Feasting In The Sister Cities Of Louisiana

Shreveport-Bossier City is a cultural hot spot in northwestern Louisiana, and it’s a great place to celebrate Mardi Gras. Plan on it for next year — or visit anytime.

By Ann Bush, F516383
March 2024

To me, just the mention of Mardi Gras evokes images of fun-loving adults walking around in purple-and-green T-shirts and scary masks, screaming “Hit me!” for a small piece of candy thrown from an elaborate parade float. Mardi Gras is French for “Fat Tuesday,” a day of feasting before fasting during Lent, a religious tradition that dates back centuries. The fasting aspect has evolved throughout the years as to why, when, and how it should be done. However, the feasting and party atmosphere on Fat Tuesday has not changed much, especially if you live in Louisiana.

I have avoided Mardi Gras celebrations in the past, preferring to spend my time with wildlife in the forest instead of wildlife in the streets. However, attending a writer’s conference held a few days before the great feast day in northern Louisiana last year provided an opportunity to step outside my box of preconceived notions. And I discovered a pleasing place to visit, whether wrapped around the Mardis Gras celebrations or at other times.

Between workshops and networking, I explored Shreveport and Bossier City — sister cities divided by the Red River that share a similar history yet have formed their own distinct characters through the years. Each city offers its particular flavor to this popular global celebration.

 

LOUISIANA CREOLE

To better understand Mardi Gras and the uniqueness of Louisiana, it is important to understand Creole. Originally, the term “Creole” referred to people who were born in Louisiana during Colonial times — a melting pot composed of descendants of European colonists, enslaved or free Africans, and those of mixed heritage. As French, Spanish, African, and Native American cultures interacted, a distinctive new culture emerged. They spoke French, Spanish, and Creole languages; predominantly practiced the Roman Catholic faith regardless of their backgrounds; and developed a unique new blend of foods, music, and family traditions. Creole culture remains a vibrant part of Louisiana life today.

CREOLE CUISINE

Blending spices from all ethnicities of European, African, Caribbean, and Native American roots, Creole food can be found throughout Louisiana. Here are a few places I truly enjoyed during my stay in Shreveport-Bossier City.

A trip to France in my younger years instilled a love of French coffee, and a delicious cup can be found at Rhino Coffee in Shreveport’s historic downtown. A small café seating area makes a nice space in which to enjoy a flaky pastry and take a break from touring the historic downtown shops.

One morning while shopping, after a casual mention of how I was hungry for good gumbo, everyone in hearing range recommended Marilynn’s Place in the Shreveport Highland district. The exterior was simple in design; the interior resembled a small diner; and the delicious aroma was captivating. Marilynn’s has front-row viewing for the Mardi Gras parade, offering large tents with seating that requires reservations. Not a bad idea, so check them out at marilynns-place.com.

The East Bank district in Bossier City is lined with restaurants, bars, and boutiques. I spent an evening at the BeauxJax Crafthouse, famous for their gigantic outdoor crawfish boil, which was fun to watch while sipping on their brewed beer. A few doors down at Streetcar Snoballs, I topped off my meal with an outstanding shaved-ice creation.

I quickly learned about king cakes. No two are alike, and secret recipes flourish. The “king cake” concept is derived from the biblical story of the three kings bringing gifts to the newborn Jesus, and some recipes include a small baby figurine hidden inside the cake. The tradition of serving the pastry on Fat Tuesday originated in France and was brought to New Orleans in the 1870s. The basic cake is an oval-shaped puff pastry decorated with purple, green, and yellow icing. The filling is where the creative juices come into play. My mixture of miniature king cakes to take home came from Lowder Baking Company in Shreveport, near Marilynn’s Place, and were a delicious hit.

 

MUSIC

Zydeco is a popular musical genre around these parts. It blends sounds created by the original Creole settlers with the unique sounds of indigenous Americans. Instruments include piano, accordion, vest frottoir (a percussion instrument similar to a washboard), electric bass, guitar, and drums. Described as blues, rock and roll, soul music, and Caribbean all rolled into one, the zydeco sound is upbeat and distinct.  The Blind Tiger in downtown Shreveport is a popular place to experience zydeco firsthand; or, attend the Mudbug Madness Festival held in the area each Memorial Day weekend.

