Plays, music and more this weekend in St. Landry Parish

    Local actresses and authors present The Gris Gris Sisters, an adaptation of a children’s story book, at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 12 at Casa Azul, 2323 MLK Dr., in Grand Coteau. Author Jo Englerth and the book’s illustrator, Bonnie Camos, join Becca Begnaud and Patricia Cravins to tell the story of sisters Audrey and Camille and the magic they encounter in the Atchafalaya Basin. 

    Casa Azul hosts weekly poetry readings, music concerts and other artistic events. Admission is free. For more information, call (337) 662-1032. 

    In other St. Landry Parish events: 

• Area teens take the stage in Choices and The Empty Chair at 7 p.m. Jan. 12-14 and 3 p.m. Jan. 15 at the Delta Grand, 120 S. Market St., in downtown Opelousas. Both plays, directed by Tammy Lamonte, deal with decisions today’s teens regarding alcohol and drug abuse. Tickets are $10. (337) 407-1806, www.deltagrandtheatre.com. 
• Local favorites Geno Delafose and French Rockin’ Boogie play zydeco, Cajun and more at 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 13 at the Event Center at Evangeline Downs Racetrack and Casino. Admission is free. (337) 594-3088, www.evangelinedowns.com. 
• The weekly Saturday morning Cajun jam sessions will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at Savoy Music Center, located on Highway 190 just east of Eunice. Admission is free. (337) 457-9563, www.savoymusiccenter.com. 
• Cameron Dupuy, a 14-year-old Cajun accordionist from New Orleans, performs at the Rendez-Vous des Cajuns radio and TV show Saturday, Jan. 7 at the Liberty Theater in Eunice. The weekly program features Cajun and Creole musicians in a Grand Ole Opry, Prairie Home Companion format. The Dupuy Family Band also entertains. (337) 457-7389, www.eunice-la.com. 

    In upcoming events, Lovesick Blues: An Evening with Hank Williams, Sr. is set for 6 p.m. Jan. 21 at the Liberty Theater in Eunice. This musical play, depicting the career and life of Hank Williams, features Hugh Harris, along with Terry Huval, Gina Forsyth, Kyle Harris, Bobby Dumatrait and Ken David. Tickets are $13 and all seats are reserved. Tickets are available from the Eunice mayor’s office at (337) 457-7389. 

    The Sixth Annual Gumbo Cook-Off starts at 8 a.m. Jan. 28 at Frank’s Downtown, 603 E. Landry St., in Opelousas. The event, which serves as a medical benefit for a local six-year-old patient, includes music, an auction, fun jump and more. (337) 407-2288. 

   A preview reception for Four Artistic Visions, a Black History Month art exhibit, is set for 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2 at the Opelousas Museum and Interpretive Center, 315 N. Main St., in Opelousas. The mixed media exhibit, which features art by Darlene Moore, Randell Hendry, Ronald Kennedy and Ella Guillory, will be on display Feb. 1 through March 31. 

    For more information on parish events, call the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission at (337) 948-8004 or visit www.cajuntravel.com. Events are also listed on Facebook at St. Landry Parish – It’s Gumbo for Your Soul and Twitter @StLandryParish. Videos are online at www.youtube.com/StLandryParish.