225 Magazine [March 2026]

Pinch me!

OUR CRAWFISH GUIDE GOES FROM POND TO POT TO PLATTER

+ PLUS TASTY LOCAL DISHES BEYOND THE BOIL

Celebrate with us!

We Are Here: A Gathering of Poets

• Live music from Favorite Friend with Raudol Palacios

• Delicious, FREE food by Odom’s

• Poetry Café

• Children’s Activities

• Community Organizations More!

Main Library at Goodwood Saturday March 28 4-8 P.M.

We Are Here: Unleash your inner poet! Join us this spring for our One Book One Community series featuring You Are Here: Poetry in the Natural World, edited by Ada Limon, 24th Poet Laureate of the United States.

Read some poetry with us, write some poetry of your own, and participate in poetry and nature programs throughout the Library system. You can even submit your original poem to be considered for a community anthology!

YOUR HEALTH, OUR CALLING

FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake is part of one of the leading health systems in the Gulf South. Our connected team is committed to delivering exceptional care, and we do it with great love. We believe that the best possible care is not just a job for us — it’s our calling.

-Scott A My dental experience with Dr. Ventress and his Team is always the absolute

What’s

Dining in: After-the-boil handhelds Thrive

singer’s painful journey to debut album

Boil bounty

ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES, ready a roll of paper towels and get cracking into our crawdad-covered March issue. This month’s cover is coming in hot—right out of the pot that is—with a sea of ruby-colored crustaceans from Hot Tails in Prairieville. We followed the restaurant’s owners, Cody and Samanta Carroll, through marshy crawfish ponds to Hot Tails’ boiling setup to see the true life cycle of a Louisiana crawfish. Read more about the process and find out how other locals are dishing out the clawed creatures starting on page 24.

by Collin Richie.

It all boils down to this

THEY SAY A watched pot never boils, but that’s definitely not true in south Louisiana, where groups of friends routinely gather around an 80-quart aluminum pot this time of year and stare at the steam slithering from beneath the lid.

Cold beers in hand, they’re apt to be arguing the merits of what vegetables are appropriate additions and how long to soak the soon-to-be-tender treasures inside. Soon they’ll be jockeying for position around a newspaper-covered table and consuming piles of peeled crawfish faster than Joey Chestnut scarfs down hot dogs on the Fourth of July.

If you’re a newcomer to our area, this all might sound as strange as if you’ve been sucked up by an alien spaceship and transported to another planet. So in a spirit of homegrown hospitality, here are a few friendly words of advice on attending your first crawfish boil:

1. A crawfish might look like a tiny lobster, but you won’t find any cracking tools or plastic bibs here. Your own two hands will do just fine for pulling the little crustaceans apart. And drawn butter isn’t likely to be served alongside; we tend toward an unfussy ketchup and mayo mixture for dipping—or no dip at all.

2. Most south Louisianans know from painful experience that you should dress for the mess. (See: no plastic bibs, above.) That means don’t wear your white jeans, no matter how cute you think you look in them. Honestly,

dark colors are ideal all around, and keep it casual.

3. Here’s another one I learned for myself early in life after finding myself standing over a sink splashing water up into my face: Don’t touch your eyes. The same spices that make boiled crawfish so tasty can turn your cornea into a veritable inferno. And that’s even less cute than orange spots on your white jeans.

4. Crawfish boils are standing-room-only

affairs, unless there’s a darn good reason you need to pull up a chair. Crowding around, elbow to elbow, is part of the experience.

5. Don’t be shellfish. While it’s tempting to try to select only the largest crawfish from the heap in the center of the table, it’s only fair to eat whatever’s in front of you.

6. But do avoid the straight tails. OK, I’ll admit that in recent years I’ve seen experts say that this legendary telltale sign of a previously dead and therefore toxic mudbug is not necessarily a true indicator of its status. But I’m not going to be the one to find out.

7. Want to know whether someone really loves you? Ask them to peel some crawfish for you after you get tired.

The truth is, though, there really are no hard-and-fast rules when it comes to this seasonal social event. The south Louisiana crawfish boil is a free-spirited, messy, joyful celebration of community where strangers become friends and, yep, where white jeans get ruined. But those stains are really a badge of honor. Laundry is for later—around here it’s flavor first.

Kelli Bozeman Editor-in-Chief

Muddy waters

After being forced to reschedule a few times (thanks, January in Louisiana!), the 225 team finally found a beautiful blue-sky day to head out to the Pointe Coupee Parish family farm where Cody and Samantha Carroll catch the crawfish for their two Hot Tails restaurant locations. Photographer Collin Richie used two boats and a drone to capture the incredible shots you’ll find in our cover story profile of the couple starting on pg. 26. As writer Maggie Heyn Richardson’s story reveals, the Carrolls’ pond-totable approach means they’re serving up something special.

Your health is our primary care

Paula T. Primary Care Patient

Ochsner Health provides compassionate, personalized care for every stage of life. From your child’s well visits and teen sports physicals to managing chronic conditions, our experienced primary care team is here to support your family’s health journey. With same-day and next-day appointments available, we make it easy to get the care you need when you need it.

Visit ochsner.org/BRprimary to schedule your appointment today.

Publisher: Julio Melara

EDITORIAL

Editor-In-Chief: Kelli Bozeman

Managing Editor: Olivia Deffes

Features Writer: Maggie Heyn Richardson

Digital Staff Writer: Catherine Clement

Digital Content Strategist: John McElwain

Staff Photographer: Collin Richie

Contributing Writers:

Tracey Koch, Laura Furr Mericas, Olivia Tomlinson, Avery White

Contributing Photographers:

Sean Gasser, Jordan Hefler, Amy Shutt, Avery White

ADVERTISING

Vice President, Sales: Elizabeth McCollister Hebert

Sales Operations Manager: Kynley Lemoine

Sales Director: André Hellickson Savoie

Multimedia Marketing Consultants: Abbie Bayham, Claire Hader, Jamie Hernandez, Ella Shipp

Sales Intern: Reagan Karczewski

Digital Operations Manager: Devyn MacDonald

Partner Success Manager: Matt Wambles

Content Creator: Londyn White

Digital Ops Coordinator: Sydney DeVille

Corporate Communications Strategist: Mark Lorando

Content Strategist: Emily Hebert

STUDIO E

Managing Creative Director: Timothy Coles

Business Development Manager: Manny Fajardo

Custom Content Editor: Lisa Tramontana

Video Lead: Taylor Stoma

Production Coordinator: Angelle Theriot

ADMINISTRATION

Chief Technology Officer: James Hume

Marketing Director: Ashleigh Ward

Business Manager: Tiffany Durocher

Business Associate: Kirsten Milano

Business and Office Assistant: Sarah Kleinpeter

Receptionist: Cathy Varnado Brown

CREATIVE SERVICES

Creative Services Manager: Ellie Gray

Art Director: Hoa Vu

Senior Graphic Designers: Melinda Gonzalez Galjour, Sidney Rosso

Graphic Designer: Aniya Dunn

AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT

Circulation and Client Experience Manager: Ivana Oubre

A publication of Melara Enterprises, LLC Chairman: Julio Melara

Executive Assistant: Brooke Motto

Vice President-Sales: Elizabeth McCollister Hebert

Chief Content Officer: Penny Font

Chief Digital Officer: Erin Pou

Chief Operating Officer: Guy Barone

Circulation/Reprints

225.928.1700 • email: circulation@225batonrouge.com 9029 Jefferson Highway, Suite 300, Baton Rouge, LA 70809 225-214-5225 • FAX 225-926-1329 • 225batonrouge.com

Dear Parents,

I write this not only as a pastor—but as a father.

I am a dad raising four daughters in a world that looks nothing like the one my parents raised me in. When we were children, danger was something we watched for outside the house. Today, it often lives quietly inside our homes—on screens, in apps, and in online conversations we may never see.

Our parents didn’t have to think about online gaming chats, disappearing messages, or strangers having 24/7 access to their children. We do. Technology has brought incredible opportunities, but it has also opened doors to real threats—ones that require our attention, discernment, and action.

Scripture tells us, “Be alert and of sober mind” (1 Peter 5:8). As mothers and fathers, we cannot afford to be passive. Loving our children well in this generation means being present, prayerful, and proactive. Protection today requires involvement—asking hard questions, setting clear boundaries, monitoring activity, and having conversations that may feel uncomfortable but are absolutely necessary.

And yet, as important as practical steps are, they are not enough on their own.

We cannot parent this generation on instinct alone. We need wisdom, discernment, and courage that only comes from the Lord. “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all” (James 1:5). Children are a gift from God (Psalm 127:3), and gifts are meant to be guarded with intention and care.

My challenge to you is simple: invite God into your parenting in a deeper way. Pray over your children—out loud and often. Talk with them, not just to them. Listen more than you speak. Let your home be a place where truth is shared freely and faith is lived openly. And remember—you were never meant to walk this journey alone.

That is why I want to personally invite you to Parental Awareness Night, happening Tuesday, March 24th at 6:30 p.m The event will be held at Family Worship Center. This evening is designed to bring parents, children, faith leaders, and community partners together to share vital information, practical tools, and hope. It is not about fear—it is about awareness, unity, and protecting the next generation God has entrusted to us.

“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). Now is the time to stand together, learn together, and act together—for the sake of our children.

We are in this together.

Dr. Gabriel Swaggart

Co-Pastor of Family Worship Center

TOP STORIES

Readers’ notes

Re: Our print feature on Emily and Russ Viguerie’s hidden gem home:

“One of my fav homes Emily has the best eye!!!” —@beccasafford “WOWZA! Love her style!” —Adele Netterville on Facebook

Cast your votes

Have you voted for this year’s Best of 225 Awards yet? Voting is live now through April 8 for those who reside in the 225 area code. The ballot reflects the people and businesses that received the most submissions during the write-in nomination period in January.

