SHORT END OF THE STICK

By Angela Couch, As The Crow Flies,
http://www.facebook.com/pages/AsTheCrowFlies/147636581936823
Special to Louisiana Trekker

Louisiana must truly be the festivities and celebrations capital of the United States. We do love to party don't we.  Festivals, concerts, art exhibits, museums, historial places, community events, food extravaganzas, musical concerts, sports and the list goes on and on. You can always find information about some event in Louisiana in speciality magazines, newspapers, on the radio and TV and on the web.

There are a number of internet sites created especially to share information about Louisiana happenings.  There is a nice listing of events in our state government's travel and tourism web site which lists many festivals and events for the whole year.  We have several well known Louisiana travel sites that contain events calendars. Major newspaper sites usually carry a listing of events local to their coverage area. Some personal sites also post upcoming events for our state.

I have canvassed a number of travel and tourism web sites specifically for the state of Louisiana.   In my  research, I googled for every site I could find that offered an events calendar for Louisiana.  There is no shortage of things to do in our state.  Louisiana is called the Sportsman's Paradise for good reason, for there are plenty of fishing and hunting opportunities here.  To augment the outdoor sportsman's love for the outdoors, there is the added thrill of fishing tournaments,  hunters courses, conventions, festivals, boat shows, gun and knives shows, wild game cooking classes just to name a few.  In addition, sports of almost every description, from Little League Ball to the Saints, and from roller skating to boat and car races can be found here.

There is a festival or celebration for nearly every type of food and concoction native to Louisiana.  There are many sites that report on cook-offs, food fests and the like for the state of Louisiana. 

For a softer side of things to do, there are always beauty pageants, music or dance recitals, and talent competitions.  Perhaps you lean toward literary diversions, the theater, or concert performances.  If it's music you like, you can find a potpourri of styles in an assortment of venues. There is no shortage of events to announce.

There is no shortage of opportunity to learn about our friends and neighbors with the gumbo of cultures we have in Louisiana. There are cultural exhibits, handcrafted artistry, folklife displays and museums that share our cultural diversity.

Unfortunately, my research has shown that in spite of an abundance of events that need to be publicized, north central Louisiana gets the short end of the stick. In my internet searches and some hard copy publication investigations, I have discovered that the number of listed events for north central Louisiana are not proportional as compared with our neighbors to the south.

Since I have created an events list for north/central Louisiana at
http://www.facebook.com/pages/AsTheCrowFlies/147636581936823 , I have contiually searched for and posted hundreds of events in the north/central Louisiana coverage area of As The Crow Flies.  My purpose is to draw attention to this lack of publicity for north/central Louisiana and to perhaps find a workable solution.

I want to know that we are getting our fair share of  promotion which ultimately includes
recognition, resources and not least of all, tourism dollars.  Most non-government sites that share a calendar usually claim to be representing the whole state, though I have found this is not the case. But you would think that our state government listings would have a more balanced representation.

From our very own state of Louisiana website here: http://www.crt.state.la.us/search/default.asp  under lafestivals.xls a list of Louisiana festivals and events, out of a total of 510 events, less than 17% are listed for north/central Louisiana with the majority of those being in big city venues such as Monroe, Shreveport or cultural hot spots such as Natchitoches.  Even Alexandria came in with only 3 events.

When doing a search of a well known official travel site for Louisiana, (louisianatravel.com), I found in a search of the 13 areas listed, 5 of those were in central or north Louisiana.  Of those areas, there were a total of 35 events listed for a 4 week span between April 30 and May 28.  Sounds OK until you look at the totals.  In the same time period there were a total of 265 events listed for areas south of Alexandria. Of those listings in Alexandria area, 6 of the events were in conjunction with the Civil War Sesquicentennial.  Events that were special this year only and will not appear in the same context again. There were many other events in north/central Louisiana that were disregarded completely. When the numbers are crunched,  Central and North Louisiana gets 16 1/2 % of the total listings from this travel site though the actual number of events are many more than published.

The state government of Louisiana has a program called: Louisiana Main to Main: A Cultural Roadshow. From the site they say:  Louisiana Main to Main is a program to collectively showcase our culture, commerce, history, and our abundance of creative and natural assets, and encourages road trips from one Main Street community to the next.  This program list a total of 30 towns in the program but only 7 are in the northern/central region of Louisiana.  This gives the whole region north of Alexandria only 23% of the promotion and monies allotted. Some personal sites claiming to be promoting Louisiana statewide include little to no north/central Louisiana events. After researching several such sites these were some of the results.

