WE LOVE IT
HERE !!! HAPPENING IN THE HILLS
MUSIC AT THE MAG
Friday-April 22nd-Mojo Mudd
Saturday-April 23rd- Carlo Ditto Band
Friday-April 29th- The Delta Drifters
Saturday-April 30th –
Nouveau String Band
FARMER’S MARKET EVERY THURSDAY ON WILCOX ST.
9am-1pm
Support our local farmers.
ROSEDOWN PLANTATION STATE HISTORIC SITE
Garden Tour Fridays will take place the
first Friday of each month at 10am, starting on February 5th. A guided walking tour of the historic Rosedown Gardens and
Outbuildings.
Photo Day – April 21, 2016 from
5pm-8pm. This is a paid evening program. The park will
stay open until dark on designated days. Each person will pay $15 to
take pictures throughout the grounds, but not in the buildings, from 5pm
until dark around 8pm. Photographers will make reservations in advance
to take the desirable sunset pictures of Rosedown. Payment will be
required before 5pm and a parking pass will be issued. The scheduled
days are the first and third Thursdays in April and May.
THE BLUFFS ON THOMPSON CREEK GOLF AND CONFERENCE RESORT
Brunch on the Greens: Sunday Buffet Brunch every Sunday
from 10:30am-1:30pm Call for reservations 225 634-6419.
Live Music every Saturday from 6pm-9pm.
April
23rd - Styk
MOTHER’S DAY BRUNCH-SUNDAY, May 8, 11 am and 1 pm seating
Treat mom to our delicious brunch buffet.
Assorted salads, Refish Acadiana, Caribbean Flank Steak, and desserts
with so much more. Call to reserve your spot 225-634-6419.
ST.
FRANCISVILLE SPRING GARDEN STROLL
The 2016 Spring Garden Stroll will be held on Saturday, April 30, 2016 featuring four
private gardens and the educational school gardens in West Feliciana Parish.
Tickets may be purchased the day of the event at St.
Francisville Town Hall or purchased in advance by contacting the LSU Ag
Center Office in St. Francisville at 225-635-3614. NO CREDIT
CARDS.
NATIONAL TOURISM WEEK
Please join us on Monday May 2nd at 3:30pm at Oakley Plantation to
celebrate National Tourism Week with Lt Governor Billy Nungesser. We will also be announcing our local Tourism Award
Winners.
ST. FRANCISVILLE SYMPHONY ASSOCIATION
On Friday May 6th at Jackson Hall the
Baton Rouge Symphony will present the last concert of this season
“A Piano Trio” along with the Wine and Cheese Reception &
Silent Auction beginning at 6pm.
Tickets are $25.00 and available for purchase at The Bank of St. Francisville.
Showing posts with label news. Show all posts
Showing posts with label news. Show all posts
Friday, April 22, 2016
Thursday, June 11, 2015
What’s coming up in St. Francisville
St. Francisville, La., "Happenings Newsletter" - Entertainment, Festivals and Events.
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Thursday, October 23, 2014
Happenings - Oct. 22, 2014
St. Francisville, La., "Happenings Newsletter" - Entertainment, Festivals and Events.
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Monday, November 29, 2010
Saintsational Christmas
EVERYBODY LOVES A PARADE -- CHRISTMAS IN THE COUNTRY IN ST. FRANCISVILLE, LA
by Anne Butler
Nothing says Christmas to an excited child more than a parade, especially a safe small-town one like St. Francisville’s popular Christmas in the Country parade the first Saturday each December, complete with marching bands and decorated floats, Santa resplendent in his sleigh and important local officials in convertibles throwing lots and lots of candy. And right out there with all the excited children catching that candy, every year for the three decades this celebration has opened the holiday season in the Felicianas, is Ms. Fay Daniel, owner of one of St. Francisville’s iconic downtown shops.
It’s not that Ms. Fay is exactly a child, but she doesn’t know that, and no one has the heart to tell her. So she keeps anticipating Christmas and celebrating the season with that childlike exuberance and sense of wonder that make the holidays so magical, regardless of age. In her timeless shop, The Shanty Too, purveyor of “gifts and fancy goods” for those same three decades, she loves to share that excitement, with a holiday open house, spectacular decorations, and great shopping. She has also had a hand in planning and executing Christmas in the Country and its parade since the very beginning, many years as the overall chairperson and always the most enthusiastic supporter.
