Main to Main activities spotlight La. culture
During November, Louisiana showcases the diversity and culture of its Main Street communities. The month-long “Louisiana Main to Main: A Cultural Road Showâ€Â includes antique fairs, concerts, arts and craft shows, holiday parades, agricultural exhibits, museum tours and food and music festivals in some 30 towns.
The idea started in 2000 when Minden and Springhill decided to team up to host Main to Main Trade Days along a 35-mile stretch of highway between the two towns. This year, Trade Days is set Friday-Saturday, Nov. 7-8, with 50 miles of fun and food with more than 250 vendors participating.
Start in downtown Springhill at the Clock Triangle on Main Street then travel along La. 371 and continue south into Sarepta, Cotton Valley and Dixie Inn. At Dixie Inn, turn left on La. 80 and travel into downtown Minden. From there, the route will take shoppers back onto La. 371 to Sibley and the parish line. Trade days takes place rain or shine.
Plan a Main to Main adventure anywhere from Bastrop or Ruston to Morgan City and New Orleans. Visit the Web site, http://www.louisianamaintomain.org. Participating towns are designated by stars on a colorful map of Louisiana. Click on a “star†to find your November cultural adventure.
New Iberia’s trolley tour
Saturday, Nov. 8, New Iberia will offer a Red Dot Trolley Tour. The free tour departs at 1:30 p.m. from the Bayou Teche Trading Company, 225 W. Main St., after an open house and refreshments. The tour returns at 3:30 p.m. For reservations, call (888) 942-3742.
The free trolley rides will continue during a Downtown Art Walk 4-7 p.m. through the town’s historic commercial district. Main Street merchants will be open and music in the plaza is scheduled 6-9 p.m. Self-guided walking tour maps of both the Main Street and residential and commercial districts will be available. For a listing of the entire “Remember November†events, visit http://www.iberiatravel.com or contact the Iberia Parish Convention and Visitors Bureau, (888) 942-3742.
Omelette and Headstones
Abbeville winds up its annual Giant Omelette Celebration today in Magdalen Square with a chefs procession and a 5,000-egg omelet cooked in a 12-foot skillet. Arrive early and watch Howard Helmer, The Guinness World Records “World’s Fastest Omelet Maker†give demonstrations.
Another Main to Main event will be “If Headstones Could Talk†Friday, Nov. 7. The St. Mary Magdalen Church Cemetery Tour beginning at 6 p.m. will be conducted every half hour. Guides dressed in period costumes will explain the significance of noted Abbeville figures including Eugene Addison, Joseph Adrien Nunez, Joseph LeBlanc, the Bagley family and others. Contact Abbeville’s Main Street office, (337) 898-4110 or the Abbeville Tourist Commission, (337) 898-6600.
Rayne Frog Festival
The Rayne Frog Festival, postponed because of Hurricane Ike, will take place Friday-Sunday, Nov. 7-9. Activities take place in the 20,000 square-foot pavilion on the festival grounds just off I-10 in Rayne.
Activities officially begin at 6 p.m. Friday with opening ceremonies. Carnival ride bracelets will sell for $15. Gate admission for the weekend is $1, children under age 12. Adult admission is $5, Friday and Saturday until 3 p.m., as well as Sunday. Adult tickets Saturday from 3 p.m. on are $7.
Saturday highlights include a grand parade at 1 p.m. through town ending at the festival grounds, a jam session 1-2:30 p.m. and performance by Glenn Jaquneaux and Cajun Friends, 3-5:30 p.m. Music continues with Krossfyre at 6 p.m. followed by Percy Sledge, 9 p.m. and Jamie Bergeron and the Kickin’ Cajuns, 11 p.m. to midnight.
Sunday opens with an outdoor Mass at 10 a.m. on the festival grounds. Signature event of the festival, the popular frog racing and jumping contests, open to the public, will be 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. under the pavilion. Register and rent a frog from the Rayne Jaycees.
You can expect local foods, including fried frog legs, assorted seafood, po-boys, hamburgers, funnel cakes, beer, daiquiris and soft drinks.
