Things to Do in Natchitoches

Since 1984, Shreveport has paid tribute to a cherished Louisiana tradition—the crawfish boil—with its annual Mudbug Madness Festival. As many as 56,000 people flock each day to what has blossomed into one of the state’s most popular Cajun festivals, where they nosh on succulent seafood and compete in crawfish-eating contests that encourage participants to test their stomach size and sabotage their opponents by sneaking lobsters into their bowls. “One year, we had a man eat 42 pounds of crawfish in 30 minutes,” marvels festival coordinator Melanie. “We’ve cut it down to 15 minutes since then.” In addition to eating crustaceans, attendees can also lure them across the stage during crawdad-calling contests. “It gets really lively,” Melanie says, describing how the sirens-in-training are allowed to do nearly anything they can think of to entice the crawfish into their reach.

Cajun, zydeco, and jazz tunes waft through the air during the festivities, emanating from three stages helmed by headliners such as Wayne Toups, Rockin’ Dopsie, Jr., Super Water Sympathy, and Windstorm. The rhythms reach the ears of shoppers browsing original artwork and handmade jewelry in the arts area, expanded after previous years' success. On Thursday, local athletes can work up an appetite in the 5K race. Children of all ages burn off energy in the kids' area, where they can somersault in the bounce house, tackle art projects, or plop down in front of a stage where magicians and storytellers keep their young minds off the uncertain fate of lollipop futures.

In 1976, busy California mother Joan Barnes wanted nothing more than to find a play place where she and her kids could enjoy age-appropriate, educational activities. Finding none, she developed her own innovative play environment within a developmental-based program structure now known as Gymboree Play & Music. Today, kids tumble and learn in more than 650 locations in 33 countries around the world, engaging in open play and classes designed to build cognitive and motor skills. As parents participate in their child’s development, their kids learn to paint, play music, and interact socially outside of their preschool knitting circles.

BeFit

BeFit founder Haley Young started her own personal-fitness path in high school when she joined her first gym. The thrill of running took root in her and inspired her to complete two full marathons and an ultra-marathon relay. Her drive for fitness only increased through the years as she earned certifications in yoga instruction, Zumba fitness, nutrition coaching, and personal training. Now at the head of her own fitness group, she leads yoga and Zumba classes that help students work toward well-being through practiced breathing exercises and calorie-burning dance steps. She also hosts personal-training sessions for one-on-one exercising, and wellness counseling gives clients information about losing weight and an excuse to stop trying to fit a huge party sub through their front door.

Each of the Junior League Market's events help the Junior League of Shreveport-Bossier carry out projects that serve at-risk women and children, from playing bingo with hospitalized kids to increasing community awareness about domestic violence. The community especially rallies together during the Shopping for a Cause events at the Shreveport Convention Center, where up to 140 merchants—including new faces and favorite sellers from years past—gather to sell their wares in one place. At the Girls’ Night Out event, Mike's Light & Sound plays music to set the mood as ladies sip drinks or nibble hors d'oeuvres and desserts, including treats from Woo Hoo Whoopies and Bistro Byronz. The event also includes door prizes and shopping at the market.

Kids can get involved through the Breakfast with the Bunnies event, where Barnes Portraiture snaps shots of children forging telepathic connections with live bunnies. Meanwhile, families can sit down to breakfast from Monsour's before they head into the market to peruse the booths.

Kiddie Mia's Family Fun Center entertains children of all ages in two joy-filled facilities. High ceilings loom jealously above the bright blue floors where games twinkle happily. One building houses the center's coin-operated arcade, which rewards youngsters with tickets that, unlike an armored piñata, actually yield prizes. Alongside the redemption games, families can quell appetites with pizzas, burgers, and a spaghetti buffet, all awaiting charged up maws at the onsite snack bar. In the adjacent all-you-can-play game room, dozens of kiddie rides occupy young children, who can scamper between Disney-themed attractions such as Mickey's truck and Barney's tractor as parents shout parallel-parking instructions from nearby red and blue picnic tables. Older kids can blast computerized foes on a number of arcade games or coordinate hands and eyes with turns at basketball hoops or air-hockey tables.

Designed with the input of former US Ryder Cup team captain and 1983 PGA Championship winner Hal Sutton, Olde Oaks Golf Club’s 27-hole golf course weaves through 34 acres of wooded terrain teeming with ponds and streams. All three 18-hole combinations span more than 7,000 yards from the farthest tees, though the course’s open fairways offer plenty of space for golfers to unsheathe their driver or airdrop golf balls from remote-control helicopters. Though all three nine-hole layouts showcase plenty of natural hazards that add challenge to rounds, the Cypress and Meadow courses prominently feature ponds and streams, including difficult forced carries on both Meadow’s seventh and eight holes and Cypress’s fourth.

Before rounds, golfers can warm up at Olde Oaks Golf Club’s recently revamped driving range and head to The Grille at Olde Oaks after the round’s final putt and strut to enjoy the social trappings of a full-service bar, burgers, and two televisions.

Course at a Glance:

• 27-hole course designed with collaboration of former US Ryder Cup captain Hal Sutton
• Nine-hole Oak measures 3,622 yards from the farthest tees
• Nine-hole Cypress measures 3,638 yards from the farthest tees
• Nine-hole Meadow measures 3,681 yards from the farthest tees
• Course rating range of 75 to 75.2 from the farthest tees (Cypress and Oak 18 features lowest rating)
• Slope range of 136 to 143 from the farthest tees
• Five tee options available