Of course, the parade has grown considerably in three decades (haven’t we all??). Highlight of a weekend designed to draw holiday shoppers into downtown St. Francisville, it started inauspiciously in the late 1970s with a few hay-filled flatbed trailers pulled by farm trucks or tractors, Scout groups trudging along on foot, a couple of costumed Historical Society stalwarts wobbling along on bicycles, and an earlier generation of politicians flinging tootsie rolls from pickups. Everybody who could beg, borrow or steal a horse rode in the parade, which turned out to be a bad idea and was halted in the interest of safety after a few hair-raising runaways. No one had any idea who would actually show up to participate, so the parade was always a surprise even to its organizers, at least until the Women’s Service League took over the project and set some tasteful guidelines.
But even in those early, simple years, St. Francisville’s holiday parade and its ever-expanding roster of wonderful little shops drew crowds. Because, you see, Christmas in St. Francisville, historically the commercial center of surrounding English Louisiana cotton plantations, has always been a magical time. In the 19th century, country folks from miles around would pile into wagons to do their weekly shopping in the little town’s dry-goods emporiums that offered everything from buggies to coffins, gents’ fine furnishings and ladies’ millinery. And at Christmas time, tiny tots would press their noses against frosted storefront windows like those at The Shanty Too to gaze with wistful longing at elegant china dolls and wooden rocking horses.
It’s still that way today, and the historic little rivertown’s Christmas in the Country celebration on December 3, 4, and 5, pays tribute to its heritage and showcases its continuing vitality as the center of culture and commerce for the entire surrounding region. As Fay Daniel says, “We have some really nice stores here, and the shop owners work hard to keep them fresh and up to date.”
Millions of tiny white lights trace soaring Victorian trimwork and grace gallery posts to transform the entire town into a veritable winter wonderland for Christmas in the Country, as special activities throughout the extensive National Register-listed downtown Historic District provide fun for the whole family at this celebration of the season, a joyful alternative to mall madness. The Saturday parade this year has the theme “SaintSational Christmas,” celebrating not only the championship WhoDat Nation but also the local West Feliciana High School teams, also called the Saints, and riding in the parade and reliving former glory will be several generations of sports heroes, cheerleaders, dancers and homecoming queens.
Beginning at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 3, Santa Claus comes to town to kick off the Lighting Ceremony of the Town Christmas Tree, followed by a public reception and fireworks display at Town Hall hosted by jovial longtime St. Francisville Mayor Billy D'Aquilla and featuring performances by the First Baptist Church Children’s Choir and West Feliciana Middle School Choir. From 6 to 8, visitors have the rare opportunity to glimpse beautifully decorated interiors of participating houses along Ferdinand and Royal Streets’ Peep Into Our Holiday Homes. The Baton Rouge Symphony presents its annual concert of seasonal selections and dessert reception beginning at 7 p.m. at Hemingbough; tickets are available at the Bank of St. Francisville.
Saturday, Dec. 4, begins with a 7:30 a.m. Community Prayer Breakfast at United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall just off Royal St., followed by Breakfast with St. Nick for children at Jackson Hall next to Grace Church at 8, 9:30 and 11 a.m., sponsored by the Women’s Service League (reservations recommended; call 225-721-3563). The Women’s Service League also sells fresh wreaths and pre-wrapped Plantation Country Cookbooks all weekend on Ferdinand St. next to the library, with proceeds benefiting local civic and charitable activities.
Throughout the day Saturday there will be children’s activities--spacewalk and obstacle course, pictures with Santa—plus the Main Street Band (noon to 2), handmade crafts and food vendors in oak-shaded Parker Park. There will also be entertainment in various locations throughout the downtown historic district, featuring choirs, dancers, musicians, and other performers.
The angelic voices of the Bains Lower Elementary children's choir—Voices in Motion-- are raised at the West Feliciana Historical Society Museum on Ferdinand St. at 9:30. The Bain Elementary Chorus sings at the Methodist Church Fellowship Hall at 9:15, followed by West Feliciana High School's very popular Latin and Spanish Clubs (10:30 a.m.) and the high school choir (11). At 11:30 on Ferdinand St. the Junior Jazzercise group puts on a lively show, followed by a Shin Sun Korean Martial Arts demonstration. From 10 to 2 the Sweet Adelines’ Lyrical Quartet strolls and sings along Ferdinand and Royal Sts., while the Angola Inmate Traveling Band from Louisiana State Penitentiary performs across from Garden Symposium Park from noon to 4. The children’s musical program called A Joyful Noise performs at 12:15 at Town Hall.