Here are the numbers:
17 % http://www.crt.state.la.us/search/default.asp
16 1/2 %  http://cdn.louisianatravel.com/sites/louisianatravel.com/files/Louisiana-Fairs-and-Festivals.pdf

Some sites have NO listings for North Louisiana festivals despite claiming to be a listing site for the whole United States such as

0 % http://festivalsandevents.com/festival.php?state=LA
0 % http://southfest.com/louisiana.shtml  The southfest site has listings from 9 southern states. In it's Louisiana listings of festivals, not one event is listed for north/central Louisiana.

16%  http://www.laffnet.org/
6 1/2 % http://www.cajunradio.org/louisianafestivals.html
12 % Even Wikipedia with it's list of over 139 festivals managed to share only 12% of festivals in our area of the state.

From our state sites and other travel/tourism sites and publications we get only 9.7 % of the total publicity for events in the entire state of Louisiana.

You can check out these sites for yourself, see if you can find a fair share of publicity for north/central Louisiana.

Not to limit my search to festivals and fairs I went searching for other types of events.
Here are the results:

I looked up Summer Camps in Louisiana.  Out of a total of 11 from this site
http://www.americantowns.com/la/batonrouge-summer-camps, two were actually above
Alexandria, yet they were claiming to be giving information about summer camps in Louisiana.

Here on http://www.mysummercamps.com/camps/louisiana-summer-camps.html   I found  52 camps but only 6 of the total were from Alexandria or north of Alexandria Louisiana. There are many more summer camps & children's camps in north/central Louisiana than just over 1 %.

And just for fun I checked out this site http://www.foodreference.com/html/louisiana-
festivals.html to find that only 1 out of 37 Louisiana food events were listed as being in the
north/central Louisiana area.

Check out As The Crow Flies and see for yourself that we here in north/central Louisiana have many, many opportunities for tourism.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/AsTheCrowFlies/147636581936823
If you are as unhappy with these numbers as I am, how about let's do something about it.

I will continue to post the events that I find on my page but it would be a great help if chambers of commerce, town site, newspapers and other publications as well as museums and art commissions would band together to request equal opportunity and publicity from the state of Louisiana and web site that promote the southern part of our state so heavily.

Email me at: angelacouch (at) yahoo (dot) com or contact me on Facebook with your suggestions. Put north/central Louisiana in the subject line please.

Permanent Biological Contamination of the Gulf

January 2011: Things to do and see in Monroe-West Monroe

Through January 31
Ouachita River Art Gallery features: Charlie Heck
Ouachita River Art Galley’s Artist of the Month for January is Charlie Heck. Exhibit features Heck’s work with black and white photography. Tuesday-Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Free
Ouachita River Art Gallery, 308 Trenton Street, West Monroe, 318-322-2380 or www.orag.org

January 13
Chop Chop Thursdays at Bayou Bowl
Bayou Bowl has chopped the prices! Come out and have some classic family fun with half price bowling and half price pork chop sandwiches, 5:00 p.m. – Midnight, Cost: $2.25
Bayou Bowl Family Fun Center, Monroe, 318-325-2062 or www.bayoubowl.com

January 14
$5 All You Can Bowl Friday
Come celebrate Fridays with Bayou Bowl while having some classic family fun! 6:00 p.m. – Midnight, Cost: $5
Bayou Bowl Family Fun Center, Monroe,  318-325-2062 or www.bayoubowl.com

January 14 & 15
Ag Expo 2011
The expo is fun for the whole family with a trade show, wildlife exhibit, Jr. Livestock Show, Sanctioned Rabbit Show, Miniature Cow Show, Elsie the Cow, commodity samples, and more! 2:00-8:00 p.m. Friday; 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Saturday,  Cost: $5; Under 6 free
Ike Hamilton Expo Center, West Monroe, 318-355-2495 or www.agexpo.org

January 14-16
Antique Show
This annual antique show features dealers from all over the United States offering glassware, jewelry, silver, furniture, linens, old books and crystal restoration!
Time: 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Friday & Saturday, 12:00-5:00 p.m. Sunday, Cost: $5; children 12 and under free
Monroe Convention Center, Monroe, 318-323-3188 or 318-396-9143

