Cane River Green market will continue May 22

Variety of children’s activities to be held on Saturday

Cane River Green Market, Natchitoches’ local farmers market, will continue its 2010 season on Saturday, May 22 from 8 a.m. to noon on the downtown riverbank.

Besides fresh fruits and vegetables, herbs and plants, customers can choose from a selection of “value-added products” including farm fresh eggs, homemade breads, jams, jellies, pickles and much more. Craft vendors have handmade items such as woodwork, furniture, jewelry, bird houses and feeders, one of a kind art work and soaps.

This Saturday, customers can find beans, cucumbers, squash, green tomatoes, onions, cabbage, potatoes, goat cheese, honey, smoked boudain, tamales, smoked crab dip and so much more. Market patrons can also enjoy free coffee and “Louisiana Cooking” magazines while supplies last.

This Saturday children and families will be entertained with a variety of activities including live music by children’s artists Monty and Marsha Brown from 10 a.m. until noon. The Browns have written many songs together, including "Would You Fly?" and "Cajun Christmas" used in the movie Steel Magnolias.

Sci-Port Science Center will also be onsite presenting “Stufee’s Lunchbox” at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. During this interactive educational program kids will discover where there food goes after eating and how it is processed by their body. There will also be education information regarding the food pyramid and healthy foods.

There are still openings for the Breakfast with the Chef for Kids-Green Eggs and Ham. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 352-2746.

The Green Market will be open every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon until July 31 and a complete schedule of events can be found at www.canerivergreenmarket.com.

All activities of the Cane River Green Market are free and open to the public. For more information, please call 352-CRGM.

By: Leslie Smith, Main Street Manager, City of Natchitoches

Forest service and Kent House to host "Kent House Bug Day"

The USDA Forest Service and Kent Plantation House invite children of all ages (and their parents) to attend the third annual “Kent House Bug Day” from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. on Saturday, May 8. The event will take place at the Kent House, 3601 Bayou Rapides Road in Alexandria. “Kent House Bug Day” is free and open to the public.

“For the third consecutive year, we’re partnering with the Kent Plantation House to offer kids the opportunity to have fun while learning about the beneficial role insects play in maintaining Earth’s ecological health,” said Doug Streett, project leader for the Southern Research Station’s insect research unit in Pineville, La. “We have an exciting line-up of activities for kids to enjoy as they explore the world of insects and see first-hand the benefits and challenges bugs bring to our lives.”

After entering the event, children will be given a “Bug Passport.” Children who get their passports stamped at all eight “bug stations” will receive a special gift. The stations are:

• Louisiana Insects: See mosquitoes, fire ants and termites, and learn fascinating facts about these pesky pests;
• Insectivores: See a hedge hog, bearded dragon, toad, bullfrog and salamander – some of which may eat live insects;
• Night Insects : Visit a dark room with night insect sounds, place your hand inside mystery boxes and guess contents, and view live cave cockroaches with flashlight;
• Beneficial vs. Pest: Hold live Bess beetles, see insects up close and personal, learn how insects help or harm humans;
• Honey Bees: Learn about honey bees, hold honeycombs and taste different kinds of honey;
• Pet Bug: Make your very own bug home and take home a live insect, learn how to care for your bug and how to catch/trap additional insects;
• Ant Trail: Pretend you’re a leaf-cutting ant and carry a leaf through an obstacle course to reach your nest; and
• Bug Food: Create ants on a log, pretzel butterflies and other delicious snacks. There will also be a photograph opportunity to have pictures taken with live Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches.

For more information about “Kent House Bug Day,” call the Kent House at 318-487-5998 or the Southern Research Station at 318-473-7242.

The Kent Plantation House is one of the oldest standing structures in the state of Louisiana. Kent House offers tours and special events to visitors who want to see the homestead and working plantation of a successful Creole family typical of 18th Century Louisiana.

Learn more about the Southern Research Station’s Insects, Diseases, and Invasive Plants of Southern Forests research unit, based in Pineville, La., online at: www.srs.fs.usda.gov

BY: Alexandria/Pineville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau

Louisiana Resort Unveils Six-Mile Mountain Bike/Hike Trail

Cypress Bend Resort, set on 600 acres along the shores of Toledo Bend Reservoir in northwest Louisiana, will celebrate the grand opening of its new mountain bike and hike trail on Sunday, May 23.

