Shreveport - Bossier, Louisiana's Other Side

The weather is warming up and it’s time to get ready for summer concerts! CenturyTel Center is providing a great line-up of shows and they have something for everyone to enjoy.
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey: Illuscination, May 6-9: Watch Closely... Wonder Endlessly... The Greatest Show On Earth® invites you on a mesmerizing journey so astonishing, it's an Illuscination. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® IlluscinationSM, a fantasy-filled world of magic and daring, with eye-popping illusions and mind-blowing transformations! Tickets are on sale now.

Star Wars in Concert, May 20 at 7:30 p.m. Star Wars in Concert is a massive multi-media event which features stunning visuals, live orchestra, choir and narration, plus an exclusive exhibit of Star Wars costumes, props and production artwork. Tickets go on sale March 13th at 10 a.m.

Sugarland “"The Incredible Machine" Tour, June 19 at 7:30 p.m. Grammy Award-winning country music duo Sugarland will be live in concert performing their number one hits and treating concert-goers to a one-of-a-kind show. Tickets are on sale now.

Jeff Dunham “Identity Crisis Tour”, June 25 at 8 p.m. Dunham has taken the art of ventriloquism to new heights transforming it into a cutting-edge comedy experience and proving that dummies can be funny! Known worldwide for his unique act, Dunham will bring his brand of comedy to Bossier City for an unforgettable night of laughter. Tickets are on sale now.

For more information on ticket prices and upcoming shows or to purchase tickets call 318-747-2501 or visit http://www.centurytelcenter.com.

Shreveport-Bossier’s spring festival season has arrived with Holiday in Dixie kicking things off! The festival opened in downtown Shreveport’s Festival Plaza on April 16 and will run until April 25.

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!

As always, the carnival is full of food vendors, carnival games and rides and live entertainment. There are some new rides at the carnival this year! I recommend the Freak Out for all of you adventure seekers. Imagine a wrecking ball with seats attached to it and surrounded by lights swinging high and wildly in the air. Just watching this ride made my stomach turn!  For the less adventurous, get a great view of downtown Shreveport on the Ferris Wheel.

If you’re not into the rides, definitely go for the food! Other than giant corndogs, funnel cakes, nachos, huge turkey legs and cotton candy, Holiday in Dixie has local food vendors serving Cajun and Creole cuisine. I ate the crawfish boudin and stuffed peppers at Daddy’s Kitchen. Absolutely amazing! The smell alone was enough to make my mouth water. Also, check out the slushy stand, where you can choose from over 10 flavors to make your own drink concoction!

If you go this Thursday-Saturday, get ready for some live entertainment to accompany your food and fun:

·         Thursday, April 22, will feature punk/metal band Do Not Resuscitate.

·         Friday, April 23, the carnival will have music by Elvis Presley Tribute artist Richard Cook at 7 p.m. and soulful, blues and roots rockers Robin and the Blue Birds at 8:30 p.m.

·         Saturday, April 24, will feature Earshot Graffiti, playing a variety of music, from 8:30-10:30 p.m.

Regular hours for the carnival are 4- 11 p.m. Fridays, noon- 11 p.m. Saturdays, 1-10 p.m. Sundays and 5-10 p.m., Monday-Thursday, April 19-22.  On the weekend, admission is FREE for all ages before 5 p.m. Starting at 5 p.m. admission is $5. Monday-Thursday festival-goers can purchase armbands for $20 for all rides or pay standard admission which will be $2. Wednesday is Military Night! Those with a military ID just have to show it for free admission. Children under 12 get in free each night if accompanied by an adult.

For more information, you can call 318.865.5555 or visit Holiday in Dixie online at www.holidayindixie.com.

In case you have forgotten, Secretaries Day is today, April 21! If you’re looking for last- minute gift ideas, check out Soumas Heritage Creole Cottage located in the Main Street Shops at the Villaggio. Soumas is the place to discover Louisiana history, Mardi Gras fun, cookbooks, authentic recipes, specialty food items, clothing and one-of-a-kind gifts.

 Soumas now introduces their “BAYOU”~tiful Creole~Cuture Gift Baskets & Bags.

Also, Soumas can help you get a jumpstart for Mother’s Day, May 9! Go check them out and WOW the mother in your life with a truly unique gift.

Call Soumas Heritage Creole Cottage at 318.746.4905 for details and pricing or visit them online at http://www.soumascreole.com. They’ll be glad to fax you the informational price sheet.

If you’re looking for something new to see this weekend, consider learning about Louisiana’s Creole heritage! Several items from the Documenting the Cane River Creole Legacy series will be on exhibit from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., April 17 at the Soumas Heritage Creole Cottage at the Villaggio Shopping Center in Bossier City.

In 2004, the Creole Heritage Center at Northwestern State University commissioned New Orleans native and New York artist Gilbert Fletcher to do a series of paintings of people, places, and culture of the Cane River.  Fletcher has exhibited in venues across the United States as well as internationally with exhibitions in Kumasi, Ghana and in Paris.

The initial exhibition of the Documenting the Cane River Creole Legacy series was housed at the George & Leah Mckenna Museum in New Orleans – just two weeks before Katrina devastated the city. It took almost two months, but staff at both the museum and the Center were finally able to rescue the exhibit materials and store them in Natchitoches.

The community outreach of this exhibition is the result of an ongoing cooperation between the NSU Creole Heritage Center and the Soumas Heritage Creole Cottage to help further knowledge and promotion of Louisiana’s Creole culture and history. 

For this reason, it’s no surprise that the exhibit would be shown at Soumas Heritage Creole Cottage. Soumas strives to introduce the many hues and history of Creoles of Louisiana.  Her shop sells unique and creative pre-packaged Creole and Caribbean food and gift items that share the legends of Creole culture within the Soumas Family. Soumas Heritage Creole Cottage pays historical respect with historical documents and generational heirloom photos displayed in the shop everyday.  Her shop and the items she offers in it are enough to get you to go to the Villaggio this weekend.

Attendees may register for door prize tickets at Soumas Heritage Creole Cottage.  A selected number of original paintings and matted prints of the collection will be available for purchase.  For more information, contact the Creole Heritage Center at (318) 357-6685 or Soumas Heritage Creole Cottage at (318) 746-4905.