January 15
Gardening Seminar: Steps to Success
Check out this first time event about gardening with LSU and Louisiana Tech specialists and author, Barbara Pleasant. Event includes Ago Expo tickets, door prizes and much more! 7:30 a.m.-noon, Cost: $10 early registration; $15 after December 31
West Monroe Convention Center, West Monroe, 318-323-2251

January 16
Family Fun Day at Bayou Bowl
Come have some classic family fun at Bayou Bowl. One price gets you two hours of bowling, four shoe rentals, and four regular soft drinks! Noon-Midnight, Cost: $25
Bayou Bowl Family Fun Center, Monroe, 318-325-2062 or www.bayoubowl.com

January 19
Wacky Wednesday at Bayou Bowl
Bayou Bowl offers $2 bowling and $2 burgers every Wednesday. Come have some classic family fun while enjoying live entertainment! 6:00 p.m. – Midnight, Cost: $2
Bayou Bowl Family Fun Center, Monroe, 318-325-2062 or www.bayoubowl.com

January 20
Chop Chop Thursdays at Bayou Bowl
Bayou Bowl has chopped the prices! Come out and have some classic family fun with half price bowling and half price pork chop sandwiches. 5:00 p.m. – Midnight, Cost: $2.25
Bayou Bowl Family Fun Center, Monroe, 318-325-2062 or www.bayoubowl.com

January 20
Bottles & Brushes at Masur Museum
Looking for a creative way to spend an evening? Join the Masur Museum to create your own work of art under the professional instruction. Bring your favorite bottle of wine or other beverage and enjoy some time with friends! 6:00-8:00 p.m., Cost: $35 museum members; $40 non-members
Masur Museum of Art, Monroe, 318-329-2237 or www.masurmuseum.org

January 21-23
Clash of the Monsters
TBO Entertainment presents this action-packed monster truck show! Event includes Monster Truck Mayhem, Junk Yard Tuff Trucks and much more! Advanced tickets available.
Time: Friday & Saturday 8:00 p.m.; Sunday 2:00 p.m.
Cost: Adults $16; Children $12; Sunday Children $5
Ike Hamilton Expo Center, West Monroe, 318-325-9160 or www.etix.com

January 21
$5 All You Can Bowl Friday
Come celebrate Fridays with Bayou Bowl while having some classic family fun! 6:00 p.m. – Midnight, Cost: $5, Bayou Bowl Family Fun Center, Monroe, 318-325-2062 or www.bayoubowl.com

January 23
Family Fun Day at Bayou Bowl
Come have some classic family fun at Bayou Bowl. One price gets you two hours of bowling, four shoe rentals, and four regular soft drinks. Noon-Midnight, Cost: $25
Bayou Bowl Family Fun Center, Monroe,  318-325-2062 or www.bayoubowl.com

January 26
Wacky Wednesday at Bayou Bowl
Bayou Bowl offers $2 bowling and $2 burgers every Wednesday. Come have some classic family fun while enjoying live entertainment! 6:00 p.m. – Midnight, Cost: $2
Bayou Bowl Family Fun Center, Monroe,  318-325-2062 or www.bayoubowl.com

January 26
Faculty Artist Concert Series Featuring Dr. Micah Everett
Recital features ULM Assistant Professor of Low Brass Micah Everett, accompanied by Professor Coralie White. 7:30 p.m. Free ULM - Emy Lou Biedenharn Recital Hall, Monroe, 318- 342-1414 or www.ulm.edu/vapa

January 27
Architecture of William King Stubbs
The Cooley House Foundation presents this lecture with special guest, John H.Stubbs. 6:00 p.m. Free, ULM – Emy-Lou Biedenharn Recital Hall, Monroe, 318-329-2237

January 27
Chop Chop Thursdays at Bayou Bowl
Bayou Bowl has chopped the prices! Come out and have some classic family fun with half price bowling and half price pork chop sandwiches. 5:00 p.m. – Midnight, Cost: $2.25 Bayou Bowl Family Fun Center, Monroe, 318-325-2062 or www.bayoubowl.com

January 28-30
KNOE Boat & Outdoor Show
Boats, campers, water toys and much, much more! This year’s event includes the boat show, the gun and knife show and an RV show.
Time: Friday 12:00-9:00 p.m.; Saturday 10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.; Sunday 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Cost: Adults $6; Children 12 & under free (with paying adult)
Monroe Civic Center Arena & Conference Hall, Monroe,  318-388-8888

