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| Cajun Coast Visitors & Convention Bureau Morgan City, Louisiana |
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A+ Motel & RV Park Sulphur, Louisiana |
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Coushatta Luxury RV Resort at Red Shoes Park Kinder, Louisiana |
Central Louisiana is a spicy mix of Creole, French and Native American traditions. Its laidback residents celebrate this combination of cultures and look for ways to have a good time all year round. Whether you like rolling the dice on a casino adventure or prefer to cast your line for some catfish, Avoyelles Parish has something for just about everyone.
Some of Louisiana’s best parties are thrown by residents of Avoyelles, who celebrate rollicking music at the annual Zydeco and Blues Festival in June. Guests can also enjoy the Avoyelles Arts and Music Fest in July and the Easter Egg Knocking Contest in the spring (if your egg gets cracked in this friendly contest, you’re out of the game). Sizzling creole flavor abounds at eateries throughout the parish, giving guests a taste of authentic fried catfish, boiled crawfish or savory chicken and sausage gumbo.
Fans of all things porky will get a kick out of Mansura’s annual Cochon de Lait Festival. The party centers on a roast suckling pig (cochon de lait) cook-off as well as other tasty treats of the porcine persuasion. A carnival and street dance featuring live music round out the festivities.
Wander through the Grand Cote National Wildlife Refuge along the half-mile paved Marc Dupuy Wildlife Trail and get an up-close look at the wild wetlands of Avoyelles Parish. An observation tower and interpretive panels along the path turn a casual walk into an enlightening experience. Grand Cote is home to protected black bears as well as several bird species, including northern pintails, wading birds and small mammals. Hunting in Grand Cote is permitted, and visitors can pursue deer, rabbits or migratory game birds during designated seasons.
When it’s time to blow off steam, the Paragon Casino Resort in Marksville is the place to be. Check out the gaming floor, tropical pool with a swim-up bar, full-service spa, movie theater, golf course and a nightly slate of live entertainment.
Learn about how the locals lived thousands of years ago on a visit to the Tunica-Biloxi Indian Center and Museum in Marksville. The early residents of the region constituted the Avoyel tribe, which was later incorporated into the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe. Here, you’ll discover archeological evidence of the tribe’s nearby burial mound, where Tunica people were interred along with prized possessions.
Marksville State Historic Site is home to a preserved Native American ceremonial center. The semi-circular earthwork at Marksville rises as high as seven feet in some areas and rests on the edge of a bluff overlooking the Old River.
Jerrye and Roy Klotz, MD
Visitors will also find several antebellum mansions that harken back to the days of the Old South. Several of these stately residences are open for tours.
Avoyelles Commission of Tourism
800-833-4195
Louisiana Office of Tourism
800-677-4082