Farm Security Administration photographer Russell Lee documented Creole and Cajun culture in 1938. |
Louisiana Folklife Festival
The Louisiana Folklife Festival grew out of the
1984 Louisiana World Exposition in New Orleans; the following year
it became a stand-alone event which finally found a home in Monroe,
Louisiana. The festival presents a wide variety of living
traditions, from cooking to crafts, storytelling to music. Gathered
for the event are African-American, Native American,
Italian-American, Creole and Cajun cooks, each demonstrating
traditional recipes and techniques on a live foodways stage. Craft
tents feature over 30 traditional crafts from Choctaw baskets, to
African-American walking sticks, from Mardi Gras masks to river
fishermen's hoopnets and traps. Master storytellers share their
talents on the Tales and Talk Stage. The Kid's Stage serves as a
special area for performances by and for young people. But for
most, the heart of the festival is music on three stages:
everything from blues to bluegrass, from Celtic to zydeco. The 1999
festival offered a special focus on traditions from
French-influenced Louisiana across all areas: music, narrative,
crafts, and foodways.
The festival is documented with a 13-page narrative,
a program from the 1999 festival, a CD entitled "Louisiana Folklife
Festival," recorded live in Monroe, LA, 1999, and in the PBS
television series "River of Song."
Originally submitted by: John Cooksey, Representative (5th District).
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The Local Legacies project provides a "snapshot" of American Culture as it was expressed in spring of 2000. Consequently, it is not being updated with new or revised information with the exception of "Related Website" links.
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