Happenings

Music and Dancing at The Mag

Friday, April 4 – Gary Bello.  On Sunday, April 6, Ned and Ms. Z will be giving Cajun/Zydeco dance lessons starting at 4 pm followed with music by the Creole Zydeco Farmers at 5 pm to show off your new moves!

 

Audubon BirdFest

This birding event has continued to grow in popularity and will take place on this weekend, April 4 – 6.  Field trips will feature our most popular outdoor sites - Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge and wildlife artist Murrell Butler’s Oakhill Plantation in addition to four outstanding private properties – Beechwood Plantation, Hollywood Plantation, Woodhill Farm, and Wyoming Plantation.  Birding tours will also be held at Audubon State Historic Site at Oakley Plantation, the Mary Ann Brown Nature Preserve, and along the shores of the Mississippi River, if it’s not too flooded. A welcome reception on Friday night, April 4, will feature Danny Heitman, author and columnist for the Baton Rouge Advocate, and he will discuss his latest book, A Summer of Birds:  John James Audubon at Oakley House, and will be hosted, appropriately, at Audubon State Historic Site.  New in 2008:  Phyllis Pitre Lastrapes will conduct a photo workshop, all tours have been designed with the beginner to intermediate birder in mind and are led by knowledgeable and experienced local field guides.  For more information visit www.audubonbirdfest.com, e-mail fns@audubonbirdfest.com or call 800-488-6502.

 

Audubon Nature Day At Audubon State Historic Site

As part of the Feliciana Nature Society’s Audubon Bird Fest, this site will focus on nature and how the naturalist artist, John James Audubon interacted with his surrounds at Oakley in 1821. Guest speakers, demonstrations, presenters, walks and talks are included with this program.  Friday, April 4, will feature a school program open to all schools from 9 am – 1 pm.  For more information, please call 888-677-2838 or locally 635-3739.

 

Life On A Plantation At Rosedown

During the 1800s at Rosedown, the family had different kinds of help during daily chores. On Friday, April 11, the Rosedown staff and volunteers will show school groups all of the little things that make up a big plantation.  Costumed Living History Presenters at different stations throughout the site will portray various activities of that time, such as cooking, spinning, shaving horse, 19th century medical arts and more. At each station, the Living History Presenter will explain the significance of the activity, relating tales of specific people who would have been responsible for each task. For more information call 635-3110.

 

Spring Stroll Garden Tour

This self-guided garden tour is set for Saturday, April 12, from 9 am until 1 pm in St. Francisville and in Tunica.   Gardens on tour and their hosts include: Julie and Mitch Brashier, owners of the historic Hillcroft House on Royal Street in St. Francisville; Elaine and Leonard Sullivan, who will host garden tour visitors at their historic Wyoming Plantation on Commerce Street in St. Francisville; Tracey and David Banowetz, who will host visitors at their home at Ouida Plantation on the Ouida-Irondale Road in Tunica; and Kevin Ford, who will host visitors at the gardens surrounding the Myrtles Plantation on U.S. Highway 61 in St. Francisville.  All proceeds of the garden tour will go to the West Feliciana Parish 4-H Clubs and the St. Francisville Farmers’ Market.  Louisiana Master Gardeners and LSU AgCenter personnel will help co-host the tour stops and provide educational information to visitors.  For more information on advanced tickets for the tour call the West Feliciana Parish Extension Service Office at 635-3614.  On the day of the tour, tickets may be purchased at the St. Francisville Town Hall on Ferdinand Street (the headquarters for the tour) and at the three private gardens on tour. The price of the tickets is $10.00 per person. Garden tour ticket holders will be eligible for door prizes donated by local merchants.  This event is co-sponsored by the Feliciana Horticultural Association, the Greater St. Francisville Chamber of Commerce, Ins-N-Outs Nursery and the Myrtles Plantation.  For more information on the Spring Stroll Garden Tour in St. Francisville call André Brock of the West Feliciana Parish Extension Office at 635-3614 or Scuddy LeBlanc at (985) 687-7258.

 

Flint Knapping At Rosedown Plantation

On Saturday, April 12, at 11 am, Rosedown Plantation State Historic Site Interpretive Ranger James Smith demonstrates the art, now known as Flint Knapping, which allowed Native Americans to make many of their own tools. Program occurs every second Saturday, January through June. For more information call 635-3110.

 

Cosmos in the Country

This mini-Spring Break is for ladies only!  Hosted by Varnedoe’s on Thursday, April 17 from 6:30 pm until, this second annual event will feature cocktails, dinner buffet, door prizes, and female-only topics!  Dressy casual attire and reservations are required.  $65 per person, all inclusive, so call 635-2635 or click www.varnedoes.com.

 

Community Arts Day

Come join in this celebration of the arts on Saturday, April 26 from 2 – 6 pm at Parker Park.  People of all ages will be making art and music, culminating in the children’s parade at 5:30.  The Fugitive Poets will perform from 4 until 6 pm but before that, there will be an exhibit of “Physics in Art” by the Physical Science Classes from West Feliciana High, an “Edible Art Contest,” and lots of foks showing and selling their art, including the 3^rd graders from Bains Elementary.  But that’s not all – at 6 pm The Jazzy Jags of Southern University will perform the first of 3 “Vibes in the ‘ville” music in the park events sponsored by The Bank of St. Francisville.  More on this event in the coming weeks.

 

Remember that these and other events are listed on the calendar of our website.  Visit www.stfrancisville.us for more information on what’s happening in West Feliciana.  Have a great weekend!