, 26 ironclads and other gunboats plus countless transports, steamed to the mouth of Red River to join forces with 15,000 veterans of recently defeated Vicksburg led by Gen. A.J. Smith. Their primary adversary would be Gen.

Richard Taylor of St. Charles Parish (son of U.S. President Zachary Taylor), whose detailed recollections of the campaign are contained in his Destruction and Reconstruction (Longman’s, 1955).

Porter and Smith’s first target would be Fort DeRussy on the Red near Marksville, but those who follow the campaign trail will actually see the last battle site first.

Start by having some False River catfish in New Roads, then take La.1 to Simmesport.

Once over the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge, an observation tower and highway marker

will soon appear on the left, indicating the May 16 battle of Fort Yellow Bayou, Taylor’s final attempt to prevent the defeated, southbound Banks from crossing the Atchafalaya to safety. Continue north to Marksville and, just past the Tunica-Biloxi Museum, take Preston Street north and M.L. King east to the ancient Indian mounds and museum of the Marksville State Historic Site (SHS) where park manager Doyle Jennings will gladly bring out his Fort DeRussy map and recount the story of that March 14 battle. On rare occasions he can send a staff member to open the future DeRussy SMS’s gate (pure luck; impossible to arrange in advance), just a short drive up Main Street with a right fork on Hwy. 1192 and right turn on Fort DeRussy Lane. Significant fragments remain of the earthen fort,

Scott Dearman photo

and a large stone marker pays tribute by name to the slaves who constructed it.

To surprise the fort, Smith’s army marched all night to strike from landside, but the real surprise was that Taylor, learning the numbers of his attackers, had evacuated the incomplete fort with only 380 desperate men left to delay its capture long enough for Taylor to evacuate his forces from Alexandria. DeRussy was an Alamo and nothing less. Fighting was fierce but hopeless, and 317 prisoners were being led away as Porter arrived to blast the empty fort.

From Marksville take La.1 north and La.3170 west to U.S.71 at LSU-Alexandria, where a left on 71 and two lefts into the campus on Marshall Drive and Acorn Drive lead to the Epps House. Edwin Epps was overseer of Oakland Plantation, where LSU-A now stands, and the cottage was built in 1852 about 3 miles away on Bayou Boeuf by Solomon Northup, whose story is told in the 1853 book and 2013 film titled 12 Years a Slave. Flattened by a tornado in the 1990s, it was rebuilt here using its original central wall and cypress beams (open noon-4 p.m. Thursday through Sunday). Now, following 71 north to Alexandria, cross the Jackson Street Bridge to find the Forts Randolph-Buhlow SHS up Riverside Drive from the bridge in Pineville.

Officers and men could earn real money “liberating” Southern cotton, and Porter arrived in Alexandria on March 19 with many bales aboard his transports. Banks arrived late, also by river (traveling with his own transports and cadre of cotton speculators), taking his cotton-pickin’ time.

Forts Randolph and Buhlow were not yet constructed when Banks and Porter passed

through, so the soldiers they left to guard Alexandria were relegated to many days of tenting … and boredom.

Someone found a baseball, though, and Richard Holloway of the Randolph-Buhlow SHS has dug up an account, in the memoirs of George Putnam of the New York 176th, of a game with the 13th Connecticut that was interrupted when Rebs struck from the outfield, capturing the centerfielder. We “lost not only our centerfielder but our baseball,” Putnam lamented, “and it was the only

Porter reached Grand Ecore bluff, east of Natchitoches at the La. 6 bridge, where the Corps of Engineers Welcome Center (whose films and displays tell stories of regional history and of Red River’s modern lock-and-dam system) now stands adjacent to breastworks that protected both armies alternately. On April 6, as Porter headed for Shreveport, Banks ignored the advice of other officers and detoured inland, without naval protection, on the ShreveportNatchitoches Stagecoach Road.

baseball in Alexandria.”

Built in anticipation of a second invasion, the two forts were completed in February 1865 and manned by survivors from Port Hudson and Vicksburg. Today the visitor center is filled with military and personal belongings of the men of both armies, with many display items matched with letters, diaries and photos of their owners. Life-sized plaster figures depict battle scenes and slaves digging fortifications, and a boardwalk encircles newly excavated Fort Randolph. Buhlow’s walkway is temporarily closed due to adjacent highway/bridge work.

On April 2, Banks and

He arrived in the Pleasant Hill/ Mansfield vicinity on April 7, although fireworks had begun between units merging on the region as early as April 2 when Gen. Tom Green’s Texas cavalry briefly engaged U.S. Gen. Albert Lee at nearby Marthaville in the Battle of Crumps Hill.

Local lore holds firmly that the “Unknown Confederate” buried on the grounds of Rebel SHS, 3 miles north of Marthaville on La.1221, was a young neighbor of the local Barnhill family who had enlisted that very day.

Searching Crumps Hill after the battle, the family found his body, buried him at their home and tended the grave

for 98 years until the SHS was established there. Crumps Hill Military Museum, 1.8 miles west of Marthaville at 11389 Hwy. 120, stands at the battlesite and houses owner Terry Waxman’s lifetime collection of battle relics.

Visitors are welcome 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday-Saturday and 1p.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, but call ahead: (318) 472-9033.

For a visit to the main war zone, exit I-49 west on U.S.84 (Polk Street) to Mansfield and turn left on La.175 (Louise Street) – the infamous Stagecoach Road to the battlesite chosen by Taylor because it would offer Banks no sideroads or open lands for flanking or retreat.

As for Banks’ march, imagine 35,000 infantry and cavalrymen crowded between 1,000 wagons with six mules apiece – a 20-mile-long convoy – on a dirt road more narrow than today’s La.175 and utterly walled in by dense pine woodlands. Orderly retreat would be impossible, and Banks’ only hope lay in his conviction that there would be no Rebel attack in force before Shreveport. Despite an April 7 cavalry strike at Wilson’s Farm about 7 miles above Pleasant Hill, the procession resumed at dawn, suffered guerilla-type cavalry attacks all day, and at 4 p.m. came abruptly upon the entire Confederate force blocking the roadway. The men in gray were arrayed in three battle lines, two parallel to the road with one right-angle line forming an “L.” The first Union division formed an “L” of its own and Taylor, hoping for an unwise Union attack, waited till 4 p.m. when the gallant Alfred Mouton of Lafayette, determined to strike before more Feds arrived from the rear, charged the Union right flank with his Louisiana Infantry regiments.

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Stagecoach Road

He was killed in the effort, and a daring French prince, Gen. Camille Armand Jules Marie dePolignac, took command of the charge, collapsing the Union right and flanking its center as Taylor’s Texas units destroyed the Union left. A secondary Union line, to the rear at Sabine Crossroads, also quickly fell, and by then Union survivors from the front were in wild flight down the stagecoach road, zigzagging past abandoned wagons, disabled artillery, human casualties and deceased drays.

The Rebels pursued, but a ridgetop line at Chapman’s Bayou 2 miles farther down

held its ground till fighting ceased for the night, Taylor with 1,000 casualties and Banks with 2,500, plus the loss of his artillery and wagons of munitions and provisions.

A statue of Gen. Mouton, son of Gov. Alexandre Mouton, now stands in Lafayette, and an obelisk at Mansfield marks the spot where he fell and dePolignac earned a place in history.

Mansfield’s museum offers a very helpful film and displays of soldiers’ personal items and weaponry, some guns and artillery pieces quite rare, and a walkabout following the park’s printed Battlefield Guide will

clarify the story of this last major Confederate victory of the war.

The old Allen House about three miles below stands as a symbol of dozens of homes and churches that served as field hospitals, and gravestones of those who died on the field or in such hospitals can be found as far away as Keachi, Shreveport and even Minden.

Just above Pleasant Hill on 175, an old cistern and historic markers surrounded by modern tombstones mark the site of a long-vanished stagecoach stop where many casualties of both armies were temporarily interred, the cemetery now doubling as a tranquil roadside rest area.

Banks’ army marched off well before dawn on April 9, and when Taylor discovered the departure he followed in haste, the battle beginning at 4 p.m. and raging till dark. It was a draw in terms of casualties, but Banks, now without provisions, immediately retreated to Grand Ecore.

Meanwhile Porter had dutifully arrived below Shreveport, but blocked by a sunken vessel across the river and concerned by the Red’s mysteriously falling water level (unaware of the Confederates blasting a dam at Tones Bayou to divert much

of the Red’s flow to Bayou Pierre), he turned back toward Grand Ecore. But things were tough all over. Back at Pleasant Hill, Gen. Taylor was suddenly shorn of three infantry divisions, ordered away to Arkansas by Trans-Mississippi commander Kirby Smith. Now unable to deal Banks a final blow, he could only hope to dog the heels of the Yankees on their retreat and set out to do so, also dispatching 2,500 Texas cavalry with Tom Green to intercept Porter’s retreating fleet at Blair’s Landing, near Coushatta in the immediate vicinity of today’s Red River Lock & Dam No. 4.

When Green arrived on April 12, Porter’s flotilla had passed except for two gunboats and a transport. The Texans charged, with Green actually leading his mounted men into the river intending to board the vessels, but he was killed by Naval artillery and the boats escaped.

Porter was shelled again on the 13th at Campti, but his ragged flotilla survived to rejoin Banks.

From Pleasant Hill, to catch up with Banks yourself, head south on 175 to Belmont, east on La.120 to the Crumps Hill Museum and Rebel SMS at Marthaville, then La.6 to Natchitoches.

Banks and Porter spent April

Re-enactments and Special Events Through March 9: Historic New Orleans Collection’s Williams Gallery presents “Occupy New Orleans, Voices of the Civil War.” March-May: Alexandria Museum of Art, “Dueling Visions of Liberty: Art of the Civil War,” diverse artistic media compiled by guest curator Charles Chamberlain.

March-Oct.: Fort Randolph’s Sesquicentennial Exhibit – permanent collection enhanced by such special displays as Louisiana unit flags, silk flag of the 159th NY 36 | Louisiana Life March/April 2014

Infantry (which helped build Bailey’s Dam – courtesy of R. Holloway), Bailey’s own sword (courtesy Wisconsin Historical Society) and his Tiffany silver punch bowl presented by captains of the boats saved by his dam.

March 6-9: Bailey’s Dam sesquicentennial, Fts. Buhlow and Randolph SHS, with re-enactments of that “interrupted” baseball game and of a well-armed priest saving his church from the torch.

March: Central Louisiana Civil

War Roundtable events: March 6 at Fort Randolph, “Taste of the Old South” food sampling, and “Alexandria, Most Important City of Civil War Louisiana” talk by Dr. Donald Frazier (author of 4-volume study of Louisiana and the war).

March 7 at Kent Plantation House, Dr. Gary Joiner of LSU-Shreveport, author of One Damn Blunder from Beginning to End, speaking on that blunder. March 22-23, LSU-Alexandria and Fort Randolph host the National Conference on

Women in the Civil War. March 14-16: Dr. Joiner speaks again as part of Civil War SuperSymposium in Shreveport.

April-May: West Baton Rouge exhibit, “Lincoln, the Constitution and Civil War,” Port Allen.

April 4-6: Battle of Pleasant Hill re-enactment – seven engagements and three night camps. Representing Union’s night retreat and CSA pursuit to Pleasant Hill, 19th Louisiana Infantry re-enactors depart Mansfield at 4:30 a.m. Saturday, walk the 16.5 Frank Leslie Illustration

10-22 at Grand Ecore pinned down by Gen. Hamilton Bee’s 2,000-man force (believed to be much larger), then risked a quick march down Cane River hoping to avoid Taylor.

Bee responded by mounting artillery on bluffs at Monett’s Ferry, a crossing on the Cane 6 miles below Cloutierville, and lining his force along the west bank above his guns – keystone of Taylor’s plan to trap Banks on the island between the Cane and the Red. Fighting along the Cane began April 23, stretching 15 miles from Magnolia Plantation (Cane River National Heritage Area) through Cloutierville to Bee’s position (the best access from Natchitoches being La.1 south and La.493 east to Melrose Plantation, then La.119 down the Cane to pick up the battle trail at Magnolia Plantation. Farther down 119 take La.1 to Cloutierville and La.495 to the Cane River bridge at La.114, the area of Bee’s fiercest fighting.)

Banks himself, convinced he was trapped, seriously considered surrender, but Union Gen. Henry Birge found another ford near Monett’s and led his brigade on a west bank flanking maneuver that convinced Bee his own escape route was threatened. Bluffed

off his bluff, he evacuated, opening the way for Banks to depart the island and burn his way to Alexandria.

Porter arrived in Alexandria to realize his worst fear: His convoy was stranded by low water at Rapides Parish’s namesake rapids, but Lt. Col. Joseph Bailey, an engineer, stepped forth with a plan to raise the water level with a “wing dam” and mid-stream chute for passage of the ships.

Pestered by daily Confederate raids, 3,000 men worked for 16 days to complete the span and a smaller wing dam below it, and the armada escaped on May 3. Porter departed as A.J. Smith’s 16th Corps burned the city to the ground (as they had attempted unsuccessfully at Natchitoches and Cloutierville), and Banks set forth on his 120-mile retreat from Alexandria to the Mississippi.

Confederate strikes continued along today’s La.1, with a major artillery duel at Mansura on May 16 and that final battle at Yellow Bayou on May 18, where Bailey stepped up again, created a bridge from barges and ushered Banks’ army across the Atchafalaya.

The Red River Campaign, an abysmal failure called “one damn blunder from beginning to end,” was history. n

miles and arrive for 2 p.m. town battle (following a 10 a.m. parade).

Sunday’s open-field battle begins at 2 p.m., and Friday and Saturday nights bring eerie beauty of nighttime artillery barrages.

April 8: 150th anniversary Battle of Mansfield observance – speakers, plus wreath-laying and rifle salutes (with small contingent of Union- and Confederate-clad re-enactors).

April 26-27: Battle of Mansfield re-enactment, with 500 to 800 re-enactors greeting visitors at

encampments and portraying the units and characters of both armies in battle.

May 2-3: Cane River Creole National Historical Park hosts symposium at Northwestern State University on Red River Campaign’s impact on Natchitoches and Cane River, followed on the 3rd by a living history event at the park’s Magnolia Plantation complex.

Nov. 1: Huge in-town battle with re-enactors from many states, Natchitoches.

LouisianaLife.com | 37

Spring Harvest Our local bounty inspires a range of delicious seasonal dishes.

By Stanley Dry / Photographed and Styled by Eugenia Uhl Spring is a wonderful season for those who love to eat. After the heavier food of winter, spring fare is a welcome change and a harbinger of the bountiful harvest we can look forward to in the months ahead. But it’s still too early to put away all the trappings of winter. We never quite know what to expect in March, when the weather can bring blustery winds and chilly temperatures. Not until the pecan trees leaf out can we be sure that the seasons have turned. So this is a time of transition, of lengthening days, more time outside and simpler preparations of fresh, seasonal ingredients, as well as the rebirth of joy that accompanies a hopeful future.

Crawfish Crepes Crepes go in and out of fashion, but I’m a fan of them regardless of their current status in the culinary hit parade. This dish is fairly rich, so it’s best served as a first course, with two crepes per person.

38 | Louisiana Life March/April 2014

Steamed New Potatoes With Fresh Dill New potatoes taste of spring, and dill intensifies that sensation. There is something very earthy and elemental about this simple preparation.

LouisianaLife.com | 39

Irish Stew With St. Patrick’s Day just around the corner, it’s time to think about some traditional Irish dishes to accompany the Guinness and Irish whiskey. Corned beef and cabbage comes first to mind, but Irish stew is also worthy of consideration. I remember well the first time I made the dish decades ago. I had never eaten it, but a friend from Ireland praised it to the heavens. How, I wondered, could such a simple combination of lamb, potatoes and onions be that good? After tasting it, I understood that this is among those classic preparations (boiled beef is another) that are ethereal and require no elaboration or refinement.

40 | Louisiana Life March/April 2014

Asparagus With Hollandaise Fresh asparagus can be served with a variety of sauces and accompaniments, but none are quite as sensual as a rich, satiny hollandaise sharpened with lemon. Hollandaise is reputed to be difficult to master, but don’t let that intimidate you. With a little care and attention to detail, making the sauce will become second nature. This recipe calls for unsalted butter. If you use salted butter, omit the coarse salt.

