Shreveport - Bossier, Louisiana's Other Side

SHREVEPORT-BOSSIER, LA-The Louisiana Office of Tourism, along with other state and federal government agencies and private sector entities, continue to work together to monitor the impact of the oil spill and cleanup efforts in the Gulf of Mexico.

Much of the Louisiana Gulf Coast is unaffected by the oil spill and remains open for commercial and recreational fishing. All nine Louisiana coastal parishes (counties) continue to offer travelers historic and cultural attractions, world-acclaimed indigenous food and music, and notable restaurants and overnight accommodations.

Shreveport-Bossier, located in the northwest corner of the state, has not been affected by the oil spill. The sister cities, like most of the other parts of the state, are open for business and hope the remainder of the country will continue to support tourism, which is one of the state’s biggest economic engines.

The primary affected area is around the mouth of the Mississippi River in the southeast region of Louisiana. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast maps identify an "area of uncertainty" that extends around the origin of the spill.

“The nation has been so supportive of Louisiana over the years,” said Stacy Brown, president of the Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau. “One of the most helpful things people can do for Louisiana is to continue to visit the state and enjoy all of our cultural attractions, festivals and events.”

Memorial Day weekend around the state will be festive. Starting in Shreveport-Bossier, the Mudbug Madness Festival, which celebrates the beloved crawfish, will be held May 27-30 at Festival Plaza in downtown Shreveport. There will be great zydeco and Cajun bands, lots of crawfish cooked just the way you like it, games and activities for the kids, and an overall great time for the entire family. For more information call 318-222-7403 or visit www.mudbugmadness.com.

In West Monroe, the Louisiana Southern Fried Festival will be happening May 28-30. It will feature a regional high school rodeo, lawnmower races, square dancing, chainsaw sculpting, furniture-making and more. For more information call 318-325-9160 or visit www.lasouthernfriedfestival.com.

The Jazz Pilgrimage Brunch is May 30, 8:15 a.m., in New Iberia at St. Edward Cafeteria. There will be a Pilgrimage March and Second Line. For more information call 337-560-5595.

The New Orleans Wine and Food Experience is May 25-29 is one of the most prestigious festivals of its kind, celebrating 19 years of wine and food. The 2010 event brings together world-renowned winemakers, celebrated chefs and industry insiders in a showcase of signature events and one-of-a-kind seminars designed to entertain, educate and inspire.

For more information and updates on the oil spill visit www.louisianatravel.com. For more information about Shreveport-Bossier visit www.shreveport-bossier.org and www.shreveportbossierfunguide.com.

###

Shreveport-Bossier, the festival capital of north Louisiana, is gearing up for a very busy festival season. Things kick off with the Holiday in Dixie Festival (April 16-25), followed by the Mudbug Madness Festival (Memorial Day weekend, May 27-30) and the Let the Good Times Roll Festival (June 18-20).

The music, the food, and the cultural display of Shreveport-Bossier is fun for the entire family. Experience everything from a midway of carnival rides to sucking and peeling crawfish. But that’s not all you can experience. The festivals feature some of the best entertainment in the country including many wonderful home grown local bands. Be sure to book a hotel room and spend a weekend during any of these and other festivals at www.shreveport-bossier.org.

Holiday in Dixie will be celebrating its 62nd year in the Shreveport-Bossier area, making it one of the oldest running festivals in Louisiana and proving that some things do get better with age! The event will run from April 16-25 in downtown Shreveport’s Festival Plaza.

Holiday in Dixie began in 1949 and was a five-day pageant held at the State Fair stadium. The event celebrates the Louisiana Purchase, the arrival of spring and the spirit of community involvement and pride.

This year’s festival includes the 10-day carnival at Festival Plaza, the Doodah Parade, block parties, special events, entertainment, food and art from local vendors, as well as family-oriented activities. The parade, April 17, will start at 5:30 p.m. in downtown Shreveport at the Municipal Auditorium.

Also, no Holiday in Dixie festival is ever complete without the ever popular Treasure Hunt! This annual event stimulates the mind and gets thousands involved in searching for treasure and a grand prize of cash.

For more information visit www.holidayindixie.com.