Appropriate for most skill levels, the new trail is designed with elevation changes up to 190 feet and features five possible loop distances ranging from one to six miles. Moreover, several loops can be combined to create longer distances. Winding through tight and open-forest sections, the trail also runs along Toledo Bend Reservoir providing great views with every turn. Hikers are welcome to enjoy the trail but must yield to riders.

Resort guests have free access to the trail while non-resort guests pay $10 per day. Or, for $20 per day, non-guests can access the resort’s fitness center, indoor/outdoor pool, sauna and showers.

As part of the grand opening, Cypress Bend Resort is hosting a free Fast Lap Challenge event for mountain bike enthusiasts to officially establish the fastest lap time.

Starting at 12 noon, the Fast Lap Challenge will allow mountain bike enthusiasts to race the clock along six miles of grueling climbs, wicked downhills and a diverse mix of land characteristics and elevation.

Participants must register for the Fast Lap Challenge by May 16, 2010 at www.cypressbend.com/trails. Bikes and helmets will not be provided.

These new mountain bike and hike trails complement the resort’s existing amenities including 18-holes of world-class golf (the course is part of Louisiana’s famed Audubon Golf Trail), guided fishing excursions, a full-service day spa and indoor/outdoor pool.

For reservations, call 877-519-1500 or visit www.cypressbend.com.

About Cypress Bend Resort

Located 73 miles south of Shreveport in Many, Louisiana, Cypress Bend Golf Resort is an intimate, full-service resort nestled in a forest of oak and pine trees on the shores of Toledo Bend Lake. Features include 18-holes of on-property, championship golf; a full service spa and fitness center; heated indoor/outdoor pool; and a restaurant and bar.

Cypress Bend’s 95 guestrooms and suites include a large desk with data ports, an ergonomic chair and complimentary high-speed Internet service. The resort also offers fourteen spacious Golf Suite condominiums overlooking the driving range with 1,250 square feet of pure luxury. Each Golf Suite contains a fully equipped kitchen, fireplace and whirlpool tub.

Photo Credit and Submitted by: Cypress Bend Resort

The Public is invited to attend rose show and educational seminars

The American Rose Society's 2010 Spring National Convention

The American Rose Society Spring 2010 National Convention & National Rose Show will take place in Shreveport, Louisiana, April 29-May 2. The public is invited to attend the Rose Show, a display of hundreds of spectacular blooms, on Saturday, May 1 from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. at the Shreveport Convention Center. The National Rose Show is a free event.

The public is also invited to attend various educational seminars on how to grow great roses from the ground up, beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 1. Topics include: “Soil… the lowdown on Dirt!”; “New Notions of Good Fertilizing Practices”; “Integrated Pest Management, including Chilli Thrips”; “Landscape Design and Healthy Roses, the Earth-Kind Way”; “Companion Planting in the Rose Garden” and “From the Ground the Vase: Arranging your Roses.” It is $10.00 to attend any or all educational seminars.

NATIONAL ROSE SHOW FAST FACTS:
WHAT: American Rose Society, 2010 Spring National Convention, National Rose Show
WHEN: Saturday, May 1, 2010, 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. 10:00 a.m., Ballroom B
WHERE: Shreveport Convention Center, 400 Caddo Street, Downtown Shreveport, LA

EDUCATIONAL SEMINARS FAST FACTS:
WHAT: American Rose Society, 2010 Spring National Convention, Educational Seminars
WHEN: Saturday, May 1, 2010, Red River Board Room
WHERE: Shreveport Convention Center, 400 Caddo Street, Downtown Shreveport, LA
TIMES:
10:00 a.m. – 10:50 a.m. “Soil… the lowdown on Dirt!”
11:00 a.m. – 11:50 a.m. “New Notions of Good Fertilizing Practices”
1:00 p.m. – 1:50 p.m. “Integrated Pest Management, including Chilli Thrips”
2:00 p.m. – 2:50 p.m. “Landscape Design and Healthy Roses, the Earth-Kind Way”
3:00 p.m. – 3:50 p.m. “Companion Planting in the Rose Garden”
4:00 p.m. – 4:50 p.m. “From the Ground the Vase: Arranging your Roses”

By: Maria Scott, Director of Communications,