Re: Our story on 2026 food trends:

“Its going to be a delicious year!” —@gildedartichoke

The Capital Region’s original reader’s choice poll, Best of 225 spotlights the city’s most beloved restaurants, personalities and businesses. And your votes will determine who takes the top spots in categories like Best Burger, Best Nail Salon and Best Chef.

Scan the QR code below to vote, read FAQs or find promotional graphics for campaigning.

World Obesity Day is March 4, but our work continues every day.

At Pennington Biomedical Research Center, researchers, clinicians, and staff work together every day to advance the science of obesity. Our work fuels discoveries that improve prevention strategies, treatment options, and long-term health outcomes.

On World Obesity Day—and throughout the year—we invite the community to take part in that progress. Clinical trials are a vital part of how research moves forward, and participation helps turn scientific discovery into real-world solutions.

Whether you’re healthy, managing a condition, or simply curious, there may be a study that’s right for you.

What ,s up March

Full Moon FEVER

Downtown Plaquemine’s monthly market celebrates local artists and makers

BY MAGGIE HEYN RICHARDSON //

BY COLLIN RICHIE

THE FULL MOON emerges in the night sky as an artisan market unfolds below. There are food trucks, a mobile bookstore and live music, along with booths holding jewelry, artwork, candles, crocheted plushies and sweet and savory culinary items. Patrons mingle with friends and acquaintances while sipping dirty sodas and noshing on sticky caramel brownies and juicy burgers.

Every month, more than 40 vendors set up across a Main Street parking lot in downtown Plaquemine at the Friday-evening Full Moon Market. The gathering is the brainchild of photographer Ashlee Bergeron, whose studio sits nearby. A Plaquemine transplant and Church Point native, Bergeron says she was inspired by the growing number of arts markets and pop-ups in Baton Rouge and figured it was time for a similar gathering on the west side.

“I wanted a platform for artists and makers to be able to come together and celebrate what they do,” says the ebullient Bergeron. “I wanted it to have good vibes. This town is so unique and so cool. It has a lot of character.”

The market celebrated its one-year anniversary in December. It’s intentionally timed with the full moon, Bergeron says.

“I like the mythical aspect of it, and it’s fun,” she says. “The moon is something that’s been celebrated since the beginning of time.”

The market started with six vendors in December 2024, but interest grew quickly.

“We doubled the number of vendors every month for the next several months,” Bergeron says. “By June 2025, we were full.”

The vendors hail not just from Plaquemine, but from throughout the Capital Region, she says. Similarly, patrons come from both sides of the river.

“When we first started, people were like, ‘No one’s going to drive over that bridge,’” Bergeron says. “I was like, ‘I’m gonna show y’all.’ And we have.”

Moon Market

Around 500 attend each market. Bergeron is hopeful crowds will continue to grow this spring. She’s launched a second Full Moon Market in Carencro on Saturday evenings, which gets underway this month.

“There are so many creatives out there,” Bergeron says. “And I want these markets to bring them together.”

For 2026 dates and more information, visit Full Moon Market La on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok.

Eric Oberlander, MD

Board Certified Neurosurgeon DrOberlander.com

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Experience matters and Dr. Oberlander has fixed over 35,000 spinal segments in the past 18 years making him one of the most experienced neurosurgical spine surgeons in America. Join the 8,000 patients per year that see Team Oberlander. Call today.

Call (225) 768-2023 to schedule your appointment. SCAN TO HEAR PATIENT STORIES

Raising the STEAKS

Compiled by Catherine Clement

L’AUBERGE CASINO HOTEL will open a new restaurant in partnership with New Orleans celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse. Emeril’s Chop House will replace 18 Steak at L’Auberge and will feature a selection of signature dishes. Chef Lagasse’s flagship restaurant in New Orleans was recently awarded two Michelin stars and is renowned for its warm hospitality and elevated plates. Lagasse said in a press release that he is proud to present a new restaurant with “exceptional steaks, the freshest seafood, signature dishes you won’t find anywhere else, and handcrafted cocktails that complete the dining experience.” Construction is set to begin soon, and guests will still be able to enjoy items from the 18 Steak menu during the remodel. lbatonrouge.com

What else is new?

It takes a village

The Play District, a new indoor play center in Denham Springs, gives kids with big imaginations a village to explore. Opened in January, this tot hotspot features a scaleddown carwash, grocery store, vet clinic and other pint-size areas. theplaydistrictds.com

Chill out

Premium alternative wellness shop

Rad Dad has opened a second location in Baton Rouge. Located on Jefferson Highway, the new space offers sleep, focus and alcohol alternatives for adults. raddadhemp.com

Curb your cravings

Two new fast-casual food spots are open for business in BR. Feast on burgers and other treats at Buns on Siegen Lane, or try wings and Philly cheesesteaks at Flayva! on Florida Boulevard. flayvausa.com and bunsbatonrouge.toast.site

Experience the charm of small-town community and big local flavor at the

Zachary Farmers Market

Held in the heart of downtown, this vibrant gathering brings together local farmers, artisans, bakers, and makers offering fresh produce, handcrafted goods, sweet treats, and unique finds, all in one welcoming space. More than just a market, it’s a place to connect with neighbors, support local businesses, enjoy live music, and celebrate everything that makes Zachary special.

Come stroll, shop, and savor the best of our community one Saturday at a time.

Every Saturday from 9AM - 1PM on Lee Street

Around 225 and a Bike , beats Bike , beats barbershop barbershop

Renovated Youth City Lab’s first phase opens this spring

BY MAGGIE HEYN RICHARDSON // PHOTOS BY COLLIN RICHIE

ASTAGE FOR POETRY slams. A youth-run bike repair shop. Meeting rooms for kids and adult mentors. A barber college and teaching kitchen. A safe place to hang out after school.

These and other amenities are part of the forthcoming Youth City Lab on Government Street, an ambitious collaboration between four local nonprofits that is inching closer to completion. The project is transforming the former Sarkis Oriental Rugs store into a vibrant, 10,000-square-foot center for youth with multiple enrichment, social and workforce development programs.

In April, the first floor should be completed and occupied, leaders say.

“It’s a space where kids can experience some joy and connectivity,” says Dustin LaFont, executive director of partner nonprofit Front Yard Bikes. “It’s been a long time coming but we’re getting close.”

Teaming with Front Yard Bikes is mentoring program Big Buddy, barbershop-based literacy organization Line 4 Line, and Humanities Amped, a school-based program that teaches high school students about healing and civic engagement through creativity and research.

The partners purchased the Government Street building in 2020 and have been raising funds since then to turn it into a youth-centric haven.

“That’s the one thing people constantly complain about,” LaFont says. “There are not enough places for young people to go.”

•

Mid City architecture firm Street Collaborative designed an open, airy floorplan that allows youth to check in at a welcome desk, then head to different areas for programs.

Dappled light streams through the building’s stained glass windows, a feature nodding to its past life as the Central Assembly of God church. The design maintains the building’s character while creating a two-story campus where young people are empowered to foster relationships, practice their creativity and hone skills for future careers.

The building will be home to Front Yard Bikes’ retail and repair shop, which was previously set up here before the renovation. The entrepreneurial nonprofit trains kids to fix bikes and rewards them with a bike of their own.

It will also host Line 4 Line’s barber college—along with the nonprofit’s many creative literacy programs. Founded in 2014 in a North Acadian Thruway barber shop, Line 4 Line fosters literacy through free haircuts.

Humanities Amped to host its “Fresh Heat” open mic nights. Attendees can take a seat on sprawling stadium seating and listen to Humanities Amped’s budding poets, writers, rappers and singers perform across a new stage.

And on the second floor, Big Buddy will operate a teaching kitchen where pairs of Big and Little Buddies can cook healthy meals together. The program’s high school students can also earn ServSafe certification for future restaurant industry careers.

Once fully open, the youthcentric facility will solve a fundamental problem for the four nonprofits, its leaders say.

“All of our programs are challenged by not having space,” says Big Buddy executive director Gaylynne Mack. “We are all constantly moving from site to site. We spend an enormous amount of time finding space to help young people get their needs met, so this is going to be a game changer.”

slow-going at times, with fundraising sometimes stalling and post-pandemic construction costs soaring. But Line 4 Line director Lucy Parera says the team has remained committed to collaboration.

“We’ve met every week for the last five years,” she says. “The process has been amazing. It sounds cliché, but we’ve walked the walk.”

The team also includes a Youth Advisory Council, created to garner feedback from teenagers. Advisory council member and Baton Rouge Magnet High School senior Imani Morris says involving teens was a smart move.

“The whole point of the building is to be a place for youth, so it’s very important that they get our opinions,” says the college-bound Morris, who plans to major in marketing. “I appreciate that, because sometimes we see things that they may not see.”

have also weighed in on the design, recommending each nonprofit maintain its own identity, while creating flexible areas where kids can hang out, work on homework and take advantage of free Wi-Fi.

They also recommended salvaging an outdoor courtyard, says council member Chad Burnes Jr., also a Baton Rouge Magnet High School senior.

“A lot of students are just cooped up all day in school or in their house, so it was important that they have the freedom to go outside,” says Burnes, who hopes to go into medicine.

The teens have also encouraged preserving details that preserve the distinct structure’s character.

What’s inside

Front Yard Bikes

The youth-run bike retail and repair shop will return to the newly renovated space this spring, welcoming the public and youth interested in bike repair skills.

Big Buddy >>

One of the region’s oldest mento ring programs is fundraising to open a second-floor teaching kitchen where Big and Little Buddies can cook together and teens can earn restaurant industry certifications. Big Buddy will use the building for other programs as well.

Line 4 Line

The literacy nonprofit, which provides free haircuts to kids and trains teens in barbering, is raising funds to open a state-certified barber college inside Youth City Lab. It will also use classroom space for creative literacy programs.

Humanities Amped

Issue Date: MARCH 2026 Ad proof #1

• Please respond by e-mail or phone with your approval or minor revisions.

