LMR JUNE 2021

Partner Insight
Take a Staycation
BY LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR BILLY NUNGESSER
What are you waiting for?
Would you do me a favor, please?
I want to share some good news
with you. Then, I’d like you to pass
it along to your friends and loved
ones.
You’ve heard me mention time and again that 2019 was
the fourth consecutive record breaking year for tourism
in Louisiana as we welcomed 51.3 million visitors to
Louisiana. After a year-long shutdown and a pent up
demand for travel, people everywhere are looking to
explore. So we want them to come here. And, if you’re
already here, take a trip somewhere you haven’t been
in Louisiana.
If you need some ideas, just go to LouisianaIsATrip.com
and plan your next staycation.
I thought I’d tempt your travel taste buds and invite
you to Feed Your Soul with uniquely Louisiana experiences
coming up this summer.
On June 11-12, Shreveport is hosting the 6th annual Red
River Balloon Rally. The two-day
event is an affordable summer getaway
featuring live entertainment,
tethered hot air balloon rides, and
more.
On June 22, the 2021 Louisiana
Seafood Cook-Off is being held at
the Cajundome Convention Center
in Lafayette in conjunction with a Taste of Eat Lafayette.
Come sample come of the best restaurants in the
heart of Cajun Country and watch the best-of-the-best
chefs compete for the ultimate title in the Louisiana
culinary industry.
And on June 26-27, continue your culinary staycation
with a trip to the 4th annual Baton Rouge Soul Food
Festival. Dance to the blues, soul, R&B, and gospel music
all while tasting some the finest soul food cooking
in the state. You’ll want to stick around because chefs
from six different states will face off in the annual Soul
Food Cooking Competition.
5 Episode Series Featuring Louisiana Small Towns Launched
On May 10, Small Town Podcast
released the first of five
episodes in a series featuring
small towns in Louisiana. The
series is sponsored by Louisiana
Economic Development in
partnership with the Louisiana
Municipal Association. This
is the second series on small
towns in Louisiana, as seven
other Louisiana small towns
have previously been featured
on the Small Town Podcast.
The first episode focused on the Town of Vidalia, LA
through an interview with Mayor Buz Craft. Other
episodes in this series highlight St. Francisville,
Patterson, Westlake, and Grand Cane.
Small Town Podcast is an audio project designed
to shine the spotlight on small towns that are often
overshadowed in the media by the excitement and
activity of bigger cities. When small towns do get
attention, it is often for something less than desirable.
Small Town Podcast tells the
whole story of small town living
and its joys and challenges.
Small Town Podcast was
created and is hosted by Ocilla,
GA Mayor Matt Seale, who visits
other small towns and talks
face to face with local leaders.
The audience is given an
opportunity to learn about the
personalities of local officials
in small towns and then hear
about some of town’s unique
qualities and what it has to offer.
Small Town Podcast is available on Apple iTunes or
the Apple Podcast app, Stitcher and other podcast
applications. For the full list of podcast platforms
available or to listen to an episode on the web, visit
www.smalltownpodcast.com and go to the “Listen”
tab. Listeners can also follow Small Town Podcast on
Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to see photos of the
towns Mayor Seale features.
LMR | JUNE 2021 Page 19