January 28
$5 All You Can Bowl Friday
Come celebrate Fridays with Bayou Bowl while having some classic family fun!
Time: 6:00 p.m. – Midnight, Cost: $5, Bayou Bowl Family Fun Center, Monroe,  318-325-2062 or www.bayoubowl.com

January 30
Family Fun Day at Bayou Bowl
Come have some classic family fun at Bayou Bowl. One price gets you two hours of bowling, four shoe rentals, and four regular soft drinks! Noon-Midnight, Cost: $25, Bayou Bowl Family Fun Center, Monroe, 318-325-2062 or www.bayoubowl.com

January 31
Guest Artist on Campus Concert
This concert series features the celebrated four-person ensemble Third Coast Percussion.
Time 7:30 p.m., Cost: $15, ULM - Emy Lou Biedenharn Recital Hall, Monroe,  318-342-1414 or www.ulm.edu/vapa

http://www.monroe-westmonroe.org/web/index.php?page=calendar
NOTE: these dates and times are subject to change; always check ahead before an event.

THE ARKLATEX ROSE AND GARDEN SOCIETY TO HOST INAUGURAL CELEBRATION

The Arklatex Rose and Garden Society cordially invite gardeners of all types and skill level to their inaugural meeting on January 23, 2011 from 3:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. at the Gardens of the American Rose Center. Jerome Lewis, Director of Garden Operations of the American Rose Society, will be discussing “2011 Rose Selections.”

There will be a plant sale including the newest roses from Chamblee’s Rose Nursery. Refreshments will also be served. Please contact Saletha Clanton at Saletha@arklatexrose.com or (318)780-8545 for more information.

Arklatex Rose and Garden Society Inaugural Celebration

Sunday, January 23, 2010 from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Gardens of the American Rose Center, just off I-20, Exit 5 in Shreveport, LA

By: Maria Scott, Director of Communications, www.ars.org

THE POSTER IN THE WINDOW by Angela Couch

In the window of a building in a small town hangs a slightly faded poster.  In years past the building was divided by a common wall and housed two thriving businesses, a drugstore and a dry goods store. On either side of these were a hotel, a bank, and more dry goods stores. They faced a similar block of businesses separated by a busy railroad track. Over the years, businesses came and they went as so called progress, then economic decline began to take it's toll. Citizens of the community sadly witnessed as the buildings along what used to be main street of their home town became empty and silent. The rumble of trains on the track that ran through the middle of town was only a reminder of the vibrant life that used to be. This same scenario may have played out in your community.

The faded poster has not always hung in the window, but was placed there in 1999.  The words on the poster are simple, straight forward, and if given opportunity, the words will inspire, encourage, energize. The poster is entitled "How to Build Community".  Though not written by Lorece Harris, the poster's message could have been.  During the years of decline of her hometown, Lorece began to dream of her community and the need to revive that which was dying, to repair that which was broken, and reunify that which was scattered. As she shared her dream with family and friends, the dream was caught by one and then another. Soon it became a cause and a campaign. Together, a handful of like-minded individuals, brought the dream to reality.

Today, the building with the poster in the window is called the Centennial Cultural Center in Olla, LA. Now every building along the block is occupied or in the process of renovation. People of the community and surrounding towns now come together to reminisce, to rejoice, to create and celebrate together.  The resulting memory making, learning, and sharing with friends and neighbors have brought a new spirit to this once still and lifeless area of town.

The Centennial Cultural Center was a project of the LaSalle Arts Council.  During the development of CCC, historical documents, photographs, and memorabilia were donated by people of the area and past residents.  One purpose of the center is to exhibit those collected materials.  Other purposes are to teach and demonstrate art and to provide a place for performances of music and display of art.  The center contains a small museum displaying items based on early times.

The grand opening of the CCC was commemorated  on October 1, 1999 just in time to help the town of Olla celebrate it's 100th birthday.  Many people who were instrumental in the formation of the center were in attendance at the opening and dedication ceremony of the CCC as noted in an article published in the Jena Times/Olla Tullos Urania Signal.

