by Jeanni Ritchie
The sun is shining, summer is coming, and staying indoors should be a crime! Here are a few events in Louisiana for you to check out this month!
May 1-3: Alex River Fete, Alexandria. Visit alexriverfete.com for complete schedule.
May 1-4: Thibodaux Firemen’s Fair, Thibodaux, firemensfair.com
May 1: Star Wars trivia night, Fighting Hand Brewing Company, 6:30-9 PM
May 1: Buckeye High School Jazz Band and Chambers Concert, Toupon Lodge, Deville, 6:30 PM
May 1: Gaither Vocal Band, Calvary Baptist Church, Alexandria, 7 PM
May 2: Crawfish King Cook-Off, Baton Rouge, crawfishkingcookoff.com
May 2: LCU Give Back Night at Smalls Sliders, 3-8 PM
May 2: Waterfall Scrapbook Page, Sunflower Van Geaux, 6 PM
May 2-3: Mayfest, Leesville, vernonparish.org/mayfest
May 2-3: Zwolle Loggers and Forestry Festival, Zwolle, zwolleloggersfest.com
May 2-4: Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival, Breaux Bridge, bbcrawfest.com
May 2-4: Red White and Blue Airshow, Monroe, redwhiteandblueairshow.com
May 2-11: Tom Peyton Memorial Arts Festival, First United Methodist Church, Alexandria, 10 AM-4 PM (Children’s Day is 5/10)
May 3: LA Dragonboat Races, Buhlow Lake, louisianadragonboatraces.com.
May 3: 23rd annual Men Who Cook and Mix (at River Oaks), 6:30-9:30 PM (during Riverfete)
May 3-4: 51st annual Melrose Arts and Crafts Festival, Melrose
May 3: South Franklin Catfish Festival, Wisner, southfranklincatfishfestival.
May 3: Sunset Herb and Garden Festival, Sunset, cajuntravel.com/events
May 3: Experimental Aircraft Association 1st Saturday breakfast, Buhlow Lake airport, 7:30-10 AM. Breakfast platter and aviation chatter!
May 3: Steps by Stephanie Dance Recital, Tioga High School, 11 AM and 4 PM
May 4: Paige and Piper’s Lemonade Stand to raise money for cancer on National Lemonade Day, Mi Tierra patio, 11 AM
May 5: National Birds Painting Party presented by Happily Feather After Crafts, Royal India Bistro, 6-8:30 PM
May 5: Happy Cinco de Mayo! Sombreros, Alexandria 5:30 PM
May 5: RPL For the Love of Food with Chef Turtle, Main Library, Alexandria, 5:30-7:30 PM
May 5: RPL Build a Book workshop, adult craft (10 AM), kid craft (4 PM) MLK Branch, Alexandria
May 5-10: Poke Salad Festival, Blanchard, pokesaladfestival.net
May 6: Pizza with a Purpose to benefit Cenla Pregnancy Center, 11 AM- 8 PM
May 6: RPL Lighthouse Painting, Libuse Branch, 4-6 PM, registration required
May 6: Riverwinds Trio Concert, Westside Library, 6 PM
May 7: RPL Bayou Bonds: What’s Your Game, adult game afternoon, Johnson Branch, Lecompte, 2-3:30 PM
May 8-10: Beauregard Watermelon Festival, DeRidder, Facebook.com/
May 8-10: Boggy Bayou Festival, Ville Platte, Facebook.com/boggybayoupineprairie
May 8: Chick-Fil-A Jackson and MacArthur St. Jude Be a Superhero fundraiser night, 4-8 PM. Dress as your favorite superhero!