Just west of downtown Shreveport is Shreveport Municipal Auditorium. This is where country music history made its mark with the Louisiana Hayride radio show, which rocked listeners from 1948 until 1960 and became known as “The Cradle of the Stars.” Young, talented musicians such as Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley made their debuts in Shreveport.

 

ART AND MUSEUMS

Many of the special places in the sister cities are located in the original 64 blocks bordering the Texas Street Bridge, which spans the Red River and connects Shreveport to Bossier City. It features the Bakowski Bridge Of Lights, an art installation that lights up the night with colorful LEDs. Shreveport and Bossier City together have six historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places and numerous Historic Landmarks, second only in number to New Orleans.

In historic downtown Shreveport, I found more places worth a visit, all within walking distance of each other. Southern University Museum of Art offers an amazing display of African and African-American art, artifacts, and treasured works dating from ancient to modern. For first-class roving art, go to Artspace, a fun and classy art gallery to stroll around in and be inspired.

A historic site not for everyone, but that probably should be, is the Shreveport Water Works Museum, which is a designated National Historic Landmark. The now-retired pumping station is the last known steam-powered municipal water treatment plant in the United States. Just around the corner is the historic Central Artstation, an art gallery housed in the former Central Fire Station. You can’t miss “Art,” the 19.5-foot-tall sculpture of a dalmatian that sits alertly on the front lawn.

SHOPPING AND ENTERTAINMENT

For an entertaining night out, check out the restored Strand Theatre in historic downtown Shreveport, a Louisiana treasure. Built in 1925, the grand theater underwent an extensive renovation that was completed in 1984. Today, it is said to rival some of the world’s finest opera houses. The historic theater hosts plays and concerts throughout the year.

I wanted to find a unique Mardi Gras mask, and conference staff recommended the Enchanted Garden, just a few miles from downtown Shreveport. What an amazingly fun shopping experience! A charming historic home was converted into a funky gift store with nine rooms filled with distinctive items. The shop owner’s brother creates their stunning, customized masks.

Tubbs Hardware, with roots planted in Bossier City since 1922, is a normal hardware store that transforms to house a large section of Mardi Gras items, ensuring everyone is properly decked out for the parade. After purchasing a mask near the saws, try a free king cake sample near the lawn mowers. Don’t miss the back area display of historic tools.

The Shreveport Aquarium was one of my favorite attractions, with displays of beautiful sea creatures, a place to touch coral reef marine life, and an opportunity to feed stingrays. Their wonderful farm-to-table patio restaurant along the river presented a spectacular view of the Bakowski Bridge Of Lights, which displays many colors at night.

MARDI GRAS PARADE

The sister cities celebrate Mardi Gras with numerous parades and special events. When I arrived at a parade site one Saturday morning, I spotted parents parking their cars and unloading strollers, plus red wagons stuffed with everything perfect for a picnic. This Saturday morning event was designed for families. The best part was listening to a roar of laughter from adorable 8-year-old girls in cheerleader outfits preparing to be in the parade. Everyone was wearing purple and green baubles for one of the biggest and splashiest parades in northern Louisiana.

 

WHERE TO PARK YOUR RV

The Cypress Black Bayou Recreation and Water Conservation District in Benton, a few miles north of Bossier City, was created when a spillway on Cypress Lake was built, mainly to control flooding in the area. The result was a beautiful reservoir that was deemed a “fishing bonanza” by the Shreveport Times in 1971. This is a nice recreation area complete with a small zoo, a nature center, a playground, and picnic areas, as well as an RV camping area.

Both partial- and full-hookup RV sites are available, most shaded with views of the lake. Numerous sites are pull-throughs — great for people like me who dislike backing. For reservations, call (318) 965-0007 or email frontgate@cypressblackbayou.com.

MORE INFO

Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau
629 Spring St.
Shreveport, LA 71101
visitshreveportbossier.org
(318) 222-9391

Shreveport-Bossier City is located in northwest Louisiana, about 15 minutes from the Texas border on the west and 30 minutes or so from the Arkansas border to the north.