The goal of the center is to stimulate, encourage, nurture, promote and produce culture and art. Since it's beginning, the Centennial Cultural Center has become so much more than a museum or learning center. As I sat with Fern McKeithen, the current president of the center, we discussed how the center was meeting the needs of the community by using all art forms to teach good culture, thereby giving people and especially our younger generation good information to make wise choices, and by teaching standards and values.

There are several reasons for the successes of the Centennial Cultural Center. One reason is the co-operation between the towns of the area and the board of  the CCC.  Other important reasons for the success is support of the people in each of the communities and a volunteer spirit among those people.  Co-operation, community support, willingness to work hard, a positive outlook, and a desire to give others opportunities to learn and grow, are essentials in success.

The words on the poster in the window contain a wisdom that has been a guiding light in the growth and success of the Centennial Cultural Center.  If other communities in need of restoration and renewal would adopt the attitudes presented on the poster, much could be accomplished for the good of all.  I will share a few of them from the poster along with a few of my own.

How To Build Community

• Turn off your TV or computer & explore your community.
• Greet your neighbors & wave to people from your porch or yard.
• Buy from local merchants or barter for goods & services.
• Play music and sing together.
• Share your skills and share what you have.
• Honor senior citizens and soldiers.
• Support neighborhood schools and charitable organizations.
• Hire young people for odd jobs, recommend them to others.
• Read aloud to children or old folks.
• Talk to the mailman, meter reader or delivery person.
• Ask for help if you need it, offer help even if not asked.
• Give someone an opportunity or a second chance.
• Start a neighborhood garden, & the share bounty with others.
• Listen more than you speak but speak out if needed.
• Help keep a park or play area clean.
• Learn something new & teach it to others.
• Fix something that is broken even if you didn't break it
• Volunteer in hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, child care facilities.
• Support a local non-profit organization.

I would encourage you to develop your own list within your own community.  Ask your friends to share their own thoughts for the community.  Contact your civic leaders, ask for their input and support.  Learn what others have done to build community. Do not allow negativity or obstacles to discourage you. Dream big and share the dream for your community with your friends and neighbors.  Or catch the dream of someone already involved in building community.  It’s a worthwhile effort and an achievable goal.

The Centennial Cultural Center is financially supported by donations, grants and fund raisers.  The center sponsors several events throughout the year.  In April the Central Louisiana Bluegrass Festival is a main attraction for people from all over Louisiana.  The summer months bring art, education and culture in focus with "Freedom in Reading" Literacy Camp and Art & Etiquette Camp in July. In August is the Stained Glass Camp.  Each year in October, Olla Home Coming is enjoyed by all.  The center allows for local singers and musicians to come together bi-monthly for enjoyable jam sessions. Quilting Workshops and a quilt show, art classes, a Community Christmas program and other events throughout the year are made possible through the CCC.

How can you help the Centennial Cultural Center?  Are you interested in sharing your own memories or artifacts by loan or donation?  Do you have valuable information to share with others concerning the history of the area?  Can you volunteer time at the center or during one of it's projects?  Would you like to support the center in their efforts by making a monetary donation?  The center is accessible in a number of ways.

View their web site: http://www.culturalcenter.us/index.html
Visit them:  Downtown Historic District 2962 Front Street Olla, Louisiana
Write to them:  Post Office Box 896,  Olla, Louisiana 71465
Call or fax them: Phone: (318) 495-7988  Fax: (318) 495-7988
E-mail them: cultural@centurytel.net
Find them on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/photos.php?id=104000578883#!/pages/Centennial-Cultural-Center/104000578883

ARTICLE AND PHOTOS COPYRIGHT Angela Couch
Find her on Facebook at AsTheCrowFlies http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/AsTheCrowFlies/147636581936823?v=wall

Visit a Louisiana Tree Farm this year

PUBLISHER'S NOTE: My apologies to anyone who is listed incorrectly. The original post was written in November 2008. If the information is incorrect, please email me an I will update it.

Oh Christmas Tree! Oh Christmas Tree!
Time to think about Christmas trees. Start a new family tradition by going to one of these LOUISIANA Christmas Tree Farms and picking out a tree. Make some memories, enjoy a day of fresh farm air.


Bossier Parish
Cool Breeze Farm
 15860 Hwy. 157, Benton, Louisiana 71006, 318-326-4980

Peterson Drive Christmas Tree Farm
 318-355-7937, 126 Peterson Drive, Benton. Open Friday afternoons; all day Saturdays; Sundays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sell Virginia Pine and Leyland Cypress trees.


