Travelers interested in cultural pursuits will find lots to love in Louisiana. The state offers a wide variety of visual and performing arts, from the usual museums and ballets you'd expect anywhere in the United States to homegrown fun, like Cajun dancing and Mardi Gras.
Performing Arts
In northern Louisiana, visitors can enjoy ballet and other traditional dance performances in Monroe and Shreveport. These areas also offer a variety of symphonies and theatrical performances. Whether produced by professional groups or local universities, the stages of northern Louisiana present plenty of quality entertainment.
Southern Louisiana's larger population translates to a larger performing arts scene. With modern dance and edgy theater, Cajun and Zydeco music, and New Orleans jazz clubs, this region provides fun entertainment all year round. Ethnic groups play a large part in dance, including the native dances of the Chitimacha Indian Tribe, Cajun dance parties, and the Zulu Krewe of the Mardi Gras. The region offers its share of professional ballet and other dance companies, along with several significant regional theatrical groups producing professional shows. The Southern Repertory Theatre and the Swine Palace are two well-respected companies in the area. A variety of community theater groups are sprinkled throughout the region as well, including in the small towns.
Music is part of the daily fabric of life in Louisiana, and the state offers a variety of music performances, festivals, and styles to suit just about anyone. Classical music and symphonies perform in all corners of the state, while authentic Cajun and Zydeco bands play at festivals and live venues on any given night. Central Louisiana played an important part in music history, producing such musical luminaries as Conway Twitty, Aaron Neville, Jerry Lee Lewis, Jimmy Davis, and Mickey Gilley. A local music museum pays homage to these homegrown legends.
The most popular and well-known type of music to come from Louisiana, however, is jazz. Jazz was born in the Big Easy, and many famous musicians were also born and bred here. Preservation Hall, where it all began so many years ago, still presents live jazz shows most nights of the week. The many bars, nightclubs, and restaurants in the French Quarter also offer live jazz.
Visual Arts
The visual arts thrive in Louisiana, with the French Quarter as the hub. With many galleries and several top-notch museums, art lovers can explore a wide variety of artistic genres. The Degas House, where Edward Degas lived and painted, can be toured and even slept in, as it's now a bed and breakfast. The northern and central regions of Louisiana also are home to good museums. Most large universities around the state house a significant art museum, and often a gallery for student art work as well.
Hand-made crafts in Louisiana pay tribute to the rich cultural past of the state. Voodoo dolls, quilts, and hand-carved duck decoys are just a few of the historic crafts visitors will find still being made in the Pelican State.
Literature
The mystery of the French Quarter has long enticed visitors, and literary types are no different. Tennessee Williams lived in the colorful neighborhood while writing A Streetcar Named Desire, which was set there. William Faulkner lived there as well, and his old flat is now a bookstore that celebrates the writer.
Contemporary times have produced some well-known authors as well, with Anne Rice and James Lee Burke as the two most prolific. Anne Rice set many of her vampire novels in New Orleans, and local tours take visitors to places mentioned in her books, plus her old family home. James Lee Burke still lives in New Iberia, the scene of many of his detective stores. In this beautiful small town, visitors will find many real places mentioned in the famous books.
Film
Louisiana is a favorite of filmmakers - hundreds of films and television shows have been made here. The swampy bayous, rural antebellum plantations, and the enigmatic French Quarter are popular settings. Film lovers can visit the Steel Magnolias house in Natchitoches, Angola Prison from Dead Man Walking, and the capital city of Baton Rouge, shown in All the King's Men. Film buffs may also want to check out one of the many film festivals held each year for independent filmmakers.
Festivals
Perhaps the best way to get a taste of all Louisiana has to offer is to visit one of its many annual festivals. With over 100 festivals each year, visitors can enjoy the fun nearly year- round. The festivals of Louisiana offer a cross-section of entertainment and culture, including arts, crafts, music, dance, and other performances. Large festivals include the Tennessee Williams Literary Festival, the famous New Orleans Jazz Festival, and the Marshland Festival, a celebration of Cajun culture.
Of course, the most well known festival in Louisiana is Mardi Gras, which takes place early in the year, and is celebrated across the state. Beautiful costumes and floats are elaborately crafted for the multitude of parades. Add lively music and dancing, and you've got a party.
Louisiana's unique heritage is reflected in its arts and entertainment offerings. Whether visiting a museum, attending the theater, or joining the crowd at a lively festival, travelers to Louisiana will enjoy soaking up the local culture.