Saturday’s highlight, of course, is the colorful 2 p.m. Christmas parade sponsored by the Women’s Service League. The parade features several grand marshalls, including Jimmy Heidel of the original 1967 New Orleans Saints team, and Darren Coates, local high school grad who went on to be named MVP of the infamous Bayou Classic as a member of the Southern University football team. Dozens of gaily decorated parade floats vie for coveted prizes, accompanied by cheerleaders, bands, bagpipes, vintage cars, marching ROTC units and dancers. Santa rides resplendent in a magnificent sleigh pulled by Louisiana State Penitentiary's immense prized Percheron draft horses, groomed and gleaming in the sunlight with their sleigh bells jingling.
The parade lines up on Royal St. and traverses Ferdinand and Commerce Streets, so don’t plan on driving through downtown St. Francisville mid-afternoon. At 6 p.m. on Saturday, the United Methodist Church on Royal St. hosts a Community Sing-a-long, while the First Baptist Church on US 61 at LA 10 sponsors its very popular Live Nativity from 6 to 8 p.m., reminding of the reason for the season.
In addition, Saturday evening from 6 to 8, visitors are welcomed for candlelight tours, period music and wassail at Audubon State Historic Site on LA Hwy. 965, where artist-naturalist John James Audubon tutored the daughter of plantation owners and painted many of his famous bird studies in the early 1820's. This historic home never looks lovelier than in the soft romantic glow of the candles that were its only illumination for its early years. During the day from 10 to 4, the historic site observes its annual holiday festival.
Christmas in the Country activities continue on Sunday, December 5, with in-town activities augmented by a Christmas Tour of Homes presented from noon to 5 by the Friends of the Library, showcasing carefully selected contemporary homes; tickets are available at the West Feliciana Historical Society museum and at the library both before and on the day of the tour.
The enthusiastic sponsors of Christmas in the Country are the downtown merchants, and the real focus of the weekend remains the St. Francisville area's marvelous little shops, which go all out, hosting Open Houses with refreshments and entertainment for shoppers while offering spectacular seasonal decorations and great gift items. A variety of quaint little shops occupy historic structures throughout the downtown area and spread into the outlying district, each unique in its own way, and visitors should not miss a single one.
From the rich Victoriana of The Shanty Too, for thirty years the anchor of the downtown business community and always noted for eyecatching Christmas decorations, to the jewelry beautifully crafted from vintage buttons at Grandmother's Buttons, and the incredibly extensive selections of carefully chosen gift and decorative items at Hillcrest Gardens and Sage Hill Gifts, downtown St. Francisville is filled with fine shopping opportunities. Potter Michael Miller, photographer Toni Ladnier and artists Herschel Harrington and Joe Savell (Backwoods Gallery) have studios displaying their own works, while the St. Francisville Art & Antiques, Avondale Antiques, Bohemianville Antiques, and the newly opened A Few of My Favorite Things shop feature vintage collectibles and fine furnishings. The Wine Parlor in the St. Francisville Inn has a sale on gift bottles of fine wines, Birdman Books & Coffee has an eclectic selection of books, and Belle Glen Traditions stocks children’s toys plus sports memorabilia and gift items. Ins-N-Outs and Coyote Creek nurseries carry live seasonal plants to complement any decorating scheme. The tourist information center/museum in the West Feliciana Historical Society headquarters on Ferdinand St. has a great selection of books, notecards and prints, plus free maps showing locations of all of the other retail outlets, local plantations, restaurants and accommodations.
On the outskirts of town, intrepid shoppers won't want to miss the exquisite creations at Patrick’s Fine Jewelry, the fleur-de-lis decorative pieces at Elliott’s Pharmacy and an extensive collection of the latest in electronics at Radio Shack in Spring Creek Shopping Center, as well as Border Imports with huge selections of Mexican pottery, ironwork and concrete statuary on US 61 north. Most of the plantations in the St. Francisville area have gift shops, and a visit to those would permit enjoyment of spectacular seasonal decorations as well. Restaurants and B&Bs in the area offer gift certificates to extend the giving throughout the year.
Located on US Highway 61 on the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge, LA, and Natchez, MS, the St. Francisville area is a year-round tourist destination, but visitors find it especially enjoyable in the winter when the glorious 19th-century gardens are filled with blooming camellias. A number of splendidly restored plantation homes are open for tours daily: the Cottage Plantation, Butler Greenwood Plantation, the Myrtles Plantation, Greenwood Plantation, plus Catalpa Plantation by reservation and Afton Villa Gardens seasonally. Particularly important to tourism in the area are its two significant state historic sites, Rosedown Plantation and Oakley Plantation in the Audubon state site, which offer fascinating living-history demonstrations most weekends to allow visitors to experience 19th-century plantation life and customs.