Caddo Parish
Adams Tree Farm
318-686-4770, 6391 Buncombe Road, .7 miles off Pines Road. Open 9 a.m. to dark, Monday through Saturday; 1 p.m. to dark Sunday. Virginia pine and Leland cypress trees which are grown on the farm; Noble fir and Grand fir shipped to the farm.

Christmas Wood Tree Farm
318-683-0592, 3223 Bert Kouns Industrial Loop, Shreveport, 1/5 miles west of Mansfield Road between Walker and Dean Roads. Hours 10 a.m. until dark Saturdays; and weekdays by appointment. Leyland cypress trees.


Shaw Christmas Tree Farm
318-284-3584, Hwy. 71, 1 mile north of Ida.

Weaver's Christmas Tree Farm
2995 Jolly Napier Rd, Shreveport, LA 71119, 318-636-6101. Choose from Leyland cypress, Carolina sapphire, Blue Ice, Cut Fraser fir. Also have a gift shop and sell tree stands.

Concordia Parish
Marie's Trees
1010 Doty Road, Ferriday, LA 71334, 318-757-4911, 318-715-4910 Choose from leyland & ovensii, virginia pine, blue ice, blue nalor,frasier fir (sizes 5-6 ft up to 8-9 ft )from north carolina to arrive 2 days before Thanksgiving. Items available to purchase tree stands, trees netted, wreaths, ornaments, decorated cypress knees, pecans shelled. And enjoy a kiddie train ride for children cost: $3.00. North on LA 15, turn west on Kentucky Ave. (Hwy 903). Go 2 miles to farm on left.


Fletcher Christmas Tree Farm, 3725 Highway 921, Clayton, LA 71326, 318-389-5894. Directions: FM 921, 3 miles south on Hwy. 15, between Clayton & Sicily Island.

DeSoto Parish
Santa's Woods, 732 Stonewall Frierson Road, Frierson, Louisiana 71027, 318-797-4749. Open day after Thanksgiving and every Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until sold out. www.santaswoods.net

Lincoln Parish
Beavers Christmas Tree Farm
2237 Hwy. 563, Simsboro, LA 71275, 318-247-8238
Choose from Leyland cypress, Virginia pine, Carolina Sapphire, Red Cedar. Also sell tree stands. Farm located at 2237 LA Hwy. 563, get off of I-20 at the Industry Exit #78, this exit is between the Grambling and Simsboro exits, go north on Hwy. 563 approximately 5 miles and the farm will be located on the right.

Ouachita Parish
Pepper Christmas Tree Farm
2181 Hwy 557, West Monroe, LA 71292, 318-387-5172
Choose from Leyland cypress, Carolina Sapphire, Blue Ice. Also sell tree stands, snow flocking. From West Monroe; go S on Hwy 34, 7 mi.; past paper mill take left on Hwy 557, go 2.5 miles to farm on left

Precious Memories Christmas Tree Farm, LLC
455 Glen Acres Road, Calhoun, LA 71225, 318-396-5113
"Full Service Christmas Tree Farm" Opening the Saturday before Thanksgiving November 22, 2008 thru Sunday before Christmas. Daily Monday thru Friday 10:00 until dark, Saturday and Sunday 8:00 until dark. Trees available are Virginia Pine, Leyland Cypress, Notabilis, Blue Ice, Carolina Sapphire, Red Cedar and North Carolina Fraser Fir (fresh pre-cut Fraser Firs from North Carolina available Thanksgiving weekend.)
Other fun on the farm: sleigh rides for the kids and kid at heart, Candy Christmas mints, Christmas tree pin stands for sale (takes the hassle out of straightening your tree) and fresh wreaths made daily. From I-20 Exit 108 (Cheniere Drew), go north on LA 546/LA15 for 2 miles to the intersection at Drew School. Take a left onto LA15 and continue for 2 miles (Look for our big sign on the right). Turn right onto Glen Acres Road and stay straight for .5 mile. Tree farm is on the left (Look for our sign). http://www.preciousmemorieschristmastreefarm.com

Rapides Parish
A & N Christmas Forest, 318-563-4011 or 318-563-4785, Directions: from Alexandria, Hwy. 1 south 18 miles to Echo, turn right at Cheneyville Echo Road or Sandy Lane Road, ½ mile to stop sign, turn left, 2nd house on right

Miltons' Christmas Tree Farm
1605 Hwy. 457, Lecompte, LA 71346, 318-442-0565. Choose from Leyland cypress, Virginia pine, Red Cedar.