The French influence
Seven on Fulton in New Orleans is planning a special French Winemaker Dinner Wednesday, Nov. 5. The meal, paired with French wines, will include Yukon gold blini with lemon crème fraiche, lobster and caviar; a lump crabmeat salad, filet mignon and a bittersweet chocolate terrine. Cost is $65 per person. Contact (504) 525-7555.
Houma festivities
Houma will be all jazzed up the weekend of Saturday-Sunday, Nov. 8-9. Saturday, the Bayou Cajun Chapter of the Cajun French Music Association will present its annual Festival de Bayou from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Evergreen Cajun Center, 4694 W. Main St. Cajun music will be by Yvonne Smith and Cajun Friends and Treater Band. There will be food, dancing and auctions. Contact (985) 876-3818. Also Saturday, TARC’S Country Store, 1353 Grand Caillou Road, will host an open house with bands, hayrides and an early visit with Santa. Call (985) 876-4465.
Saturday and Sunday, the YMCA will sponsor the Family Fun Fest at the Houma Court Square, 7856 Main St. There will be food, crafts and music by Souled Out, Southern Cross, Foret Tradition and more. Call (985) 873-9622.
Longue Vue House
Longue Vue House and Gardens, 7 Bamboo Road in New Orleans, plans a tree-themed evening Thursday, Nov. 6, from 6 to 8 p.m. with a reading from Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree. Catch the animated version of Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax and view a special screening of Return to the Forest Where We Live by Louisiana Public Broadcasting. The program is a prelude to a Saturday event.
Saturday, Nov. 8, Longue Vue will host It Is Easy Being Green Day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The family oriented event will be filled with activities, learning and fun, including presentations by Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation and Bayou Rebirth Wetlands Education. Architect Elizabeth Mossop will talk about green infrastructure in New Orleans neighborhoods. Activities include New Orleans Library Children’s bookmobile, raw food no cooking demonstration, garden tour, plant sale, food, entertainment and crafts. Cost is $5, members, and $7, nonmembers. There’s $1 off admission for those who ride a bicycle to the event. Visit http:://www.longuevue.com.
Sugar Day in Alexandria
Kent Plantation House, 3601 Bayou Rapides in Alexandria, will host its Sugar Day Festival Saturday, Nov. 8. Designed as a family gathering, the popular festival celebrates the history of sugar making in central Louisiana. The sugar mill on the Kent House grounds will be fired up three days prior to the event in order to make sugar. There will be demonstrations of traditional Louisiana crafts, food, children’s activities and live entertainment. Call (318) 487-5998.
Poverty Point hike
Rangers at Poverty Point Historic Site, 6859 La. 577 near Epps in northeast Louisiana, will guide a nature night hike at dusk Saturday, Nov. 8. The 1.5-mile walk with conclude with hot chocolate and storytelling around a campfire. Dress warmly and bring the entire family for an evening of simple fun. Call (888) 926-5492. Consider camping nearby at Poverty Point Reservoir State Park on La. 17 near Delhi.
Fall Fest at Sam Jones
Sam Houston Jones State Park at Lake Charles will present its annual Fall Fest from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8. The event features local artisans, food, a kid’s corner, hayrides, pumpkin bowling, live music and storytelling. Contact (888) 677-7264.
Birding and tenting
Bayou Segnette State Park, 7777 Westbank Expressway in Westwego, will present two programs Saturday, Nov. 8. Join a casual bird watching walk 8-10 a.m. to find and identify birds that visit the park. Binoculars are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Then, from 10 a.m. to noon, a park ranger will present “Basics for Tent Camping.†Learn to set up a tent, build a fire and more. Call the park at (888) 677-2296.
Chicot’s Trash Bash
Help keep Chicot State Park at Ville Platte clean and green by participating in the annual Trash Bash from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 8. Volunteers should wear boots or closed-toe shoes. Bring your own lunch. Water will be provided. Situated around a 2,000-acre, man-made lake, Chicot is the largest state park in Louisiana. It offers camping, fishing, hiking and picnicking. Call (888) 677-6100.
2theadvocate.com/entertainment/33655769.html?showAll=y&c=y
November 3rd, 2008 by Ragin Cajun /
Comments Off