The Youth Advisory Council chose the name “Youth City Lab,” its color scheme and logo. Members

• AD WILL RUN AS IS unless approval or final revisions are received within 24 hrs from receipt of this proof. A shorter timeframe will apply for tight deadlines.

“One of my favorite parts of this building is the stained glass, and the fact that it’s just been here for so long,” says Cadie Perret, a Baton Rouge Magnet High School junior with an interest in fine art. “Devoting a space like this to youth is really going to help draw them to the organization.”

• Additional revisions must be requested and may be subject to production fees.

Carefully check this ad for: CORRECT ADDRESS • CORRECT PHONE NUMBER • ANY TYPOS This ad design © Melara Enterprises, LLC. 2026. All rights reserved. Phone 225-928-1700

This spring, the Tara High School-based nonprofit will host its “Fresh Heat” series for teen writers and performers on a newly completed stage with stadium seating on the building’s first floor.

MON: 11AM-9PM | TUES-FRI: 11AM-10PM | SAT & SUN: 10AM-10PM

RUN for the MONEY

Meet the mastermind behind Baton Rouge’s viral cash giveaway account

AWOMAN RUNS

across the lawn of Capitol Park, racing against a dad and his two sons. Both are looking for the same thing: a white box from the Cheesecake Lab, holding a stash of cash and a coupon for a free treat. The question is, who’s getting to it first?

The Cash Stash Baton Rouge Instagram account has gained the attention of nearly 50,000 people in the Capital Region, with all of them refreshing their feeds in hopes of being the one to take home the latest prize. What started as a simple scavenger hunt of sorts has now become a citywide marketing campaign, with an LSU student behind all the money madness.

Dylan Garcia, a senior majoring in marketing, got the idea to create his own cash stash account after seeing one in his hometown of St. Louis begin to gain traction, growing from 40,000 followers to 130,000 within a month.

Garcia uses the Instagram account to post about the prizes right before stashing. “I thought I

accounts for hints on the hiding spots. On the day of the hunt, he’ll post a brief clip of the hiding spot. And people come running. The average response time is around two minutes, with followers popping up to make a mad dash to the location of the stash. Baton Rouge resident Anthony James and his sons were the winners of a Cheesecake Lab-sponsored stash back in November, beating out others to get to the prize in under two minutes.

could definitely do this in Baton Rouge,” Garcia says. “So I started off with like 60 bucks [from] my bank account. I took out like three $20 bills, and did three days of hiding.”

From there, he started using connections he’s made while running the Old Row LSU Instagram account, reaching out to local businesses to col laborate. Since hiding the first stash in early September 2025, the Cash Stash Baton Rouge account has grown to over 48,000 followers and has given away thousands of dollars in prizes.

“The [Revelry] took a chance, and they sponsored $300 worth [to give away],” Garcia says about the college bar. “It’s been up from there really.”

He’s since collaborated with businesses like Dudley DeBosier

Injury Lawyers, Gail’s Fine Ice Cream, L’Auberge Casino Hotel and Chow Yum, to name a few. These local places will sponsor the giveaway by donating the cash prize and other goodies like branded merch or gift cards. Garcia says the project is also showing these businesses how useful an advertising tool it can be.

“What I want to be is Louisiana’s biggest marketing and give-back company,” Garcia says.

“There’s really no better way, besides a magazine or a billboard, to advertise your business, and that’s really what I’m trying to convey to people. It’s a win for the company. It’s a win for the people, and then I get to do something I love.”

Garcia posts schedules detailing what businesses he will be collaborating with. Then he sends his followers to the businesses’

“It feels great; it’s an amazing feeling. I mean, you see others when they get it and you’re like, ‘Man, we were right there,’ but we got it this time,” James says. “It feels great.”

Garcia has now expanded his giveaways, working with more businesses and even bringing stashes to New Orleans and other spots in Louisiana. He’s also launched Garcia Social, an agency that helps businesses and creators “win on social media,” and creates content for LSU’s official Instagram account.

While the stashes are a fun way to advertise businesses and make connections within the city, Garcia also sees it as an opportunity to help the community by giving money to people who may need it for necessities. Along with his giveaways, Garcia also uses the platform to give back to the community by donating food to the unhoused, preparing those in need for harsh weather and helping to organize give-back events.

“That makes it all worth it. It really does,” Garcia says. “It’s just crazy [that] I’m just some random kid from St Louis. Helping these people means a lot.”

@cashstashbr

me! Pinch

Our crawfish guide goes from pond to pot to platter

ORGANIC RADISHES ARE pretty in a salad, but perhaps one of the purest expressions of the "farm to table" concept is the humble Louisiana crawfish boil. Baited traps are set in ponds within flooded fields and then retrieved the next morning brimming with the nocturnal creatures. Somewhere between a few hours and a few days later, the live mudbugs are made available to backyard boilers or cooked to spicy perfection in area restaurants. Whethere you boil them yourself or order them off a menu, it's a feast worth waiting months for.

According to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, at least 80% of all crawfish produced in the state is consumed within our borders. Nostalgic expats in neighboring states report that it's getting easier to find crawfish these days, but the vast majority of those big purple sacks are staying right here at home.

On the following pages, we're taking a closer look at the full gamut of that farm-to-table process. Roll up your sleeves and dig in!

KELLI BOZEMAN

Eat, cray, love

From their family farm to their crawfish-centric restaurants, Cody and Samantha Carroll of Hot Tails have cooked up a marriage built on mudbugs

BY MAGGIE HEYN RICHARDSON // PHOTOS BY COLLIN RICHIE

THE SKIMMER BOAT lumbers through the shallow, muddy pond as Cody and Samantha Carroll pull crawfish traps, moving from one red-capped mesh cage to another through marshy rows of sweet sorghum. They yank a trap up from the murky surface, dump its contents of writhing crustaceans onto the boat’s sorting table, and funnel them through a slot into an attached mesh sack. A new baited trap goes into the water, part of a rhythmic process set on repeat for the rest of the day.

When crawfish season kicks off in late January and the hungry creatures begin emerging, the Carrolls’ team of employees might harvest every three days. But as temperatures warm and the crawfish pour out of their cozy mudholes, it’s a daily affair, neatly timed with eager fans’ inextinguishable appetites.

The Carrolls work 11 crawfish ponds across the Pointe Coupee family farm

where Cody grew up, and where his father still farms sugar cane, milo and other crops. The couple is part of the state’s well-established fraternity of crawfish farmers, who, since the 1960s, have pulled mudbugs from manmade ponds and flooded fields. Farming created more predictable conditions than catching the creatures wild from the Atchafalaya Basin. Today, about 1,300 farmers harvest up to 120 million pounds of crawfish every season, according to the LSU AgCenter.

But few use the bounty for their own restaurants. In perfect pond-to-table harmony, the Carrolls’ sacks head straight for their popular Hot Tails restaurants in Zachary and Prairieville.

These days, Sam and Cody juggle a lot of balls, running the roads, operating eateries and parenting two children, Mally, 10, and Killian, 5. But they’re also a familiar culinary brand. After falling in love while students at the Louisiana Culinary Institute, they married and opened their first Hot

Sam shakes loose the crawfish that have crawled into one of the couple's many pyramid-style traps and empties them into a grader that retains the larger crawfish and separates smaller ones to go back into the pond.

Tails restaurant in New Roads in 2010. It was a huge success, garnering acclaim for the couple’s boiling prowess and their spice-forward flavor profile. The choice to focus on crawfish, as opposed to any other culinary category, seemed like a no-brainer, Cody says.

“We were very good at boiling them,” says Cody, whose cooking career began around age 10 at his family’s hunting camp. “All we served at first was boiled crawfish and po-boys.”

The now-closed original location was situated in a former drive-thru convenience store. The Carrolls manned it from an affordable, onsite FEMA trailer. The restaurant’s success and their easy charm springboarded them to a 2018 Food Network show, Cajun Aces, and a New Orleans restaurant, Sac-a-Lait, which had a three-year run. Today, they oversee operations at their two popular Hot Tails locations and an inventive sandwich shop in Prairieville called Dirty South.

Their crawfish farm’s operation is orderly, with the roughly 10-acre ponds arranged in an accessible grid. The shallow-draft boat, tricked out with a rear combine, crawls from pond to pond in an amphibious pursuit of the daily catch. From there, Cody, or someone from his team, delivers crawfish to the restaurants, where

yet another sophisticated operation ensues.

The boiling rooms at Hot Tails deploy military precision, thanks to a design Cody perfected over the last 20 years. He empties three sacks of live crawfish at a time into an elevated rectangular vat of clean water for purging, or clearing, the crawfish. Oxygen is piped in from below, energizing the creatures. Their movement helps knock off additional debris. Once this stage concludes, a motorized claw reaches down from the ceiling and lifts the basket, then lowers it into an adjacent vat of boiling water. Backyard boilers accustomed to manhandling heavy rigs would be green with envy.

The Carrolls opt to boil in unseasoned water, moving the crawfish—once more by motorized claw—into a side-by-side vessel of hot seasoned water for a 30-minute soak. It’s a large-scale version of the double pot technique that many boilers believe ensures better taste and texture, Cody says.

But this one includes more science. He describes his cooking process as a “high-temp pressure boil” that simultaneously boils and steams, allowing the crawfish to continue cleaning and better readying them for the soak, he says.

“After we boil them, they really

Back at Hot Tails, Cody seasons water for soaking the crawfish after they are boiled.

After tasting the soaked crawfish to test for perfect flavor, they are transferred to a warm holding tank for filling drive-thru and dine-in orders.

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open up and are ready to absorb that seasoning,” Cody says. “Makes them extremely juicy as well.”

Again, the overhead claw lifts the now-finished crawfish, lowering them into a wheeled stainless-steel cart to be moved into the restaurant’s kitchen. From there, employees scoop up crawfish for countless leak-proof to-go boxes for the bustling drive-thru window, and for trays for dine-in customers.

Can we remove Top of the Teche and put the Sunset Herb & Garden Fest in?