Peachy Pines, 100 Locker Road, Deville, Louisiana 71328, 318-449-1142

Richland Parish
Curry's Christmas Tree Farm
548 Robinson Drive, Rayville, LA 71269, 318-728-6203. Choose from Leyland cypress, Virginia pine, Carolina Sapphire, Red Cedar, Blue Ice. Also, sell tree stands, offer hay rides, snow flocking, maze, field tours. I-20 east from Monroe to exit 132 then follow signs.

Sabine Parish
L & L Christmas Trees
 318-645-6988, 157 S. Main Street.

Tensas Parish
Barfield Tree Farm
318-467-5532, Hwy. 4, 3.5 miles west of Hwy. 65.

Vernon Parish
Sanders Christmas Tree Farm 
294 Westbrooks Rd., Hornbeck, Louisiana 71439, 318-565-3152

Webster Parish
Hollis Tree Farm
318-371-0530, Directions: from Minden, 2 miles on U.S. Hwy. 79, left Miller Road, go 3 miles. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays; 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturdays; 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. Virginia Pine and Leyland Cypress.

Old Beck House Christmas Tree Farm & Gift Shop, 318-377-0310, 112 Beck Curve Road, U.S. Highway 80, Minden. Open 1 p.m. until dark each day. Douglas fir, Leyland cypress and Virginia pine; other items include: wreaths, gift baskets and stockings.

Allen Parish
Grant Christmas Tree Farm & Syrup Mill
318-634-3408, Farm Address: 716 Whitaker Rd., Grant, LA 70644. Leyland Cypress, Virginia Pine, Fraser Fir trees, fresh wreaths and garland.
Fall festival the three Saturdays following Thanksgiving from 8 a.m. ‘til 6 p.m. The festival includes watching an old time cane press, making syrup, homemade biscuits, syrup, sausage and milk gravy, or chip beef barbeque sandwich, listen to blue grass and gospel music or take the children to the petting zoo. There's also arts & crafts and a hayride. For more details
visit: http://www.grantchristmastreefarm.com

If you have a Christmas Tree Farm that you would like listed here, please email louisianatrekker (at)gmail(dot)com.

PHOTO CREDIT: Leyland Cypress from The National Christmas Tree Association

Sources: Southern Christmas Tree Association
Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry
www.garden.com
Louisiana Forestry Association

Other links about caring for real trees and finding tree farms from the LSU AgCenter and the National Christmas Tree Association.

Selecting a live Christmas tree from the LSU AgCenter

Real Tree Safety Tips, Not Scare Tactics

Selecting and Caring for a Real Tree

If you don't see the tree farm you are looking for then try this link to The National Christmas Tree Association or the Louisiana Forestry Association 

Step Back in Time at the Minden Cemetery Ghost Walk.

The 7th Annual Minden Cemetery Ghost Walk tours will begin at 12:00 Noon on Saturday, November 13, with the last tour starting at 3:00 p.m. and lasting a little over an hour.

The tour will feature ghosts and living history lessons from actors and actresses in period costume portraying Minden’s past leading citizens. Step back in time as you listened to the stories being told.  In a little over an hour, you can see Confederate soldiers along with early business leaders, teachers, doctors and politicians. This is a rare opportunity to learn about Minden’s past community leaders, citizens and history. The Ghost Walk teaches you how Minden’s women and men endured through great hardships and strived to overcome great obstacles to make Minden what it is today.

If you missed the tour last year, you don’t want to miss it this year. For more information on the Minden Cemetery located on Bayou Avenue and the annual tour, visit http://www.mindencemetery.blogspot.com/ or you can contact Schelley Brown at 318-423-0192. 

BROUGHT TO YOU IN PART BY THE WEBSTER PARISH CONVENTION AND VISITORS

By: Webster Parish Convention and Visitors Bureau

Winnsboro-Franklin Parish Chamber of Commerce Christmas Events

Christmas Events

The annual Christmas Parade sponsored by the Winnsboro-Franklin Parish Chamber of Commerce is scheduled for Friday, December 3, on the streets of downtown Winnsboro.