LouisianaLife.com | 41

Three-Berry Shortcake How fortunate we are to have strawberries, blackberries and blueberries in season. It is a trifecta of eating pleasure, and shortcake is a great way to enjoy them in combination with a sweet biscuit and mounds of whipped cream. The traditional shortcake involves two layers, but today some prefer a smaller portion.

That is easily done by serving only half a biscuit topped with berries and cream. Leftover biscuits can be split, toasted, buttered and enjoyed at breakfast.

42 | Louisiana Life March/April 2014

Cream of Carrot Soup Fresh, tender and sweet spring carrots are a fitting metaphor for the season itself, indelibly linked in the popular imagination with the Easter Bunny. But there’s no reason rabbits should get them all. This is a quick and simple recipe that yields a velvety rendition of carrot, flavored with a hint of orange and nutmeg.

LouisianaLife.com | 43

To assemble: 2 tablespoons melted butter ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan 1 tablespoon chopped parsley Preheat broiler. Butter a 13-by-9-inch ovenproof dish.

Place a crepe in the dish, add one-eighth of the crawfish filling and roll up. Continue with remaining crepes, positioning them in the dish with seam side down. Brush crepes with melted butter and sprinkle with Parmesan.

Place under the broiler until lightly browned.

Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Makes 8 crepes.

Crawfish Crepes

Irish Stew

Crepes: 1 egg ½ cup milk ½ cup flour Pinch salt 1 tablespoon melted butter 2 tablespoons club soda or sparkling water In a blender, combine egg, milk, flour, salt and butter. Blend until smooth. Let batter rest for about an hour, then add club soda (which lightens the batter).

Heat a nonstick 8-inch pan over medium heat. Pour 2 tablespoons batter into the pan while rotating the pan to spread a thin coat of batter over the surface. Cook until crepe is brown on the bottom, then use a rubber spatula to turn the crepe. Cook until brown, then turn out onto a plate. Repeat with remaining batter. You should have 8 crepes.

(Crepes may be prepared in advance and covered with plastic wrap.)

1½ pounds lamb shoulder 1 large onion 2 large potatoes Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 ½ cups boiling water ¼ cup chopped parsley Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

Cut lamb into ¾-inch cubes. Peel onion, halve and cut into thin slices. Peel potatoes and cut into thick slices. In a heavy casserole dish or Dutch oven, layer potatoes, onions and lamb, starting and ending with potatoes. Season each layer with salt and pepper. Pour over boiling water, cover and bake in preheated oven about 2-2½ hours, until meat is tender and stew has thickened. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Makes 4 servings.

Filling: 2 tablespoons butter ½ cup diced onion ½ cup diced celery ½ pound cooked crawfish tails ½ cup heavy cream Cajun/Creole seasoning to taste Melt butter in skillet; simmer onions and celery, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add crawfish and cream; simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 7-8 minutes. Season assertively with Cajun or Creole seasoning.

44 | Louisiana Life March/April 2014

Steamed New Potatoes With Fresh Dill 1½ pounds new potatoes, scrubbed 4 tablespoons butter, softened 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill Coarse salt to taste Steam potatoes until they are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 15-20 minutes, depending upon the size of potatoes. Drain potatoes. Cut each potato in half and add to a serving bowl, along with butter and dill. Sprinkle with salt and toss to coat potatoes in butter and dill.

Makes 4 servings.

To Assemble: 2 tablespoons butter, softened Preheat broiler. Split biscuits and toast. Spread toasted biscuit halves with butter. Place bottom halves in 4 shallow bowls. Spoon over some of the berries and their juice and add a large dollop of whipped cream. Place remaining half of each biscuit on top, add berries and juice and finish with a generous amount of whipped cream.

Makes 4 servings.

Asparagus With Hollandaise

Three-Berry Shortcake

3 egg yolks 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon water 1 teaspoon coarse salt 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 1 bunch thin asparagus In a stainless-steel mixing bowl, combine egg yolks, lemon juice, water and salt. Whisk to combine. Place the bowl over low heat and whisk constantly, rotating the bowl at the same time until the egg yolks thicken and the whisk leaves tracks in the bowl. Begin adding butter, a spoonful at a time, whisking after each addition. As you work, lift bowl away from the heat or on the heat, as needed to create a smooth emulsion. Continue until all the butter has been incorporated. Taste and add additional lemon juice and/or salt as desired. Place bowl in a warm spot while you cook the asparagus.

Cut off the woody bottoms of the asparagus. In a large skillet, cover asparagus with water, add some salt and place on high heat. Bring to a boil and simmer until asparagus is tender. Drain asparagus and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel. Divide asparagus among 4 serving plates and top with a band of hollandaise. Makes 4 servings.

Berry Filling: 1 pint strawberries 2 tablespoons sugar ½ cup fresh-squeezed orange juice 1 pint blackberries 1 pint blueberries Hull and slice strawberries. In a small mixing bowl, mash strawberries with sugar. Add orange juice, blueberries and blackberries. Stir, cover and macerate for a few hours.

Biscuits: 1 cup low-gluten, self-rising flour, such as White Lily 2 tablespoons sugar 2½ tablespoons chilled butter ¼ cup plus 1 or 2 tablespoons milk Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour and sugar.

Divide butter into small pieces and cut into flour with a pastry blender or 2 knives. Stir in milk until a ball forms. Turn out on a floured surface, knead once or twice and roll out to a thickness of about ½-inch. Cut 4 biscuits with a 3-inch biscuit cutter. Place biscuits on baking sheet and bake until nicely browned, about 10 minutes.

Whipped Cream: 1 cup heavy cream 4 teaspoons powdered sugar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract In a small mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and mix until soft peaks form.

Cream of Carrot Soup 2 pounds carrots 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth 1 tablespoon grated orange zest 1 cup half-and-half Coarse salt to taste Freshly grated nutmeg to taste 1 teaspoon chopped parsley Trim, peel and slice carrots. Combine carrots, broth and orange zest in a medium pot and simmer until carrots soften, about 20 minutes.

Puree carrots and broth in blender or food processor. Return puree to pot, add half-andhalf and season with salt and nutmeg. Reheat before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Makes 4 servings.

LouisianaLife.com | 45

April and October are the busiest months for festivals in Louisiana, but there are activities throughout the calendar. In a sense, “festival season� here is a year-round phenomenon. Whether you want to dance in New Orleans, eat peach pie in Ruston or ride a Ferris wheel in Shreveport, Louisiana has hundreds of festivals that cater to all sorts of interests and celebrate our culture.

46 | Louisiana Life March/April 2014

It was a gray, overcast

A Fair to Remember

The State Fair of Louisiana in Shreveport. By Bernard Frugé III

January Louisiana Fur and Wildlife Festival, Cameron Battle of New Orleans Commemoration, Chalmette Martin Luther King,

Jr. Festival, Lake Charles

BBQ Challenge, Hammond

Irish, Italian, Isleños Fiesta, Chalmette

March

The Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival, New Orleans

New Orleans Sacred Music Festival, New Orleans

Louisiana Redbud Festival, Vivian Bloomin’ on the Bricks, Natchitoches Hammond Smokin’ Blues &

48 | Louisiana Life March/April 2014

Louisiana Crawfish Festival, Chalmette

Jane Austen Literary Festival, Mandeville FoodFest (America’s Hometown Eats),

November day as we approached the Red River on Interstate 20. I had purposefully been fasting all day and was ravenous after the five-hour drive from New Orleans. I was on a mission. My primary objective: Eat every food item offered at the State Fair of Louisiana.

I have lived in Louisiana since I was 7 years old, but this was my first time in Shreveport.

Shreveport and Bossier City are divided by the Red River, about 20 miles east of Texas and 40 miles south of Arkansas. Shreveport draws cultural influences from both – enter a sports bar on any given Sunday and you’ll find about as many Cowboys fans as Saints fans. You’ll also find actual cowboys. Shreveport is cowboy country, and has a far more western flair than the Cajun country I hail from.

The State Fair of Louisiana itself shares this cowboy vibe, featuring two-and-a-half weeks of country music concerts, livestock shows and a proper rodeo. But if you’re not a Western enthusiast, there are breakdancers, zoo animals and the usual state fair suspects, such as rides and carnival games.

My photographer and I wandered around for 20 minutes overwhelmed by all of the choices. There were too many food vendors, too many interesting goings on. We passed no fewer than four booths claiming to contain “the smallest horse in the world.” We eventually stumbled across a gathered crowd and blaring electro-funk music interlaced with sound bytes from Nixon and LBJ. Upon further inspection, it was a dancer telling the story of the Vietnam War through breakdance.

We watched, amazed, as he six-stepped around landmines and windmilled away from machine gun fire. After that, we watched a few songs of a country western band that covered ’80s pop music, namely Foreigner’s “I Want to Know What Love Is” and A-Ha’s “Take on Me.” The Louisiana State Fair was proving to be a mixed bag of fun, eclectic activities.

New Orleans

Festival, Forest Hill

Merryville Heritage Festival, Merryville

Congo Square Rhythms Festival, New Orleans

Terrytown Spring Festival, Terrytown Soul Fest, New Orleans Louisiana Nursery

NOLA Pyrate Week, New Orleans Zfest, Zachary

Black Heritage Festival, Lake Charles

Independence Sicilian Heritage Festival, Independence

Iowa Rabbit Festival, Iowa

Laotian New Year, Broussard jordan haro photos

We had time to kill before headliner Wayne Toups took the stage, so after feeding a carrot to a giraffe in the zoo area, we headed to the food vendor with the largest menu we could find. We decided on Porky’s BBQ, due to the huge selection, and ordered the following: a bacon cheeseburger on a doughnut, bloomin’ onion, Rocky Mountain oysters (which are bull testicles), fried ribs, fried watermelon, fried green beans, pulled pork and a basket of “baconaters.” For better or worse, Porky’s was out of Rocky Mountain oysters.

The odd thing about a doughnut bacon cheeseburger is the cheese. There simply aren’t many chances in life for a person to become accustomed to melted American cheese and icing entering into the same bite of food. But if you can get past this mental barrier, it’s delicious; don’t use condiments, because that is inarguably weird if your bun is a doughnut. The watermelon came in fried cubic chunks topped in maple syrup and was very tasty if you could maneuver the fried batter into not falling off before you could take a bite. Baconaters are bacon wrapped around cheese, deep-fried and covered in syrup. They taste great.

Before our cardiovascular systems could completely shut down, we waddled over to the fried Oreo truck to observe

Audubon Pilgrimage, St. Francisville Hogs for the Cause, New Orleans Week New Orleans, New Orleans Wednesday at the Square, New Orleans

and consume their craft. I had never tried a fried Oreo before and they are incredible. The cookie becomes squishy inside of the sizzling batter, and the taste and texture are entirely different from eating a regular Oreo. You bite through the crispy batter into the melting cookie and you instantly realize that this preparation is the highest form of Oreo consumption.

After watching my photographer lose $20 in 15 seconds at a carnival game, we capped off our evening with the Wayne Toups performance. As full and tired as we were, Toups really knows how to energize an audience, and we were dancing around despite ourselves. I’m not sure if the attendees were used to rock-infused Zydeco music, but they responded very strongly and he played a raucous two-hour set.

The beauty of ShreveportBossier is that after the fair, the grownups can tuck the kids in and hit the casinos for late night entertainment. While our casino adventures go beyond the purview of this article, it is worth mentioning that there is more to a weekend in Shreveport than the Louisiana State Fair alone. Whether you come with your family or just a few friends for a weekend road trip, the fair is a great getaway option that doesn’t involve having to leave the state.

Here are two related pieces of advice. First, eat fried Oreos

New Orleans International Beer Festival, New Orleans Amite Oyster Festival, Amite Swamp Stomp Festival, Thibodaux Zapp’s International

and doughnut burgers. Second, bring Tums. Information, statefairoflouisiana.com.

Beer Festival, Baton Rouge

Family Fun Fest, Larose

Spring Arts Festival, Minden

April

Fête Française, New Orleans

Boggy Bayou Festival, Pine Prarie

Southdown Marketplace Spring Arts & Crafts Festival, Houma

Cajun Hot Sauce Festival, New Iberia

Acadiana Dragon Boat Festival, New Iberia French Quarter Festival, New Orleans

Cultural Crossroads

Grand Isle Migratory Bird Festival, Grand Isle

Cajun Woodstock for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, Church Point Bayou Teche Black Bear and Birding Festival, Franklin Franklin Parish Catfish Festival, Winnsboro

Scottish Tartan Festival, Minden Jazz in the Park, New Orleans Italian Festival, Tickfaw Natchitoches Jazz/R&B Festival, Natchitoches

In 1947, Lincoln Parish

Slice of Life Ruston’s Louisiana Peach Festival. By Karl Hasten

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, New Orleans Italian Heritage Festival (Festa Italiana), Kenner Old Algiers RiverFest, New Orleans (Algiers)

Louisiana Forest Festival, Winnfield Holiday in Dixie, Shreveport Plaquemine Pow-Wow, Plaquemine Angola Prison Spring Rodeo, Angola

50 | Louisiana Life March/April 2014

Louisiana Railroad Days Festival, DeQuincy FestForAll, Baton Rouge Denham Springs Antique District Spring Festival, Denham Springs

Great Louisiana BirdFest, Mandeville Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival, Ponchatoula Festival International de Louisiane, Lafayette DeltaFest, Monroe

peach growers formed the Louisiana Peach Growers Association, and by 1951 they decided to promote the growing industry by staging an event that would draw Louisianians, as well as travelers from surrounding states. The inaugural event was held on June 27-28, 1951 and consisted of a “Peaches and Posies” flower show, a peach cooking contest, an art show, several athletic competitions and the crowning of the first Queen Dixie Gem and Princess Peach.

Today the Louisiana Peach Festival remains one of the largest continuing festivals in Louisiana – as well as one of its most beloved.

If you really want to celebrate the peach in all its glory, there is no better place than Ruston, located in the northern part of the state. The parish seat of Lincoln Parish and home to Louisiana Tech, it is a lovely town with a 2012 census population of just under 22,000 residents.

The Louisiana Peach Festival, held annually on the fourth Saturday in June, is a family-oriented event sponsored by the Ruston-Lincoln Chamber of Commerce. The 2014 festival dates are Friday and Saturday, June 27 and 28. Admission for attendees age 7 and up is $10 for Friday’s concert, $5 on Saturday from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m., and $10 for Saturday’s concert. A $10 armband will be offered and will cover all events on Saturday.

Pets are not allowed on the festival grounds, with the exception of service dogs.

Success through the years is certainly attributable to strong community support. In 1983, the festival became jointly sponsored by the Ruston Lincoln Convention and Visitors Bureau.

For the festival’s 50th anniversary in 2000, CenturyTel became the events first corporate sponsor, and since 2003 Squire Creek Country Club has been a corporate sponsor.

Entertainers through the years have included such illustrious names as soul legend Percy Sledge, Austin music star Marcia Ball, country

Baton Rouge Blues Festival, Baton Rouge North Louisiana Spring Bluegrass Festival, Oak Grove Freret Street Festival, New Orleans

River, Morgan City

Etoufee Festival, Arnaudville

Scott Boudin Festival, Scott

Houmapalooza Spring Music Festival, Houma

Melrose Arts Festival, Melrose

Le Festival du Bon Temps a’ Broussard, Broussard Rhythms on the

Battle of Pleasant Hill Annual Reenactment and Festival, Pleasant Hill

andrew macaluso PHOTO

music group Shenandoah, bluegrass virtuoso Ricky Skaggs and the timeless R&B star Irma Thomas. Opening night in 2014 will feature the eclectic talents of The Molly Ringwalds. This popular group hailing from Sheffield, England, is billed as “the ultimate ’80s experience.”

Saturday night the festival will proudly present two Louisiana natives: zydeco master Chubby Carrier and rising country artist Dylan Scott.

Carrier, born in Churchpoint, began his musical career at the age of 12. Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band have recorded 10 albums over the past 22 years. At the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards, Chubby and the Bayou Swamp Band won Best Zydeco Or Cajun Music Album for Zydeco Junkie.