The nearby Tunica Hills region offers unmatched recreational activities in its unspoiled wilderness areas—hiking, biking, birding, photography. There are unique art galleries plus specialty and antiques shops, many in restored historic structures, and some fine little restaurants throughout the St. Francisville area serving everything from soul food to Chinese and Mexican cuisine, seafood and classic Louisiana favorites. For overnight stays, the area offers some of the state’s most popular Bed & Breakfasts, including historic plantations, lakeside clubhouses and beautiful townhouses right in the middle of St. Francisville’s extensive National Register-listed historic district, and there are also modern motel accommodations for large bus groups.
For visitor information, call St. Francisville Main Street at 225-635-3873 or West Feliciana Tourist Commission at225-635-4224; online visit www.stfrancisville.us (the events calendar gives dates and information on special activities, including the lively monthly third Saturday morning Community Market Day in Parker Park) or www.stfrancisvillefestivals.com.
by Anne Butler
Nothing says Christmas to an excited child more than a parade, especially a safe small-town one like St. Francisville’s popular Christmas in the Country parade the first Saturday each December, complete with marching bands and decorated floats, Santa resplendent in his sleigh and important local officials in convertibles throwing lots and lots of candy. And right out there with all the excited children catching that candy, every year for the three decades this celebration has opened the holiday season in the Felicianas, is Ms. Fay Daniel, owner of one of St. Francisville’s iconic downtown shops.
It’s not that Ms. Fay is exactly a child, but she doesn’t know that, and no one has the heart to tell her. So she keeps anticipating Christmas and celebrating the season with that childlike exuberance and sense of wonder that make the holidays so magical, regardless of age. In her timeless shop, The Shanty Too, purveyor of “gifts and fancy goods” for those same three decades, she loves to share that excitement, with a holiday open house, spectacular decorations, and great shopping. She has also had a hand in planning and executing Christmas in the Country and its parade since the very beginning, many years as the overall chairperson and always the most enthusiastic supporter.Of course, the parade has grown considerably in three decades (haven’t we all??). Highlight of a weekend designed to draw holiday shoppers into downtown St. Francisville, it started inauspiciously in the late 1970s with a few hay-filled flatbed trailers pulled by farm trucks or tractors, Scout groups trudging along on foot, a couple of costumed Historical Society stalwarts wobbling along on bicycles, and an earlier generation of politicians flinging tootsie rolls from pickups. Everybody who could beg, borrow or steal a horse rode in the parade, which turned out to be a bad idea and was halted in the interest of safety after a few hair-raising runaways. No one had any idea who would actually show up to participate, so the parade was always a surprise even to its organizers, at least until the Women’s Service League took over the project and set some tasteful guidelines.
But even in those early, simple years, St. Francisville’s holiday parade and its ever-expanding roster of wonderful little shops drew crowds. Because, you see, Christmas in St. Francisville, historically the commercial center of surrounding English Louisiana cotton plantations, has always been a magical time. In the 19th century, country folks from miles around would pile into wagons to do their weekly shopping in the little town’s dry-goods emporiums that offered everything from buggies to coffins, gents’ fine furnishings and ladies’ millinery. And at Christmas time, tiny tots would press their noses against frosted storefront windows like those at The Shanty Too to gaze with wistful longing at elegant china dolls and wooden rocking horses.
It’s still that way today, and the historic little rivertown’s Christmas in the Country celebration on December 3, 4, and 5, pays tribute to its heritage and showcases its continuing vitality as the center of culture and commerce for the entire surrounding region. As Fay Daniel says, “We have some really nice stores here, and the shop owners work hard to keep them fresh and up to date.”
Millions of tiny white lights trace soaring Victorian trimwork and grace gallery posts to transform the entire town into a veritable winter wonderland for Christmas in the Country, as special activities throughout the extensive National Register-listed downtown Historic District provide fun for the whole family at this celebration of the season, a joyful alternative to mall madness. The Saturday parade this year has the theme “SaintSational Christmas,” celebrating not only the championship WhoDat Nation but also the local West Feliciana High School teams, also called the Saints, and riding in the parade and reliving former glory will be several generations of sports heroes, cheerleaders, dancers and homecoming queens.Beginning at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 3, Santa Claus comes to town to kick off the Lighting Ceremony of the Town Christmas Tree, followed by a public reception and fireworks display at Town Hall hosted by jovial longtime St. Francisville Mayor Billy D'Aquilla and featuring performances by the First Baptist Church Children’s Choir and West Feliciana Middle School Choir. From 6 to 8, visitors have the rare opportunity to glimpse beautifully decorated interiors of participating houses along Ferdinand and Royal Streets’ Peep Into Our Holiday Homes. The Baton Rouge Symphony presents its annual concert of seasonal selections and dessert reception beginning at 7 p.m. at Hemingbough; tickets are available at the Bank of St. Francisville.
