Festivals and Events Archives - Page 2 of 2

Roundup Report!

July 6, 2013 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway 2 Comments

Whelp, I’m back from the Food Truck Roundup, and once again, I had a BLAST!

The skies were extremely overcast, and a cool breeze was blowing – a marked difference from the hot, pizza oven weather we experienced in June.

I was there to cover the event for the magazine. Once I went off the clock, it was time to bring out the Swirl Cam and survey the crowd for Swirlers.

Alas, the pickings were slim. I was hoping to see a BW/non-BM combination, yet true to form I only saw one Swirl couple – a BM/WW pair.

Ah, well.

Fortunately, I have lots of events to attend as the late summer-into-fall festival season gets underway so the Swirl Cam will be in full force.

Meanwhile, here are a couple of the sights and sounds that I can share from the Roundups I’ve attended so far:

An interesting – and energetic – band:

From the June Round Up:

Splash Fountain for the kids

Viva La Waffle! Everything they serve – from sweet to savory – is encased in a waffle.

Stay tuned for the full story coming later in the August issue of Acadiana Lifestyle magazine!

Join in the Fray: How’s the Food Truck scene in your area?

I’m blogging every day in the month of July in Blogher’s NaBloPoMo Challenge. Thanks for reading, and feel free to comment!

Headed To The Food Truck Round Up!

July 5, 2013 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway 2 Comments

If you’re a Facebook friend or follow me on Twitter or Instagram you know this time last month I was out and about attending the Food Truck Round Up at Parc Lafayette.

Whelp, tomorrow I’m headed back for more food and fun! Last month the sun was blazing and though it was hot. as. Hades out there we managed to snag some delicious food and had a great time.

In addition to sampling the fare I’ll be on the lookout with my Swirl Cam in hand to see how many Swirlers are taking part in the good eats available on 15 or more Food Trucks.

One thing I’ve noticed since being back in Louisiana is the fact that Swirling in Acadiana seems to overwhelmingly consist of BM/WW couples. That’s all well and good – Hooray for them!

My focus, however is BW/non-BM couples so my eyes will be peeled to see if I spot any couples of that variation.

*Crosses fingers*

Stay tuned for the full report!

Join in the Fray: What’s the Swirl couple ratio in your area?

I’m blogging every day in the month of July in Blogher’s NaBloPoMo Challenge. Thanks for reading, and feel free to comment!

Party Over Here!

June 15, 2013 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway 2 Comments

This is family reunion weekend on my Dad’s side. In between doing work on the dissertation and doing mental push ups in Firepole’s Business Ignition Bootcamp, I’m partying like a rock star and enjoying my family.

My Mother’s side of the family is very quiet and very conservative. My Dad’s side is the exact opposite – very loud and very liberal. We even have a couple of BM/WW Swirl couples on that side. Woot! Woot!

I truly have the best of both worlds, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Join in the Fray: What are you doing this weekend?

Have A Great Weekend!

May 24, 2013 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway 1 Comment

I’ve got a busy weekend planned. I hope to make a serious dent on my dissertation edits (you know, for the dissertation that won’t go away).

My ‘lil cuzzo RJ (Russell, Jr.) is graduating, and a big bash is planned. Thankfully I won’t have to go in search of Memorial Day barbecue – his Mom and Dad are great cooks and they’ve already promised to throw down. (Expect photos).

They’re also super at zydeco dancing so maybe I can persuade them to show me a few steps. (Yes, that’s still on my “things I wanna learn” list).

I’ll be back next week. Till then, enjoy the holiday!

Join in the Fray: What are you doing for Memorial Day weekend?

Wedding Bells Are Ringing!

April 17, 2013 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway Leave a Comment

I have occasion to drive by St. Genevieve’s Catholic Church in Lafayette, LA on a regular basis. On most days, nothing special is going on. Today was different.

As me and the other 1.5 million poor schmucks were inching along in 5:00 p.m. traffic, we were treated to the sight of a girl in a gorgeous wedding gown. The sunlight hit the crystals and pearls on her dress just so, and she was a dazzling vision of beauty.

She was standing on the stoop with a gentleman in a tuxedo who I’m guessing was her Father. St. Genevieve’s doesn’t appear to have a vestibule, because the Bride and her escort were standing outside the huge front door. Everyone else had evidently marched in, and there she was, clutching the man’s hands. In just those brief moments, I could tell that the young woman was giddy with anticipation of her entrance into the church.

Seeing her immediately brought a smile to my face, and I was smitten with curiosity about the people inside. How many girls were in her wedding party? What colors had she selected? Who was serving as her Maid of Honor – was it her sister, a favorite cousin, or maybe her best friend?

And, more important, what about the Groom, her soon-to-be husband? Was he short or tall, handsome or average? How long had they dated? Did they share the same ethnicity, or was she swirling? Did the gentleman standing with her, waiting to walk her down the aisle, approve of the man who would be waiting for her at the other end???

The traffic picked up, and we chugged forward. I didn’t get to see her enter the doors, and I’ll never know what awaited her inside. Wedding bells were ringing for her, and a new chapter in her life was waiting to begin.