Dylan Scott is from Bastrop.

By the age of 12, he was proficient on acoustic guitar and dreaming of a future on stage. In high school he performed with the gospel trio, 11th Hour, traveling throughout the South to appear at fairs, festivals and churches. His new self-titled album features five modern, progressive songs and was produced by Music City legend Jim Ed Norman.

One of the major participants in the festival for many seasons is Mitcham Farms, the largest peach orchard in Louisiana. In operation since 1946, Mitcham Farms has over

12,000 trees and ships their peaches and peach products nationwide. Their pre-made baskets and gift boxes are always available during the festival and can be customized to anyone’s taste. Tour groups are always welcome at the Mitcham Farms; call ahead to check availability and processing times.

“The Louisiana Peach Festival represents a real boom in economic development for us at Mitcham as well as the whole area. The two days of the festival are our busiest of the year as the festival drives traffic to our facility looking for orchard tours and buying peaches, peach preserves, jams and jellies, as well as excellent fudge,” says Debbie Otwell, Sales Manager at Mitcham Farms.

“Besides the exciting musical acts, there will be a wide array of special events that will please crowds of all ages. A Diaper Derby and Baby Photo Contest will please parents of the very young,” says Ivana Flowers, Communications and Events Coordinator at the Ruston Lincoln Chamber of Commerce. The Farmers Market will be open both days of the event, and an arts and crafts show will draw art lovers until 6 p.m. on Saturday.

The festival parade will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday with a Pet Parade. An antique car show will also be held at the Bancorp South location on Saturday.

Louisiana Earth Day, Baton Rouge

Boat Festival, Madisonville

Cypress Sawmill Festival, Patterson

Bunk Johnson Jazz Festival, New Iberia

Kite Fest Louisiane, Port Allen

Sunset Herb and Garden Festival, Sunset

May Greater New Orleans International Dragon

Mayfest, Leesville Poke Salad Festival,

michael welch photos (top & bottom)

Blanchard Thibodaux Firemen’s Fair, Thibodaux Saints and Sinners Literary Festival, New Orleans Zydeco Extravaganza, Opelousas

Information, louisianapeachfestival.org.

Bayou Country Superfest, Baton Rouge

Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival, Breaux Bridge

Zwolle Loggers and Forestry Festival, Zwolle

Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo, New Orleans

Plaquemines Parish Seafood Festival, Belle Chasse

New Orleans Wine & Food Experience, New Orleans

Heflin Sawmill Festival, Heflin Contraband DaysLouisiana Pirate Festival, Lake Charles Starks Mayhaw Festival, Starks Tomato Festival,

Chalmette Cochon de Lait Festival, Mansura Mudbug Maddness, Shreveport Greek Festival New Orleans, New Orleans Jambalaya Festival,

All That Jazz

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell.

By Sarah Ravits

I first attended the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented

by Shell while in college at Tulane. I got tipsy from one beer and ate cheesy crawfish bread. I really should say

Gonzales Marion Mayhaw Festival, Marion Riverboat Festival, Columbia Jeff Fish Fest & Rodeo, River Ridge

June

that I experienced crawfish bread, because it was possibly the most heavenly item I’ve ever snacked on – and it was much-needed after dancing so much. It’s the kind of food that fills your entire body with joy, like you just ate a little piece of

Lake Arthur Regatta, Lake Arthur

Bon Mangé Festival, Gheens

New Orleans Loving Festival, New Orleans

Church Point Buggy Festival, Church Point

FestiGals, New Orleans

Louisiana Bicycle Festival, Abita Springs

Lacombe Crab Festival, Lacombe

52 | Louisiana Life March/April 2014

Back to the Beach

heaven. Besides the music, Jazz Fest is consistently hailed for its cuisine – food for your soul.

When I was a student, Jazz Fest always took place right before finals and served as another kind of difficult test, a test to our willpower (spoiler alert: a lot of 18- to 22-year-olds have none). Would we choose to stay in with our books, laptops and class notes, or would we listen to the dancing devils on our shoulders urging us to hitch a ride to the New Orleans Fair Grounds to see where all the

Festival, Kenner Bluesberry Festival, Lafayette Uplifting the Coast Festival, Baton Rouge Louisiana Catfish Festival, Des Allemands

magic happens?

A lot of us, as you can guess, picked the latter, because New Orleans, with its thousands of visitors, long-time residents and transplants alike, is a city that prioritizes its celebrations.

I can’t even count how many people I’ve met over the years who have confessed that they “came down to go to Jazz Fest and never left.” It is alluring and inspiring to be around so much music and art.

And that’s really what is at the heart of Jazz Fest – it is a jubilant,

Wednesdays on the Point, New Orleans (Algiers)

Creole Tomato Festival, New Orleans

New Orleans Oyster Festival, New Orleans

Garden Fest, Baton Rouge

Louisiana Peach Festival, Ruston

Beauregard Watermelon Festival, DeRidder

French Market’s

The Day the War

Stopped, St. Francisville Louisiana Corn Festival, Bunkie Let the Good Times Roll Festival, Shreveport Smoked Meat Festival, Ville Platte cheryl gerber PHOTOs

massive annual celebration, and it is about to turn 45.

Founded by George Wein, (the same producer and music promoter who also started the Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island) the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival began outside the French Quarter in New Orleans’ Congo Square.

It drew a few hundred people and featured four stages of a New Orleans-centric lineup that included the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Duke Ellington, Pete Fountain, the Meters, Ellis Marsalis – some of whom, like the Preservation Hall band (which has changed members but maintains its roots) as well as Marsalis, still perform at the fest today.

Nowadays the festival is held at the New Orleans Fair Grounds in the city’s Gentilly neighborhood, a spot that’s normally reserved for horse racing. It’s a massive, open space that accommodates several hundred thousand people over the span of seven days every spring, rain or shine. There are 12 music stages, catered to specific genres – the Jazz Tent, Blues Tent and Gospel Tent are smaller, while the Acura stage hosts the internationally known celebrity headliners, such as Bruce Springsteen this year. Jazz Fest also hosts a range of arts and crafts booths with vendors from all over the world, and there are also designated tents and areas for children, as well. A Southern Fried Swamp Fest, New Orleans Louisiana CajunZydeco Festival, New Orleans

highlight this year will be its International Pavilion, which is hosting artists and educators from Brazil.

Despite its major headlining acts, what separates Jazz Fest from other huge music festivals, like the younger Bonnaroo in rural Tennessee or Coachella in the desert east of Los Angeles, is that it not only has remained true to its roots of local music, but it also takes place within the city, so festival-goers can easily go catch a night show at a nearby, but unaffiliated, music club after the festival is over for the day.

Much like New Orleans’ other massive cultural event, Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest unites the whole city in celebration, and music can be seen, heard and felt across town.

At least 80 percent of the musicians hail from Louisiana each year. Here you can catch New Orleans brass bands, jazz lounge singers, Mardi Gras Indians, Cajun fiddlers, Zydeco groups and much more. The lineup this year is diverse as usual – performers include Eric Clapton, Arcade Fire, Santana, Aaron Neville, John Fogerty, Allen Toussaint, Irma Thomas and hundreds more.

Like many residents of New Orleans, I’ve been lured to the city by its culture, specifically the music and its celebratory nature, and that is what will continue to keep me coming to Jazz Fest year after year.

I don’t have to worry about skipping finals anymore, but I’ll

Celebration, Opelousas

July

Bulls (San Fermin in Nueva Orleans), New Orleans

Tales of the Cocktail, New Orleans

Bucktown Bash, Metairie

Lake Arthur Freedom Fest, Lake Arthur

Cajun Music & Food Festival, Lake Charles

Mandeville City Seafood Fest, Mandeville

Juneteenth Folklife

Running of the

Cake and Ice Cream

probably leave work early.

Bring sunscreen and cash and be prepared to sweat if the

Festival, Abbeville Bayou BBQ Bash – “Morgan City Under the Bridge,” Morgan City Celebration on the Cane, Natchitoches Marshland Festival, Lake Charles

Erath Fourth of July Celebration, Erath Swamp Pop Music Festival, Gonzales

sun’s out, and be prepared to dance in the mud if it rains.

Information, nojazzfest.com

Francisville Lebeau Zydeco Festival, Lebeau

Let Freedom Ring Festival, Thibodaux

Louisiana Watermelon Festival, Farmerville

Feliciana Hummingbird Celebration, St.

Natchitoches/ NSU Folk Festival, Natchitoches

Essence Festival, New Orleans Golden MeadowFourchon International Tarpon Rodeo, Golden Meadow-Port Fourchon Slidell Heritage Festival, Slidell

Battle of the Boudin Kings Love those links? Wanna “cut da rug” to the zydeco beat, enter le bébé in a diaper derby with petit Cajun crawlers or test your chops at a boudin-eating contest that separates the men from the boys? Then head to Scott’s 2nd annual Boudin Festival April 4-6 for some spicy links and giant fried balls! When this mini mecca of 8,700 became the new Boudin Capital of the World in 2012 thanks to a bipartisan bill, protests echoed 12 miles down the road from nearby Broussard (resounding their title of the same name since the 1970s) while folks were also boude’d (pronounced boo-day’d) in Jennings, which was crowned the Boudin Capital of the Universe, same decade. But lawmakers are unapologetic about the multiple titles, pointing out that the state rep who allegedly backed the bill for Broussard’s title is deceased. Scott’s boudin bragging rights reflect their annual sales of a whopping 1.5 million pounds a year within the city limits, plus theirs is the only boudin fest in this neck of the woods, and it’s a jackpot of luscious links. So head to Scott’s festival with an ice chest and stock up along the trail, because this cool little stretch of I-10 is the epicenter of boudin bliss. Information, www.laboudinfestival.com.

– Lisa LeBlanc-Berry

Grand Isle Tarpon Rodeo, Grand Isle

August Dirty Linen Night, New Orleans Delcambre Shrimp Festival, Delcambre French Film Fest, New Orleans Whitney White Linen Night, New Orleans Satchmo SummerFest, New Orleans Polos & Pearls, St. Francisville Red Dress Run, New Orleans Gueydan Duck Festival, Gueydan Original Southwest

Louisiana Zydeco Music Festival, Opelousas (Plaisance) MOLA Music Fest, Monroe Arts & Crabs Fest, Lake Charles Le Cajun Music Awards and Festival, Lafayette

September Southern Decadence, New Orleans Natchitoches Meat Pie Festival, Natchitoches Best of the Bayou, Houma Germantown Bluegrass Festival,

54 | Louisiana Life March/April 2014

Follow Your Nose to Mansura The enticing aroma of plump suckling pigs slow-roasting over glowing coals attracts foodies from afar to the annual Cochon de Lait Festival in Mansura, the spirited hamlet of 1,400 near Marksville and the birthplace of Edwin Edwards (wink). From May 9-11, there’ll be hog calling and beer drinking contests, a greased pig match, feasting and street dancing. The genesis of this pork-lovin’ gathering started weeks before Mansura’s Centennial Celebration in 1960, when locals dressed in 1860s-style bonnets, berets and bowlers and caravanned around the state to promote their event that drew a surprising 10,000 visitors to the tiny town. A month later, Gov. Earl K. Long

declared Mansura the Cochon de Lait Capital of the World. By 1966, there were 45,000 festival attendees and in 1972, the breaking point came when an astounding 100,000 people showed up with Gov. Edwards as parade marshal.

Chaos ensued with bike gangs, risqué dancing and unbridled free love (some blamed it on Strawberry Hill pink wine and those transients they found sleeping in the pews at St. Paul’s church) so the fest went bust. After a 15-year hiatus, it returned and continues to put revelers in hog heaven with Mansura’s famous, mouth-watering cochon de lait.

Information, www.cochondelaitfestival. com. – Lisa LeBlanc-Berry

Minden

Thibodaux

Ragley

Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival, Morgan City

Alligator Festival, Luling

Cal-Cam Fair, Sulphur

Calca-Chew Food Festival, Lake Charles

St. Martinville Kiwanis Pepper Festival, St. Martinville

State Fair of Louisiana, Shreveport

Bridge City Gumbo Festival, Bridge City

Bogalusa Blues & Heritage Festival, Bogalusa

Jim Bowie Festival & BBQ Throwdown, Vidalia

Andouille Festival, LaPlace

International Heritage Celebration, Baton Rouge

Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival, New Iberia

Louisiana Chicken Festival, Dubach

Sugar Festival, Arabi St. Theresa Bon Ton Festival, Carlyss New Orleans Burlesque Festival, New Orleans Bayou Lafourche Antique Show,

Oldies But Goodies Fest & BBQ Cook-Off, Port Allen

Opelousas Spice and Music Festival, Opelousas Voice of the Wetlands, Houma Louisiana Cattle Festival, Abbeville

Louisiana Gumbo Festival of Chackbay, Chackbay/ Thibodaux

Black Pot Festival and Cook-Off, Lafayette Louisiana Seafood Festival, New Orleans Ponderosa Stomp Festival, New Orleans

Louisiana Hot Air Balloon Championship Festival, Gonzales

Harvest Festival on False River, New Roads

October

Zwolle Tamale Fiesta, Zwolle

North Louisiana Fall Bluegrass Festival, Oak Grove

Oktoberfest, Kenner

Springhill

Ragley Heritage & Timber Festival,

Lumberjack Festival, Springhill Red River Revel, Shreveport Oak Alley Plantation Fall Arts and Crafts Festival, Vacherie Yellow Leaf Arts Festival, St. Francisville Denham Springs Antique District Fall Festival, Denham Springs International Rice Festival, Crowley Old Farmers Day Festival, Loranger Greater Baton Rouge State Fair, Baton Rouge

Mayor Forced to Walk the Plank Take out your eye patches, parrots and swords, because it’s almost time for Contraband Days in Lake Charles.

The two-week-long family-style extravaganza is held April 29-May 11 (Mother’s Day). They say pirate Jean Lafitte, who inspired the festival, frequented Lake Charles, docked his boat and buried his finest treasures on the sandy shores. He returns for Contraband Days with his merry band of carousing buccaneers. They will storm the shore, swilling rye and capturing Mayor Randy Roach, forcing him to walk the plank at saber’s point. Citizens will directly fire off the town canon to defend the seawall and mayor, but the landlubbers are no match for these brash, cutlass-toting pirates. The Contraband Days fun continues with nonstop music on several stages, carnival rides, arm-wrestling contests, pirogue races, a barbecue cook-off, a pirate marketplace, a kid’s world stage and children’s pirate costume contests, food booths, a boat parade and the annual Contraband Days fireworks spectacular that lights up the sky over the boat-filled lake. Information, louisianapiratefestival.com. – Lisa LeBlanc-Berry

Angola Prison Fall Rodeo, Angola New Orleans Film Festival, New Orleans Sweet Dough Pie Festival, Grand Coteau French Food Festival, Larose Louisiana Yambilee Festival, Opelousas Blues in da Parish Festival, Violet Gretna Heritage Festival, Gretna Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival, New Orleans Roberts Cove Germanfest, Rayne

Country Superstars Roll into Red Stick Hunter Hayes, the 22-year-old Breaux Bridge heartthrob who stunned fans with the debut of his new single “Invisible” at the Grammy Awards in January, is among the headliners at the fifth annual Bayou Country Superfest in Baton Rouge. Some of the world’s biggest country stars will take the stage at LSU Tiger Stadium May 23-25. Quint Davis, producer/ director of this mega country fest (and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival) announced the addition of a third night (Friday) to open with one of the very last live performances by the “King of Country,” George Strait, who is on the final leg of his 40-city farewell tour. Strait has racked up the most No. 1 singles of any artist in history, 60 to date, only behind

(Roberts Cove)

Ville Platte

Festival, Colfax

Madisonville Wooden Boat Festival, Madisonville

Franklin Harvest Moon Festival, Franklin

New Orleans Fringe Festival, New Orleans

Book Sale Friends of the Jefferson Public Library, Metairie

Rapides Parish Fair, Alexandria

Three Rivers Art Festival, Covington

Louisiana Cotton Festival, Ville Patte

West Louisiana Forestry Festival & Fair, Leesville

Destrehan Plantation Fall Harvest Festival, Destrehan

Cajun Heritage Festival, Larose

St. Tammany Parish Fair, Covington

Sugar Day Festival, Alexandria

Fesitvals Acadiens et Créoles, Lafayette

Voodoo Music + Art Experience, New Orleans

Words & Music Festival: A Literary Feast in New Orleans, New Orleans

Louisiana Art and Folk Festival, Columbia Violet Oyster Festival, Violet October Fete, Kaplan Louisiana Tournoi,

November Louisiana Indian Heritage Association Powwow, Gonzales Thibodeauxville Fall Festival, Thibodaux Louisiana Pecan

Houmapalooza Fall Music Festival, Houma Atchafalaya Basin Festival, Henderson

Louisiana Swine Festival, Basile Rayne Frog Festival, Rayne Giant Omelette Celebration, Abbeville Southdown Marketplace Fall Arts & Crafts Festival, Houma Louisiana Renaissance Festival, Hammond Mirliton Festival, New Orleans Sabine Freestate Festival, Florien Treme Creole Gumbo Festival, New Orleans

Elvis, with 70 million records sold and 33 platinum albums. Reba and Chris Young join him Friday night. Other headliners include Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan, country superstar Jason Aldean and outlaw country star Eric Church. Plan to arrive early for the official Fan Fest and Tailgate Party located directly outside Tiger Stadium, featuring music on the Bud Light Stage, festival food and a meetthe-musicians area. New this year is a general admission ticketed space at the Tiger Plaza that allows guests to enjoy the festive hangout area and attend all 3 days for only $100. Hotels are offering special rates. Information, bayoucountrysuperfest.com.