Saturday, Dec. 4, begins with a 7:30 a.m. Community Prayer Breakfast at United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall just off Royal St., followed by Breakfast with St. Nick for children at Jackson Hall next to Grace Church at 8, 9:30 and 11 a.m., sponsored by the Women’s Service League (reservations recommended; call 225-721-3563). The Women’s Service League also sells fresh wreaths and pre-wrapped Plantation Country Cookbooks all weekend on Ferdinand St. next to the library, with proceeds benefiting local civic and charitable activities.
Throughout the day Saturday there will be children’s activities--spacewalk and obstacle course, pictures with Santa—plus the Main Street Band (noon to 2), handmade crafts and food vendors in oak-shaded Parker Park. There will also be entertainment in various locations throughout the downtown historic district, featuring choirs, dancers, musicians, and other performers. The angelic voices of the Bains Lower Elementary children's choir—Voices in Motion-- are raised at the West Feliciana Historical Society Museum on Ferdinand St. at 9:30. The Bain Elementary Chorus sings at the Methodist Church Fellowship Hall at 9:15, followed by West Feliciana High School's very popular Latin and Spanish Clubs (10:30 a.m.) and the high school choir (11). At 11:30 on Ferdinand St. the Junior Jazzercise group puts on a lively show, followed by a Shin Sun Korean Martial Arts demonstration. From 10 to 2 the Sweet Adelines’ Lyrical Quartet strolls and sings along Ferdinand and Royal Sts., while the Angola Inmate Traveling Band from Louisiana State Penitentiary performs across from Garden Symposium Park from noon to 4. The children’s musical program called A Joyful Noise performs at 12:15 at Town Hall.
Saturday’s highlight, of course, is the colorful 2 p.m. Christmas parade sponsored by the Women’s Service League. The parade features several grand marshalls, including Jimmy Heidel of the original 1967 New Orleans Saints team, and Darren Coates, local high school grad who went on to be named MVP of the infamous Bayou Classic as a member of the Southern University football team. Dozens of gaily decorated parade floats vie for coveted prizes, accompanied by cheerleaders, bands, bagpipes, vintage cars, marching ROTC units and dancers. Santa rides resplendent in a magnificent sleigh pulled by Louisiana State Penitentiary's immense prized Percheron draft horses, groomed and gleaming in the sunlight with their sleigh bells jingling.
The parade lines up on Royal St. and traverses Ferdinand and Commerce Streets, so don’t plan on driving through downtown St. Francisville mid-afternoon. At 6 p.m. on Saturday, the United Methodist Church on Royal St. hosts a Community Sing-a-long, while the First Baptist Church on US 61 at LA 10 sponsors its very popular Live Nativity from 6 to 8 p.m., reminding of the reason for the season.
In addition, Saturday evening from 6 to 8, visitors are welcomed for candlelight tours, period music and wassail at Audubon State Historic Site on LA Hwy. 965, where artist-naturalist John James Audubon tutored the daughter of plantation owners and painted many of his famous bird studies in the early 1820's. This historic home never looks lovelier than in the soft romantic glow of the candles that were its only illumination for its early years. During the day from 10 to 4, the historic site observes its annual holiday festival.
Christmas in the Country activities continue on Sunday, December 5, with in-town activities augmented by a Christmas Tour of Homes presented from noon to 5 by the Friends of the Library, showcasing carefully selected contemporary homes; tickets are available at the West Feliciana Historical Society museum and at the library both before and on the day of the tour.The enthusiastic sponsors of Christmas in the Country are the downtown merchants, and the real focus of the weekend remains the St. Francisville area's marvelous little shops, which go all out, hosting Open Houses with refreshments and entertainment for shoppers while offering spectacular seasonal decorations and great gift items. A variety of quaint little shops occupy historic structures throughout the downtown area and spread into the outlying district, each unique in its own way, and visitors should not miss a single one.
