64 Parishes

09/24/2026

In 1933, the town of Saline, Louisiana shipped a watermelon all the way to New York Governor Franklin Roosevelt—who wrote back to thank them for it. The gift was a point of pride for a town that had just pivoted from failing cotton crops to watermelon farming, a switch so successful that boxcars of the fruit were shipped across the country. That same year, the Saline Watermelon Festival drew an estimated ten thousand visitors to celebrate the harvest that had saved the town.

The first Watermelon Festival was a hit, Kerri Westenberg writes. “Two carloads of watermelon were served at 11:45 am; this refreshing snack break was sandwiched between a morning parade and an afternoon of speeches, including one by the president of the Saline Truck Growers Association. Floats depicted the variety of crops grown in Saline, appearing ‘in the order in which they mature,’ per The Bienville Democrat. Three big bands furnished music throughout the day. A ‘wild west rodeo’ capped the festivities.”

Read more in Kerri Westenberg’s story from the fall Festivals issue at 64parishes.org/juicy-story-of-survival

About the image: On July 20, 1933, the queen and her court were photographed with large watermelons from that year’s harvest. Pictured from left to right are Camille Taylor, Doris McCain (1933 Watermelon Festival Queen), and Mary Evelyn Frey. Image from Bienville Parish: Images of America, courtesy of Bruce Evans via Brad Dison.

09/22/2026

Long before 64 Parishes and the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities were based in Turners’ Hall in New Orleans’s Central Business District, Steeg Printing and Publishing operated from the building in the early twentieth century. Despite archival records being lost to time and circumstance, writer Chris Turner-Neal was able to piece together Steeg Printing and Publishing’s history in New Orleans, which included printing The Jewish Ledger, Mardi Gras programs, and other publications.

“You never know what questions your descendants will have. None of the Steegs who ran the printing press in Turner’s Hall could have foreseen that, a century later, a magazine housed in the same building would be trying to publish the history of their family business.”

Read more of Chris Turner-Neal’s findings about the former publishing house at 64parishes.org/turners-halls-original-publishers

About the image: During the mid-twentieth century, when Turners' Hall was a used furniture warehouse and appliance store, stenciled lettering for Steeg Printing and Publishing was visible on the side of the building. Photo by Allen Karchmer.

09/18/2026

Starting soon! Watch Louisiana's Gift to America: A Musical Legacy featuring Beausoleil avec Michael Doucet, Dr. Michael White, and A.J. Haynes live from the historic Shreveport Municipal Auditorium, home of the legendary Louisiana Hayride.

Live online at 6 p.m.!

Louisiana’s rich and diverse musical traditions will take center st...

09/15/2026

On September 15, 1978, Muhammad Ali beat Leon Spinks by unanimous decision to regain his heavyweight championship title after his loss to Spinks that February. The September rematch was held at the Superdome in New Orleans. How the fight got there, however, is a legend of its own. It involves building delays, indictments for bribery, and the single dogged pursuit of promoters Don Hubbard and Sherman Copelin.

Read Brian Boyles's full piece at 64parishes.org/muhammad-ali-and-the-early-days-of-the-superdome

About the image: Muhammad Ali at a press conference during his visit to New Orleans in 1978. Courtesy of Xavier University of Louisiana.

09/11/2026

For the fall 2026 issue of 64 Parishes, Benjamin Morris wrote a touching piece about Darrell Bourque and Peter Cooley, two previous Louisiana Poets Laureate, who both suffer from acute macular degeneration.

Morris explains that "both Bourque and Cooley have shown remarkable courage as they have grappled with this change, continuing to work through it and even allowing it to inform their creative work in unexpected ways. Bourque and Cooley are in good company: among those who have experienced the loss of their vision are some of the most celebrated writers in history, from Homer to John Milton to Jorge Luis Borges."

Read Morris' piece to see how Bourque and Cooley continue to write in the face of their condition at 64parishes.org/second-sight

About the image: Poet Darrell Bourque at his desk in his family home near Church Point, Louisiana. Photo by Katie Sikora.

Poet Peter Cooley in his office in Jefferson Parish. Photo by Katie Sikora.