– Lisa LeBlanc-Berry

Louisiana Book Festival, Baton Rouge

Christmas on the River, Monroe-West Monroe

Hell Yes Fest Comedy Festival, New Orleans

Fire and Water Rural Arts Celebration (Le Feu et L’Eau), Arnaudville

Westwego Cypress Swamp Festival, Westwego Oak Street Po-Boy Festival, New Orleans Port Barre Cracklin Festival, Port Barre

December Christmas Under the Oaks, Sulphur Festival of the Bonfires, Lutcher Fall Harvest Festival, Grant

Noel Acadien au Village, Lafayette Celebration in the Oaks, New Orleans Delcambre Christmas Boat Parade, Delcambre Christmas Festival of Lights, Natchitoches Plaquemines Parish Fair and Orange Festival, Buras

DUTY “ AND THE BEAST Benjamin Butler’s Occupation of New Orleans

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t has always been a historical fact that in time of war, cities will undergo occupation by the enemy. The Civil War was no exception; as the Union Army drove ever further into the South, major cities were besieged, conquered, and in some instances, destroyed. And while New Orleans was spared the devastation visited upon Atlanta, Charleston and Richmond, its occupation was overseen by a man who became one of the most hated Union officers in the entire war. In four years of bloody conflict, no other name inspired

B y R o n S o o da l ter

such Southern loathing as that of Benjamin Franklin Butler.

And yet, there had been a time before the war when Butler, as a Massachusetts lawyer and Democratic congressman, gave every indication of being the South’s best friend. He opposed abolition, voted pro-slavery when the occasion arose, and at the 1860 Democratic National Convention in Charleston, S.C., he supported the candidacy of Jefferson Davis, who went on to become the president of the Confederacy less than a year later. Butler was not, however, indiscriminate in his views; he

j strongly disapproved of secession, proclaiming at the beginning of the war, “I was always a friend of Southern rights but not Southern wrongs.”

As a politically appointed general when the war began, Butler seemed to court controversy wherever he went. Somewhere along the line, he had had a change of heart regarding slavery. In 1861, after assuming military control of Fort Monroe, Va., he became the first Yankee commander to refuse to return to their masters the slaves who had fled to the Union lines. The word soon spread, and “Fortress Freedom,”

”

Benjamin Franklin Butler, pictured in the political cartoon above, directed the capture of New Orleans and was then responsible for its administration. He had issued a number of curious orders, but this cartoon refers to Butler’s General Order No. 28, which stated that if any woman should insult or show contempt for any officer or soldier of the Union, she shall be regarded and shall be held liable to be treated as a “woman of the town plying her avocation” – in other words, a prostitute. This order provoked protests from both sides, as well as abroad, and led to his removal from command of the Department of the Gulf on December 17, 1862. He was nicknamed “Beast Butler” or alternatively, “Spoons Butler,” the latter nickname derived for his alleged habit of pilfering the silverware of Southern homes in which he stayed.

as Monroe came to be called, became a destination for thousands of runaway slaves, with Butler as their Moses.

Then, in early 1862, Butler participated in the capture of the vital port city of New Orleans. On May 1, he was named military governor of the city, and it was here that he inspired the greatest controversy – and hatred.

Although he spent his own money to help feed the starving populace, his manner of dealing with the local opposition was direct and, at times, harsh. His first proclamation placed New Orleans under martial law. When the newspaper True Delta refused to carry Union military notices, Butler shut it down, as he did the Picayune, when it ran an editorial that offended him. He confiscated the Commercial Bulletin when its editor published an obituary favorable to his own father, who had died in the service of the Confederate Army. When the mayor was found to be supporting a Rebel military company, Butler had him put in prison. He suspended the uncooperative city council and confiscated and auctioned off the goods of merchants who refused to sell to Union soldiers.

And in June, he executed a man for tearing down the Union flag.

On the other hand, he forbade looting and allowed the post office and railroads to function, keeping the city’s residents connected to the outside world. He thinned the number of troops in the city in an effort to relieve some of the tension. And he advocated lifting the Union blockade, to allow much-needed food and supplies to enter the city.

Still, there was no way he could mollify New Orleans’ outraged residents. So hated was the general that the citizens used chamber pots with his likeness at the bottom. Nothing he did, however, so stirred up the locals as his Order 28, known more familiarly as the “Woman Order.” The women of New Orleans habitually scorned the Yankee soldiers

in the most offensive ways – spitting at them, “turning their backsides,” hiking the hems of their skirts when Union troops passed, as though avoiding filth.

Finally, a woman went too far; she emptied a chamber pot on the head of Admiral David Farragut, who happened to be passing below.

Butler immediately issued an order stating that any woman who displayed the poor manners to insult a Union soldier, either by her words or her actions, would be regarded as a common prostitute, or as the order phrased it, “a woman of the town plying her avocation.” Had he planned it for years, Butler could not have found a more effective way to strike at the Southerners’ chivalric view of unassailable womanhood. The shock waves extended past the city, to the Confederate capital at Richmond, where an apoplectic President Jefferson Davis fumed, calling Butler nothing short of “brutal.” Butler’s order was read in Rebel army camps to an outraged military. The repercussions were felt across the sea in England. British Prime Minister Lord Palmerston fumed, “[A]n Englishman must blush to think that such an act has been committed by one belonging to the Anglo-Saxon race.” The London Times referred to the order as “intolerable brutality,” and Foreign Secretary Lord Russell sent an envoy to lodge a protest with Secretary of State William Seward – who sided with Butler. Newspapers in the North published cartoons, many showing Butler in a sympathetic light, while the Southern papers depicted him in accordance with his new nickname – “Beast.” One Southern newspaper went so far as to place a reward of $10,000 on Butler’s head. In New Orleans, however, the “Woman’s Order” resulted in a much more chastened and tractable female population.

Ultimately, it was neither Butler’s strict – if unique – approach to military

discipline nor his notorious Order 28 that brought about the end of his reign. It was an ever-increasing spate of accusations that Butler and his staff were corrupt. A believer in living well regardless of the situation, Butler had ensconced himself in the luxurious St. Charles Hotel and availed himself of the best the city had to offer. Never one to pass up an opportunity to make a dollar, he profited handsomely from the confiscation and sale of cotton, as well as the property of the thousands who refused to swear an oath of allegiance to the Union. No one who knew Butler would have been surprised; he was virtually shameless in his pursuit of profit. At the very beginning of the war, Butler had secured highly lucrative contracts for his own Massachusetts textile mills to manufacture cloth for the Northern war effort, and now, he was taking advantage of what the circumstances in Louisiana had to offer.

Butler’s love of the good life provoked rumors that he had personally raided the larders of New Orleans’ First Families, and stories of pilfered silverware inspired a new nickname, “Spoons.” Inevitably, allegations of corruption made their way to Washington, and although none of them could be proved against Butler personally, the taint was unmistakable – and unacceptable. In December 1862, he was removed from military command of New Orleans.

In the two years following his abdication, Butler displayed consistently poor military ability, and eventually President Abraham Lincoln removed him from military command. After the war, he went on to win elections as a Massachusetts congressman and governor, and in 1884, he actually did make a run at the presidency. But to the citizens of New Orleans, and of the post-bellum South in general, Benjamin Franklin Butler would always be the Beast. n

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With apartments starting at $1,563, The Oaks lifestyle is surprisingly affordable and full of options. From independent living to assisted living to total care and short-term rehabilitation, residents are assured a continuum of care as their needs change.

Learn more at oaksofla.com.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. for both men and women. Particularly in Louisiana, the prevalence of obesity and diabetes means that our communities are at a greater risk of heart disease.

Although cardiovascular disease greatly affects our area, many people have misconceptions about the disease. One common misconception is that heart disease only affects the elderly. But nearly 150,000 Americans who die from cardiovascular disease each year are under the age of 65, according to the American Heart Association. In fact, one out of every 20 people under the age of 40 has heart disease!

Here’s how you can reduce your risk: • Quit smoking.

• Eat a heart-healthy diet.

• Control high blood pressure and diabetes.

•Get active.

•Maintain a healthy weight.

•Manage stress.

•Get regular health screenings.

With 14 locations throughout South Louisiana, Cardiovascular Institute of the South has an international reputation for providing state-of-the-art cardiovascular care and is known as a world-leader in preventing and treating both cardiovascular and peripheral vascular disease. To learn more, call CIS at 1-800-425-2565 or visit www.cardio.com.

One’s health care can be tough to prioritize at times, despite the fact that good health is of the utmost importance. In this busy world, working adults can find it difficult to care for their own health, much less that of their aging parents. It’s important for everyone to start conversations about wellbeing with family members and try to make it a collective family priority. Fortunately, Louisiana is full of resources to help families with aging members, from health care providers and active adult communities to health benefits and education.

Learn more about the resources available near you with the following leaders in their fields.

The Oaks of Louisiana (ages 55+) active adult community in southeast Shreveport is designed with its residents’ needs in mind.

Whether they still get to work by 9 or retirement is their new “career,” residents enjoy maintenance-free living with luxurious amenities and daily activities designed to accommodate their schedules and for them to enjoy as they choose.

60 | Louisiana Life March/April 2014

The 312-acre gated campus, which features beautiful vistas of plants, wildlife and two lakes, is more than a community. It is a lifestyle – gathering with friends after a long day at work in Grumpy’s pub; getting a good workout at the Spa & Wellness Center before joining friends for an afternoon book review; hosting a dinner party for a night of fine dining in one of the private dining venues.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana has been providing health insurance to the residents of Louisiana since 1934. As the oldest Louisiana health insurer, Blue Cross is dedicated to ensuring Louisianians have access to affordable, quality care and the information they need to make educated choices. The company, which is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, is headquartered in Baton Rouge, and has regional offices in Alexandria, Houma, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Monroe, New Orleans and Shreveport.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is Louisiana-owned and –operated and insures one out of every four Louisianians.

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It is a private, fully taxed mutual company, owned by its policyholders—not stockholders. The company and its subsidiaries offer a full line of health insurance products for both individuals and groups and hold accreditations from top national health care standards organizations.

Blue Cross offers plans for all ages. To learn more, call a Blue Cross agent or visit www.bcbsla.com.

part of the aging process. Others have suffered a stroke or illness that has left them unsteady, and they feel that they just have to live with it,” adds Vedros.

At the Rehabilitation Center of Thibodaux Regional, therapists design individualized programs utilizing the newest technology

to effectively treat balance issues. The technology is helping aging patients with balance problems such as dizziness, unsteadiness and falls.

To learn more about the Rehabilitation Center of Thibodaux Regional, visit www.thibodaux.com. •

The Rehabilitation Center of Thibodaux Regional, located in Lafourche Parish, offers a comprehensive balance program designed to resolve, reduce or prevent impairments in individuals while developing effective, specific treatment programs for each individual.

“A great deal of research has been conducted that supports the effectiveness of balance training in the geriatric and neurologically impaired populations,” says Lauren Vedros, PT, DPT, a physical therapist at Thibodaux Regional’s Outpatient Rehabilitation Center. “Many people go through their days feeling unsteady and afraid of falling, but think that it is a normal

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signature dishes Here’s some food for thought: isn’t it about time to try a new recipe? Louisiana’s food industry is unlike any other, with unique markets, spices and seasonal products. Try something new this spring and hunt down the perfect ingredients for your new favorite dishes. Try freshening up old recipes by substituting new proteins or vegetable combinations, or try experimenting with new sauces and seasonings. Louisiana’s food landscape offers endless options for the ever-expanding palate.

Donny Rouse hunted down the perfect ducks for Rouses customers and found them on a family farm located in Tangipahoa Parish. Chappapeela Farms in Husser, LA, is the only duck farm in the South, and they cleave to tradition: ducks are fed an all-natural grain diet with no antibiotics and allowed to forage on natural vegetation. Chappapeela Farms’ prized ducks were once reserved for high-end restaurants, but Rouses now brings these rich, uniquely flavored local birds to customers. Visit Rouses.com.

Chappapeela Farms Duck Taco with Port- Cherry Sauce For tortillas: •3 cup masa harina (tortilla flour) •2 1/4 cups warm water or vegetable stock Combine tortilla flour and water in a large bowl and knead with your hands until a uniform dough forms. Pinch off enough dough to form a 3/4-inch ball.

(Dough should be moist but not sticky when formed into a ball. If necessary, knead a little more tortilla flour or water into dough.) Form remaining dough into 3/4-inch balls. Put all of the dough balls in a plate and cover with plastic to keep them from drying out. Flatten dough balls with a tortilla press of roll them out in-between two pieces of parchment paper.

Cook until brown, about 30 to 45 seconds.

Turnover and cook about more seconds 45 seconds. You want the tortilla slightly brown but not too dark. Keep tortillas in folded cloth to keep warm and moist.

Make more tortillas, stacking them in cloth.

62 | Louisiana Life March/April 2014

Toppings • Sliced fresh avacodo or your favorite guacamole recipe •2 6-ounce “Chappapeela Farms” duck breast halves– recipe follows •Crumbled fresh goat cheese •Favorite red salsa Duck Breast Marinade •1 cup soy sauce •1 cup Sherry Port – Cherry Sauce •12 frozen dark sweet cherries, thawed, halved •1 cup chicken stock •1 cup beef stock •1/2 cup ruby Port •1 fresh thyme sprig •1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 teaspoons water •1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, cut into1/2inch pieces, room temperature Marinate the Breast: Whisk soy sauce and Sherry in medium bowl to blend. Using sharp knife, make

diagonal cuts at 1/2-inch intervals in duck skin (not through meat). Place duck, skin side up, in s baking dish. Pour marinade over breast and marinate in refrigerator for 6 hours.

For Sauce: Bring cherries, chicken and beef stock, Port and thyme to boil in heavy medium saucepan over high heat and reduce to about ½ cup.

To cook the Breast: Meanwhile, heat heavy large skillet over medium heat. Remove duck breast from marinade. Add duck breasts, skin side down, to skillet. Cook until skin is crispy, about 10 minutes. Turn duck over and continue cooking to desired doneness, about 5 minutes for medium. Add cornstarch mixture to Port-cherry sauce.

Bring to simmer, whisking constantly. Add butter 1 piece at a time, whisking until butter is melted before adding next piece.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Build Taco: Warm Tacos in slightly damp towel in microwave or oven Add avocado or guacamole to the bottom of your tortilla, add a little salsa, thin sliced duck breast, crumble a little goat cheese on top, Spoon a little cherry sauce over the top of taco and eat immediately. •

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regional travel:

louisiana’s neighbors await

Are the blue skies of spring beckoning you to the great outdoors? Hit the road this season and visit some of Louisiana’s surrounding neighbors. See what Texas, Arkansas, and Mississippi have to offer with just a short drive across Louisiana’s borders. Art enthusiasts, history buffs, outdoor adventurers, and even festival goers can all explore new territory with the following events and destinations just a hop, skip and jump away. The roads have thawed and flowers are blooming.

