The arrival of spring means outdoor festivals galore in the Shreveport-Bossier area, where events planned for April range from celebrations of the arts to festivals honoring foreign cultures. Many events are free, most are family-friendly, and all provide locals and visitors to our area with a chance to explore our diverse region’s sights, sounds, and tastes.
Two very different area festivals will be taking place on Saturday, April 2. Cork: A Red River Revel Wine Event will be held Saturday, April 2, 3 p.m.-6 p.m. in downtown Shreveport’s Festival Plaza. Cork will feature over 75 wines available for tasting, as well as samples of delicious food from area eateries and live music. Only 1,600 tickets to Cork are made available each year, and the event typically sells out in advance. Admission is $65. For more information, visit www.corkwinefestival.com.
If your tastes run more toward haggis than wine, you’ll enjoy the annual Scottish Tartan Festival at the Scotland Farms located just outside of Minden, Louisiana at 16119 Highway 79. Organized by the Scottish Society O Tae Louisiana Hielands, a non-profit organization designed to promote awareness of Scottish culture in the Ark-La-Tex, this event features traditional Scottish music, games (including the cable toss!), food, and lots of folks wearing kilts. The event will take place 9 a.m-8 p.m. on Saturday, April 2. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children six and up, and free for children five and under. For more information, find the Scottish Society on Facebook or visit http://scottishsocietyla.typepad.com.
The 2011 Holiday-in-Dixie Festival will mark the 63rd annual installment of the popular event, which will be held April 8-17 in downtown Shreveport’s Festival Plaza. Among the entertainment offerings scheduled for Holiday-in-Dixie are the popular annual treasure hunt and a busy roster of live music, including performances by the Matthew Davidson Band (7 p.m., Saturday, April 9), Benjy Davis Project (8:30 p.m., Saturday, April 9), and Elvis Presley Tribute Artist Richard Cook (8:30 p.m., Friday, April 15). Admission to Holiday-in-Dixie is free, and children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. More information, including ticket prices for rides and a complete live music schedule, is available at www.holidayindixie.com.
Artbreak, the south’s largest student arts festival, will be held April 29-May 1 at the Shreveport Convention Center in downtown Shreveport. Featuring more than 2,500 juried 2-D and 3-D visual art pieces, literary works, and original musical compositions, this free celebration of student art is a flagship program of the Shreveport Regional Arts Council. In addition to the works of art on display, Artbreak showcases the talents of student performers from more than 100 Caddo and Bossier Parish schools on three performance stages. For more information, visit www.shrevearts.org or call the Shreveport Regional Arts Council at (318) 673-6500.
The 4th annual Aseana Spring Festival will be held on Saturday, April 30, beginning at 9 a.m. in downtown Shreveport’s Asian Gardens, located at the corner of Milam and Common Street near Municipal Auditorium. Each year, this delightful free festival highlights the culture of one Asian country, featuring food, dance, live music, and more. This year’s event will celebrate the culture of the Philippines. For the first time, a traditional parade (called a “Pista sa Nayon,” or “Town Fiesta”) will be included among the scheduled events. Organizers are especially excited about the food offerings, which will include a “lechon de leche,” a traditional roast pig dish that draws comparisons to the Acadian tradition of the “cochon de lait,” or traditional roast suckling pig. The program of live performances including folk dance and music will begin at 1 p.m. For more information, contact festival organizer Mary Grace de Joya Vea at (318) 797-4258.
The Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau will be attending all of these great festivals and sharing tips and recommendations via Facebook at www.facebook.com/LouisianasOtherSide. To keep up with other festivals and spring events headed our way, visit www.shreveportbossierfunguide.com.