How many other people got married today? I wondered. Despite the turmoil that composes our world, life moves on. Steps are taken and decisions made. This Bride got married; somewhere in the world, today marked an engagement, a promise of marriage, for hundreds, maybe even thousands of other couples.

There’s a flip side to that, of course: Somewhere in the world, others decided to end their marriages or relationships and call it quits. Somebody opted to stop trying, or felt it was better to walk away. Today was a day of supreme joy for some, and a day of bitter, disappointing sadness for others. And yes, life will go on.

I said a prayer for that unknown couple as I traversed down Evangeline Thruway. No one, me least of all, knows what challenges they will face or what heights they will reach. I sincerely wish them well, and hope their wedding bells will ring cheerily for the rest of their lives.

Join in the Fray: What “bells” are ringing for you ?

I’m blogging every day in the month of April in Blogher’s NaBloPoMo Challenge. Thanks for reading, and feel free to comment!

Fried Alligator and Boudin Balls, Anyone???

October 24, 2012 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway 7 Comments

This past weekend I had the distinct pleasure of attending the 76^th International Rice Festival in Crowley, LA. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with Louisiana culture, the state’s Department of Tourism reports that Louisiana holds over 400 festivals every year – and is “often called the Festival Capital of America.” The New Orleans Times Picayune puts it this way: “If you can eat it, drink it, play it, dance to it or ogle it, there’s a festival for it in south Louisiana. Probably this week.”

With that being said, the Rice Festival provided a delightful expression of diversity in two forms that really matter: People and food! These festivals seem to be the time that everyone pretty much put aside any race-centered or ethnic differences and instead become Louisianans who want to have a good time.

Yep, there was plenty of Swirling going on:

Where else in the world can large crowds of Blacks and Whites (with good sprinklings of Asians and Latinos mixed in) listen to and enjoy music like this:

And not only that, DANCE to it:

AND, in addition to the fried alligator and spicy boudin balls, enjoy a good serving of pig feet or tripe?

This gentleman proudly told me I couldn’t take a photo unless he was in it!

(I purchased some wonderful homemade pralines. My cousin bought a bowl of pig feet – they were seasoned to perfection and delish! Yes, I eat pig feet – don’t judge me).

The truly adventuresome were able to help themselves to good ole helpings of squirrel, rabbit, or shark. Gotta try that shark next time . . . . .

Join in the fray: What’s the most exotic food you’ve ever eaten? Would you be willing to try fried alligator, boudin balls, squirrel, or shark?

Let the Good Times Roll! (2011 Festival International)

May 4, 2011 By Michelle Matthews-Calloway 2 Comments

This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending the 2011 Festival International in Lafayette, Louisiana. This was the 25th year for this annual event and I had a BLAST! So many sights, sounds, colors, food, and people!

Here’s a blurb from the website (emphasis mine):

“Festival International de Louisiane is truly a community event drawing together approximately 1,500 volunteers from all segments of the community to work together to celebrate both our diversity and the common human experience that binds us together. Through the arts presented and the joint efforts to produce it, the festival contributes to the spirit of community that is so unique to the Acadiana region.

The annual 5-day festival is held during the last full week of April. Historic downtown Lafayette, Louisiana, is transformed into an entertainment complex featuring six music stages, food court areas, street musicians and animators, arts and crafts boutiques, art galleries, beverage stands, cultural workshops, international cooking demonstrations and a world music store.

All programming for the festival is designed to celebrate cultural expression in a variety of forms and to encourage understanding and appreciation for different cultures. Festival International events are free to the public and designed to encourage family participation from all sectors of the community.”

Think about it: Five days FILLED with experiencing and celebrating diversity, community, the arts, cultural workshops, and international cooking???

I think you get the picture.

The Southwest region of Louisiana, also affectionately known as “Acadiana,” hosts annual festivals based on a variety of different themes and local specialties. For instance, Crowley, LA, known as “The Rice Capital of the World,” annually hosts the “International Rice Festival.” Rayne, LA (shout out!) boasts that it is “The Frog Capital of the World,” and correspondingly hosts annually the “International Frog Festival.”

[Sidebar: Any excuse to throw a party is better than none . . . .]

There was a ton of things to see and do so I was able to capture only a mere smidgeon of what the Festival offered. I hope you enjoy the photos and videos.

Upcoming Festival line up:

Festival Acadiens et Créoles – October 14-16, 2011

http://www.festivalsacadiens.com/index1.html

International Rice Festival – October 20-22, 2011

http://www.ricefestival.com/

International Frog Festival – November 9-13, 2011

http://www.raynefrogfestival.com/site/

Acadiana Film Festival – November 17-20

http://www.acadianafilm.org/festival/11/

I love festivals and cultural events, but I must say my love for this genre has increased since meeting my SM. He is a master at finding these events, researching the high lights, and making sure we capture the best and most essential parts. I can hear the wheels turning in SM’s head even from here. I’m a native Louisianan, but I can guarantee you that when it’s all said and done he’ll know much more about these festivals than I do.

Avec SM, je peux vraiment laisser les bons moments de rouleau!

(With SM, I can really let the good times roll!)