Set out for a spring vacation, and don’t forget to stop and smell the roses!

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Brenham-Washington County Texas

Travel the gently rolling terrain of the Brenham-Washington County, Texas, area and feel echoes of a time long past. At Washington-on-theBrazos State Historic Site, Stephen F. Austin’s revolutionaries drafted the declaration of independence from Mexico, and 2014 marks its 178th anniversary.

While there, explore a replica of Independence Hall, a working 1850s farm, Star of the Republic Museum and a superb Visitor Center.

The villages of Independence and Chappell Hill provide terrific small town excursions, including museums and walking trails. In Burton, history is alive at the Texas Cotton Gin Museum, the “Official Cotton Gin Museum of Texas.”

Brenham’s restored historic downtown includes a state-of-the-art Visitor Center in the 1925 Simon Theatre building. Shopping and dining options are the focus as visitors stroll down the streets or enjoy watching the world go by from a comfortable park bench. The home of Blue Bell Creameries, Brenham is where the “best ice cream in the country” is made.

Washington County boasts three wineries and the stunning Antique Rose Emporium, known internationally for its “found” antique roses.

For more info and destinations, check out VisitBrenhamTexas.com.

Discover fun, relaxation and adventure in the southernmost region of The Natural State.

Explore the famous downtown charm of El Dorado, Arkansas, or savor local

El Dorado, Arkansas

culture at exciting events like MusicFest El Dorado, Showdown at Sunset and the Mayhaw Festival. Don’t forget to soak up breathtaking natural beauty at the nearby Ouachita River, or at the Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge!

At the nearby Historic Washington State Park, Civil War-period buildings and fun-filled educational activities delight visitors of all kinds. As part of the National Register of Historic Places, this vibrant destination brings history to life. If your action-packed Arkansas getaway allows time for one last adventure, the historic birthplace of former president Bill Clinton is located in the nearby town of Hope.

With lively festivals and exhilarating outdoor activities, spring is the perfect time to experience southern Arkansas.

For more information and to order a free Vacation Planning Kit, visit Arkansas.com or call 1-800-NATURAL. Located on the campus of West Texas A&M University, the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum (PPHM) is the largest history museum in Texas, with over two million artifacts dedicated to preserving this area’s past. PPHM offers visitors a chance to step into panhandle history with special exhibits, a permanent collection, Pioneer Town, cell phone tours, educational tours, special events and more.

Throughout 2014, PPHM will present six exhibitions emphasizing the significant role of women. Like all history, the story of the women of the West is as complex and varied as the people who lived it.

Photos Courtesy VisitBrenhamTexas.com; Arkansas.com; VisitJackson.com

Jackson, Mississippi

We are pleased to present a small part of that story and hope that it will stimulate thought about the women who helped us get where we are today. This program is made possible in part by a grant from Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

For more information about PPHM’s admission, The Women of the West exhibitions, special events and more, visit www.panhandleplains.org.

Cross into the hilly landscape of Jackson, Mississippi, this spring and keep the party going! On March 15th, Jackson hosts the 31st annual worldfamous Mal’s St. Paddy’s Parade, also known as Jackson’s “green Mardi Gras.”

Attracting over 60,000 visitors from around the world, Mal’s St. Paddy’s Parade celebrates the rebirth of Mississippi’s capital city with a parade, music, street dance, children’s activities, a run, pet parade and so much more.

Fun follows March 20-23rd with the Zippity Doo Dah Parade in Fondren, the historic arts district in the heart of Jackson.

Inspired by the works of Jill Conner Browne’s Sweet Potato Queens novels, Zippity Doo Dah is a humor-infused celebration of freedom.

Between June 14-29, the dance world comes to Jackson, MS, as the official international ballet competition for the U.S., celebrating 35 years.

For more destinations, events and information, go to visitjackson.com. •

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take an informative walk through the past while viewing the farming equipment of yesteryear and learning the importance of crawfish and rice to the region.

See why Rayne, LA, home of the annual Frog Festival, is both “The Frog Capital of the World” and the “Louisiana City of Murals.” Similarly, check out the Buggy Festival at “The Buggy Capital of the World,” also known as Church Point, LA, and visit the Le Vieux Presbytere Museum with bousillage, mud walls. Roberts Cove, LA, is home to the German Heritage Museum and the popular Germanfest. For more information, events, destinations and festival dates check out AcadiaTourism.org or call 877-783-2109.

louisiana destinations March has arrived, and with March comes Louisiana’s favorite outdoor season: spring!

Louisiana bustles with events during this time of year and is sure to be busy this month after such a long, cold winter. Festivals ring in as the No. 1 thing to do across the state this season, with sightseeing as a close second. Don’t forget to add eating, shopping and dancing to the mix! Preview the following spring options and plan a weekend trip for you and your nearest and dearest. Louisiana is no doubt one of the more exciting states to explore while the area regains its green hue and returns to blue-sky, breezy days.

Parishes, Cities & Towns Webster Parish, in the piney hills of Northwest Louisiana, is a beautiful destination for a safe, fun and familyfriendly outing. Just 30 miles east of Shreveport, off Interstate 20 (exit 47), the natural beauty and historic charms of the region draw visitors, festival-goers and even professional filmmakers.

This spring, Webster Parish warms up with cultural celebrations and other springtime events. Celebrate spring in April with the Scottish Tartan Festival and “Chicken Stock” Spring Arts Festival, both in Minden. On April 5th, the Scottish Tartan Festival returns for its 13th year and highlights Louisiana’s Scottish heritage with Celtic music, dancing, food and sporting demonstrations. On April 26th, enjoy art in all of its forms at the “Chicken Stock” Spring Arts Festival presented by Cultural Crossroads at the 66 | Louisiana Life March/April 2014

Farm located at the 417 East Union in Minden.

Other springtime events in Webster Parish include the Trails & Trellises Garden Tour and Seminars in Minden (April 26), and the 12th Annual Burn Run at Lake Bistineau State Park (April 11-12), a benefit for the Ark-La-Tex Children’s Burn Camp.

For more information on Webster Parish festivals and fun, call 1.800.2MINDEN or check out www.visitwebster.net.

Just off I-10 and west of Lafayette lies the “Cajun Prairie,” Acadia Parish, an area known for its unique attractions, numerous year-round festivals and rich history and folklore. In Crowley, home of the International Rice Festival, tour the Rice Interpretive Center, the Historic Crowley Ford Motor Company, built in 1920, as well as the J.D. Miller Recording Studio. Travel the Zydeco Cajun Prairie Byway and visit Kelly’s Landing Agricultural Museum to

St. Martin Parish draws visitors year round with its welcoming hospitality, world-class music and famous local cuisine. Accommodations offerings include beautiful B&Bs, cabins, campgrounds and chain hotels. Breaux Bridge offers an array of shopping, antiquing and worldrenowned hot spots like the famous Zydeco Breakfast at Cafe des Amis or Cajun music and dancing nightly at Pont Breaux’s Cajun Restaurant. The Henderson area, at the edge of the Atchafalaya Basin, offers airboat and swamp tours and great family-owned restaurants such as Robins Restaurant and Crawfish Town USA. On Sundays, Dancing on the Levee starts at McGee’s Landing at noon, ventures to Whiskey River for Zydeco and ends the night at Pat’s Atchafalaya Club. St. Martinville plays host to countless festivals and quaint cafes in the beautiful downtown district. Take heritage tours at Acadian Memorial, African American Museum and Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic Site.

Highlights of year-round festivals and events include the Newcomer’s Mardi Gras Parade, the Acadiana Memorial Festival, the Parks Cracklin Cookoff, the Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival and the Creole Zydeco Festival, among many others. See “where Cajun began,” and visit CajunCountry.org.

For a serene escape into a place of beauty, visit Iberville Parish, an historical Louisiana gem tucked between the quiet swamps of the Atchafalaya Basin and the bustling capital of Baton Rouge. Step through time and elegance at one of the

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many magnificent antebellum homes like Nottoway Plantation, the South’s largest remaining antebellum mansion located in White Castle. Other historical attractions include The Plaquemine Lock State Historic Site, The Hansen’s Disease Museum in Carville, The Iberville Museum and the majestic St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, the purest example of Italian Romanesque architecture in the South.

With so many beautiful diverse waterways, fishing and bird watching opportunities are endless, making it a premier outdoor getaway in the heart of the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area. Enjoy a relaxing golf outing at one of Louisiana’s most popular courses, The Island, located in Plaquemine. End your day by dining along the mighty Mississippi and enjoying fresh seafood with a Louisiana sunset at Roberto’s River Road Restaurant located in Sunshine. For more destinations and events, go to VisitIberville.com.

Visit the KONRIKO® Company Store and tour Conrad Rice Mill, America’s oldest operating rice mill. Discover Iberia’s history and industries at the Jeanerette Museum; Bayou Teche Museum; and Shadows-on-the-Teche Plantation Home and Gardens, the first National Trust for Historic Preservation® property in the Gulf South. Watch a salt mine swallow a lake at Jefferson Island Rip Van Winkle Gardens.

Stroll along Bayou Teche and New Iberia’s national award-winning Main Street and Historic District, captured in the famed Dave Robicheaux novels by New Iberia native and award-winning author James Lee Burke. Antique Rose Ville welcomes you to smell 100 varieties of roses.

Spring events abound! Enjoy Shadows Arts & Crafts Fair, Cajun Hot Sauce Festival, artwalks, rodeos, live theatre, cook-offs, concerts in the park and more.

For information, call 888-942-3742 or visit www.iberiatravel.com.

Savor the difference in Iberia Parish — New Iberia, Avery Island, Jefferson Island, Jeanerette, Loreauville and Delcambre, located in the midst of the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area. Experience the heat at Avery Island’s world-famous TABASCO® Factory, Country Store and Jungle Gardens.

Find your next adventure in Central Louisiana. Use your outdoor voice and explore Central Louisiana during the Central Louisiana Outdoor Adventure Festival taking place the entire month of March. Sporting events include 5Ks, night runs, trail runs, color runs, a disc golf

tournament, a golf tournament, a soccer tournament and a softball tournament.

Art events include Tom Peyton Memorial Arts Festival, Youth Art Month Festival, and Second Saturday Market. Fairs and festivals include Louisiana Nursery Festival, Cotile Trade Days, Historic House Fair and Sprint ArtWalk. Concerts include Rapides Symphony Orchestra’s Spring is in the Air, Zyd-ABAAM – a Zydeco concert, and Worship on the River.

The festival, developed after Alexandria was named one of “America’s Top 100 Adventure Towns,” focuses on the variety of outdoor adventures available in Central Louisiana.

Learn more about the Festival at www. outdooradventurefestival.com. Visit www.

AlexandriaPinevilleLA.com or call 800-5519546 to plan your trip today.

Come for the fun; stay for the experience! Avoyelles Parish invites you to “Experience Lundi Gras” at Bailey’s on the Square, Monday, March 3. Doors open at 5 p.m., $10 per person, cash bar and snacks are available for purchase, all to benefit Moncla Community Center.

Additionally, you are invited to visit the Egg Knocking Capital of Louisiana for traditional “Egg Pacquing.” Effie and Cottonport celebrate on Easter Saturday. Contests of all sorts, family fun, food and music await you and all build up to the great, famous Egg Knocking Competition. Stay for the night and compete again the next morning on the Historic Courthouse Square, where egg registration begins at 9 a.m. and competition follows.

Visit the Marksville State Historic Site while in town. Walk through 39 acres, where our Native American ancestors danced on ceremonial mounds and view the ancient burial mounds.

A museum focused on prehistoric Native American culture and customs is also on site located at 837 Martin Luther King Drive in Marksville.

Cafe des Amis Photo Courtesy Louisiana Office of Tourism

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Houma offers an experience blended with rich history, breathtaking and sometimes stunning scenery and a thriving culture that contributes to the distinct fabric of Louisiana. From world-class fishing, birding and hunting, to swamp tours and museums and festivals that demonstrate how our culture adapted to the water, Houma promises every visitor will experience the flavor, the spirit and wild nature that inhabit Louisiana’s Bayou Country.

Get outdoors and enjoy the weather at one of Houma’s spring festivals.

Southdown Marketplace is set for April 12 at Southdown Plantation, 1208 Museum Drive. Sponsored by the Terrebonne Historical & Cultural Society, the one-day arts and crafts festival features handmade gifts, keepsakes, décor and much more.

Cajun foods served. Admission is $5 for adults; children under 12 years of age admitted free. Additional fees apply for food and museum tours. For more information, call 985-851-1054.

Showcasing its history through Native American ceremonial mounds, French privateer dealings and plantation farming, the town of Jean Lafitte offers visitors a unique look at the early days of Louisiana.

Located in Jefferson Parish on Bayou Barataria, Jean Lafitte is now home to the 6,000-square-foot Lafitte’s Barataria Museum & Wetland Trace that tells the 200-yearold story of this historic fishing village 20 miles southwest of New Orleans. Featuring a multi-media theatre presentation, an animated museum exhibition and a nature study trail, the museum leads visitors on a journey through the life of pirate Jean Lafitte, the stories and folk traditions of wetland dwellers and the realities of coastal erosion and natural and man-made disasters. At the end of the exhibit, visitors emerge to a mileand-half cypress swamp trail leading to a bayou, rookery and marsh area, filled with alligators, snakes, turtles and exotic birds.

For more information on Jean Lafitte and Lafitte’s Barataria Museum and Wetland Trace, visit TownofJeanLafitte.com or call 504-689-2208. Call the museum at 504-689-7009.

Jean Lafitte’s Barataria Museum & Wetland Ttrace

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Surrounded by the waters of Bayou Teche, Atchafalaya River and the Atchafalaya Swamp Basin, the Cajun Coast in St. Mary Parish is known for its natural splendor and “road less traveled” atmosphere.

There’s no better way to spend a day than exploring the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area or winding along the Bayou Teche Scenic Byway. Cajun Jack’s Swamp Tours take visitors through the Atchafalaya Basin, the largest overflow swamp in the U.S., or you can experience the wilderness by paddling through the Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge.

Golfers won’t want to miss a chance to hit the Atchafalaya at Idlewild, which was rated the No. 1 golf course in Louisiana by Golfweek Magazine in 2008 and 2009.

This winter and spring, St Mary Parish is alive with festivals and events including Mardi Gras, the Eagle Expo (Feb. 20–22), the Cypress Sawmill Festival (April 4-6), the Bayou Teche Black Bear Festival (April 11-13) and the Bayou Teche Wooden Boat Show (April 11-13). For more information, visit cajuncoast.com.

Experience the southern charm of North Louisiana by visiting Ruston & Lincoln Parish, home to the Louisiana Peach Festival. Mark your calendars now for June 27-28, and attend the 64th anniversary of this historic festival. The music lineup has been extended to Friday and Saturday nights with performances from the Molly Ringwalds, Swamp Donky, Chubby Carrier and rising country star Dylan Scott.

All your favorite festival food vendors will be showcased, as well as activities like the Peach Parade, antique car show, arts and craft booths, fair, peach eating contest and so much more. While you’re in the area, don’t forget to stop by local restaurants and try their signature peach items during the week of the festival.

For more information about Ruston and Lincoln Parish and upcoming events, visit experienceruston.com. For more Peach Festival highlights, follow their blog at rustonlincolncvb.blogspot.com.

Spring means unbeatable weather in Lafourche Parish, and with unbeatable weather comes a smattering of events, outdoor festivals and exciting things to do and see.

Head to Nicholls State University campus March 21-23 for the Louisiana Swamp Stomp Festival, which features regional music, dance, food, arts and crafts, as well as cultural educational opportunities.

On Saturday, March 29, make plans to attend the Leeville Arts & Heritage Festival held at Boudreaux’s Waterfront Motel. The all-day event features a cultural cooking competition, demonstrations, live music, an arts market, paddling and plenty of food.

Bayou Cajun Fest takes place at the Larose Civic Center & Regional Park April 4-6 and features a carnival midway and Cajun food, music and dancing.