From the rich Victoriana of The Shanty Too, for thirty years the anchor of the downtown business community and always noted for eyecatching Christmas decorations, to the jewelry beautifully crafted from vintage buttons at Grandmother's Buttons, and the incredibly extensive selections of carefully chosen gift and decorative items at Hillcrest Gardens and Sage Hill Gifts, downtown St. Francisville is filled with fine shopping opportunities. Potter Michael Miller, photographer Toni Ladnier and artists Herschel Harrington and Joe Savell (Backwoods Gallery) have studios displaying their own works, while the St. Francisville Art & Antiques, Avondale Antiques, Bohemianville Antiques, and the newly opened A Few of My Favorite Things shop feature vintage collectibles and fine furnishings. The Wine Parlor in the St. Francisville Inn has a sale on gift bottles of fine wines, Birdman Books & Coffee has an eclectic selection of books, and Belle Glen Traditions stocks children’s toys plus sports memorabilia and gift items. Ins-N-Outs and Coyote Creek nurseries carry live seasonal plants to complement any decorating scheme. The tourist information center/museum in the West Feliciana Historical Society headquarters on Ferdinand St. has a great selection of books, notecards and prints, plus free maps showing locations of all of the other retail outlets, local plantations, restaurants and accommodations.
On the outskirts of town, intrepid shoppers won't want to miss the exquisite creations at Patrick’s Fine Jewelry, the fleur-de-lis decorative pieces at Elliott’s Pharmacy and an extensive collection of the latest in electronics at Radio Shack in Spring Creek Shopping Center, as well as Border Imports with huge selections of Mexican pottery, ironwork and concrete statuary on US 61 north. Most of the plantations in the St. Francisville area have gift shops, and a visit to those would permit enjoyment of spectacular seasonal decorations as well. Restaurants and B&Bs in the area offer gift certificates to extend the giving throughout the year.Located on US Highway 61 on the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge, LA, and Natchez, MS, the St. Francisville area is a year-round tourist destination, but visitors find it especially enjoyable in the winter when the glorious 19th-century gardens are filled with blooming camellias. A number of splendidly restored plantation homes are open for tours daily: the Cottage Plantation, Butler Greenwood Plantation, the Myrtles Plantation, Greenwood Plantation, plus Catalpa Plantation by reservation and Afton Villa Gardens seasonally. Particularly important to tourism in the area are its two significant state historic sites, Rosedown Plantation and Oakley Plantation in the Audubon state site, which offer fascinating living-history demonstrations most weekends to allow visitors to experience 19th-century plantation life and customs.
The nearby Tunica Hills region offers unmatched recreational activities in its unspoiled wilderness areas—hiking, biking, birding, photography. There are unique art galleries plus specialty and antiques shops, many in restored historic structures, and some fine little restaurants throughout the St. Francisville area serving everything from soul food to Chinese and Mexican cuisine, seafood and classic Louisiana favorites. For overnight stays, the area offers some of the state’s most popular Bed & Breakfasts, including historic plantations, lakeside clubhouses and beautiful townhouses right in the middle of St. Francisville’s extensive National Register-listed historic district, and there are also modern motel accommodations for large bus groups.For visitor information, call St. Francisville Main Street at 225-635-3873 or West Feliciana Tourist Commission at225-635-4224; online visit www.stfrancisville.us (the events calendar gives dates and information on special activities, including the lively monthly third Saturday morning Community Market Day in Parker Park) or www.stfrancisvillefestivals.com.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Mid-April Happenings
Community Market Day
St. Francisville Main Street and Arts For All are opening Parker Park every month on the Third Saturday from 9am until 1pm for Community Market Day. All local artists, craftsman, farmers, people who sell baked and homemade items as well as vintage or antique furniture are invited to join this new project. The First Community Market Day will be Saturday, April 17, 2010, at Parker Park from 9am until 1pm. Music will be provided by Kevin Johnson from 10am until noon. Come spend the morning in Parker Park. For more information, call either Lynn at 635-3665 or Laurie at 635-3873.Matzoh Ball Gumbo*
The Julius Freyhan Foundation presents this Symposium on Jewish Life in the Lower Mississippi River Valley tomorrow, Friday, April 16 at 9 am at the West Feliciana Parish Courthouse. Speakers include Dr. Stuart Rockoff, ISJL; Dr. Charles Isbell, LSU; Anne Butler, Author of Three Generous Generations; and Catherine Kahn, Author and Archivist. Lunch is included and will be prepared with recipes from Matzoh Ball Gumbo*. For more information, visit www.freyhanfoundation.org.Music at The Mag
Friday, April 16 – - Trouvere; Friday, April 23 - Rock-It Sound Company; Friday, April 30 - Delta Drifters. Spring Horticultural Seminar
Rosedown Plantation State Historic Site kicks off the Spring and Summer gardening seasons with a Horticultural Seminar held on the plantation grounds. On Saturday, April 17, Site Manager Patricia Aleshire will present a seminar on “Antique Roses.” The lecture session will present a slide introduction and discussion of the historical background of numerous varieties of heirloom roses, as well as the care needed for these beautiful plants to thrive in a southern garden. Following the lecture, Aleshire will lead a walking tour through selected areas of Rosedown’s historic gardens to view various antique rose varieties on site. The program will begin at 10 am in the Rosedown Conference Room. For more information, call 225-635-3110.Lost Arts
Rosedown Plantation State Historic Site continues its series of Living History Demonstrations with the next in their series of monthly programs, “Lost Arts of the Nineteenth Century.” On Saturday, April 17, visitors are invited to learn about nineteenth-century arts and activities. Presented by Rosedown Interpretive Ranger Sasha Trana, this month’s “lost art” is the shaving horse. During the program, Trana will explain to visitors the origins, history and use of the shaving horse in shaping wood pieces into tool handles, rounded chair pieces, canes, staffs and more. Also discussed will be how the craft has evolved over time. Trana will be presenting demonstrations, held between 11 am and 2 pm, of the shaving horse on the back porch of the Main House. For more information, call 225-635-3110.Wildest Show in the South
The Angola Prison Spring Rodeo & Craft Show is set for April 17 and 18. Billed as The Wildest Show in the South, gates open at 9 am, while the show starts at 2 pm. Tickets are $10 and are available by calling 225-655-2030 or visiting www.angolarodeo.com.Art Show!