This year's event marks the eighth year the parade has been held after dark, and parade organizers note that the event has grown each year. As usual, the parade will be the culmination of a week-long series of yuletide events in Winnsboro.

Float builders are encouraged to contact the Chamber office to register their float for the parade, which will draw thousands of viewers from throughout Franklin Parish and beyond.

"Last year couldn't have been any better because of the snow that fell before and during the parade," said parade co-chair Paul Price, Jr. "We really don't expect that to happen again, but you never know."

Price noted that the annual event has become a great advertising opportunity for local and area businesses.

"If the past few years have been any indication, this is a great opportunity for local businesses to get their name before the public because, weather permitting, there will be a huge crowd watching the parade."

Bands, elected officials, and beauty queens, along with beautiful lighted floats will comprise this year's parade, which will follow the traditional parade route in downtown Winnsboro.

In addition, a limited number of local non-profit organizations will be selling food and beverages in selected spots along the parade route.

The parade will culminate with the annual fireworks display at Landis Park.

"This event continues to grow, and we hope groups from throughout the parish will enter floats in this year's parade," said parade co-chair Noble Ellington III. "Cash prizes will be awarded to for the best floats, and we hope the friendly float building competition among our local banks and businesses to maintain its intensity."

Commercial float entries will compete for the Santa trophy that they will get to display for a year, while non-profit groups will compete for cash prizes in different categories.

Antique cars are also encouraged to participate in this event, and trophies and cash prizes will be awarded to the top three vehicles. This category is open to any antique car owner within the parish and beyond.

"Car owners will need to register with the Chamber office by November 24," Price said. "Owners can contact the chamber office of visit the chamber website for entry forms."

Also on tap during the week following the Thanksgiving holidays is the annual tree lighting ceremony across the street from Winnsboro City Hall. That event will take place on Tuesday, November 30, at 6 p.m. at the gazebo, and will be coordinated by Wellspring.

Christmas trees sponsored by local businesses on the "Trail of Trees" along the Walking Trail in Winnsboro will also be turned on during the week, and on Thursday, December 2, the annual Children's Christmas Parade will be held on the streets of downtown Winnsboro starting at 6 p.m.

Children from throughout the parish are encouraged to "dress up" their bicycles, electric cars, and wagons and participate in this event.

Entry forms, rules, and other parade information are posted on the Chamber website at http://www.winnsborochamber.com/christmasforms.htm.

Information from Winnsboro Chamber of Commerce.

Christmas Parade in Coushatta

The Coushatta - Red River Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a Christmas Parade on Thursday, December 2nd.

The Town of Coushatta will sponsor a Fireworks Extravaganza after the parade; the viewing area will be at the Boat Launch under the Red River Bridge.

The parade line-up is at 3:00 p.m. at the Fair Grounds and the parade will roll at 4:00p.m.(schools will let out at noon that day).  The parade route is from the Fair Grounds and will end on Front Street in front of the Methodist church.

Information supplied from Red River Chamber of Commerce.

Monroe Events for November

Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall

November 5-7, Free

Chennault Aviation and Military Museum of Louisiana, 701 Kansas Lane, Monroe

318-362-5540, www.chennaultmmla.org

Experience this unique expression of honor to the soldiers, sailors, and airmen who sacrificed for our country.

Taste of the Twin Cities

Showcasing local restaurants featuring samples of delicious food while retail exhibitors offer opportunities to shop from an array of specialties! And you won't want to miss the live entertainment by local musicians.

November 20 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Cost $15

West Monroe Convention Center, 901 Ridge Ave., West Monroe, Louisiana

www.tasteofthetwincities.org

Christmas on the River

November 27

Gallery Open House on Art Alley

11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Downtown Monroe/West Monroe

Downtown Christmas Market

Noon to 5 p.m.

Downtown Monroe Riverwalk

100 N. Grand, Monroe

Christmas Express Train

4 p.m., 212 Walnut Street, Monroe

Lighting Ceremony

4:30 p.m., Antique Alley, Trenton Street, West Monroe

Little Miss Christmas on the River Pageant

6:30 p.m., Antique Alley, Trenton Street, West Monroe

November 28

Chamber Arts Brass Christmas Concert

4 p.m., Biedenharn Museum & Gardens, 2006 Riverside Drive, Monroe

For more events

Information from Monroe-West Monroe Convention & Visitors' Bureau