Then roll into Memorial Day weekend with the Mudbug Madness Festival pinching tails and sucking heads. What began in 1984 as a crawfish boil quickly grew (as do all good Louisiana parties, it seems) into a two-day street festival in downtown Shreveport and is now one of Louisiana’s largest and most popular Cajun festivals featuring Cajun, zydeco, blues and jazz artists.

Mudbug Madness has grown into a four-day festival held each Memorial Day weekend and is nationally recognized as one of the Southeast Tourism Society’s Top 20 Events, drawing as many as 56,000 people in one day. The event offers mouth-watering Cajun and Creole cuisine, contests, and activities for all ages. The Madness begins Memorial Day weekend, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., May 27-30, 2010, at Festival Plaza downtown Shreveport.

The festival features fun games and three entertainment stage. The women’s, men’s, and children’s crawfish-eating contests set the true Louisianans apart from the crowd.  Contestants must eat all the meat inside of the crawfish tail (no head sucking required!). The person who eats the most will be given the high honor of Crawfish Eating Winner. For those who have never witnessed the spectacle of eating a crawfish, you won’t want to miss this! Everyone has their own technique and no one walks away clean.

When you’re not indulging in the food from the various pavilions offering everything from crawfish etouffee to gumbo and alligator-on-a-stick you can enjoy the live performances. The MetroPCS Stage, located on the area of Festival Plaza between Market Street and Spring Street, is the venue where nationally recognized entertainers perform and contests and special events are held. This year the MetroPCS Stage will welcome Grammy Award-winning artists Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience. In 2001 Simien won the Grammy in the Cajun category. His music was also featured in the new Disney movie “The Princess and the Frog.”

For a complete schedule of events and entertainers visit www.mudbugmadness.com.

But the party does not stop there. The 24th annual Let the Good Times Roll Festival celebrates the music, art and food of the African American culture and highlights its immense influence on Louisiana culture and heritage. The festival is held the third weekend in June at Festival Plaza in downtown Shreveport. This year’s dates are June 18-20.

For more information visit them online at rhoomega.com.

For Immediate Release

THE STATE FAIR OF LOUISIANA TO RUN OCT. 22- NOV. 8

New theme to appeal to visitors’ ‘first’ experiences at fair

Maxine Sarpy chosen to chair board of directors

SHREVEPORT-BOSSIER, La. – At the recent Annual Board Meeting, the State Fair of Louisiana announced Oct. 22 – Nov. 8 as the official dates of the 2009 State Fair of Louisiana. The organization also revealed a new theme for the fair called "First & Forever," that will appeal to family fun and celebrate a slice of Louisiana life.

"First & Forever really brings to life what is most important about The State Fair for so many of the people who visit each year. We want to connect the people of the Ark-La-Tex to the many ‘firsts’ they experienced at The State Fair of Louisiana like their first date, first ride, first prize and first taste of fair food," said Chris Giordano, The State Fair of Louisiana President & General Manager.

The Board of Directors for The State Fair of Louisiana also selected a new Chairman at the meeting. Maxine Sarpy was chosen by her fellow board members to provide oversight and guidance to the organization. She succeeds William Cawthorne who volunteered his time and served The State Fair of Louisiana as Chairman of the Board for four years.

"The State Fair is deeply rooted in the fabric of our state and region, and it is a privilege to serve this organization. Whether it is through showing a prize-winning bull or riding the Ferris Wheel with someone special, great memories have been made at The State Fair for more than 100 years. This year will be better than ever," Sarpy said.

The State Fair of Louisiana is a top choice for affordable family entertainment. The fair offers many free shows, concerts, attractions and activities with the price of admission. Among this year’s free concerts are Cowboy Mouth, Wayne Toups, The Randy Rogers Band, James Otto, John Conlee, The Bar-Kays, and the Molly Ringwalds.

Rodeo lovers will have an opportunity to watch the biggest names on the professional rodeo at the State Fair of Louisiana PRCA Rodeo on Oct. 23 and 24 in the Hirsch Memorial Coliseum.

For more information and up-to-the-date listings of all the events and entertainment as they are announced, visit www.statefairoflouisiana.com.

Submitted by: Daniel Strickland / Gremillion & Pou and Associates, Inc. / 318.424.2676 x320 / dstrickland@gpmarketinginc.com

Released by: Chris Giordano, President & GM / The State Fair of Louisiana / 318.635.1361