New Local Coffee House: Stellar Beans
Now Open!
Stellar Beans will officially open on Monday. It is located at 319 Broad St. next to The Yoga Center. Stellar Beans will start off opening at 6:30am - 2pm. It will be a full service coffee bar serving Community Coffee as well as Higher Ground Coffee (organic / fair trade). It will also have breakfast (biscuits, scones, muffins, bagels, etc.) and lunch (deli style sandwiches, soups and salads). Go check it out!
The Zigler Art Museum will present "Camps Variations on a Theme"
August 8 - September 26
Featuring paintings by Dutch Kepler and mixed media sculptures by Diane Pecnik, The Zigler Art Museum will present “Camps Variations on a Theme.” An artist reception for the exhibit opening will be held Saturday, August 8, 2009, from 6-8 PM at the Zigler Art Museum, 411 Clara Street in Jennings, LA. The featured artists, Dutch Kepler and Diane Pecnik, are from the Acadiana area, but their works are represented in collections both nationally and internationally. The public is invited to meet these two outstanding artists at the Zigler Art Museum's artists reception Saturday, August 8 from 6-8 PM.
Roastin' with Rosie Bar-B-Que Festival
September 11 & 12
You'll need them all this summer as Jeff Davis Parish unveils its newest attraction, the "Roastin' with Rosie Bar-B-Que Festival." Rosie, the parish's familiar roseate spoonbill mascot, is dressed up in her best apron and chef's hat for the first annual event.
Over the space of two days - Friday and Saturday, Sept. 11 & 12 - the festival will be taking over the new Grand Marais Courtyard in uptown Jennings, allowing serious grillers and amateur cookers the chance to compete for cash and prizes. The festival is officially sanctioned by the International Barbecue Cooker's Association (ICBA), which judges nationwide contests and provides certified, impartial, out-of-town judges to help determine the festival's best grillers. For more information on the "Roastin' with Rosie Bar-B-Que Festival" or to sponsor or volunteer for the event, call (337) 821-5534.
Schedule of Events
Thursday, August 20
6-9 p.m. - Wine Tasting (Zigler Museum)
Sunday, September 6
Bar-B-Que Festival Beauty Pageant,
Strand Theatre, Downtown Jennings
Friday, September 11
4 p.m. - Festival Gates Open!
6 p.m. - Muzic Unlimited
7:30 p.m. - Barry Badon
9 p.m. - Pine Leaf Boys
10:30 p.m. - Jamie Bergeron
Saturday, September 20
7:30 a.m. - 5K Rice Run (Founders' Park, Downtown Jennings)
10 a.m. - Festival Gates Open!
10 a.m.-6 p.m. - Kid's World
11 a.m. - Parish Cheerleader and Dance Line Competition
12 p.m. - Barbecue Competitions begin
4:30 p.m. - Barbecue Competition Awards Ceremony
4 p.m. - Bayou Katz
6 p.m. - Travis Matte
8:30 p.m. - Static
10:30 p.m. - Wayne Toups
Two Comedies to Kick-off McNeese’s 70th Anniversary Celebration
August 7 - 9
“Laundry and Bourbon” and “Lone Star,” uproarious comedies, will kickoff McNeese Theatre’s 70th Anniversary Celebration. Performances are at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday, August 7 and 8 with a 2 p.m. matinee Sunday, August 9 at Lake Charles Little Theatre, 813 Enterprise Boulevard. The production is an Alpha Psi Omega National Honor Society Benefit and APO Alumnae Reunion event, cosponsored by Lake Charles Little Theatre. James McClure’s companion one- acts, “Laundry and Bourbon” and “Lone Star” are set in Maynard, Texas, a dead-end town on the edge of a desert in the summer around 1974, when the nation was still trying to recover from the Viet Nam War. The women and men are hanging out gossiping, confiding, and reminiscing. For everyone, it is in the center of bright memories of being young and eager for the joys of life that no one expected to lead to dead-end consequences. But despite all, the high good humor of the play never lapses, and it ends as breezily and happily as it began. If you ever longed for small-town life in the early 70’s in Texas or if you haven’t, this evening of one-act plays has humor for bumpkins and city slickers alike. Tickets are $15 with open seating. The Box Office opens for reservations July 27. For reservations call 475-5043. This production is for mature audiences.