Like most operators these days, Hot Tails has responded to the growing trend of dipping peeled tails into the regionally adored ketchup-mayo combo. Their version, also sold in bottled form, is called Spillway Sauce.

This time of year, everyone in the Carrolls’ operation hustles overtime to satisfy customer cravings. “It gets crazy,” Samantha says. But never old, even for them. As a batch finishes, she and Cody descend on samples for a taste test. It’s possible no two people are capable of devouring crawfish faster.

In St. Landry Parish, we like to zydeco, faisdo-do, two-step, cook, paddle the bayou, and do just about a bit of everything. Find your favorite festival, celebration, outdoor event, or music concert.

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The moment they've all been waiting for: time to start pinching and peeling.

The art of

the boil

FEW RITUALS IN the Louisiana culinary tableau inspire stronger opinions than boiling crawfish. From favorite vendors to the seasoning method to the length of the “soak,” the boil presents endless variations on a theme. Powerful convictions also exist over how to purge the mudbugs, what type of equipment to use, and what else to throw in the pot.

Backyard boiler Kevin Burke has given boiling crawfish a lot of thought—and practice. Growing up in greater New Orleans, he watched the men in his family lord over the boil. When he moved to Atlanta for work as a young sports marketing professional, it was his turn to be in charge. Burke found an underground source for fresh crawfish; a Louisiana transplant running a boiled crawfish stand agreed to sell him sacks out of the back. Burke boiled them for his friends and neighbors, becoming the most

Backyard boiler Kevin Burke shares the tricks of the trade he’s perfected over the years

BY MAGGIE HEYN RICHARDSON // PHOTOS BY COLLIN RICHIE

popular guy on the block, he jokes. Returning to Louisiana years later placed him back in the company of experts. “I was no longer the best crawfish boiler in town,” laughs Burke, who owns a firm that markets Louisiana cultural events and is executive producer of the video series Louisiana Catch & Cook

But repetition makes perfect. Every spring, he and his wife Emily entertain friends and family with multiple crawfish boils in the backyard of their Baton Rouge home. They recently completed an outdoor kitchen to make their gatherings more comfortable. Burke’s boiling method has been earned by years of practice, along with expert advice from older family members. “Oh yeah, when it comes to crawfish there are a lot of opinions,” he says, chuckling. “You know there’s a saying that it’s not good to have too many cooks in the kitchen.”

LIKE MOST BOILERS,

Kevin Burke deploys a well-worn playbook for turning out scarlet, perfectly seasoned crawfish. Here’s how he does it:

Find a vendor

For Burke, it’s the Garden District convenience store Country Corner. As the season progresses, vendors will sell larger so-called “select” crawfish. But a good purveyor, Burke says, will source from farmers who toss back smaller crawfish while on the boat even early in the season.

Choose your rig

Burke is a fan of Bayou Classic’s 82-quart stainless steel rig, which he says is easier to clean than aluminum. And while some backyard boilers have moved to high-performance rigs that boil water faster, Burke says no, thanks. “Those might be good for catering,” Burke says. “But a crawfish boil is a social event, and who wants to rush that?”

Purge the crawfish

Before dropping them in the pot, backyard boilers clean the crawfish, rinsing them well in a large tub to remove dirt and debris carried from their muddy habitats.

Season the water and let

it

come to a boil

This is where things get really personal, says Burke, a fan of Slap Ya Mama dry seasoning and other flavor enhancers like lemon, onion and garlic. But other boilers might place all manner of dry or liquid seasonings in the pot, or riff on trends like Viet Crawfish, which calls for fresh oranges, lemongrass and other additions.

Drop the mudbugs

The purged crawfish are dropped into the boiling water. Burke lets the water return to a boil, then turns off the heat and soaks the crawfish for 20 minutes. He sprays the outside of the hot pot down with a hose, mostly to hear the satisfying shhhh, he says. And he adds slow-melt ice to the water to ensure the crawfish don’t overcook.

Go crazy with extras

Burke adds the requisite corn and potatoes, but he doesn’t stop there. He places the potatoes, along with smoked sausage and whole artichokes, in the boil in a mesh sack so it’s easy to fish them out. And at the end of the cooking process, he adds frozen ears of corn. He also places shucked oysters in a small mesh colander atop the crawfish as they soak. The oysters gently poach, absorbing in the boil’s punchy seasoning.

1 2 3 5 4

fixin's

Crawfish are kings of the backyard boil, but that doesn’t mean they don’t enjoy a little party in the pot with other accoutrements

BY OLIVIA DEFFES //

by Collin Richie

1. Fresh pineapple

Give your pot a tropical tang by throwing in a few chunks or rings. Just like citrus, pineapple can help boost flavor while creating juicy, sweetyet-spicy bites.

2. Ravioli

Italians, look away. Some boilers swear by dropping in some cheese-filled ravioli while the crawfish are in their soaking phase.

3. Brussels sprouts

Like an onion, these fibrous additions get soft with a soak in the pot, capturing flavors between all their layers.

4. Eggs

Turn the boil into brunch by plopping in raw, shelled eggs while the pot is at a roaring boil. Or toss them in fully cooked, with slightly cracked shells, while everything else soaks.

5. Canned veggies

Backyard boiler Kevin Burke adds canned asparagus and green beans to his pot for a pre-mudbug app. His method is simple: remove labels, punch holes in the can, drain and add to the boil. Once soaked, the cans are popped open for snacking.

Stirring the pot

The Crawchicks prove that boiling isn’t just for the boys

BY MAGGIE HEYN RICHARDSON

IT’S HARD TO ignore a dancing crawfish holding a sign encouraging fans to honk in appreciation. Since opening their boiled crawfish trailer in the parking lot of 18340 Highland Rd. in 2023, business partners Maka Provost and Lily Sims, aka the Crawchicks, have built a loyal following with a family recipe and a touch of roadside silliness. “We take turns wearing the costume,” Sims says, bedecked in the red foam outfit—complete with antennae—on a recent sunny day. “We get a lot of honks.”

Sims’ mother owns and operates C&M Crawfish in Vidalia and shared her techniques and recipe with Sims and Provost. “Some of our customers even recognize the ‘C&M’ in our name and get excited because they’ve been to the store in Vidalia,” Sims says. Their first year in business was

before. But the Crawchicks’ luck turned the following year. Since then, they’ve also earned local accolades, winning both People’s Choice and Judges’ Choice awards for boiled crawfish at the 2025 Crawfête.

Customers order from a window. Inside the trailer, there’s a cooler holding fresh sacks and a large boiling apparatus that can hold nine sacks of crawfish at a time. The trailer is open six days a week during the season.

Provost, a native of Hawaii, says Louisiana’s crawfish culture has been mesmerizing. “I just think it’s so much fun,” she says. “I love the climate and the people.”

As for being among the few womenowned crawfish operations, Provost admits it turns some heads.

“Some people are like, ‘Yeah, that’s awesome.’And others look at us and are like, ‘Who does the boiling?’ We do.”

thecrawchicks.com

the boil Think outside P

Protein-packed, cooked tails make for a great kitchen ingredient. Here’s how local restaurants use them in signature dishes.

BY OLIVIA DEFFES // PHOTOS BY COLLIN RICHIE

ICK. PINCH. PEEL. When it comes to eating boiled crawfish, it takes a lot of hard work and expert-level dexterity for the payoff of tiny, meaty morsels.

Luckily for Baton Rougeans with a hankering for mudbugs without all the handiwork, local menus find ways to pack the protein-filled tails into a variety of dishes, giving Louisiana flair to appetizers, sushi rolls and so much more.

Louisiana Crawfish Promotion and Research Board chef spokesperson Yvette Bonanno has seen many local chefs produce elevated dishes using the crustacean, which not only benefits restaurant patrons but also positively impacts the state’s economy. “Crawfish is to Louisiana what lobster is to Maine,” she says.

The Death Valley, Who Dat and Japonaise rolls at Ichiban all feature Louisiana’s official state crustacean.

While using cooked crawfish in dishes seems like a no-brainer for eateries in Louisiana due to easy access, they bring some added health benefits, too. According to the Louisiana Crawfish Promotion and Research Board, crawfish are low in calories, fat and saturated fat, and are a good source of protein, vitamins and nutrients.

Bonanno says there’s another reason local eateries add crawfish to so many dishes: they’re versatile. Plop them into less conventional plates like a salad or a loaded spud, and they shine just as they would in the obvious bisques and étouffées. “[Crawfish] has no ethnic boundaries,” she says.

Mestizo Louisiana-Mexican Cuisine owner Jim Urdiales has been using crawfish on his menu in Mexican-inspired dishes since he opened the restaurant over 25 years ago. He says it doesn’t have to be Lent for customers to order items like the LA crawfish tacos. “I think this is one of the best things on the menu,” he says about the dish. “It’s a staple, and it’s just one of the best-sellers all the time.”

With tails available year-round, menu items like these tacos can be enjoyed long before and after backyard boils, perfect for when those crawdad cravings hit outside of peak season.

Happy tails

Where to find cooked crawfish dishes around town

LA crawfish tacos

Mestizo Louisiana-Mexican Cuisine 2323 S. Acadian Thruway

This tapas order includes two hard taco shells brimming with flash-fried crawfish tails topped with lettuce, tomato and shredded cheese.

Who Dat roll

Ichiban Japanese Grill & Sushi Bar 5741 Essen Ln.

Who dat say you can’t mix crawfish with sushi? This roll contains crawfish and pickled okra and is topped with fresh salmon, escolar, black tobiko, jalapeño and spicy mayo.

Crawfish fries

The Chimes 3357 Highland Rd. 10870 Coursey Blvd.

Crispy fries topped with melty cheese and fried crawfish tails, and served with ranch and au jus gravy? Say less.

Crawfish cheesecake

Phil’s Oyster Bar 4335 Perkins Rd.

Cheesecake doesn't have to be sweet. This savory version is made up of crawfish, fontina, smoked Gouda, Parmesan and Romano.