The Bateau de Bois Festival keeps alive the art and craft of boat building with special old-time, handmade boat exhibits, woodworking techniques, decoy carving, art and more on Saturday, April

Photo Courtesy Louisiana Office of Tourism

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12 in Lockport at the Center for Louisiana Traditional Boat-building.

Additionally, don’t forget to take the kids to the new Bayou Country Children’s Museum in Thibodaux for a day full of fun and adventure.

For more information, events, and destinations, go to VisitLafourche.com.

St. Tammany Parish, aka “Louisiana’s Northshore,” is a great getaway spot known for scenic beauty and charming towns. Experience boutique shopping and art galleries, the primeval beauty of the Honey Island Swamp and a vibrant, diverse culinary scene.

The Northshore outdoors is accessible to all ages and abilities – walk the Northlake Nature Center boardwalk, paddle Lake Pontchartrain, catch trophy trout or kayak Cane Bayou.

Thirsty? St. Tammany Parish is home to more craft breweries than any other in Louisiana. Currently nine breweries across the state are highlighted by the Louisiana Brewery Trail, and the Northshore has three: Abita Brewing Company, Chafunkta Brewing Company and the Covington Brewhouse.

Plan on visiting this summer and experience events like the Abita Springs Opry and Pontchartrain Vineyards Jazz’n the Vines Outdoor Concert Series, the Louisiana Bicycle Festival, the Slidell Heritage Festival and the Lacombe Crab Festival.

For a complete listing, visit LouisianaNorthshore.com/la_life.

Lafayette is an exciting place in the spring as festivals and events can be enjoyed practically every weekend.

The Rodrigue Gallery in Lafayette is featuring George Rodrigue: Memorial Retrospective, a survey of Rodrigue’s work curated by the artist’s family. In March, things heat up downtown with the Bach Lunch and Downtown Alive! concert series.

The Scott Boudin Festival, April 4-6, is a family-oriented weekend with bands, Cajun food, arts and crafts, carnival rides and a boudin-eating contest. The Dewey Balfa Cajun and Creole Heritage Week, April 5-10, is a cultural immersion event with classes and workshops on Cajun and Creole music, culture, language and cuisine.

Gardening enthusiasts enjoy the Festival des Fleurs Garden Show and Sale, April 12-13. Lafayette’s premier spring event, Festival International de Louisiane, is Photo Courtesy LouisianaNorthshore.com

Honey Island Swamp

held downtown April 23-27. It combines the best in international music, visual arts, theater, dance and cuisine from the Francophone world with Louisiana’s own artistic expressions.

No matter when you visit Lafayette, authentic Cajun food and music can be found at numerous locally owned restaurants and unique music venues. For more information on all the Lafayette area has to offer, visit www.Lafayette.travel.

Louisiana Destinations In Bossier City, located along the picturesque banks of the Red River is a shopping, dining and entertainment mecca full of store favorites, tasty dining options and family-friendly entertainment. Host to dozens of retailers, The Outlets at Louisiana Boardwalk has brand -name stores for everyone, from the rustic outdoorsman and clothing specialties for the little ones, to the teen looking for the hottest styles and brands. The Outlets at Louisiana Boardwalk brims with activity year-round. With special events, an IMAX stadium seating movie theater, arcade and carousel, kids can play while adults enjoy the decadent dining, peaceful shopping or a romantic evening stroll along the river and fountains.

This spring, stock up on all the latest fashions, gifts and gadgets. From salon and spa treatments to clothing and

sporting goods, The Outlets at Louisiana Boardwalk’s numerous retailers cover every need with up to 65 percent off brands like Banana Republic Factory Store, Carter’s, Kay Jewelers and Nike Factory Store.

Nestled conveniently near ShreveportBossier’s vibrant downtown, The Outlets at Louisiana Boardwalk is the perfect destination for shopping and fun in North Louisiana. Visit LouisianaBoardwalk. com for more information, event listings and store directory.

Enjoy Louisiana’s refreshing spring weather with a stroll around LSU’s historic campus, home of the LSU Foundation.

The 2,000-acre property, nestled in South Baton Rouge, is defined by an Italian Renaissance character marked by red pan tile, overhanging eaves and honey-colored stucco. Dedicated in 1926, the current campus includes 46 buildings that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Recently named a Tree Campus USA by the Arbor Day Foundation, and one of the 20 best campuses in America in Thomas Gaines’ The Campus as a Work of Art, LSU’s enviable landscape history began in the 1930s when landscape artist Steele Burden planted many of the live oaks and magnolia trees. The roughly 1,200 towering oaks have been valued at $50 million and are supported through the LSU Foundation’s Endow an Oak program.

With myriad architectural and natural beauties, several museums and year-round LouisianaLife.com | 69

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select works from museums across the U.S. including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Houston Museum of Fine Arts and the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery.

For more information, please visit the museum’s Web site, www.lsumoa.org, or call the museum at 225-389-7200.

French Market

theater, art and athletic events, opportunities abound to experience Louisiana’s flagship university. Visit www.lsufoundation.org to learn more about what the school and campus have to offer.

Tomato Festival, plus ongoing weekly and monthly culinary and concert series, it’s easy to see why “It’s always festival season at the French Market”. Visit www.frenchmarket.org.

The French Market District is comprised of a scenic six-block stretch along the Mississippi River in New Orleans from Café du Monde to the farmers and flea markets, and also includes The Shops at the Upper Pontalba on Jackson Square. Stroll this eclectic “neighborhood within a neighborhood” to experience historic architecture, al fresco dining, live music, boutique retail shopping, and plenty of affordable, eclectic souvenirs. Three parking lots, two streetcar stops, and easily accessible horse-drawn carriages and pedicabs make this a relaxing and manageable destination.

The entire French Market District is open seven days a week, 365 days a year, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., (with some restaurants open later). With live music daily at restaurants, free special events on weekends, annual festivals such as the French Market Creole

This March through summer, the LSU Museum of Art captures cafés and nightlife of places like the Cotton Club and Savoy Ballroom through The Visual Blues. This exhibition encapsulates the rich interactions of Harlem Renaissance artists with the wealth of blues and jazz music emanating from the Deep South and moving north.

The Visual Blues opens at the Museum in downtown Baton Rouge on March 8, runs through July 13 and explores how artists and musicians blurred artistic boundaries, drew inspiration from one another and often contributed to each other’s art forms. The art scene in Harlem from 1919 to approximately 1940 provided a creative haven for African Americans and encouraged a melding of art, music, literature and poetry, giving rise to the term “Harlem Renaissance.” The exhibition presents

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Experience the charm of Louisiana’s oldest town all year around. Natchitoches, founded in 1714, is a quiet, distinctive destination, especially during Louisiana’s hectic Carnival season. Stroll the historic brick streets for great shopping and dining or step back in time as you leisurely drive along the Cane River National Heritage Trail to visit historic plantations and learn about the early French families who settled in the area.

A visit to Melrose Plantation will introduce you to the fascinating history of the Creoles and this well-known region located along the banks of the Cane River Lake. A wintertime visitor to Melrose will be regaled at the blooming of the Japanese Magnolia trees framing this historic home.

Natchitoches celebrates Mardi Gras on Saturday, February 9 with an evening parade through the Landmark Historic District. For a free visitor’s guide and information on year-round events, visit Natchitoches.net or call 800-259-1714.

Experience New Orleans’ Most Historic Neighbor, just five miles from the French Quarter. Start with a savory excursion along the historic San Bernardo National Scenic Byway, the perfect backdrop for a delectable lesson in St. Bernard culture, and enjoy a day of discovery.

Begin your adventure at the Visitor Center in the Old Arabi Historic District to pick up your Visitor’s Guide and gift before viewing the St. Bernard Sugar Museum. Then, journey past the Domino Sugar Refinery, which has been refining in St. Bernard for 104 years, and on to visit the nearby Chalmette Battlefield, site of the Battle of New Orleans. Stroll through an Antebellum home along the Mississippi River. Travel under a breathtaking quarter-mile stretch of canopied oak trees on your way to the Los Isleños Museum & Village, the last vestige of Spanish Colonial Louisiana. Enjoy lunch along the way at one of St. Bernard’s many local restaurants, offering a variety of fresh South Louisiana favorites.

Ready for delicious fun? Check out VisitStBernard.com or call 504-278-4242. • Photo Courtesy Louisiana Office of Tourism

What will your legacy be?

Throughout the upcoming months, Louisiana Life will profile the leaders of various industries, as part of a new advertising section called “Faces of Louisiana�.

If you would like to be named the face of your industry, please contact Kathryn Beck Sanderson at Kathryn@LouisianaLife.com.

around louisiana Events and Highlights / By Jeanne Frois

North

FRANKLIN PARISH’S CATFISH CARNIVALE Some people call them chuckleheads, river cats or mud cats.

Dipped and fried in a golden cornmeal batter with a crunchy side of hush puppies, catfish have become an immortal staple to downhome cooking south of the Mason Dixon line.

In North Louisiana where the delicious cuisine remains more true to traditional Southern fare from the more exotic and spicy food found in the southern half of the state, the catfish is most revered.

Geared to celebrate this fish with the whiskers on their fins, the town of Winnsboro in Franklin Parish hosts the largest one-day festival in the Bayou State.

Although it lies near the beautiful Ouachita River, a haven for catfish noodlers and anglers, the origins of the Franklin Parish Catfish Festival

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lie not in wildlife sportsmanship, but in the industry of aquaculture. While the oil industry in the 1980s bottomed out in Louisiana, Franklin Parish was experiencing a successful new emerging industry: aquaculture in the form of farm-raised catfish. The Wisner area was dotted with thousands of acres of man-made catfish ponds, and although only one processing plant existed at the time, blueprints for a second one and a feed mill were already in the works. The teeming success of the new venture inspired the idea of building a festival around the theme of catfish as a means to promote the town of Winnsboro and Franklin Parish.

In 1986, fishing around for ideas, leaders from the area held brainstorming sessions to angle their ideas for the formation of a festival.

Committees, chairpersons

and duties were assigned.

The Winnsboro Elementary School was the site of the first festival replete with food and craft booths, catfish plates cooked in the school cafeteria, Civil War reenactment and a 5-kilometer run combined with a lot of family-oriented fun. Attendance was marked at 6,000; by 1990, the festival drew nearly 20,000 people annually and mushroomed from the school grounds to take over the entire downtown district of Winnsboro. Three thousand pounds of catfish were fried, and 250 booth spaces were rented.

The festival continues to thrive; church groups fry most of the catfish while live, highquality gospel and country musicians keep the festivalgoers entertained. Thousands stroll the vibrant streets of Winnsboro partaking of the numerous food, craft and educational booths. Manned by local merchants and craftsmen, the booths are a means to promote local economy and raise funds for Franklin Parish nonprofit groups. In the past, traveling exhibits enjoyed by the crowds included the Blue Dog Exhibit at the Old Post Office Museum and the Moving Vietnam Wall Memoriam.

Children have enjoyed the engaging dog show and horsed riding provided by “Friends of Skidboot.”

Other festivities include

the GeauxFit Catfish Classic 5K Race, an antique car show, softball tournament and annual flower show.

Princess Theatre of Winnsboro The Princess Theatre in Winnsboro originated in 1925 and was later located to a building built in 1907. In 1985, due to a huge multiscreened theatre in Monroe’s Pecan Mall, it shut down.

Impassioned community members resurrected the old silent movie-era theater after Rowena Ramage donated it to the city. In 1993, renovations began on the beautiful old theater and transformed it into a lovely venue for live musical and theatrical entertainment as well as educational forums that continues through today.

In 2002 the Governor’s Arts Award program described it as the catalyst that transformed Winnsboro’s historic district, stating “it has transformed cultural opportunities in Northeast Louisiana and continues to be a model for success throughout the region.” n The Franklin Parish Catfish Festival will be held April 12. Visit franklinparishcatfishfestival.com Princess Theatre, 714 Prairie St., Winnsboro; (318) 435-6299.

around louisiana

Central

EGG-KNOCKING IN MARKSVILLE In 1956, during the mayoral term of Edgar Coco, and at his own suggestion, the town of Marksville in Avoyelles Parish passed a city ordinance concerning the practice of “Pacques Pacques.” Also known as egg-knocking on Easter Sunday morning – what was usually done informally between family and friends for generations – knocking dyed Easter eggs, usually tip to tip, to see which one would be the first to crack, became an official public event practiced each year in Marksville’s Courthouse Square. The name “Pacques,” French for Easter is also a throwback to the “pock-pock” sound the eggs make when they go huevo a huevo at one another. The owner of the cracked egg must forfeit his wounded warrior to the victor as a spoil of war and step down. This is no free-forall melee filled with shattered eggshells. To win the cash prize, egg-knocking contestants must first officially register in respective categories. When the call to start egg knocking is sounded, participants have been lined up in pairs and must knock egg to egg at the same time. Round after round, they go until – by the power of shattered elimination – the winner emerges triumphant Maida Owens photo

(without cracking up from the stress of the competition). It requires shells of steel.

This Marksville tradition beloved by children of all ages wasn’t the product of mid-century whimsical spring fever madness – whether you call it by its other names of egg-tapping or egg-jarping, the origins of this Easter competition began in medieval Europe as part of Easter festivals. During Pagan spring fêtes, the egg was considered a symbol of the rebirth of man. The first Christians used the egg to symbolize man’s spiritual rebirth through the death and resurrection of Christ at Easter. (The name Easter is a derivation from the name of the Teutonic goddess of spring, Eastre or Eostre.)

Egg-knocking is practiced in Croatia, England, Greece, the Netherlands, Germany and Romania. The older generations of Marksville used wildflowers, coffee grounds, berries, roots, even chimney soot to make dyes to color the eggs. If there’s ample competition among egg types, chicken, duck, turkey and guinea eggs can be entered in the contest.

In Marksville, preparations for the egg-knocking contest begin long before the church bells toll on Easter morning.

A deliberate scientific and selective approach has been utilized months before to find the perfect egg with the hardest shell that will shatter inferior eggs. No one would ever boil and dye store-bought eggs for this heat. Marksville residents who don’t keep their own chickens have coop connections with neighbors and friends who raise chickens.

Yard chickens may not be prolific egg layers, but given a good diet particularly rich in calcium and combined with all the fresh air outdoor exercise, they can produce some of the toughest of shells.

Hens especially need calcium, and caring chicken owners usually feed them food rich in vitamins, minerals and even bits of oyster shells. Seasoned knockers test the eggs for hardness by lightly tapping on their own teeth; the harder eggs make a high-pitched sound while a blunt sound spells doom for the egg.

Once the best eggs have been selected, careful preparation must follow. Slow boiling is a must to prevent eggs from rolling in the pot.

It’s best to boil the eggs point down, and some have found the best method is to just boil them in a cardboard egg carton. As an added measure of caution, the best eggs are also boiled in coffee grounds to add to their harder outer layer, then dyed in beautiful shades of blue, fuchsia, orange, purple, green and yellow. It’s a lovely sight on Easter morning to see people in their finery arrive at the courthouse with baskets filled with colored eggs while the sounds of laughter and happy chatter carries through the spring air like ribbons on an Easter bonnet. n Marksville Easter Egg Knocking Contest, Sunday, April 20, Marksville Courthouse Square, Mark Street, Marksville.

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around louisiana

Cajun Country

LAKE CHARLES CRAWFISH FEST One Good Friday evening when I was 13 and spending the Easter weekend in rural central Louisiana, I visited relatives whose home had two kitchens.

The first was large with many countertops, cabinets and very modern appliances; it was always empty of both people and food cooking. The second was a lower side room with a back door that was always open onto green farm fields.

It possessed a water heater; an old gas stove topped with a drip coffee pot; fridge; a small table and plenty of rocking chairs. The second kitchen was usually filled with family members and the smell of my Aunt Hazel’s divine cooking.

On this particular Good Friday night, her son Van introduced me to the joy of her delicious, unforgettable crawfish etouffee.

Years later, as an adult, it was my grave misfortune to develop an allergy to the little mudbug;

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however, one night when I smelled etouffee simmering in the black cast-iron skillet of my mother, I broke a long abstinence and ate three plates as if I had been starving for a month – it took three Benadryls to get the welts that covered me to subside. But for the moment, it had all been worth it.

