Wednesday, August 31, 2011

'Original' Zydeco Festival now set for Oct. 1

    Zydeco festivals are held throughout Louisiana, the United States and even in England and France. But the one that started it all, the Original Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Music Festival, celebrates its 29th year Oct. 1 in Plaisance.
Zydeco Festival dancers
    This landmark festival was originally scheduled for Sept. 3, but was cancelled after heavy rains from Tropical Storm Lee. The fun now kicks off at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 1 and continues past midnight at Zydeco Park, located seven miles north of Opelousas on Highway 167 (I-49, exit 23). 
    The festival’s music lineup includes: 
  •     10:30 a.m. – Dikki Du & Zydeco Krewe 
  •     Noon – Step Rideau and the Zydeco Outlaws 
  •     1:45 p.m. – J. J. Caillier and the Zydeco Knockouts 
  •     3:30 p.m. – Nathan Williams and the Zydeco Cha Chas 
  •     5:15 p.m. – Geno Delafose and French Rockin’ Boogie 
  •     7:30 p.m. – J. Paul Jr. and the Zydeco Nubreedz 
  •     9 p.m. – Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band 
  •     11 p.m. – Lil Nate and the Zydeco Big Timers 
     The first-ever Allons Roulee bike ride, which was originally set for Sept. 3, has been rescheduled to Sept. 17. The ride features 25- and 50-mile courses, leaves at 7 a.m. Saturday from the St. Landry Parish Courthouse Square in downtown Opelousas. The Krewe de Velo, a local group of cycling enthusiasts, leads the ride that rolls through scenic landscapes and historic sites throughout St. Landry Parish. 
      For more festival information, call (337) 942-2393 or visit www.zydeco.org. For information on Allons Roulee, call (337) 948-5227 or visit www.cityofopelousas.com.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Artists show heritage-inspired creations during First Fridays series

    Louisiana heritage isn’t just about family and friends for George Marks and Annie Hendrix. Their home state has inspired them to create art that has taken them across the country.
George Marks
    Marks, a mixed media artist, and Hendrix, who specializes in clay, demonstrate and display their works during First Fridays with a Little Lagniappe, a new arts series from the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission. The demonstration is set for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, Aug. 19 at the new St. Landry Parish Visitor Information Center on I-49, exit 23, just north of Opelousas.
    Marks is a painter who works on wood and uses a variety of media, such as acrylic, oil, resin and tar. A resident of Arnaudville, Marks draws inspiration from family, friends and his natural surroundings in south Louisiana.
    Marks’ paintings have been featured in numerous fine arts galleries throughout the United States, including Blue Oaks Gallery in Michigan, Atelier-Magasin Artists’ Collective in New Orleans and Steeple View Gallery in Arnaudville.
    Marks has carried his artistic inspiration into community development and entrepreneurial projects. He’s the founder of Fredrick l’Ecole des Art, a nonprofit community arts and education organization that has brought music series, poetry readings and art and French language workshops to Arnaudville.
George Marks art
    A native of New Orleans, Hendrix was reared in Crescent City culture and chose music as her early medium.  At 42, Hendrix became fascinated by clay art. She began to sculpt some of her favorite musicians and chefs, along with kitchen items and clay chines.
      Hendrix, who now lives in Sunset, has participated in numerous art festivals, including Festival International, the Red River Revel in Shreveport and the Zydeco Festival at The Mint in New Orleans.
    Admission is free to First Fridays, which has featured St. Landry Parish artists twice a month since June. The remainder of the schedule includes:
·          Sept. 2 – A Celebration of Creole Culture with Rebecca Henry’s native crafts and painter Jerome Ford
·         Sept. 16 – A Piece of Art is Worth a Thousand Words with former Louisiana Poet Laureate Darrell Bourque and Patrice Melnick
    First Fridays with a Little Lagniappe is supported in part by a Grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council as administered by the Acadiana Arts Council.
    The series is held at the new St. Landry Parish Visitor Information Center, which held its grand opening last May. With numerous environmentally-friendly features, the center promotes green construction and sustainable practices, both old and new.
    Visit the center’s revised web site at www.cajuntravel.com. Follow the center on Twitter @StLandryParish or on Facebook at St. Landry Parish – It’s Gumbo for Your Soul. 

