Celebrating Water // Bayou Festivals
by Jenna Orgeron, special sections editor Locals have not only formed careers and communities based on the numerous waterways of South Louisiana, but they have crafted entire festivals to celebrate the environment that supports their way of life. Festivals and celebrations like Paddle Bayou Lafourche, Tarpon Rodeo, Alligator Festival, Voice of the Wetlands and Thibodeauxville […]
Talk Cajun to Me // “Water Speaking”
by Jenna Orgeron, special sections editor Some southern Louisiana natives still speak in their own language, which evolved from a combination of cultures influenced by their ancestors who first settled along the waterways in the bayou region. Edward Ledet, a fluent Cajun French speaker who was born and raised on Bayou Lafourche, says a large […]
Let Me “Bayou” a Drink // Bar Hopping
by Jenna Orgeron, special sections editor Boat bar-hopping is just one of the unique activities that bayou region residents have discovered and mastered based on their surrounding environment. Seth Cheramie, a 24-year-old resident who was born and raised on the bayou said this is his favorite pastime on the weekends. “It’s something we’ve done since […]
Spicin’ It Up // Cajun Style
by Alondra Medrano, special sections editor The use of spices in Cajun cooking is a staple in South Louisiana cuisine. For years, seasoning has been used on traditional red beans, gumbo, and étouffée to add a unique Bayou flare. Cajun or Creole seasoning is made up of salt and pepper with a variety of spices […]
Caffeinated Livin’ // Bayou Brewing
by Alondra Medrano, special sections editor
South Louisiana’s Snowball // A Frozen Delicacy
by Alondra Medrano, special sections editor The sun beats down on South Louisiana, the sweltering heat and humidity smothering the summer fun, yet that’s not enough to keep the spirits down. Instead Cajuns do like most things and replace the agony by consuming food. The particular cure for summers on the bayou are the combination […]
Dramatic Works // Queen Sugar & St. Joseph Plantation
by Alvin Conley, special sections editor & Amber Burton, managing editor
The Struggle to Work // The Thibodaux Massacre
by Rachel Klaus, co-features editor Work in the Bayou Region, just like much of the South, has many roots in slavery. Slaves were often field hands for sugar plantations, doing everything from planting the sugar cane, to plowing the fields, to harvesting and then making the sugar. And neither the work itself or the system […]
Work from the Heart // Conley Catering
by Alvin Conley, special sections editor Dishes clinging, food sizzling, and heat refusing to go unnoticed all while the soft R&B music plays in the background could only mean one thing in the Conley household: Grandma’s in the kitchen again. The smells of different meats, vegetables and desserts creep their way out of the kitchen […]
A Working History // Laurel Valley
by Rachel Klaus, Co-Features Editor Nestled two miles below the city of Thibodaux is the South’s largest surviving sugar plantation complex, Laurel Valley. This beautiful southern plantation is the home to animals, and a workplace for local volunteers. Danny Foret has been volunteering at the Laurel Valley Village for almost 15 years. What started out […]