Crawfish

and portabella over linguini

Roberto’s on the River 1985 LA Hwy. 75, Sunshine Swirl and slurp this dish that melds together pasta, mushrooms and crawfish tails.

Hot crawfish melt

Elsie’s Plate and Pie 3145 Government St.

This grown-up grilled cheese is made up of Louisiana crawfish, roasted jalapeños, caramelized onions, smoked Gouda and pepper jack between thick sourdough slices.

Crawfish pies

Ronnie’s Boudin & Cracklin 9726 Florida Blvd.

Pies aren’t just for dessert at Ronnie’s. These handheld pockets are sold in increments of three, making them ideal for sharing, snacking or saving a few for later.

Crawfish boudin

Tony’s Seafood & Deli 5215 Plank Rd.

Rice, crawfish tails and other seasonings are packed in a convenient casing for a seafood take on this Cajun classic. Stock up on links or try it deep-fried in ball form.

Crawfish wontons

Jubans 3739 Perkins Rd.

This Rangoon riff mixes crawfish and jalapeño cream cheese and is served up with satsuma pepper jelly.

Crawfish beignets

Solou 2112 Perkins Palm Ave.

Crawfish in a beignet? Name something more Louisiana. This app combines local crawfish with a savory batter for poppable puffs made to share.

Crawfish enchiladas

Modesto Tacos Tequila Whiskey 3930 Burbank Dr.

Cheesy enchiladas get stuffed with Louisiana crawfish tails, which can then be topped with either red chili con carne gravy, roasted-poblano queso or chile verde.

Crawfish etouffée

baked potato with fried shrimp

Cou-yon’s 470 N. Alexander Ave., Port Allen

A hearty helping of crawfish etouffée is served in a starchy potato, making for a bowl you can eat too. To finish it off, the monstrous spud is topped with golden fried shrimp.

Crawfish calendar

Where to find boils and other mudbug tasting events around the Red Stick this season BY

OLIVIA DEFFES

EATING CRAWFISH IS a social experience, especially in Louisiana, where gathering, eating and partying are second nature. So it comes as no surprise that during peak crawfish season, the Capital Region hosts cookoffs, festivals and other foodie events dedicated to the mudbug.

Besides boil battles and lots and lots of tail peeling, these gatherings also often include other types of eats, drinks, live music and entertainment, making them a bit of a step up from your average backyard feast. Here are five crawfish happenings to put on your calendar this season:

Crawfête

MARCH 22

Live Oak at Cedar Lodge

Hosted by the Baton Rouge Epicurean Society at a new location this year, this event brings both experienced boilers and local chefs to show off their best pots and elevated crawfish dishes. epicbr.org

Krewe of SU Crawfish Boil

APRIL 12

North Sherwood Forest Community Park

This ticketed boil offers fresh, hot crawdads along with other boil favorites like sausage, corn and potatoes. Find it on Eventbrite.

Bob Jackson Crawfish Boil-Off

APRIL 25

Lamar Dixon Expo Center, Gonzales

This boil-off is free and open to the public, but attendees who make a small donation will be able to enjoy three pounds of crawfish. The event also features pop-up vendors, raffles, music and more. Find it on Facebook.

Crawfête draws caterers and restaurants to put their best tails forward.

Crawfish King Cookoff

MAY 1

Downtown Baton Rouge

Supporting Junior Achievement and Big Buddy, this cookoff boasts family fun, live music and over 13,000 pounds of crawfish prepped by 50-plus competing teams. crawfishkingcookoff.com

Pinch-N-Peel Crawfish CookOff

JUNE 6

North Park, Denham Springs

This gathering brings a tasty competition to Livingston Parish with door prizes for attendees, live music and more. Find it on Facebook.

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Replacing an original kitchen that was about half this size, Anne and Greg Milneck’s new space is thoughtfully designed with cooking in mind, with fresh new appliances selected through ADL, now Ferguson Home, and clean-lined cabinetry by Traditional Designs Custom Cabinets.

cook

YOU MIGHT NOT be surprised to hear that when the Red Stick Spice Company staff gathered at owner Anne Milneck’s home for a holiday party last year, it was an evening filled with dining on lots of delicious dishes. But what’s a little more surprising is that at one point in the night, 15 employees of the gourmet spice and tea shop found themselves packed inside Anne’s new pantry, casually hanging out beside the coffee maker and leaning against the cutting boards.

The ability of this storage space to accommodate the same number of people as an NBA team roster is proof that this kitchen renovation project—much like the meals created in Red Stick Spice’s popular cooking classes—turned out just right.

“This has been the greatest gift,” says Anne of the pantry, which was also one of the most practical additions to the 1972-built home

she shares with her husband Greg. The Milneck family had lived here for 22 years before they began a renovation project with help from architect William Powell and design professional Carol LaCour of Monochrome.

The new kitchen features chef-worthy appliances from Monogram, expanding upon Red Stick Spice’s status as a Monogram trade partner and Monogram Experience Kitchen. For her own home, Anne wanted to put plenty of power in her meal prep experience. “BTUs of burners mattered to me, and they deliver,” she says. “We also do almost everything on convection, and their convection engineering is superior.”

The culinary star of this kitchen is a 48-inch dual-fuel, six-burner range with a griddle. A pair of electric ovens—one that neatly fits a 9 x 13-inch pan and one more than double that size—means Anne can bake just enough frozen cookie dough for herself and Greg or

can prepare a full holiday spread for their adult children, grandchildren and extended family. The Monogram appliance lineup in this kitchen also includes a dishwasher, refrigerator/freezer, wall oven and warming drawer, and ice maker, as well as drawer refrigerators in the pantry and a wine fridge in the hallway.

But blank space is as important to Anne’s culinary process. To that end, her 9-foot-long kitchen island provides a 6½-foot uninterrupted stretch of countertop that conveniently ends at the sink and trash can. “Every cook needs a long expanse of countertop,” she says. “When your counter is broken up by sinks and appliances, your workflow is interrupted.”

The surfaces in the kitchen, including the leathered-finish Taj Mahal quartzite countertops and large-format porcelain tile floor, were planned with real life in mind. “I told Carol that there would be turmeric spills and red

wine happening,” Anne says. “I am very messy, very rough in the kitchen, and I needed finishes that would be durable.”

One corner of the kitchen houses a “baking garage” in which Anne stores her food processor, a stand mixer and two turntables of extracts and Red Stick Spice blends. A nearby corner cabinet houses 45 jars of spices, while a pull-out space near the range is home to olive oils and vinegars. And of course, there’s that dream pantry—equal parts storage, prep space and, apparently, conversation area for parties.

The new kitchen layout designed by LaCour also gives Anne a seating area opposite the cooking area. “It’s been a game changer,” Anne says of the design. “My family wants to be in the kitchen with me, and, honestly, most of the time, they’re in the way! … The seating area gives my family a place to land and allows me to visit with them while I cook.”

LOCAL BANKING. LOCAL PARTNERS.

MODERN FAMILY LAW:

Clearing up the confusion with Attorney Ivy Graham

If you’ve ever faced a family law issue like divorce, custody or estate planning, you’ve probably heard a lot of advice from friends, family or even the internet. “Don’t move out, or you’ll be accused of abandonment!” “You need a legal separation first!” “Just download the forms online – it’s easy!”

The truth is, family law has changed a lot over the years, and what worked for your parents or neighbors may not apply today. Ivy Graham, a family law attorney serving Denham Springs, Baton Rouge and the surrounding parishes, has seen firsthand how confusing and overwhelming these changes can be for people trying to do the right thing for themselves and their families.

She believes it’s important to clear up some of the most common misconceptions and to show how working with an attorney can make all the difference.

THE LAW ISN’T WHAT IT USED TO BE

One of the biggest myths Ivy encounters is about “abandonment.” Many people worry that if they leave the family home during a divorce, they’ll lose their rights or be accused of abandoning their spouse.

But in Louisiana, the law has changed: there’s no longer a legal concept of abandonment in divorce cases. Similarly, “legal separation” is a thing of the past. Today, the focus is on how long spouses have lived apart, not on who left or why.

OUTDATED ADVICE CAN LEAD YOU ASTRAY

It’s natural to turn to loved ones for support, but their experiences may not reflect current law. And while the internet is full of information, it’s also full of misinformation.

For example, many people assume that only men pay child or spousal support, but that’s simply not true – either party can be responsible, depending on the circumstances.

DIY DIVORCE? PROCEED WITH CAUTION

With so many online resources, it’s tempting to handle a divorce or custody case without professional help. While it’s possible, the process is rarely as simple as it seems.

Court forms must be completed and filed in a specific order, with certain documents notarized on different dates. Small mistakes can cause big delays, or even cost more in the long run.

As an attorney, Ivy helps clients avoid these pitfalls and makes sure their rights are protected from the start.

REAL-WORLD SOLUTIONS FOR REAL PEOPLE

What sets Ivy Graham’s practice apart is her commitment to practical, real-world solutions. She understands that clients want clear answers and a path forward, not a list of legal jargon.

Soon, she will also be offering mediation services for divorces and family law

225.663.8959 | LA-26-20145

171 Del Orleans Ave B, Denham Springs, LA

matters, giving families even more options for resolving their issues amicably. Whether dealing with divorce, custody, estate planning or mediation, Ivy guides her clients every step of the way with compassion and honesty.

For anyone facing a family law challenge, outdated advice or internet myths can be misleading. Consulting a knowledgeable attorney like Ivy Graham can help clarify options and protect the future. Ivy is ready to help families navigate these challenges. For more information, scan the QR code or visit ivygrahamlaw.com.

VISIONS OF ST. Joseph altars dance across Amy Cannizaro Burris’ childhood memories.

Her grandmothers participated in the annual tradition in greater New Orleans when she was growing up, creating altars intricately arranged with homemade cookies and breads, along with candles and pictures of loved ones. The practice is a tribute to St. Joseph, believed to have delivered Sicily from famine during the Middle Ages.