09/08/2026

On September 8, 1950, Zachary Richard was born in Scott, Louisiana. He “is a world-renowned singer-songwriter, poet, documentary film producer, cultural activist, and environmentalist.” Richard has recorded numerous albums and published many books in French and English. “Richard’s creativity and commitment to the French language and culture of Louisiana been recognized by numerous accolades. In 2013 the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, CODOFIL and the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism appointed him as the first Poète lauréat de la Louisiane française.”

In 2016, the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities honored Zachary Richard as the Humanist of the Year.

Nominations for the 2027 Bright Lights Awards are now open. Visit leh.org/news/bright-lights-nominations-open to nominate deserving Louisianans now.

Read Michael Martin’s thoughtful profile on Zachary Richard here: 64parishes.org/zachary-richard-musician-poet-and-statesman

About the image: Richard in San Francisco, 1980. Courtesy of Zachary Richard.

09/03/2026

September is National Literacy Month. To celebrate, check out Rien Fertel’s newest Lost Lit piece, “New Orleans Noir: James Sallis’ the Long-Legged Fly.” James Sallis’s “bookish gumshoe,” Lew Griffin, makes his debut in this 1992 novel. Fertel remarks that “Even when he succeeds in locating his missing person, Lew never transcends his own limitations. This inveterate barfly ruins romantic relationships, loses his apartment, and ends up in a halfway house. But he keeps on buzzing.” What ensues is a thought-provoking series of twists and turns that end at the bottom of a bottle or in rain-soaked streets.

Read more of Fertel’s review at https://64parishes.org/new-orleans-noir.

About the image: The Long-Legged Fly reprint cover. No Exit Press, 1996.

09/01/2026

The fall 2026 Festivals issue is here! This special themed issue explores Louisiana’s unique festival traditions, from the Saline Watermelon Festival to a look at the Shrimp & Petroleum Festival at 90 years.

The cover illustration by Nik Richard depicts 1953 Queen Brown Sugar Marjorienell Lewis in celebration of Phebe Hayes’ feature story on the Queen Brown Sugar Festival, which was created by Iberia Parish’s Black community as an alternative to the then-segregated Sugar Cane Festival.

Read Phebe Hayes’ feature here: https://64parishes.org/the-queen-brown-sugar-festival

About the image: Marjorienell Lewis as Queen Brown Sugar 1953. Illustration by Nik Richard.

08/27/2026

Six years ago, on August 27, 2020, Hurricane Laura made landfall as a category 4 storm. The 2020 hurricane season was the most active season ever, with 30 named storms and 14 hurricanes. Lake Charles was hit by Laura and then again by Hurricane Delta in October.

Megan Poole, a Lake Charles native and 64 Parishes contributor, reminds us of the destruction wrought on the area and the residents as they worked to rebuild in the face of two named storms.

"As Hurricane Laura formed in the Gulf of Mexico in late August, we rolled our eyes at a minor annoyance. As the storm strengthened, we grew resolute, bracing ourselves for that familiar work to come. We were just beginning to rebuild, to find our grit, when Hurricane Delta erased our efforts.

The scene is unlike those we witnessed before: no structure is left untouched. Entire roofs lie on the other side of the road. Trailer homes rest on their backs several fields over. Cars sit wedged beneath the trunks of trees hundreds of years old, yet uprooted. The trees that are left standing no longer hold leaves or limbs.”

Read more here: https://64parishes.org/the-limits-of-grit

About the image: The sanctuary of Grand Lake Faith Temple is now open to the sky, leaving ceiling and insulation debris scattered across the pews. Photo by Ricky Poole.

08/20/2026

Our Bright Lights awards are not just a recognition of outstanding contributions to our state's history and culture, they are individualized pieces of art. Each of the awards is handcrafted by a Louisiana artist, just for the awardee. Leading up to the 2026 Bright Lights Awards, Dusty Reed, "The Cajun Picasso," took us through his creative process.

Nomination are open now for the 2027 Bright Lights Awards. Learn more and nominate a deserving individual or project at leh.org.