Started in 1964/1965. the Angola Prison Rodeo at the Louisiana State Penitentiary is the longest running rodeo in the US. 73% of the incarcerated men are serving life sentences and otherwise the average sentence is 90 years. The men live in poor conditions in sweltering cells and many are held …
People in the New Orleans area probably have the most costumes per capita in the country. Mardi Gras costumes are worked on for weeks and Halloween is a big deal. Canine companions get the same treatment. Events include Krewe of Barkus parades, Metairie PetFest, and Krewe de Paws of Old …
The AAF Tank Museum is 330,000 square feet of tanks and military displays. On special days they have an event where they use a flamethrower to torch a dummy or small structure and have a tank run over a couple junker cars. The museum is a mish-mash. Some displays are …
The Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association has events across the states, with many being held in the South. People get on their steads and race through a course trying to shoot the most balloons. The riders generally use replicas of revolvers from pre-1900. They dress in cowboy gear and sometimes old …
Galax, Virginia, is the gathering place of fiddlers and fans of fiddlers once a year since 1935. On the second week of August, people put their instruments and homes on wheels and get to the fest along with about 30,000 other people. Some come to play and even compete for …
The rougarou is a monster who lives in the swamp. It has the head of a wolf and the body of a man. It hunts down those in Cajun country who skip Lent and misbehaving children. Since 2012 on the weekend before Halloween, the small city of Houma celebrates the …
In 2013, The Great Bull Run went to ten cities in the United States. They planned to bring the experience of the Running of the Bulls from Palmplona, Spain, to a horsetrack near you. People dressed in red and psyched themselves up to get in a loop with bulls. Comparatively, …
Throughout the years, Santa and Mrs. Claus’ gather with different conventions around the country to talk about how to be a better mall Santa, magic tricks, and more. Like all groups, Santas often have a difference of opinion on who is naughty and nice. While I’m not sure exactly what …
Easter is my favorite day in New Orleans. There is not one, but three, parades to celebrate the occasion. All the chill is gone from the air. Everyone who partied too hard for Mardi Gras has given up a vice for lent and can now partake again. The first is …
St. John’s Eve is a celebration of the summer solstice. In the 1830’s Marie Laveau did a headwashing ceremony in Lake Pontchartrain. Today, a group led by Sallie Ann Glassman, do the ceremony along the bayou in Midcity, either on the Magnolia Bridge or recently on the bank nearby. While …