May 9: Jazz on Jackson, FUMC, Alexandria, 6-8 PM (part of Tom Peyton Memorial Arts Festival)
May 9: Give a heart a home pet adoption, Heart of Louisiana Credit Union, Pineville, 12-5 PM
May 9: Unofficial Eras Tour, Taylor Swift Tribute Band, Natchitoches Riverfront, 9-10 PM
May 9: New movie release: Atlantis (musical about Pharrell Williams)
May 9-10: Cochon De Lait Festival, Mansura, cochondelaitfestival.com
May 9-10: Natchitoches Jazz/R&B Festival, Natchitoches, natchjazzfest.com
May 9-10: Rayne Frog Festival, Rayne, Facebook.com/raynefrogfestival
May 10: St. Francisville Home and Garden Stroll, St. Francisville, 225-245-1892
May 10: Ward Hardware’s 100th Anniversary Celebration, Alexandria, 10 AM- 1 PM
May 10: Baby and Me Princess Tea, Light of Mine Playhouse Cafe, 10 AM-2 PM
May 10: Knitting and Crochet Circle, AMOA, 1-4 PM
May 10: Disney on Ice, Raising Cane Center, Baton Rouge, 2 PM
May 10: Mom & Son glow in the dark Nerf War, Midstate Cheer, Pineville, Ages 3-4 (4:30-5:30 PM) Ages 5-7 (5:45- 7 PM) Ages 8 and up (7:15-8:30 PM)
May 10: Get to the Pointe Tangled: a Ballet, Coughlin-Saunders Performing Arts Center, 7 PM
May 10: Chick-Fil-A Jackson and MacArthur, Mother’s Day flower pots crafts on the patio, 4-6 PM
May 10: Mental Health and Wellness Festival, Six Feet Above, Pineville Riverfront, 9 AM- 1 PM
May 10: RPL Crafty Saturday, Hineston Branch, Mother’s Day Art, 10:30-11:30 AM
May 13: RPL Beaded Garden Stake Craft, Alfred Boyce Wettermark Branch, Boyce, 11:30 AM- 1:30 PM, registration required
May 13: Where the Butterflies Go, Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers, Kent Plantation House. Visit Louisiana-arts.org.
May 14: Cenla Women’s Connection Prayer Connection, Westside Library, 10-11:30 AM
May 15: RPL Louisiana-themed Escape Room, JW McDonald Branch, Glenmora, 3:30-4:30 PM
May 15-17: Cruisin Cajun Country, New Iberia, cruisincajuncountry.com
May 15-17: Cenla’s 2nd Annual Adult Book Fair, Let Love Be My Motive Studio, Glenmora
May 17-18: Baton Rouge Soul Food Festival, Baton Rouge, brsoulfoodfest.com
May 17-18: Tunica-Biloxi POW WOW, public is invited, Marksville. Tunicapowwow.org
May 17: Holi Fest, downtown Alexandria, 10:30 AM
May 17: Spring Carnival, Longview Baptist Church, Deville, 11 AM- 2 PM
May 17: 3rd Annual City of Lights Crawfish Boil Cookoff, Natchitoches, 11 AM
May 17: Cinema Night Under the Stars, Purple Skye Festival, Fort Randolph State Historic Site, Pineville, 6:45 PM Movie: Mufasa: The Lion King
May 18: Tee Off for Hope, Annual Golf Tournament for Hope House, Links on the Bayou Course, 318-487-2061
May 20: The Unusual Suspects present Welcome to MurderCon! Murder mystery dinner theatre at Tunk’s Cypress Inn, 6 PM
May 21: Cenla Women’s Connection luncheon, Alexandria Convention Center, 12 Noon. Speaker Pat Voss. (RSVP 318-447-3673 before 5/15)
May 22-25: Gonzales Jambalaya Festival, Gonzales, jambalayafestival.net
May 23: Just Dance Spring Recital, Coughlin-Saunders, 7 PM
May 23: Rotolo’s May Paint Night, 6 PM
May 23: New Movie release: Lilo and Stitch (live action)
May 23: While We’re Waiting grief support group for parents, 6 PM, Starfish Book Nook, Ball
May 23-June 1: Cajun Heartland State Fair, Lafayette, Cajundome.com/events/chsf
May 23: New Movie release: Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning
May 24: Roots and Boots, Paragon Mari Center featuring Sammy Kershaw, Aaron Tippin, and Collin Raye, 8 PM
May 26-30: Horse Riding Camp at Ol Mel’s Farm, Deville. 318-795-9533
May 26: City Park Players Play Reading, Hearn Stage, 6 PM
May 28: RPL Summer Reading Kickoff with the Alexandria Zoo, Robertson Branch, Ball, 10-11 AM
May 29: Summer Reading Kickoff Party, Westside Regional Library, 10-11 AM
May 29: Cuties and Cupcakes: A Sweet Summer Reading Kickoff, Martin Branch, Pineville, 4-5 PM. Ol Mel’s Farm will be there!
May 29: The Silver Lining Serenaders, Tasting Room of LA, 8:30-10:30 PM
May 30-June 1: Washington Parish Balloon Festival, Franklinton
May 30: New Movie release: Karate Kid: Legends
May 31: Paint Your Pet (reserve only), Sunflower Van Geaux, 6 PM
May 31: Legend Lives On: World Renowned Elvis Tribute, Laborde Earles Entertainment Center, 7 PM
May 31: Incredible Tourney to benefit Drake Fontenot, Pine Prairie (register by May 10) 337-459-9191 or 337-831-3830 (I don’t know Drake or his family but just started following Miracles for Drake Fontenot on FB. Check out this amazing little boy and see how you can help.)
Send your JUNE events to jeanniritchie54@gmail.com by May 20.