In an article in this publication in 2007 titled “Our Native Critter: A History of Crawfish,” Stanley Dry notes that, while the Native Americans of early Louisiana not only embraced but introduced our beloved little mudbugs to European settlers, the Acadians were slow to warm up to crawfish.

Eschewing, not chewing, the delicacy found so prolifically throughout Cajun Country, the crawfish, presently considered synonymous with Cajun cuisine, did not rise to that prestigious level with the descendants of Acadia until the 1950s.

According to Dry, crawfish were once stigmatized as “poverty food.” Rural Louisianians during the Great Depression seemed to prefer to go hungry rather than heed the advice of Red Cross workers and government agencies that extolled the little crustacean as a viable and thrifty source of protein.

Indeed, minus the salt in boiled crawfish, and the heavy cream and butter ingredients of some crawfish dishes, crawfish are low in calories and filled with protein. Except for being served as bisques for the upper crust Acadians, less wealthy Cajuns only ate mudbugs boiled during the penitent season of Lent.

Ironically, in an area that once turned up its nose on crawfish, feelers and claws came full circle to burst into a resurrection of celebratory legend with dishes infused by the resourcefully flavorful genius of Cajun cookery: flaky crawfish pies, etouffees, stews, bisques and the treasure trove flung unceremoniously on a table’s surface – cayenne red crawfish, corn on the cob, new potatoes, garlic cloves, onions and lemons boiled together in spicy seasoned water, washed down with ice cold beer.

The joy this little critter brings to Louisiana – and now the world – was too large to contain to mere dining tables and kitchens. As though to make up for its former slight, Acadiana began to revere mudbugs with almost wild abandon.

April in Louisiana is an exquisite month filled with days beautifully etched in sunlight, profound blue skies and air scented with wisteria, jasmine and the warming earth. Since spring and crawfish go hand-inhand, each April The Original Downtown Lake Charles Crawfish Festival rocks the Southwest Louisiana town. This lovely, hospitable city hosts the festival that offers three days of mudbug mania. Wishing to keep the pot fires burning to let the world know it’s crawfish season, the festival is also dedicated to keep alive the history of the mudbug and the mighty way Louisiana has benefited from its industry. Additionally, the festival seeks to boost area vendors, restaurateurs, and craftsmen by renting booths only to the locals. It offers a midway carnival, art show and art walk throughout downtown Lake Charles galleries. Thrown into the mix is a parade, pageant, live music and “Conversation With the Greats,” which tells the history of Cajun and Creole culture.

And at the heart of the celebration is its cause – 10,000 pounds of boiled crawfish, a crawfish eating contest, etouffees, pies and a poster contest. n

The Original Downtown Lake Charles Crawfish Festival: April 11-13, 2014. (337) 310-0083, downtowncrawfest.com

around louisiana

Baton Rouge

BLUES FESTIVAL IN BATON ROUGE One very cold January night when I was 15, my elderly great uncle Paulin (“Paul”) died, and my mother and I traveled to his rural hometown for his wake and funeral. The night before the services, I slipped outside of another uncle’s home into the crystalline and pitch-black cold, and a black man in a khaki cap and work clothes appeared. He walked to my uncle’s house to pay respects, and I heard him weep because Uncle Paul had been so good to him. Then he disappeared into the darkness, and a few minutes later the sound of his singing carried through the air. It was an eerily beautiful and soulful sound of grief that mesmerized me. I didn’t know then I had just encountered my first taste of Swamp Blues in its purest form. I was to think of him later when I first heard the recordings of Muddy Waters and Slim Harpo.

The swamp blues movement was born in Baton Rouge and came to the foreground of the blues scene in the 1950s, largely due to the promotion of Crowleybased record producer J.D.

Miller. It was a different type of blues, a sub-genre with simple, plaintive lyrics that cut to the genuine heart of the matter. If your heart has been broken or you’ve fallen on troubled times, or just simply love someone to the gills, listening to it can be like sitting down to talk with a kindred spirit. I like to think that people who aren’t in denial understand and embrace Swamp Music. It has a lazy, laid-back tempo that flows as rhythmically as the Mississippi River, as though the echoes of soul, zydeco, Cajun and New Orleans blues were poured through a sieve to create it. It has an economy of percussion, haunting echoes, guitars played by someone who seemingly sold their soul to the devil and intense, strident harmonica work all of which can raise the hackles of your skin.

Artists like Slim Harpo and Lightnin’ Slim had national hits in the ‘60s.

Along with them the work of piano player Katie Smith, Lonesome Sundown, Lazy Lester, Silas Hogan, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown and Henry Gray reached across

the pond to influence the British Invasion of the ‘60s.

Their work was performed by the likes of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, Eric Clapton, the Kinks and the Yardbirds. Bob Dylan, whose earlier works were filled with intense guitar work and harmonica solos, as a teenager in Minnesota listened to an obscure radio station broadcast from New Orleans that played the blues.

Since 1981, Baton Rouge holds in glorious April air one of the oldest blues festivals in America. The Baton Rouge Blues Festival celebrates and preserves the legacy of the legendary Swamp Blues artists while promoting and supporting contemporary artists like the internationally known Tab Benoit, Larry Garner, Kenny Neal with sibling Lil Ray and Luther Kent. The festival has drawn the likes of Bobby

Blue Bland, Grammy winner Ruthie Foster and Marcia Ball. Visitors are encouraged to take side trips to other Swamp Blues enclaves such as Phil Brady’s that has held a record 21-year-long Thursday night blues jam and Teddy’s Juke Joint in Zachary.

In addition to sponsoring the festival, the Baton Rouge Blues Foundation is dedicated to celebrating, preserving and fostering this rich slice of Louisiana culture that rose from the heart and soul of the Bayou State with programs like the Blues Education program, Blues Music History project and the star-studded Blue Carpet Blues Gala as a major fundraising event. n

The Baton Rouge Blues Festival, April 12, 2014. Visit: batonrougebluesfestival.org LouisianaLife.com | 75

around louisiana

New Orleans

Celebrating TENNESSEE WILLIAMS IN NEW ORLEANS The exterior of a two-story corner building on a street in New Orleans named Elysian Fields … the houses are white framed … with rickety outside stairs and galleries … the section is poor but has a raffish charm … it is first dark of an early evening in May. The sky that stains around the dim white building is a peculiarly tender blue, almost a turquoise which invests the scene with a kind of lyricism … you can almost feel the warm breath of the brown river beyond the river warehouses with their faint redolence of coffee and bananas … two women, one white and one colored are on the steps of the building … the colored woman is a neighbor for New Orleans is a cosmopolitan city where there is relatively warm and easy intermingling of races in the old part of town …

– A Streetcar Named Desire, Act One, Scene One.

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When I first read the opening scene of Streetcar many years ago, I had the most intense rush of emotion almost akin to seeing my life pass before me, at least the life I had witnessed and known in New Orleans. No other words beforehand had ever given voice to the soulful intimacy and love I felt for my hometown, nor had any words acted as a paintbrush to display my own impressions locked in my heart. I became hooked on Tennessee Williams.

Arguably the greatest playwright of the 20th century, to my knowledge there’s no festival that celebrates William Inge, Clifford Odets, Arthur Miller or Eugene O’Neill. But in New Orleans for the last 27 years, we have celebrated Tennessee Williams in five days of an almost-bacchanalian literary and performing arts fest. He was the genius who gave us colorful, flawed characters who took hold

of our hearts and held our attention. He gave us Alma Winemiller in Summer and Smoke, whose victory was both her downfall and her beginning. Big Daddy’s cries of “Mendacity!” in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof served as a metaphor for the denial crippling his family; healing only begins once the desperate truths are finally spoken. Williams was a master at painting vivid portraits of the holes we can all bury ourselves in with our own hands and how we can rise while staring at the stars.

A stellar commingling of writers, musical artists, scholars and actors will join the vast amount of international visitors to the land of Stanley and Blanche to feast on not only the works of Tennessee, but to share their own thoughts and creativity his brilliant work inspired.

Guests will be treated to his short works, The Hotel Plays, at the historic Hermann Grima House, and a few blocks away on Elysian Fields, the Southern Repertory Theater will stage one of my favorite Williams play, The Night of the Iguana.

Performances by renowned clarinetists Dr. Michael White and Tom Sancton are part of the “Drummer and Smoke” Sunday series of musical entertainment. Additional sites

around the French Quarter for celebration, panel discussions and meetings include the Beauregard-Keyes House, Muriel’s Jackson Square, Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carre, the Historic New Orleans Collection and the Hotel Monteleone. Foodies will love a panel discussion on cuisine mentioned in his work. “At Tennesee’s Table,” wine with hors d’oeuvres will be served.

Also included are a French Quarter Literary Walking Tour, a book fair and master classes conducted by renowned authors. Adding their talents to the literary celebration are authors Dorothy Allison (Bastard Out of North Carolina) and Hector Als (White Girls) and Oscar-nominated actress Diane Ladd. Actress Judith Chapman will stage Vivien, her acclaimed one-woman play about Vivien Leigh, who played Blanche DuBois in the movie version of Streetcar.

As usual, the annual Stanley and Stella shouting contest will close out the five-day celebration in Jackson Square. n

The Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival, March 19-23, 2014. Contact, (504) 581-1144, tennesseewilliams.net.

texas travel Texas SandFest

County community with a series of events including a coach tour of the flowers on display around Palestine and Tyler. Other highlights include enjoying the blossoms by train on the Piney Woods Steam Excursion, wine tastings and the day-long Texas Dogwood Trails Festival on March 22, 2014. Information, texasdogwoodtrails.com.

Texas Festivals Spring into fun in the Lone Star State

When warmer weather arrives in the Lone Star State, a festival fan’s fancy turns to thoughts of upcoming spring fairs. From celebrations of flower power to bashes on the beach, the following festivals will put a “spring” in your step.

March 11-16: Located in a

coastal area often referred to as “the Golden Triangle,” since the spring of 1973 the Nederland Heritage Festival has been a golden opportunity for families to enjoy days of goodold-fashioned fun. Attendees with an appetite for culinary competition will want to check out the chili cook-off and the cuisine walk, while those hungering for sustenance for the soul can enjoy a heaping helping of honky-tonk tunes

78 | Louisiana Life March/April 2014

at the Country Music Show.

Information, nederlandhf.org.

March 15: Like the Monarchs that congregate in “The Butterfly Capital of East Texas” every fall, admirers of botanical beauty cluster in the city of Jasper each March for the annual Azalea Festival. The daylong tribute to floral finery includes a virtual bouquet of attractions and activities, including an Azalea Trail 5K run/walk, a display of antique automobiles, live musical entertainment and tours of the Jasper Arboretum. Information, jaspercoc.org.

March 18-20: Considered the

“Antique Capital of East Texas,” a walk down Gladewater’s Main Street may always be

a stroll down memory lane for tourists, but every spring the town takes a sentimental journey back to its oil boom years during East Texas Gusher Days. Three days of family fun include golfing and fishing tournaments, a street dance, a car show, amusement rides, the Gusher Gallop and much more.

Information, gusher-days.com.

March 22-April 6: According

to traditional floriography (the language of flowers), the dogwood represents durability – an apt word to describe the Dogwood Trails Celebration, which has blossomed perennially in Palestine for more than 75 years. In late March, the city marks the annual profusion of petals that grace the Anderson

March 29-30: Drink in the beauty of the season in a community named in honor of the special time of year at SpringFest Wine and Art Festival in Old Town Spring, near Houston. In late March, connoisseurs can clink commemorative glasses as they savor tastings from area wineries, listen to the smooth sounds of live musical entertainment, and admire the talent of Texas artists. Information, winefestoldtownspring.com.

April 10-13: Bird watchers will flock together in mid-April for a four-day ode to ornithology at the Galveston FeatherFest and Nature PhotoFest. From FledglingFest, which features workshops and shows for novice birders, to advanced field trips for those with experience in capturing images of the area’s 235 species, the festival offers more than 100 classes and trips. Information, galvestonfeatherfest.com.

April 11-13: Port Aransas will leave an impression on art aficionados as modern day Michelangelos take to the beach during the largest Master Sand Sculpting

Competition in the nation, Texas SandFest. If watching the artisans at work during the mid-April showdown in the sand inspires you to become an amateur Brueghel on the beach, free sand sculpting lessons will be available.

Those who just want to soak up the sun and the sights can listen to the seaside sounds of musicians and drink a toast to the talented artists at the Beer and Wine Garden. Information, texassandfest.com.

May 8-11: If springtime puts a

song in your heart, celebrate the season with the signature sounds of the Lone Star State as a lineup of country crooners take the stage at the Old Time Village Fair and Texas Music Festival in League City, which is marking its 60th year in 2014. Attendees can also let their inner child out to play on the carnival rides, belt out a tune in the karaoke contest, find out who will be crowned the king of the grill in the barbecue showdown and test their determination in an extreme obstacle course run.

Information, lcvillagefair.com.

May 9-10: Artwork to please every aesthetic palate will be on display at AlleyFest, Longview’s two-day tribute to Texas talent. In May, more than 100 vendor booths will be brimming with paintings, pottery, jewelry and photography, while at the Kids Fest crafts table budding Botticellis can create a work of art to hang proudly on the family’s refrigerator door. The athletically-inclined can step into their sneakers for the 10K or 5K Alley Run, while spectators with a love of rock and roll and country tunes can move their feet to the beat of area entertainers at MusicFest.

Information, alleyfest.org.

May 16-18: The nation’s “currant” berry favorite is the strawberry, and no where are these sweet treats more revered than in Pasadena, dubbed the “Strawberry Capital of the South.” At the Pasadena Strawberry Festival, sightseers with an appetite for history can savor a slice of the “World’s Largest Strawberry Shortcake.”

This huge confection spanning nearly 2,000 square feet is topped with over a ton of strawberries and has been reproduced each year at the opening ceremony of the Pasadena Strawberry Festival since it won the Guinness Book of World Records title in 2005.

After the ceremony, visitors enjoy three days filled with cooking contests, a parade and live musical entertainment.

Information, strawberryfest.org.

May 17: Beverage buffs are

invited to clink glasses at an annual salute to East Texas wineries, the Piney Woods Wine Festival in Mt. Vernon.

On the third weekend in May, the fruits of the labor from 17 local wineries can be sampled during a day that also includes live musical entertainment and arts and crafts for sale.

For those who would also like to drink in the beauty of the area, self-guided tours of the participating wineries are also available along the Piney Woods Wine Trail, which winds like grapevines through a number of cities including Canton, Tyler and Palestine. Information: pineywoodswinetrail.com.

June 13-15: The city known

as Saltwater Heaven is a little slice of paradise for foodies each June as they enjoy a crustacean-themed vacation in Aransas Pass

Jacksonville’s Tomato Fest

during Shrimporee. Proud of its distinction as the largest shrimp festival in the state, for more than six decades seafood devotees have enjoyed a virtual menu of cuisineinspired competitions, carnival rides, children’s activities and live music. Information, aransaspass.org.

June 14: “You say to-may-to, I

say to-mah-to”…preferences for pronouncing the name of the tasty fruit may differ, but no matter which inflection you favor, Jacksonville’s annual Tomato Fest is seasoned with down-home flavor. Held on the second Saturday in June, the day includes a farmer’s market for those tempted to test their culinary talents, a tomato eating contest for anyone eager to taste victory, a street dance, tennis and fishing tournaments, live entertainment and much more. Information, jacksonvilletexas.com.

June 14: Ripe with entertain-

ment for the entire family, a blueberry pancake breakfast, a

pie eating contest, a blueberry cupcake contest, and treats at the Blueberry Hill Soda & Sweet Shoppe--that’s just a tiny taste of the taste bud-tempting activities in store for visitors of the Texas Blueberry Festival.

Held in June in Nacogdoches, the only state-sanctioned festival honoring America’s second favorite berry even offers free shuttle rides to area farms so foodies can pick their own berries straight from the bush. For those who crave traditional festival events there are classic car and motorcycle shows, a pet parade, a petting zoo, a washer-pitching tournament and arts and crafts booths. Information: texasblueberryfestival.com. n – By Paris Permenter and John Bigley About the authors: Paris Permenter and John Bigley are a husband-wife team of Texas travel writers and the authors of the newly published DogTipper’s Texas with Dogs (Open Road, distributed by Simon & Schuster).

