A ‘culinary destination’ event: The Louisiana Food and Wine Festival returns – [225]
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Photos courtesy Louisiana Food and Wine Festival
By Olivia Deffes
Photography by Collin Richie
Most of the U.S. has heard of Louisiana’s spicy, ruby red crawfish, tasty boiled shrimp and hearty crab-filled dishes. But Jan Gourley, founder and director of the Louisiana Food and Wine Festival, encourages local, regional and national attendees to bust out of their culinary comfort zones.
“(We’re) opening their eyes to boudin, cracklins, andouille and things that Louisiana is known for,” she says.
The Louisiana Food and Wine Festival aims to prove there’s good cookin’ to be found not only in New Orleans but statewide—and particularly in Acadiana, where the event is staged. Hosted at locations around Lake Charles, the festival Sept. 19-22 returns for its second year with formal six-course dinners, tastings, cooking classes, barbecues and more. Attendees should bring their appetite for three days of tasty events, plus an introductory dinner on Thursday.
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“What I try to explain to people is that the Cajun and Creole culture that Louisiana has built its famous cuisine on truly lives in Acadiana and southwest Louisiana,” Gourley says. “(This festival) is more of an authentic Louisiana experience.”
Last year’s inaugural event lured attendees from every parish in Louisiana along with others from Texas, Alabama, Mississippi and even Canada, Gourley says.
“A lot of people had said, ‘It’s going to be a hit-or-miss thing,’” Gourley says. “‘People probably won’t get it because it’s the first year, and it’s a lot different from every other festival.’ But they did. … The objective of creating a culinary destination event, I believe, was achieved.”
Things kick off on Thursday, Sept. 19, with Louisiana’s Celebrity Chefs Wine Dinner. Held at L’Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles, the meal will feature six courses prepared by acclaimed chefs. Each plate will be expertly paired with a wine.
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The festival continues on Friday with master classes taught by celebrity chefs with themes like “The Perfect Wine & Oyster Pairings” and “Southern Inspired Smokey Seafood Mac & Cheese.” That evening, pitmasters will serve up grilled dishes for Fire on the Lake. The Grand Tasting event on Saturday and a lively Jazz Brunch on Sunday close it all out.
“(We hope to) introduce people to new things,” Gourley says. “Especially people that are not from Louisiana that have never heard about what maque choux is. Last year, we had a pitmaster that had an alligator on a spit.”
Louisiana Food & Wine Festival
Sept. 19-22 Locations vary | Lake Charles
louisianafoodandwinefestival.com
This article was originally published in the September 2024 issue of 225 Magazine.
PENSACOLA, Fla. — Marcavia Shavers posts 21 points and 13 rebounds to lead ULM Warhawks women’s basketball past Louisiana 79-63 in the Sun Belt Conference tournament.
ULM (15-15, 7-11 Sun Belt) took control early, outscoring Louisiana 17-7 in the first quarter and extending the lead to 41-21 by halftime. The Warhawks never trailed and led by as many as 28 points in the second quarter.
Shavers anchored the inside for ULM, finishing 9-of-15 from the field with 13 rebounds. Jazmine Jackson added 17 points off the bench, knocking down four 3-pointers, while J’Mani Ingram scored 16 points and dished out six assists.
ULM shot 46.9% from the field and held a 42-27 advantage on the boards. The Warhawks also converted Louisiana turnovers into 29 points and scored 26 second-chance points.
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Louisiana (5-26, 2-16 Sun Belt) was led by Mikaylah Manley with 18 points and Imani Daniel with 17 points and seven rebounds. Amijah Price chipped in 12 points.
After struggling early, Louisiana shot better in the second half, scoring 42 points after the break. However, the early deficit proved too much to overcome.
ULM advances in the Sun Belt tournament, while Louisiana closes its season with the loss. ———————————————————— Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
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BATON ROUGE (KNOE) – Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming is accusing Governor Jeff Landry of interfering with the state Senate race, which Fleming is a part of.
Fleming took to social media to accuse Landry of working “behind the scenes” to get Congresswoman Julia Letlow elected to the Senate.
According to Fleming, Dr. Ralph Abraham offered him the position of Deputy Director of the CDC shortly before announcing he was stepping down. Fleming said he politely declined.
A week later, news broke that Abraham is now leading Letlow’s Senate campaign.
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“We know that Jeff has been heavily lobbying the Trump campaign team for the endorsement, he is pressuring the Republican Party of Louisiana and the Republican Executive Committees to support and endorse Letlow as well,” Fleming wrote on Facebook. “And, he is personally calling his donors to raise big money to save the Letlow campaign.
Landry formally endorsed Letlow for the U.S. Senate on March 4. Letlow also has the endorsement of President Donald Trump.
“We need a warrior who stands with the President to Make America Great. And there’s no greater warrior than a Louisiana mom,” Landry wrote on Facebook.
Fleming continued his commentary, asking when Landry will stop interfering with the state’s Senate race.
“Who is best to decide who represents you in Washington? Jeff Landry, or YOU?” Fleming asked.
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Also in the heated race is incumbent Bill Cassidy, M.D.
Party primary elections in Louisiana are set for May 16, 2026.
The Louisiana Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at March 3, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from March 3 drawing
07-21-53-54-62, Mega Ball: 16
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
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Winning Pick 3 numbers from March 3 drawing
6-8-3
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from March 3 drawing
3-6-7-4
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 5 numbers from March 3 drawing
0-8-3-2-0
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Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Louisiana Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Louisiana Lottery offices. Prizes of over $5,000 must be claimed at Lottery office.
By mail, follow these instructions:
Sign and complete the information on the back of your winning ticket, ensuring all barcodes are clearly visible (remove all scratch-off material from scratch-off tickets).
Photocopy the front and back of the ticket (except for Powerball and Mega Millions tickets, as photocopies are not accepted for these games).
Complete the Louisiana Lottery Prize Claim Form, including your telephone number and mailing address for prize check processing.
Photocopy your valid driver’s license or current picture identification.
Mail all of the above in a single envelope to:
Louisiana Lottery Headquarters
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555 Laurel Street
Baton Rouge, LA 70801
To submit in person, visit Louisiana Lottery headquarters:
555 Laurel Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70801, (225) 297-2000.
Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
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Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Louisiana Lottery.
When are the Louisiana Lottery drawings held?
Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 5: Daily at 9:59 p.m. CT.
Easy 5: 9:59 p.m. CT Wednesday and Saturday.
Lotto: 9:59 p.m. CT Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Louisiana editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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