Downtown Lake Charles Crawfish Festival Poster Unveiling

On Tuesday, April 1 at 3pm, the DownTown Lake Charles Crawfish Festival, in partnership with Associated Louisiana Artists - Gallery by the Lake, will hold a Press Conference and will unveil its 2014 Official Festival Poster while announcing and acknowledging the 2014 Festival sponsors, activities and line-up. The public is invited to attend. This will take place at Gallery by the Lake at 106 West Pryce Street, Lake Charles. Refreshments will be served.

The top finalist posters will be on display at the gallery during the month of March and April, including during the annual SWLA Arts and Humanities Art Walk in late April.

The DownTown Lake Charles Crawfish Festival, which is recognized as a Top 20 Event in the Southeast and one of the top 55 Gulf Coast destinations in the month of April, will be April 11-13 at the Lake Charles Civic Center.  Steamboat Bills will be on site boiling thousands of pounds of crawfish. There is great Zydeco and Cajun music at its best, as well as great food and exciting family fun at one of the largest indoor/outdoor Crawfish Festivals in Southwest Louisiana. There are activities for everyone, including a pageant, parade and midway carnival! This is southwest Louisiana at its finest!

For more information, to become a sponsor or vendor, enter the pageant or parade, or purchase pre-sale tickets, please visit www.downtowncrawfest.com.

The Onlies to Perform at Wild Beast Feast

The Lafayette based band, The Onlies, will highlight the Lake Charles Symphony’s annual Wild Beast Feast on Sat., Mar. 29, 2014, with its special blend of folk and bluegrass music. With the release of “Open Road” in 2013, the group has discovered that the road truly has opened up for them.   Their album was produced by Grammy nominated producer and engineer Terry  DuPuy who has worked with Hunter Hayes, Roddie Romero, and Feufollet among many others.   Though The Onlies started out as a duo with Fawn Larson and Will Harrison, they have since added music veteran Gary Newman on upright bass and Luke Andrus on drums.  “Larson’s siren-like vocals will sweep you in with the ebb and flow of her carefully crafted lyrics while Harrison’s playful yet rough edge becomes softened as their melody and harmonies intertwine.”   

The Onlies continue to stick to their folk roots while borrowing from bluegrass, old country, Cajun, blues, indie and pop to make one incredibly enjoyable and diverse album.   Guests at this popular symphony fundraiser will be tapping their feet and singing along while sampling the savory dishes of more than 20 cooking teams.    Doors open at 5:00 p.m., a live auction begins at 7:00 p.m., and music will be played until 9:00  p.m.   Tickets are $50 for ages 14 & up, $25 for ages 7-13, and 6 & under are free.    For ticket info, call (337) 433-1611 or go online at www.lcsymphony.com.  

            

Free Screening of Los Viages del Viento

There will be a free screening of Los Viajes del Viento (The Wind Journeys), a 2009 Colombian film, on Friday 21 March, 7 p.m., at the Historic Central School in Lake Charles.  The winner of a Cannes award and numerous others, this work from filmmaker Ciro Guerra shows the travels of Ignacio, who plays an accordion that is rumored to have been the devil’s.  After the musician’s wife dies, he journeys to return the accordion to its original owner.  

Ignacio’s loneliness is broken by a young man who wants to learn from him, and they explore the music of the Caribbean.  But Ignacio’s self-imposed solitude has become a hard-to-break shell.  Director Guerra says, “This is the story of a journey….into something unique….like the music that was born.  For centuries we’ve asked ourselves:  What keeps us apart?  Now is [the] time to ask what brings us together.”  

Sponsored by Dr. Carrie Chrisco, Los Viajes is presented by Calcasieu Cinema International, a branch of the Council for International Concerns, in partnership with McNeese State University’s Banners Cultural Series and the Office of Equal Opportunity, The Arts and Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana, Common Ground/Culture Fest Louisiana, Lake Area Psychiatry, and Coca-Cola. A moderated discussion will follow, and free drinks and popcorn will be served!  For more information, email cbadeaux@mcneese.edu or jkprjs@gmail.com .