Free Guide to texas travel Before you cross the state line to enjoy the many spring festivals in the Lone Star State, don’t forget to order the free Texas Travel Guide and a state map at www.traveltex.com, the official Texas tourism site. You can also stop at one of the Texas Travel Information Centers located on the border in Waskom on I-20 and Orange on I-10 for free maps and booklets.

LouisianaLife.com | 79

lifetimes

Statewide Calendar

Festival International de Louisiane

March/April Events, Festivals and More.

Compiled by Judi Russell

North louisiana March 1. Jonquil Jubilee House and Garden Tour. 1246 3rd St., Gibsland. (318) 843-6228.

March 21. “Sweet Charity.”

The Strand Theatre, Shreveport.

(318) 326-8555.

March 22. Home & Garden Show & Old House Fair. Minden Civic Center, Minden. (318) 371-4258.

March 23. Piney Hills Half Mara-

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thon. Downtown Ruston. pineywoodshalf.com March 29. Battle of the Gumbo Gladiators. 101 Crocket St., Shreveport. (318) 425-4413.

April 5. Annual Scottish Tartan Festival. Hwy. 79 at Athens Road, Minden. (318) 393-2693.

April 6. An Afternoon with Hal Linden & His Band. The Strand Theatre, Shreveport. (318) 326-8555.

April 8. 150th Anniversary Celebration. Mansfield State Park, Mansfield.

(318) 872-1474.

Putnam County Spelling Bee. Stone Theatre, Ruston. (318) 257-3942.

April 25. Biedenharn Museum & Gardens Symposium & Plant Sale.

Biedenharn Museum, Monroe.

(318) 387-5281.

Central louisiana March 1. Red River Arts & Crafts Show. Kees Park, Pineville.

April 26. Chickenstock presented

by Cultural Crossroads. 417 E. Union St., Minden. (318) 393-5991.

March 7-9. Alexandria-Pineville Area Civil War Sesquicentennial Events. 707 Second St., Pineville.

(800) 551-9546.

April 30 – May 4. The 25th Annual

March 14-16. Louisiana Nursery

Bloomin’ on the Bricks, Natchitoches

April 7. An Evening with Hal Linden.

Schreier Theatre, Morgan City.

(985) 385-2307.

April 7-11. Cajun Classique Wooden Boat Cruise. Breaux Bridge to Bayou Teche Wooden Boat Show, Franklin. cajunclassique.com Festival. 4300 Hwy. 112, Forest Hill.

(318) 748-6300.

March 22. Bloomin’ on the Bricks.

Riverfront, Cane River Lake, Natchitoches. (866) 941-6246.

March 28. Spring Art Walk. 1101 4th St., Alexandria. (318) 487-5998.

April 4-5. Natchitoches Jazz and R&B Festival. Downtown Natchitoches.

April 10-12. Louisiana Railroad Days Festival. DeQuincy Railroad Museum Park, DeQuincy.

(337) 786-4729.

April 14. Spring Herb Day Arts & Crafts Festival. 3601 Bayou Rapides Road, Alexandria. (318) 487-5998.

April 25-26. Choctaw Apache Indian Pow Wow. Zwolle.

(318) 645-2588.

Cajun Country March 1. Shadows Arts & Crafts Show. 317 E. Main St., New Iberia.

(337) 369-6446.

March 2. 29th Annual Here’s the Beef Cookoff. 1939 W. Landry St., Opelousas. (337) 945-0364.

March 4. 15th Annual Half-Fast Krewe of Frank Mardi Gras Parade.

600 block of East Landry Street, Opelousas. (337) 351-6942.

March 7-9. Black Heritage Festival of Louisiana. Various locations, Lake Charles. (337) 304-0620 or bhflc.org.

Kathie Rowell photo

March 15. Festival of Live Oaks.

300 Park View Drive, New Iberia.

(337) 369-2337.

March 15-16. 19th Annual Mardi Gras Mambo Golf Classic. St. Mary Golf & Country Club, Berwick. (985) 518-4805.

March 21-23. Louisiana Swamp Stomp Festival. Nicholls State University, Thibodaux. (985) 448-4965.

March 22. 3rd Annual Brittany’s Project Car, Truck, Motorcycle, Tractor and Special Interest Show.

Franklin. ssaucier@cheerful.com March 25. “The Diamonds,” presented by St. Mary Community Concert Association. Schreier Theatre, Municipal Auditorium, Morgan City. (985) 385-2307.

April 11-13. Cajun Hot Sauce Festival. 713 NW Bypass, New Iberia.

(337) 365-7539.

April 11-13. 11th Annual Bayou Teche Black Bear Festival. Downtown Franklin. (337) 940-1156.

April 12-13. McNeese Theatre Musical Review. SFAA Performing Arts Center, McNeese State University, Lake Charles. (337) 475-5000.

April 17-20. 15th Annual Washington Crawfish Festival. 143 Verans Memorial Highway, Washington.

(337) 826-3627.

April 18-20. Laotian New Year Celebration. 7913 Champa Ave., Broussard. (337) 364-3403.

April 26-27. 12th Cajun Woodstock (benefit for St. Jude’s Hospital).

100 E. Darbonne St., Church Point.

(337) 280-8710.

April 29-May 11. Contraband Days Louisiana Pirate Festival. Lake Charles Civic Center Grounds, Lake Charles. (337) 491-1256.

April 30. Annual World Championship Crawfish Etouffee Cook-Off. Northwest Community Center Pavilion, Eunice. (337) 457-6573.

Baton Rouge/ Plantation Country Through March 9. Danny Lyon: Memories of the Southern Civil Rights Movement. West Baton Rouge Museum, Port Allen.

(225) 336-2422.

Through March 30. Alvin Batiste’s Southern Louisiana Folk Art. West Baton Rouge Museum, Port Allen.

(225) 336-2422.

April 23-27. Festival International de Louisiane. 444 Jefferson St., Lafayette. (337) 232-8086.

March 8-9. Repticon Baton Rouge Reptile & Exotic Animal Show.

Lamar Dixon Expo Center, Gonzales.

(225) 621-1700.

April 25-27. 29th Annual Etouffee Festival. 370 Main St., Arnaudville.

(337) 754-5912.

March 12-16. Cirque du Soliel.

Baton Rouge River Center Arena, Baton Rouge. (800) 745-3000.

April 25-27. The Italian Festival Inc. 14450 Hwy. 422W, Tickfaw.

(800) 542-7520.

March 15-16. Frisco Festival.

San Francisco Plantation Grounds, Garyville. (888) 322-1756.

April 25, 27, 29, 30. “Final Bayou Passage” performed by Techeland Arts Council. Teche Theatre for the Performing Arts, Franklin.

(337) 907-6412.

March 29-30. Louisiana Regional State Chili Cook-Offs. Louisiana State University campus, Corner Stadium and Hyland Road, Baton Rouge. louisianastatechilicookoff.com

April 5. Swing into Spring. Cash & Carry Building, Lake Charles.

(337) 562-2344.

April 25; May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30; June 6, 13, 20. “Rhythms on the River.”

Between Everett & Freret Streets, Morgan City. (985) 384-9291.

April 26. Denham Springs Merchantile Association Spring Festival. Denham Springs Antique Village, Denham Springs. (225) 667-8355.

April 5. Acadiana Dragon Boat Festival. 102 W. Main St., New Iberia.

(337) 352-2100.

April 26. Grillin’ in the Park.

300 Parkview Drive, New Iberia.

(337) 365-5651.

New Orleans

March 30. 29th Annual World Championship Crawfish Etouffee Cook-Off. 651 Samuel Drive, Eunice.

(337) 457-2565.

April 4. Scott Boudin Festival.

125 Lions Club St., Scott.

April 4. Southern Garden Festival.

3502 E. Simcoe, Lafayette. familypromiseacadiana.org.

April 4-6. 23rd Annual Cypress Sawmill Festival. Kemper Williams Park, Patterson. (985) 395-3720.

March 1-22, April 5-26. Hammond LouisianaLife.com | 83

Market. 2 W. Thomas St., Hammond.

(985) 974-2065.

Through March 30. Big Band Favorites of the ’40s & ‘50s. Stage Door Canteen, World War II Museum, New Orleans. (504) 528-7943.

March 7-9. Independence Sicilian Heritage Festival. Downtown Independence. (800) 542-7520.

March 7-9. New Orleans RV & Camping Show. Pontchartrain Center, Kenner. (504) 465-9985.

& Garden Show. Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans.

(504) 835-6383.

March 19-23. Tennessee Williams New Orleans Literary Fest. Various venues, French Quarter, New Orleans.

(504) 581-1144.

March 20-23. Louisiana Crawfish/ Redfish Cup. 5201 W. Judge Perez Drive, Chalmette. (504) 271-0537.

March 21-23. Amite Oyster Festival. Downtown Amite.

(800) 617-4501.

March 9. New Orleans International Beer Festival. Champions Square, Mandeville. neworleansinternationalbeerfest.com

March 21-23. Pontchartrain Home Show with LA Outdoorsman Show.

Pontchartrain Center, Kenner.

(504) 465-9985.

March 15. A Celebration of Words, downtown Hammond.

(985) 807-4135. hammondarts.org

April 4-June 8. The Andrews Brothers. Stage Door Canteen, World War II Museum, New Orleans.

(504) 528-7943.

84 | Louisiana Life March/April 2014

April 10-13. French Quarter Festival. French Quarter, New Orleans. (504) April 11. Kings of Leon in concert.

New Orleans Arena. (504) 587-3663.

April 11-13. Great Louisiana Birdfest. 23135 Hwy. 190, Mandeville.

(985) 626-1238.

April 11. 11th Annual Spring Gem, Jewelry & Bead Show. Pontchartrain Center, Kenner. (504) 465-9985.

April 11-13. Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival. 306 N. 6th St., Ponchatoula. (800) 917-7045.

April 25-May 4. New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Fair Grounds Race Course, New Orleans. nojazzfest.com n

March 21. Elton John. New Orleans Arena, New Orleans. (504) 587-3663.

March 8-9. Los Islenos Festival.

1357 Bayou Road, St. Bernard.

(504) 277-4681.

March 14-16. New Orleans Home

April 4-6. Bayou Cajun Festival. 307 E. 5th St., Larose. (985) 693-7355.

ATTENTION FESTIVAL-PLANNERS & CARNIVAL PARADE-PLANNERS! Help Us Promote Your Event!

– Go online to provide information for our calendar section and webpage.

Remember, the sooner we get the information, the better able we are to help you.

– To submit a festival, show or special event go to: MyNewOrleans.com/ Louisiana-Life/Submit-an-Event – To submit a parade for carnival season go to: MyNewOrleans.com/ Louisiana-Life/Submit-a-Parade-to-Louisiana-Life

Quirky Places

Pat’s Fisherman’s Wharf

By Megan Hill

Most drivers on I-10 have little reason to exit the interstate in Henderson, the tiny outpost of just 1,500 residents at the edge of the long stretch of elevated roadway that slices through the cypress bayous of the Atchafalaya Basin.

You might stop here to get gas or a quick bite, but unless you drive through the heart of Henderson, you’ll miss its biggest tourist attraction, a hybrid restaurant-motel-dance hall-roadside attraction called Pat’s Fisherman’s Wharf.

The yellow “Pat’s” billboard reaches high above the simple one-story homes along Henderson Highway and assortment of fishing camps on Bayou Amy. Its namesake is Pat Huval, who got his start in 1948

86 | Louisiana Life March/April 2014

selling hamburgers and sacks of crawfish from a stand he rented on the Atchafalaya Basin.

By 1952, Huval had done well enough to buy the stand and the adjacent dance hall. He made a name for himself in the restaurant business and became the first mayor of Henderson after its incorporation in 1971.

Huval was mayor for 17 years.

During his time in politics, Huval made friends with former Gov. Edwin Edwards.

While Edwards served time in prison, he vowed to earn his freedom in time for Huval’s 82nd birthday in 2011.

Edwards kept his promise, showing up at Huval’s birthday party at the restaurant.

Pat’s restaurant has grown significantly from its early days as a shack without electricity

or indoor plumbing – now it’s a nationally renowned Cajun restaurant with accolades from the likes of Gourmet Magazine, The New York Times and National Geographic.

Present-day Pat’s serves enormous platters of seafood and home-style Cajun cooking Huval learned from his mother, such as seafood gumbo, fried oysters, crawfish etouffee and fried frog legs.

Diners sit at tables with red-and-white checkered tablecloths spread around a large fireplace or on the porch overlooking the bayou.

Huval also owns the dance hall next door, the Atchafalaya Club. On Saturday nights, live bands belt out the tunes, and it seems the entire town of Henderson is here, dancing the

two-step late into the night.

Visitors need not drive home late at night; you can crash at Pat’s Edgewater Inn, the third business on campus. The motel opened in 2009 with 28 rooms overlooking the bayou.

The businesses are a family affair, with Huval’s children Cynthia, Jude and Harvey now involved. Jude, a graduate of the Louisiana Culinary Institute, is the restaurant’s head chef. Pat is still active in the kitchen from time to time, though he also enjoys greeting his guests. If you’re lucky, you might just see Pat himself greeting visitors by the front door of his restaurant. n Pat’s Fisherman’s Wharf: 1008 Henderson Levee Road, Henderson, (337) 228-7512 Dan Troyka PHOTO

a louisiana life

Catherine Pears Executive director, Alexandria Museum of Art

By Megan Hill

Catherine Pears’ life is a constant reinvention.

The Alexandria native and executive director of the Alexandria Museum of Art earned an undergraduate degree in graphic design, but started her career painting backdrops for theatrical sets. She later worked for newspapers in graphics, and then started a children’s theater nonprofit. Pears has also taught art classes, painted Carnival floats, sold landscape paintings as a studio artist and worked as a curator at the art museum.

At one point, she worked multiple jobs to support her family. “I was going to like, four 88 | Louisiana Life March/April 2014

different locations and living out of my car and raising my teenage girls,” she says.

Then, the executive director position opened up.

“I never thought that was something I’d want to do,” she says, “But I really cared about the arts in our community, and I could see the possibilities that this museum had, and so I threw my name in the hat.”

Four months into her new job, the museum received unsettling news: LSU at Alexandria, the museum’s main source of funding, was slashing its budget. A significant part of the museum’s cash flow was drying up.

Despite the budget crisis,

Pears managed to expand the museum’s programs and guide the organization through a four-year reaccreditation process, all while teaching herself to be an executive director.

“I was learning on the job, doing something I really wasn’t trained to do,” she recalls.

Pears worked tirelessly to tie the museum to the community, her new source of funding.

“A lot of people didn’t even know we had a museum in Alexandria, so we had to put in some programming to appeal to all different audiences.”

Those efforts included starting a second Saturday monthly art market and expanding on events for the public like yoga classes, concert series, and an array of workshops and classes.

Pears also instituted a hugely successful fundraising event, the annual Louisiana Dragon Boat Races, which draws inspiration from a Chinese

sport that has existed for hundreds of years. The event is held each May on Alexandria’s Red River and draws thousands of onlookers and participants. Teams of 20 paddlers are led by a costumed drummer, who sits in the front of the boat. Last year, nearly 50 teams participated.

Pears’ accomplishments earned her a “Louisiana Museum Professional” Award for museum directors with five to 10 years experience as a museum director.

Though funding is a constant struggle for any nonprofit, the Alexandria Museum of Art is once again healthy.

Though she’s thriving at the museum, Pears hasn’t closed the book on her chapter as an artist.

“I like to say I’m an artist that succumbed to administration,” she says. “I said I’ll do it as long as I can possibly stand it. I’m not a good manager of paper. My office is ridiculous.”

Pears draws inspiration from the rivers and forests around her Central Louisiana home. She is an avid hiker, backpacker and kayaker, and she gravitates toward large landscape pieces when she’s in the studio. Places like the Kisatchie National Forest, near Alexandria, feed her creativity.

But her life has been full of surprises, and her next move is anyone’s guess.

“When I get back to my artwork, I’m not sure what form it will take because a lot of the things I have done like the theater sets and Mardi Gras floats are sculptural in nature,” Pears says. “You never know where I will go from here.” n Lori Brian Photo