When Sicilians emigrated to south Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, they brought along the Old World ritual, which honors Sicily’s patron saint with offerings situated on three-tiered spreads. It’s long been popular in homes and churches in the Crescent City, but now has a foothold in the Capital Region as well.

Burris, a married mother of three in Baton Rouge, says the 2022 death of her last remaining grandparent, Seraphine DiCarlo Cannizaro, inspired her to keep the practice alive in her own community. She and friend Molly Nelson, another New Orleans native whose family participated in St. Joseph altars, decided to reboot at their home parish, St. Aloysius Catholic Church, in 2023. (The church had had an altar 11 years earlier.) The project has been a big success, attracting both parishioners and community members for quiet reflection amid culinary beauty.

“People just jumped right in to help,” Burris says. “It’s truly been a group effort.”

Numerous Catholic churches across the Capital Region host St. Joseph altars on or around March 19, the annual feast day of St. Joseph. Adorned with baked goods, fruit, fava beans and Italian ephemera, altars connect worshippers to a centuries-old practice that pays tribute to Jesus’ earthly father.

Across greater Baton Rouge, well-established St. Joseph altars take place at St. Alphonsus Liguori Catholic Church, the Cypress Mercedarian Prayer Center, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Denham Springs, and

many others. Some are large, recruiting scores of volunteers to bake traditional treats. St. Alphonsus, for example, prepared nearly 20,000 cookies for its annual feast this year. Other churches, like St. Thomas More, have launched newer altars that are smaller scale—at least for now.

St. Thomas More parishioner Joe Macaluso grew up around the tradition in New Orleans and is part of the church’s St. Joseph altar committee.

“I think it was an outgrowth of people attending St. Joseph’s altars in other parishes or in homes over the years,” Macaluso says. “We decided to introduce it last year. The first step was getting familiar with the ground rules.”

Macaluso, who has advised other churches on St. Joseph altars, jokes that while each altar has its own style, there are also fixed requirements, including a meatless mandate. Requisite baked goods like fig-filled cuccidati, anise biscotti and sesame seed cookies are also in good supply. Traditionally, such sweets were exclusively homemade. Burris and Nelson recall their grandmothers baking for weeks in advance. But modern altar practitioners now rely on help from commercial bakeries, they say.

Breads are also a mainstay. They’re often baked in the shape of hammers, saws, sandals and other items representing Joseph. And offerings are positioned on threetiered shelves or in three-leaf table

arrangements, representing the Holy Trinity.

To the great disappointment of children, an altar’s mouthwatering spread isn’t for consumption–at least not right away. Culinary gifts are frequently donated to food pantries, a nod to St. Joseph’s association with eliminating hunger, Burris says. Parishioners typically hold a separate feast where they dine on some of the sweets and spaghetti topped with meatless red gravy and toasted breadcrumbs, representing the sawdust that lands at a carpenter’s feet.

Burris and Nelson say they’re grateful that St. Aloysius’ St. Joseph altar is set up in the sanctuary itself, a departure from the typical placement of altars in parish halls or gymnasiums.

“It’s an emotional experience,” Burris says. “It’s peaceful. People come in and sometimes just feel overcome. What’s really special for us is that so many people say it brings back memories of their childhood.”

Fresh look

Main Street Market reopens, welcoming a teaching kitchen and new food concepts

BY MAGGIE RICHARDSON // PHOTOS BY AVERY WHITE

GRAB A LATTE, sink your teeth into some chicken tikka masala or a shrimp po-boy, and take home fresh Louisiana produce. After a lengthy renovation, the new and improved Main Street Market is open in downtown Baton Rouge.

The refreshed space at 5th and Main Streets now holds four fast casual restaurant concepts, a fair trade coffee shop stocked with Red Stick Farmers Market items, a teaching kitchen and an abundance of dining tables. The facility is open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“People are just really happy that we’re open,” BREADA executive director Darlene Adams Rowland says. “The new space allows us to keep fulfilling our mission of providing economic opportunities for farmers and offering fresh food and a gathering place to the community.”

The state-owned Main Street Market was first conceived in the mid-1990s during the first phase of Plan Baton Rouge, the city’s

downtown revitalization plan. It was originally completed in 2002, hosting restaurant and retail pods that drew downtown lunch crowds and shoppers at the Saturday Red Stick Farmers Market.

But over time, its design and infrastructure were badly in need of updates, Rowland says.

The indoor market now features a fresh, modern look with more room for crowds to maneuver. Its new amenities include River & Roots Market at the north end, which opened in November and sells specialty coffee beverages, pastries and farmers market goods and produce. At the south end, a state-of-the-art teaching kitchen will host chefs for live cooking demos using local ingredients.

Main Street Market features

four concepts. Breakfast eatery The Cozy Griddle serves breakfast sandwiches, bowls, burritos and more. New spot Sapor Indian Fusion offers Indian favorites like butter chicken, chili chicken and naan. Creole Creations, also a food truck and Tiger Stadium and PMAC vendor, sells boudin balls, po-boys and seafood platters.

The fourth concept, Vivian’s Rotisserie and Grill, focuses on healthy items like salads, grilled proteins and plantbased fare.

“Everything you’ll get from us is from scratch,” says Creole Creations founder Chisolu Isiadinso. “We really want to focus on authentic food and being able to bring home cooking and comfort food.”

Isiadinso says she sources local shrimp and catfish for her platters and po-boys and makes homemade cornbread and her own boudin balls. Along with a standing menu, she plans to offer daily specials like red beans and rice and fresh yams.

Father-son team Darryl and

Tarick Johnson, who previously ran the Main Street Market Southern plate lunch restaurant SYI, have returned with a breakfast-focused concept, which Tarick also opened in May on Coursey Boulevard. The Cozy Griddle serves homemade biscuits, breakfast sandwiches, pancakes and sausage from farmers market vendor Cutrer’s Meat Market in Kentwood.

Sapor founders Sai Arukala and Ram Jogi say they plan to serve a steady menu of Indian staples as well as rotating specials. They also plan to add some unique Indian breakfast items soon. “You won’t be able to find them anywhere else,” Arukala says.

River & Roots serves Feliciana’s Best Creamery dairy products and Counter Culture Coffee from North Carolina, a certified B Corporation known for its sustainability and fair pay to farmers, says Main Street Market manager Kay Shirer. She adds that the new coffee shop also allows patrons to buy produce from the Red Stick Farmers Market.

“We’re excited to give everybody access to farmers market goods and produce all week long,” Shirer says. “It’s great for those downtown workers who might not have time to come back downtown on the weekends.”

DINING IN

How we roll

Try a south Louisiana take on a Northeastern summer classic

BY TRACEY KOCH // PHOTOS BY AMY SHUTT

ANEW ENGLAND

LOBSTER roll is a popular sandwich throughout the Northeast during the spring and summer when lobsters are in season, and with good reason. With cool, creamy, rich lobster salad tossed in a light mayonnaise dressing, combined with a little crunch from crisp celery and tucked into a warm buttery bun, this is a decadent sandwich to be sure.

However, for this native Louisianan, what makes a New England lobster roll sandwich even better is to make it with leftover Louisiana boiled crawfish tails. The crawfish tails are every bit as succulent, but because they are smaller, the meat is less fibrous, making the crawfish roll a bit more tender and not as rubbery as boiled lobster can sometimes be. The smaller, more tender crawfish tails also absorb the spices better, giving this sandwich more of a flavorful kick.

Much like the traditional New England lobster roll, I keep the ingredients in my version simple, allowing the crawfish to be the star. I toss my leftover boiled crawfish tails in a light lemony mayonnaise dressing. I then add chopped celery for a little crunchy texture and brighten it up with chopped green onions, fresh parsley and dill. This simple blend of ingredients is all perfectly balanced with the spicy boiled crawfish tails, making for a delicious sandwich.

Louisiana crawfish roll sandwiches

Yield: 6 sandwiches

2 lbs. boiled crawfish tails

1 cup mayonnaise

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1½ tsp. hot sauce

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. dried dill

½ tsp. black pepper

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

¼ tsp. Creole seasoning

½ cup chopped celery

¼ cup chopped green onions

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

6 brioche hot dog buns

Butter, softened

6 leaves butter lettuce

Place boiled crawfish tails in a mixing bowl; set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, dried dill, black pepper, cayenne pepper and Creole seasoning until well blended. Add chopped celery, green onions and parsley, and stir to combine. Pour mayonnaise mixture over crawfish; stir until well-combined. Cover and chill for 30 minutes to allow flavors to come together.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter insides and tops of brioche buns, and cook in oven until golden and toasted.

Place a piece of lettuce in the middle of each bun. Divide crawfish mixture among the 6 buns.

Boiled crawfish tails

If you are looking for a lighter option, this crawfish tail salad makes for a tasty low-carb meal when set inside an avocado half and placed on a bed of mixed greens. Either in a bun or as a salad, this is another great way to use leftover crawfish after a crawfish boil.

If you do not have leftover crawfish tails, this recipe works well using packaged tails as well; simply follow the steps below before it’s time to prepare your sandwiches. If you’re using leftover boiled crawfish, omit these steps.

8 cups water

2 tsp. salt

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

1 cup liquid seafood boil

2 lbs. packaged crawfish tails

Bring water to a boil. Add salt, lemon juice and liquid seafood boil; bring back up to a rolling boil. Add packaged crawfish tails; boil for 3 to 4 minutes, then drain. Set aside, and allow crawfish tails to cool.

At The Baton Rouge Clinic, we are uniquely poised to provide exceptional healthcare for every stage of life.

From trusted pediatricians to experienced adult primary care physicians - and a wide range of specialty services - we’re here for you.

Caring for Generations

Meet 7 student-athletes from the Greater Baton Rouge area who demonstrate excellence in their sports, the classroom, and their communities.

PHOTOS BY: GLENN EYMARD

RISING STARS

Brusly High School

PITCH PERFECT

This flame-throwing Panther pitcher dominates on the diamond and in the classroom.