Friday, August 12, 2011

Music & Market opens its fall season Sept. 16


    A new season of Music & Market gets underway with the Dog Hill Stompers at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 16 at the Opelousas Farmer’s Market Pavilion. The events, which continue every Friday through Oct. 28, features Louisiana music artists as well as fresh homegrown vegetables for purchase direct from local farmers.
    Okra will be featured vegetable Sept. 16. Tony Chachere’s Creole Foods will give the first 100 attendees a shaker can of seasoning. 
River Road
    Other music acts throughout the series include  Da Hurricanes, Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band, Gregg Martinez, Hadley Castille and the Sharecropper Cajun Band with special guests Donnie and  the Pooldoos, River Road and Geno Delafose and French Rockin’ Boogie. 
    Three Music & Market events will take place in downtown Opelousas around the historic Courthouse Square. Downtown events are scheduled for Sept. 23, Oct. 21 and Oct. 28.  All other concerts are held at Le Vieux Village/ Farmer’s Market Pavilion located in the Opelousas Tourist Center at 828 East Landry St., just off I- 49.  
    The Sept. 23 downtown event will serve as the venue for the announcement of the Wild About Downtown banner art winners. Wild About Downtown banners were installed in April for a five-month, public art exhibit which featured art by students and artist around Acadiana. 
    Music & Market happens from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Fridays, with music beginning at 6 p.m. Concert-goers are welcome to bring lawn chairs for seating.
     Ice chests are not allowed as beverages sales cover the cost of bands and event expenses.
    The complete fall Music & Market 2011 lineup features:
·         Sept. 16 -- Dog Hill Stompers  (zydeco); okra
·         Sept. 23 -- Da Hurricanes (variety); hibiscus tea
·         Sept. 30 -- Chubby Carrier and  the Bayou Swamp Band (zydeco); eggplant
·         Oct.  7 -- Greg Martinez & the Delta Kings (swamp pop, R&B, blues); cabbage
·         Oct. 14 -- Hadley Castille and the Sharecropper’s Cajun Band (Cajun) with special guests Donnie & the Pooldoos; cushaw squash
·         Oct. 21 -- River Road  (country); pumpkin
Geno Delafose
·         Oct. 28 -- Geno Delafose and French Rockin Boogie (zydeco, Cajun); sweet potatoes
    The fall series is made possible with the support of Evangeline Downs Racetrack and Casino, CLECO, American Bank, St. Landry Homestead Bank, Centerpoint Energy, Tony Chachere’s Creole Foods, Quik Quarter, Delta Media Network, St. Landry Parish Government.
    Farmers interested in vending opportunities should contact St. Landry Parish Country Ag Extension Office at (337) 948-0561 and (337) 826-5632.
    Art and craft vendors interested in booth space should contact the Opelousas Office of Tourism at (337) 948-6263. To print a schedule of the fall 2011 line up, visit www.cityofopelousas.com

Allons Roulee' bike ride planned for Labor Day weekend


    Roll through historic St. Landry Parish as St. Landry Parish Krewe de Velo’, a local group of cycling enthusiast,  presents the inaugural Allons Roulee’ Bike Ride on Saturday, September 3, beginning at the St. Landry Parish Courthouse Square in downtown Opelousas.  The two routes, 25 and 50 miles, will offer riders scenic landscapes including moss-draped oaks, winding bayous, pastures with grazing cattle, prairie lands and former Native American tribal lands.
    The ride, which encompasses the City of Opelousas and the towns of Washington, Leonville and Arnaudville, is being held in conjunction with the annual Zydeco Breakfast on the Courthouse Square. After the ride, participants can feast on boudin and refreshments and tap their toes to the sounds of zydeco music provided by the Same Ol’ 2 Step band or enjoy a post ride brunch at some of the nearby downtown restaurants.
   The Zydeco Breakfast takes place from 8:30 to 11:00 a.m. Sept. 3.
    Sag stops for the bike ride will be located at the new St. Landry Parish Visitor Information Center, just off I-49 at exit 23. Start times are 7 a.m. for the 50-mile and 8 a.m. for the 25-mile ride.  Participants can pre-register for the event. The entry fee is a nominal $15 which includes an official event t-shirt and post-ride refreshments. The event is geared to riders 16 and older and various cycling levels.
    Allons Roulee’ is being presented by St. Landry Parish Krewe de Velo’, LHC Group, Opelousas Main Street, Inc. and St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission as well as a host of businesses providing support. Event assistance is also being provided by Opelousas Police Department, Opelousas Tourism and the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office. 
    In the spring of 2009, a handful of indoor cycling enthusiasts from St. Landry Parish set out on a course to give road cycling a try. Some six months later, the same group had grown from less than a dozen to over 30 riders. 
    Two years later, that number is still growing strong with organized rides taking place on early Sunday mornings and frequently on Saturdays. 
    For more information about weekend ride times and about Allons Roulee,’ contact Jennifer at jenncas@bellsouth.net or 337-945-4969 or visit the Krewe de Velo page on Facebook. Event information is also available at www.lafayettefitness.org

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Artists turn debris into new creations during First Fridays series

     Trish Ransom and Michelle Fontenot turn old objects into new art at the next edition of First Fridays with a Little Lagniappe, the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission’s new arts series. Ransom and Fontenot display and discuss their crafts from noon to 3 p.m. Friday, Aug. 5 at the new St. Landry Parish Visitor Information Center at on I-49, exit 23, just north of Opelousas.
     A love of zydeco and Cajun music brought Ransom from California to her present home in Grand Coteau in 1999. A friend with a folk art gallery approached Ransom, who had studied art at Stanford University, about making jewelry. 
Trish Ransom
     Ransom transformed old bottle caps into earrings and necklaces. Ransom has since become renowned for her fish and armadillo wall hangings, made of tin cans, bottle tops, wood and other debris. Ransom sells and displays her “Debris Art” at festivals, workshops and markets around the state. 
     Fontenot, an Opelousas resident, recycles old Barbie dolls, mannequin parts and boots into mosaic creations. She’s best known for contemporary stained glass and mosaic art, which can also serve as clothing and other uses. 
     Admission is free to the First Fridays series, which continues twice a month through Sept. 16. Other upcoming shows include:
  • Aug. 19 – The Art of Mixed Media with George Marks and hand-sculpted clay from Annie Hendrix 
  • Sept. 2 – A Celebration of Creole Culture with Rebecca Henry’s native crafts and painter Jerome Ford 
  • Sept. 16 – A Piece of Art is Worth a Thousand Words with former Louisiana Poet Laureate Darrell Bourque and Patrice Melnick. 
     The First Fridays series is held at the new St. Landry Parish Visitor Information Center, which held its grand opening May 23. With numerous environmentally-friendly features, the center promotes green construction and sustainable practices, both old and new. 
     First Fridays is supported in part by a Grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council as administered by the Acadiana Arts Council. 
     For more information, call the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission at (337) 948-8004. Follow the center on Twitter @StLandryParish or on Facebook at St. Landry Parish – It’s Gumbo for Your Soul.