Shreveport - Bossier, Louisiana's Other Side

Photo courtesy of Rockin' J Rodeos.

I grew up on small town rodeos. Barrel racing, calf roping, and running poles were just a few of the exciting events that I happily ignored as a child, choosing instead to run around the arena with all of the other kids, making repeat visits to a Lions' Club-run concessions stand while waiting for the Calf Scramble. During the Calf Scramble, dozens of children would chase tiny calves around the arena, competing for the grand prize of a one-dollar bill. You'd think that such old-fashioned entertainment would have gone the way of the buffalo by now, put out of business by XBOX 360s and 3-D movies. But J.E. Jorden, organizer of this weekend's 2nd Annual Ray Forcier Memorial Rodeo in Benton, is a long way from hanging up his spurs.

“I like to see young people who’ve never been to a rodeo come out, because they’re seeing something they’ve never seen,” said Jorden. “Lots of kids these days have never done anything like it. I’ve given away many a dollar bill during the Calf Scramble. It’s worth it.”

In addition to the Calf Scramble (which probably isn't a "main attraction" to anyone but me!), there will be bareback bronc riding, steer wrestling, team roping, bull riding, and performances by acclaimed rodeo comedian and barrel man Rudy Burns. The rodeo will be held at Willie Waggoner Arena, 221 Rubicon Road in Benton, beginning at 8 p.m. tonight and Saturday night. Admission is $8 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under.

Lagniappe
Visit the Rockin' J Rodeos website.    

Captain Jack marauding amongst Shreveport-Bossier Captains fans at Fair Grounds Field.

I'm not going to lie to you, reader: I have no idea how people can watch baseball on television. My attention span is just too short. But live baseball is an entirely different story, and Shreveport-Bossier has a real entertainment gem in our local professional baseball team, the Shreveport-Bossier Captains. The defending champions in their league, the Captains will play nearly 50 home games this summer. General admission tickets are only $5, and many nights discounts are available for women and children (check out their promotions schedule).

Here, in the most succinct terms possible, are the top three reasons I'm a fan of Captains baseball:

1) Shreveport-Bossier fans love to abuse the visiting team
Once these folks learn the visiting pitcher's first name, it's all over but the crying. I saw an 80 year-old woman set down her roasted peanuts, stand up, and yell: "You suck, Juan!" at El Paso Diablos pitcher Juan Medina on Monday. It made my night.

2) Shelton "Preacher" Parsons, refreshment vendor
At 75 years old, "Preacher" Parsons has been vending ice cold beer, soft drinks, chips and peanuts from a mobile cart for 35+ years. He knows more beer-related jokes than anyone else on the planet. Just ask for one, they're free - but tips are very much appreciated.

3) Captain Jack
How many cities have Captain Jack Sparrow as the mascot for their local baseball team? This guy earns whatever pay he receives and then some, constantly climbing over seats to roughhouse with fans or high-five kids. Yarrrr!

The Captains continue their series against El Paso tonight at 7:05 p.m., as well as Friday and Saturday nights. Go out and hurl some insults at Juan! Click here for directions to Fair Grounds Field.   

The Kids Bowl Free National Bus Tour will be making a stop at Holiday Lanes in Bossier City, LA on Monday, April 11, 3:30 p.m.-5 p.m. to sign up local families to participate in the popular summer program.  Through the program, bowlers ages 18 and under can receive two free games of bowling per day beginning May 30, 2011 and ending September 5, 2011. Last year, the program registered more than 8,000 participants locally and gave away more than 25,000 free games of bowling. Nationally, Kids Bowl Free gave away 1.5 million free games of bowling in 2010. Folks who can't make the Bus Tour stop can sign up using this on-line form.  

While Kids Bowl Free participants are still required to rent bowling shoes, that cost is only $3 per child, and can be offset by purchasing a $20 “shoe pass” that is good for the entire summer. Over the course of the 99-day promotion, that adds up to 198 games of bowling for a total cost of $20 per child, a savings of $1,069 over the course of the summer. Take that, Groupon.

The only potential catch is that free bowling coupons - which must be redeemed by program participants - are e-mailed out on a weekly basis. Families without computer or e-mail access will need to use a public computer in order to receive the coupons.

After all of the free family fun ends on Monday, the regularly-scheduled league bowlers will take the lanes. How do the regulars feel about all of these young whippersnappers getting to bowl free? How about it, Dude?

LSU Men’s Basketball is coming to Bossier City’s CenturyTel Center on Saturday, December 18 at 7:00 PM, as the Tigers take on the Wichita State Shockers.  The Tigers are currently 6-3, a stat that will be changing soon, as they will be taking on McNeese State tonight in Baton Rouge.  Coach Trent Johnson’s inaugural season leading the Tigers (2008-2009) saw the team take the SEC Championship, but the 2009-2010 season was much tougher for the Tigers, who ended up with a losing record of 11-20.  The Tigers are coming to Bossier City as a team at a crossroads, seeking to regain their mojo after a couple of embarrassing losses this season, including their first home loss to an in-state team (Nicholls State) in 22 years.  But especially given Johnson’s success with the team in his first year, it’s an incredibly interesting and exciting time to catch the Tigers live.   

The Wichita State Shockers will be coming into Saturday night’s game with a record of 7-2.

About Tickets
Tickets may be purchased in-person at the CenturyTel Center box office or by calling 1-800-745-3000.  Tickets range from $16-$30.  To purchase tickets on-line, click here.

Shreveport-Bossier has enjoyed having the highest hotel occupancy rate in the state, thanks in large part to events like the Port City Classic.

Grambling Tigers and Tech Bulldogs fans are steadily booking their overnight stays in our area hotels. With the game just a few days away there are some vacancies left, but you should book as early as possible to be sure you get rooms at your favorite hotel chain. The Shreveport-Bossier Convention & Tourist Bureau is making daily calls to our hotels and motels to check on availability. You can check for vacancies on our website at www.shreveport-bossier.org/vacancy or see a list of all our accommodations. You can also browse our website for great ideas on things to do and see, places to eat, etc. while you're in town.

There are lots of ways you can keep up-to-date on what's going on in Shreveport-Bossier:

Our events calendar, ShreveportBossierFunGuide.com has information on all the events associated with the Port City Classic. You'll also find lots of other fun things to do on the Fun Guide.

Visit our facebook page to interact with other people visiting and living in the Shreveport-Bossier area.

Follow us on twitter.

Or, if you just like to talk to a real person, call us toll-free at 888-45-VISIT. One of our information specialists will be happy to help you plan your trip to Shreveport-Bossier.

While you're planning, go ahead and put the Shreveport Classic, October 23, on your calendar. This is a gridiron contest between Prairie View A&M University and Southern University. Kickoff is at 4 p.m.

You'll also want to attend Red River Revel Arts Festival. This is one of our biggest festivals and is a Southeast Tourism Society Top Twenty event. The Revel starts on Saturday, Oct. 2 and runs through Saturday, Oct. 9. Enjoy art from more than 120 visual artists from across the nation - just in time for the holidays! Plus, five performance stages feature non-stop entertainment and will showcase some great Revel favorites.