SPONSORED BY:

BRODY DIEL

Central High School

SKY WALKER

The Wildcat wideout is skyrocketing into a starring role next fall.

SPONSORED BY:

ELLA KATE

JOHNSTON

Parkview Baptist School

GOAL GETTER

This Lady Eagle soccer star was the 2025 Gatorade Player of the Year.

SCARLETT KIRSCH

St. Joseph’s Academy

DRIVEN TO EXCEL

After a Top 10 finish in the state her freshman year, this Redsticker’s golf scores have nowhere to go but down.

MARY CATE HEROMAN

University Lab School

LEAPS & BOUNDS

This U-High Cheer Team leader rises to every challenge.

NOAH VARGAS

Catholic High School

MAKING WAVES

The junior swimmer recorded all-American times while leading the Bears to a 2025 state championship.

SPONSORED BY:

ROWDY ARMSTRONG

Walker High School

ANCHOR MAN

The middle of the Wildcats’ offense is secured by this stalwart sophomore center.

The East Baton Rouge Parish Library is excited to announce this year’s One Book One Community selection, along with a slate of events that blend poetry, nature and community connection. From hands-on workshops to live performances and a large-scale community celebration on March 28, the initiative highlights how shared stories can bring people together.

This year’s featured title is You Are Here: Poetry in the Natural World, a nationally recognized anthology edited by Ada Limón, the 24th Poet Laureate of the United States, and published in association with the Library of Congress. The book is also an NEA Big Read selection, underscoring its cultural and literary impact.

You Are Here features 50 previously unpublished poems by some of the nation’s most accomplished poets, including Joy Harjo, Diane Seuss, Rigoberto González, Jericho Brown, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Paul Tran and others. Each poem reflects the author’s relationship with their local landscape, from national parks to everyday urban spaces, offering a powerful reimagining of what nature and poetry can mean today. The anthology also includes work by poet and LSU Professor Adam Clay, who led one of the library’s public poetry workshops this spring.

East Baton Rouge Parish Library announces One Book One Community selection and March celebration

Events and Programming

Throughout March and April, the library will host a wide range of free programs designed to engage patrons of all ages and backgrounds. These events explore the key themes reflected in You Are Here, including humanity’s relationship with the natural world, hope and resilience, environmental stewardship and the interconnectedness of living things.

In addition to readings and discussions, the library is encouraging community members to become creators themselves. Submissions are currently open for a community-generated poetry anthology inspired by the themes of You Are Here. Selected poems will be published digitally through the library’s free platforms, BiblioBoard and Libby.

A highlight of the One Book One Community series is an evening with nationally acclaimed spoken-word artist and musician Tarriona “Tank” Ball of Tank & the Bangas on March 13 from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

A One Book One Community Celebration party will be held on March 28 from 4-8 p.m. The family-friendly event will feature live music, including Favorite Friend with Raudol Palacios, literacy and poetry activities,

karaoke performances, face painting, food trucks and appearances by Adam Clay and other local poets. Community organizations focused on creativity, sustainability, wildlife and green initiatives will also be on hand. The event is supported in part by the Friends of the Library.

Just a few events planned at local library branches:

Throughout March, stop by the Information Desk at Delmont Gardens Branch Library to make a blackout poetry masterpiece from old book pages!

Painted Cross-Stitch on Canvas Fairwood Branch Library

Wednesday, March 18, 3 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Black-Out Poetry

Jones Creek Regional Branch Library

Thursday, March 26, 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Baker Morning Book Club to read and discuss You Are Here

Baker Branch Library

Monday, April 13, 10:30 a.m.

Movie Viewing: The Call of the Wild starring Harrison Ford Baker Branch Library

Wednesday, April 15, 10 a.m.

Thrive

PAWS-itive IMPACT

BY LAURA FURR MERICAS

GOOSEY IS NOT your average Cavalier King Charles spaniel.

Yes, with his feathered, floppy ears and big brown eyes, he looks like many members of his breed. And sure, at home he loves to chase squirrels in the yard just like his siblings, Bea and Nellie.

But when Goosey puts on his purple pet therapy vest, he knows it’s time to work, says his owner and handler Aimee Broussard. That’s when the magic happens.

“Once his vest goes on and we walk into the doors of a nursing home, he turns it on,” Broussard says.

Goosey and Broussard are one of 60 dog-human teams that provide pet therapy visits around Baton Rouge through local organization Bayou Buddies. Multiple times a week, you can find him asking to be petted at nursing homes, memory care facilities, schools, libraries and sites like the Baton Rouge General cancer wing and the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport.

He’s known for what Broussard calls his “magic quilt” and “magic ears.” At each visit, Broussard will lay out Goosey’s handmade quilt on an inquirer’s or patient’s lap and set Goosey on top. She then suggests

they pet his long, silky ears. Within minutes, Goosey snuggles up and falls asleep.

While Goosey dozes, Broussard witnesses amazing things. In her six years working with therapy animals, she has seen dementia patients pull the names of every dog they’ve owned from the depths of their memory. Often, she’s told by nursing home staff that Goosey’s visits bring out some of the residents’ first smiles in weeks.

“Those moments reinforce why we do what we do,” Broussard says.

Occurrences like these are common in the pet therapy world, says Maribeth Andereck, Bayou Buddies director and volunteer with her three border collies. Though each visit looks different, Andereck says she has seen how therapy dogs can draw depressed or isolated people out of their circumstances. Often, they help trigger memories or spark conversation when it’s needed most. “[The dogs] have this sense when people need them,” she says.

Pet Partners, a national animal-assisted interventions group, notes that pet therapy can support physical and mental health, particularly in aging adults. In studies, pet therapy is proven to alleviate depression and anxiety symptoms while boosting

feelings of social support. In medical settings, interaction with therapy animals has been correlated with decreased perceptions of pain and improved recovery rates. It has also been shown to comfort people with dementia and promote socialization in the elderly.

Tiger Human Animal Therapy Service (Tiger HATS) is the local arm of Pet Partners and is sponsored by the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine. Its dog-human teams—and one miniature horse named Angel—provide pet therapy services much like Bayou Buddies, but Tiger HATS focuses largely on hospitals.

Bayou Buddies pet therapy teams during a recent visit to the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport included (from left) Barbara Merritt with Winnie, Caroline Tyler with Gus, Aimee Broussard with Goosey, Margaret Tyler, Catherine Pletsch with Clyde, Joan Webb with Allie, and Skeeter Andereck with Malarkey and Cricket.

different situations, and the owner has to have good control.”

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But the hard work is worth it, says Sylvester, who volunteers with three of her seven dogs. The visits give patients a break from their long days and diagnoses. The dogs might remind them of a pet waiting for them at home, or offer a glimmer of love and support.

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Program director Diane Sylvester says 25 dog-human teams visit hospitals two to three times a week. Each team goes through intensive training and evaluations (as do Bayou Buddies’ volunteers) to ensure the animals can manage the unique smells and sounds of a hospital. “The temperament has to be spot on,” she says. “They have to be able to handle being in all kinds of

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“It’s a very tender, loving thing,” Sylvester says. “Dogs will give

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love easily. ... We have patients who don’t have family members around. It gives them a little bit of the attention that they need.”

It’s the unconditional love and openness of dogs that make them ideal candidates for this kind of work. It also makes them great for other types of therapy services, too. This past fall, Goosey branched out from Bayou Buddies to become the first certified Reading Education

Train Smarter. Train Personal.

Assistance Dog in the state. Through the program, children can read to a therapy animal to help improve their literacy skills. In addition to their traditional pet therapy work, Broussard and Goosey have worked with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Louisiana and plan to offer one-on-one reading sessions at the Main Library at Goodwood this year.

Broussard says she’s seen how reading to Goosey gives the children an immediate confidence boost. “There’s no judgement. They’re not afraid to make a mistake,” Broussard says. “It’s an instant calming.”

Almost, as Broussard might say, like magic.

FITNESS

THERAPY

PHYSICAL THERAPY || MYOFASCIAL RELEASE

NUTRITION

NUTRITION COUNSELING

Culture

Fine romance

As interpreted by Marc Chagall, a classic love story finds its way to the LSU Museum of Art BY CATHERINE

CLEMENT

MODERNIST ARTIST Marc Chagall loved love.

Illustrations of couples embracing, dancing and wearing flower crowns and wedding garb are easily found in the printmaker’s portfolio. This spring, some of his most romantic works have made their way to Baton Rouge.

Just before Valentine’s Day, the LSU Museum of Art unveiled “Daphnis and Chloe and Other Lovers: Lithographs by Marc Chagall.” This new exhibition contains 50 pieces by Chagall, including the entire “Daphnis and Chloe” collection.

Michelle Schulte, LSUMOA chief curator of exhibitions and collections, says she was excited to bring these pieces to Baton Rouge, particularly in the springtime. Pastoral colors and natural imagery fill Chagall’s work, making these pieces the perfect representation of the season.

“We love to be able to have these master works here in this community,” says Schulte. “And you don’t have to travel to New Orleans to see these works; you don’t have to go to Little Rock or Houston. You can see these artists right in Baton Rouge.”

Daphnis and Chloe’s story originates from a Greek novel that’s over 2,000 years old. It is a tale of two people falling in love on a small island in Greece. Like many artists, Chagall was a romantic. The vision for his depiction was rooted in his own love for his wife, Valentina “Vava” Brodsky.

Schulte says this timelessness is what has kept this collection sought after for over 60 years.

“Even though it’s a dated story–

I mean, it’s from 2 A.D., and it’s by this Greek philosopher–it is a love story. When you read it, it’s about two young people who grew up together. And they just learn through each other what love is.”

Schulte says.

A metaphor-ridden Greek myth is a perfect match for Chagall’s unique style. The artist included natural elements and animals in nearly all of his personal works. A goat often represented Chagall himself, donkeys were for his daughter Ida, and birds represented love, freedom and expression.