This Sunday, April 18, from 1 pm until 4 pm, Ridgecrest of The Myrtles Plantation presents an art show featuring the eclectic and fabulous art created by more than 30 talented regional. All art is available for purchase, and some artists will be accepting orders and/or special requests. No commissions will be charged. Ridgecrest is located at 9551 Myrtles Lane in St. Francisville, For more information, please call 800 809 0565 or 225 635 6277 or email Chloe@myrtlesplantation.comBevil’s Back!
If you missed the book party and signing last week at Hemingbough, you can see Bevil Knapp this Sunday, April 18, at Ridgecrest at The Myrtles Plantation from 1 pm until 4 pm. Bevil will be signing copies of her new book, St. Francisville: Louisiana’s Historic River Bluff Country. Battle of Jackson Crossroads
This Civil War re-enactment is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, April 24 and 25, and will be held on a spacious, picturesque rolling field off Hwy. 68 in Jackson, LA, not far from the original battle site. Between 500 and 800 costumed re-enactors and more than 16 cannons are expected to muster at this 19th annual event. The gates will open at 9 am on Saturday with the main battle commencing at 2:30 pm. On Sunday, the gates will reopen at 11 am, and the battle will take place at 1:30 pm. For more information or photos of last year’s event, visit www.battleofjacksoncrossroads.org or call the Feliciana Chamber of Commerce at 225-634-7155.Classical Mystery Tour
The Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra returns to Hemingbough on May 1 with Classical Mystery Tour, four musicians who look and sound just like The Beatles! Table seating and single tickets can be purchased by calling the Symphony office at 383-0500 or online at www.brso.org. Hemingbough will provide a full service bar with soft drinks, beer, wine and champagne. Jambalaya and char-grilled hamburgers as well as other tasty treats will be available on the grounds. Or you can pack your own picnic basket, too. This concert is part of the Republic of West Florida Bicentennial Celebration and portions of the proceeds will benefit the building of Republic Park in St. Francisville. Hurry and order your tickets . . . you don’t want to miss out on the fun!Market Day at the Methodist Church
On Saturday, May 8 from 9 am until 8 pm, the St. Francisville United Methodist Church family is hosting Market Day. There will be delicious meals served – breakfast, lunch and dinner – and auctions, too. A silent auction starts at 9 am with the bidding ending at 5 pm. The live auction action begins at 6 pm, and expect to find antiques, furniture, household furnishings and lots of other exciting items. There will a garage sale at 9 am, too, and homemade baked goods, free child care while you shop, a baking contest, and arts & artistry! For more information on all the events of this day, call the church at 225-635-3763.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Happenings - FOR FULL LISTING CLICK HERE
Farmer’s Market
Unbelievably fresh and delicious produce and baked goods – and fresh cut flowers, too – are at the market every Thursday from noon until 5 pm. Last week I purchased tomatoes, yellow squash, lettuce, corn on the cob, potatoes, bell peppers, heirloom red okra, garlic and spaghetti squash. Yum!
White Linen Night
This Saturday night, the
GDH Day Spa on
Miles Blair Salon on
Hillcrest Gardens & Interiors will offer samplings of Sin in a Tin, a demonstration of Lampe Berger, and refreshments by Sonny’s Pizza.