Historic City Hall Announces We Are The Ship Exhibition
June 26 – August 15
The City of Lake Charles is proud to present We Are The Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball, Original Paintings by Kadir Nelson at the 1911 Historic City Hall Arts & Cultural Center at 1001 Ryan Street. The exhibition is scheduled to open at Friday, June 26 and run through Saturday, August 15, 2009. An opening reception will be held from 6 – 9 p.m. with an overview by Journalist, Zeke Rideaux. All ages are invited at no charge; old fashion ballpark refreshments will be served. The City of Lake Charles is dedicated to supporting and promoting public interest in arts and history for the benefit of all Lake Area residents and visitors. Historic City Hall Arts and Cultural Center is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are gladly accepted. For more information, please call 491-9147 or visit www.cityoflakecharles.com.
The New Reality: The Frontier of Realism in the 21st Century
August 14 - October 17
Opening Reception: August 14th 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Lecture with Realist painter Albino Hinojosa: August 28 6:30pm - 8:00pm
The New Reality: The Frontier of Realism in the 21st Century is the first show of this century to not only look at the state of Realism painting around the world, but to also compare those artworks with their historical predecessors. Fifty-six artists from the International Guild of Realism display artworks in a variety of media; from oil and acrylic, to egg tempura and colored pencil. Each artist was asked to identify one historical painting to compare and contrast their work with the pioneers of the Realist movement. Artists sited included Ingres, Durer, Vermeer, and Da Vinci. In some cases the contrast between the old and the new is startling; in other cases, one can almost see the contemporary artist adapting the Old Master's techniques for modern visuals. The New Reality: The Frontier of Realism in the 21st Century will open with a reception on August 14th from 6pm to 9pm and run through October 17, 2009. Special Events include an Artist Lecture featuring Realist painter Albino Hinojosa on August 28th at 6:30pm. Hinojosa is a member of the International Guild of Realism and a participant in this exhibit, as well as a former faculty member at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston.
Sesame Street At the Civic Center
September 4 – 6
Great family fun comes to town in September. Sesame Street Live’s "When Elmo Grows Up" has Elmo and his Sesame Street friends thinking about growing up, it’s a musical show-and-tell! Bert dreams of becoming a forest ranger, Telly longs to be a cowboy and their newest friend, Abby Cadabby, wants to be a Fairy Godmother just like her mommy. Elmo thinks about becoming a ‘weather monster,’ but has a hard time predicting his own forecast—he wants to be anything and everything all at once! “When Elmo Grows Up” includes lessons on perseverance, teamwork and the power of imagination. Children learn that if they believe in themselves and are willing to try, the possibilities are endless. Performances are: Sept. 4, 7 p.m. (Opening Night Discount); Sept. 5, 10:30 a.m. & 2 p.m. Sept. 6, 1 p.m. & 4:30 p.m. Performance is at the Lake Charles Civic Center. Tickets: $12 & $16. Opening Night, all seats (excluding Premium/Gold Circle) are $12. For more information, call 337-491-1432. To charge tickets by phone, please call Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com.
Elvis Tribute Artist Nathan Belt At Grand Opera House of South and Alexandria
October 28 - 30
Belt will be returning to the Grand Opera House of the South on October 29th and then we will be in Alexandria on either the 28th or the 30th of October (contact the venue for more information). On July 25th, Belt won first place at the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Contest in Myrtle Beach, SC. This win qualified him for the World finals Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist competition in Memphis, TN on August 11 & 12. Nathan is considered by his peers to be one of the top Elvis tribute artist's in the Country. Performing with Nathan will be the Legendary band "XPG". The Grand Opera House performance will be 7:00 pm. The contact number is 337-785-0440. The Coughlin Saunders Theater of Performing Arts at Alexandria contact number is 318-767-2600 for more information.
