It’s more than just a mile from Texarkana, and it’s more than just a relic from the steamboat days.
April 2015-
The surveyors were off—by a whole 30 miles—but the song is still popular. That song would be “Cotton Fields” recorded in 1940 by blues legend Lead Belly and covered by everyone from The Beach Boys, Elvis, Johnny Cash, and, of course, Creedence Clearwater Revival. Shreveport, La., a city with a metro area of over 350,000 residents, is now the economic center for a tri-state area known as “ArkLaTex.”
Shreveport today is revitalized in large part because of the introduction of riverboat gambling in the 1990s. With five casinos in the Shreveport-Bossier area, locals—and visitors (mainly from “Ark” and “Tex”)—can find their favorite slot machines, games tables and even a horseracing track.
If a quiet day fishing by kayak is more your style, Shreveport can provide that, too. Several outdoor recreational areas, including Cypress Black Bayou in nearby Benton, provide visitors an opportunity to fish, swim, camp and explore. Bassmaster fishing tournaments are held frequently on the Red River, and this twisty-turny waterway is what geographically separates old-town Shreveport and Bossier City (pronounced “Bozhur”).
The climate here is zone eight, and that allows tropical plants as well as roses and azaleas to bloom aplenty. The American Rose Center in Shreveport has 400 rose varieties in its 65 gardens while over 15,000 azaleas bloom in the 40-acre park at the R.W. Norton Art Gallery.
Celebrations abound
It wouldn’t really be Louisiana without Mardi Gras, and northwest Louisiana welcomes over 400,000 revelers to its celebrations every year. Seven krewes hold parades and invitation-only black-tie bals during the Carnival season. (A private organization that puts on a parade or ball during the Carnival season is called a krewe. —Ed.) If you didn’t get the invitation, don’t worry—Shreveport, with its Festival Plaza, has something fun going on all the time.
The springtime festival Holiday in Dixie has been a part of Shreveport’s identity since 1949. The event has grown from a five-day pageant to a 10-day-long carnival held to celebrate the Louisiana Purchase. Live music, a traditional parade, cotillion ball, treasure hunt and family-oriented activities are all a part of this celebration, and this year the fun starts on April 10.
On April 11, EAA Chapter 343 in Shreveport will host its annual Young Eagles Rally and Fly-in at Shreveport Downtown Airport (KDTN). Every spring, the public is welcomed by Chapter 343 to the airport for General Aviation-related education and activities. Shreveport resident and Chapter 343 member Terry Sullivan brings out his fully restored Bamboo Bomber during the rally for static display.
East of Shreveport in Bossier City, Barksdale Air Force Base has been holding an airshow for decades. The base welcomes the public to see modern jets, historical aircraft, military performers and aerobatic displays. The airshow, this year held on May 2-3, offers free admission, free parking—and free sun. (There’s not a lot of shade on the base!)
Mudbug Madness, now in its 32nd year, is held during Memorial Day weekend (May 21-24, 2015). It’s yet another festival on the plaza—with a twist, you might say. Besides the typical crafts and vendors, you can enter a crawfish-eating or crawfish-calling contest. Plus, kids under 12 are admitted free to this Cajun festival, and can expect to find clowns, magicians and dancers; music lovers will appreciate the Zydeco, Cajun, blues and jazz bands.
Quirky Shreveport
Shreveport-Bossier has a growing creative community, with technology startups, an Academy Award-winning animation studio and a recording studio. Some even call it “Hollywood South,” as a large number of films—both big-name and independently-made—have been shot in the area.
Fans of the zombie horror genre can come together annually for the Shreveport Zombie Walk, a nonprofit effort to benefit the Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana. This event is held downtown and attracts hundreds of costumed “undead.”
Great Raft Brewing is a brewery with a tasting room in Shreveport. Tours are offered on Saturdays, and the tasting room is open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, with food trucks on-site during tasting room hours.
If you’re feeling like you need to acquire a “Southern Drawl,” want to make a “Commotion” or consider yourself “Reasonably Corrupt,” visit Great Raft Brewing any time during the year; the company’s other brews, like “Awkward Uncle,” and “Make Believer” are seasonal and one-off creations.
Aviation interests
Barksdale Global Power Museum
“The peacetime history of Barksdale Air Force Base is as significant as those years at war,” according to the website of the Barksdale Global Power Museum. Here at the home of the mighty 8th Air Force you can learn the history of strategic bombardment, see a World War II-era briefing room and examine vintage aircraft like the B-17, B-24, P-51 and B-52G as well as a Mach-3 SR-71 Blackbird.
The museum is open 9:30 to 4 p.m. every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Keep in mind that you’re on a military base—a government-issued ID (driver’s license, passport) is required to gain entry at the gate, no backpacks or large bags are allowed, and your vehicle is subject to search.
Airports
GA pilots prefer Shreveport’s Downtown Airport (KDTN), while Shreveport Regional (KSHV), classified by the FAA as a small hub, is just seven miles away. Those headed into KDTN need to be aware of the Class C airspace for Shreveport Regional and Barksdale AFB.
According to local pilots on the field, between 300 and 350 aircraft are based at Shreveport Downtown, and there are two FBOs (one strictly fuel and courtesy cars; S3 Executive Air is full-service). According to Airnav.com, aircraft operations at Downtown average 152 per day, with 52 percent local GA traffic and 47 percent transient GA traffic.
A Stone’s Throw Café in the terminal at KDTN is open until 2 p.m. six days a week (closed Sundays) and offers a $3.99 breakfast special until 10 a.m. So, if you lost a bundle on the boat, this two-eggs, two-strips-of-bacon, hash-browns-and-toast special might be enough “fuel” to get you back home again.
Heather Skumatz is managing editor for Piper Flyer. Send questions or com
ments to editor@www.piperflyer.com.
RESOURCES >>>>>
Accommodations, dining
and travel information
Shreveport-Bossier Convention
and Tourist Bureau
shreveport-bossier.org
Attractions
Gardens of the
American Rose Center
rose.org
Barksdale Global Power Museum
barksdaleglobalpowermuseum.com
Cypress Black Bayou
Recreation Area
cypressblackbayou.com
Great Raft Brewing
greatraftbrewing.com
R.W. Norton Art Gallery
rwnaf.org
Events
Barksdale Air Force Base Air Show
barksdaleafbairshow.com
Holiday in Dixie
holidayindixie.com
Mudbug Madness
mudbugmadness.com
Shreveport Zombie Walk
facebook.com/shreveportzombiewalk
Airport information
Shreveport Downtown Airport (KDTN)
flyshreveport.com/index.aspx?NID=138
S3 Executive Air
s3executiveair.com
318-220-7034
A Stone’s Throw Café
astonesthrowcafe.com