According to Schulte, Chagall also infused his Russo-Jewish background into his pieces, especially “Daphnis and Chloe.” The collection features many connections to the creation story in Genesis, beginning with their shared setting of a secluded garden covered in greenery.

INSIDE

KATIE LOVE'S DEBUT ALBUM

Much of the museum’s educational programming for this exhibit, including a members-only curator talk set for April 23 and Chagall-inspired activities on May 3, revolves around these symbolic connections.

“He had his own personal symbolism, and you almost have

to decode it sometimes when you look at the works. And I think that’s what’s fun about it,” Schulte says.

Chagall experienced many dark times in his life, from fleeing his home in occupied France to the death of his first wife, but his works remained bright and joyous. His optimism clearly spills into the works on display. “Even

when some of the scenes become darker because the story is a little dark, there’s still this joy that pulls through, and I think that’s what makes his work so timeless and so popular,” Schulte says.

“Daphnis and Chloe and Other Lovers: Lithographs by Marc Chagall” is on display at the LSU Museum of Art through May 24. lsumoa.org

Passion through pain

SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD Katie Love’s journey to January’s release of her debut album, Time for Moving On, was a complicated and painful one after being diagnosed with a rare medical condition.

Love’s symptoms began around age 13 in her neck. Then the pain made its way down her shoulder. The intense aching and burning running down her arms prevented her from doing what she loved most: playing the guitar.

Just after turning 14, Love was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome, a rare chronic pain condition caused by the compression of nerves and blood vessels between the first rib and collarbone.

“I really didn’t know if I would ever be able to get back to playing music again,” Love says.

her left side in November 2023 and on her right side in February 2024.

Love was determined to pursue her passion during her recovery, writing songs and attending local gigs to stay motivated. As her guitar was collecting dust, local Americana folk duo Clay Parker and Jody James became the reason Love remained connected to music.

“I just knew I wanted to learn everything I could from them. Clay really helped me improve my guitar skills, and they both just really encouraged me in my songwriting,” Love says.

BY OLIVIA TOMLINSON

After her second surgery, Love’s pain returned, leading to more procedures. In all, she underwent four operations, including the removal of two ribs and neck muscle.

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The duo became not only mentors to Love but also friends. The three began to perform together, and Parker introduced Love to his recording space, encouraging her to make music—even if it was just for fun.

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Love’s doctor determined that surgery would be the only way for her to continue playing the guitar. She underwent her procedure on

“I think it’s in Katie’s soul to make music,” Parker says. “It’s probably inescapable, and there isn’t much that could keep her from it. Her composing, arranging, singing and playing [on this album] is all crafted with precision, and it always packs a punch.”

Love’s new album features a collection of seven songs penned after her fourth surgery.

“Moving on for me right now means moving on from all these problems that have taken up so much space in my life for the past two years,” Love says. “I can’t really

say I’m over it all yet—I’m still recovering. I still have pain at times, and I’m still limited in some ways, but I’m doing much better than I was. And I’m able to play music again; that’s the thing I’ve wanted for so long.”

Compiled by Catherine Clement

“Music, performance, art and community” come together at the Cary Saurage Community Arts Center for MPAC Presented by the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge, this gala benefits the organization’s efforts to foster creativity in our community. artsbr.org

10

Red Stick Spice Company and Red Stick Reads continue the Cook the Book series with a cooking class, meal and discussion inspired by the book Remarkably Bright Creatures. redstickspice.com

6-8

Get your garden spring-ready at Burden Museum and Gardens as the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens and EBR Master Gardeners host Spring Garden Fest, complete with local vendors, expert advice and plenty of plants. lsu.edu

12

Party at Baton Rouge Community College’s annual Drip, Sip & Jam at the Bonne Santé Wellness Center on campus. National recording artist Cupid headlines this year’s fundraiser and will be joined by Honky Tonk Chicks. mybrcc.edu

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day Baton Rouge-style at the 41st Wearin’ of the Green Parade, which starts on Hundred Oaks Avenue and ends in a sea of green beads on Perkins Road. wearinofthegreen.com

20-22

Eat, dance and participate in a cookoff at the Louisiana Red Beans & Rice Heritage and Music Festival, which reps one of our state’s favorite foods while raising funds for scholarships. louisianaredbeansandricefest.org

21

NEW ORLEANS

21

Raise funds while having fun at the Buddy Walk, presented by the Down Syndrome Awareness Group of Baton Rouge to support and connect local families. dsagbr.org

22

Bring your appetite to the Taste of Mid City food festival and enjoy curated bites from area restaurants. Benefiting the Kids’ Orchestra, this familyfriendly festival at The Executive Center will also include live music, games and more. tasteofmidcitybr.com

March 14: Irish Channel St. Patrick’s Day Parade, irishchannelno.org

March 14-15: Banana Ball, bananaball.com

March 19-24: New Orleans French Film Festival, nofs.eventive.org

27+29

LSU's Turner-Fischer Center for Opera brings one of the most famous love stories to the stage in opera Roméo et Juliette, based on Shakespeare’s play. The performance will be at the Shaver Theatre on campus. lsu.edu/cmda

Experience the art of culinary creation at Friends of the LSU Museum of Art’s Southern Palette: Food & Drink Experience. Sip signature cocktails and dine on dishes by regionally revered chefs at the Shaw Center for the Arts. lsumoa.org

ACADIANA

March 14: ArtWalk Downtown Lafayette, cfacadiana.org

March 20-22: Southern Board Game Festival, southerngamefest.com

March 29: Bark in the Park, acadianaanimalaid.org

This Month @ BREC [MARCH]

SPRING POP-UP:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DR. SEUSS!

Milton J. Womack Park Art Studio

March 6 | 5-9 p.m.

THE EDGE OF NIGHT

Highland Road Park Observatory

March 6 | 5:30-7:30 p.m.

ZYDECO FUN RUN

Perkins Road Community Park

March 7 | 8 a.m.-noon

ROCKIN’ AT THE SWAMP

Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center

March 7 | 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

PROFESSIONAL ARTIST SERIES

PRESSED FLORA WORKSHOP

Baringer Art Center

March 8 | 2-4 p.m.

SHAMROCKS + SELF-DISCOVERY [TEENS]

Forest Community Park

March 12 | 5-6:30 p.m.

EGG HUNT AFTER DARK [18+]

Zachary Community Park

March 13 | 7-11 p.m.

ART FEST Baringer Art Center

March 14 | 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

PAWS + COTTONTAILS

Raising Cane’s Dog Park at City-Brooks Community Park

March 15 | noon-3 p.m.

COMITE RIVER RUN

Comite River Conservation Area

March 21 | 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

SPRING SPRUCE UP

Howell Community Park

March 21 | 9 a.m.-noon

SPRING GREEN BREC’s Baton Rouge Zoo

March 21 | 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m.

BR BIKE FEST

Perkins Road Community Park

March 21 | 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

BREC.ORg/camps

ART EXPEDITIONS! ART ADVENTURE

Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center

March 21 | 10:30 a.m.-noon

EGGSTRAVAGANZA

Independence Community Park

March 21 | 1-4 p.m.

ZIPPITY ZOO FEST

BREC’s Baton Rouge Zoo

March 28 + 29 | 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

Leah Smith, The Lady DeeJay

WHEN SHE ISN’T teaching ninth graders Shakespeare at alma mater Baton Rouge Magnet High School, Leah Roberts Smith might be found playing a gig as The Lady DeeJay at a local market, party or festival. Although it’s a shock to some of her students, spinning tracks has been a part of Smith’s life for a long time.

Smith says the transition from teacher to entertainer happens naturally for her.

“I’ll leave school, and I tell myself, ‘OK, I’m no longer Mrs. Smith. Tonight I have a gig. I’ll go take a nap, and I’m going to wake up as The Lady DeeJay.’ And that’s when I get up and find a little vintage dress, put that on, pull up my hair, and load 100-something pounds worth of equipment in my car and go,” she says.

Smith’s father was a DJ in the ‘80s. As a kid, she watched—and assisted—as he played at weddings, class reunions and parties across the Capital Region. He also hosted a few local radio shows. This early start only fueled her love for radio and the DJ space.

Smith picked up hosting radio shows for WBRH, Baton Rouge Magnet High School’s station, when she was in high school herself. Now she still hosts shows and mentors students who are looking to learn more about broadcast and radio at WBRH. Smith also has a show on Baton Rouge Community Radio, WHYR.

Smith’s The Lady DeeJay persona came about when her DJ career was gaining momentum. She says calling herself “Lady” was distinctive because there weren’t many female DJs around at the time. The old-school spelling of deejay was chosen to reference the original disc jockey name, since she exclusively spins vinyl.

Vinyl has been a vital part of Smith’s career as a DJ and is the root of her love of music in general.

“There’s a warm feeling to it. We hear the crackles and pops—and some techno people get upset—but that’s part of the aspect of music. It’s just playing from the vinyl itself.” Smith says. By using records, Smith says she sets herself apart from typical DJs. Not just because she carries around a turntable instead of an electronic sound board, but because vinyl influences the type of music she plays. Many of her records were inherited from her father and include hits from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s. She combines these retro albums with more modern hits to create her own unique mix.

“Somebody once joked, ‘I can’t believe you went from Dolly Parton to Otis Redding to LL Cool J,’” Smith says. “If I can throw in something that makes you perk an ear up and say, ‘Oh, I haven’t heard this’ or ‘This isn’t expected, but it works,’ that’s what I enjoy doing.”

For Smith, sharing this joy through music is also a connection to the man who sparked her love for it when she was a kid.

“When I do a live gig, I’m still playing my father’s records. My Clifton Chenier has ‘Will Roberts’ written across the top because that’s my daddy’s record. And I’m going to play some Clifton Chenier at almost every show. For me, it’s, in a sentimental way, a connection back to my dad.” @theladydeejay

“I can’t play an instrument. I’m not that talented. But if I can play a record and make somebody else happy, lift somebody’s spirits or make a connection with them in some way, that makes me happy.”

PUT BACK PAIN BEHIND YOU

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