Avondale Antiques on
Trends Salon on
The Wine Parlor at the St. Francisville Inn on Commerce Street will display photography by Jill Janss and Patrick Walsh, a book signing by Anne Butler to feature her works: Spirit of St. Francisville with photographer Darrell Chitty; Comprehensive Guide to Louisiana Swamp Tours (new); Pelican Guide to the Plantation Homes of Louisiana (new edition); Audubon Plantation Country Cookbook; Bayou Plantation Country Cookbook; Acadian Plantation Country Cookbook; and Weep For the Living. Karla Dietz will show Sipalda Designs, and music will be The Fugitive Poets from 7:30 pm to 9 pm.
*Shoppers can redeem their receipts to receive a Shop St. Francisville tote bag at The Wine Parlor.
Backwoods Gallery in their new location on
Destinee’s Clay Pot next to Town Hall on
Toni L. Ladnier, CPA, and R. Ladnier, Jr. Photography on
The Mosspickers will play from 6 pm until 7:30 pm in the parking lot between the Ladniers and Miller on
Miller on Main and The Massage Clinic on
St. Francisville Arts and Antiques on
Belle Glen Traditions on
The West Feliciana Parish Library on
The Shanty Too on
*Shoppers can redeem their receipts to receive a Shop St. Francisville tote bag at the museum.
Garden Symposium Park on the corner of Ferdinand and Royal Streets will be the site of music by Kim Smith Live with Cheney Hotard and Jason Smith from 5 pm until 6:30 pm.
Harrington Gallery on
Grandmother’s Buttons on
Bohemianville Antiques, located in the old site of Backwoods Gallery on
BirdMan Coffee & Books on Commerce Street will show off the works of artists in residence George Ufford, mobiles; Doris & Joe Abadie, birdhouses; Roland Barber, hand-carved songbirds; and Hollywood Vintage, gift baskets. Outside will be booths of The Arts Market Artists.
Sage Hill Antiques & Gifts on
Music at The Mag
Friday, August 21 – Feliciana Band; Saturday, August 22 – Emily Branton will perform after White Linen Night; Friday, August 28 – Delta Drifters
A Day at Locust Grove
Explore the unique and rich history of the
The Duel at High Noon
Rosedown Plantation State Historic Site presents this program that will discuss the history of dueling, exploring some of the most well-known duels and duelists in history. Additionally, there will be demonstrations of the different types of duels of the past, as well as a discussion of the rules that governed such contests. It all happens on Saturday, August 29 at noon, of course, on the grounds near the main parking area. For more information, call 635-3110.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Happenings
(The following highway closure has been postponed due to weather. Visit back for updates.)
Highway 61 Weekend Closing
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) announced Tuesday that a portion of U.S. 61 in West Feliciana Parish will be closed this weekend. The closure is being put in place to allow workers to install new cross drains at three locations on U.S. 61 between Thompson Creek and St. Francisville. The work is part of an $18.9 million project to widen a 4.6-mile stretch of U.S. 61 from two to four lanes. Work is scheduled to begin on Friday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. and will last until Monday, Nov. 17 at 6 a.m. Crews will be working 24 hours per day to complete the work.
Automobile traffic is being detoured via La. 10 east of St. Francisville and La. 68 until Saturday. Beginning Saturday, automobile traffic will be detoured via La. 966 and La. 965. Commercial truck traffic is being detoured via La. 10 east of St. Francisville and La. 68. All emergency vehicle traffic will be allowed through during the closure.
Live Music at The Mag
Friday, November 14 – Chris Cole; Friday, November 21 – Bossier & Neighbors
Carriage House Restaurant at The Myrtles
Tip and
Rosedown Thanksgiving Menu
On Saturday, November 15 from 11 am until 3 pm, Rosedown Plantation State Historic Site presents Lost Arts: Down-Hearth Cooking. Featured this month will be the Thanksgiving Menu taken from recipes from the Turnbull family papers. For more information, call 888-376-1867 or 635-3110.
Colonial Craft Days
Also on Saturday, November 15, Audubon State Historic Site will host these interactive demonstrations that allow for visitors to experience first hand the crafts needed to make a plantation successful. Included will be soap, candles, baskets, spinning, natural dyes and many more interactive stations. For more information, call 888-677-2838 or 635-3739.
Our neighbors in East Feliciana will host the Ninth Annual Highland Games of Louisiana in
Thanksgiving Schedule
So far, we have the following:
Hemingbough will close on Wednesday, November 26 and re-open on Monday, December 1.
Open on Thanksgiving Day will be the OxBow Restaurant serving a traditional Thanksgiving dinner from 11:00 am until 2:30 pm.
That’s all I have this week. Enjoy this much needed rain and have a great week!
Kitty Martin, LCTP
Executive Director
800-789-4221 or 225-635-4224
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