Join the Mad Hatter, Joan Vallee Rettke, 11a.m. to learn about atoms and the periodic table! Children will create simple models of atoms and small molecules. This program is limited to 20 children, ages 4 and up. We will also celebrate Columbus Day with a special craft in the ArtSpace from 1-3 p.m.

The City of Lake Charles has several Nature in Focus events planned for the fourth quarter as part of its Partners in Parks initiative. 

The Changing Seasons Nature Walk Series will be held twice a month, alternating locations between Tuten and Riverside Parks. Participants will experience the changing seasons of Southwest Louisiana. The series will still focus on birds, but will also explore the changes in trees and other plants and animals living in these natural habits within the City. 

All walks will take place from 9 -10:30 a.m. and are scheduled as follows:

Friday, October 4, Tuten Park

Thursday, October 17, Riverside Park

Friday, November 1, Tuten Park

Thursday, November 14, Riverside Park

Friday, December 6, Tuten Park

Thursday, December 12, Riverside Park

All events are free and open to the public, but pre-registration via https://www.eventbrite.com is encouraged.

The homecoming parade is scheduled to roll down Ryan Street at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17, and this year’s theme is “Area 337.”

The Cowboys are playing the Houston Baptist Huskies for homecoming at 4 p.m. Oct. 19 in Cowboy Stadium.

For more information about the parade, community organizations can contact the  McNeese Office of Student Services at 475-5609.

CultureFest Louisiana will be held at the Lake Charles Civic Center on Friday, October 18 and Saturday, October 19. The event will showcase a global blend of arts, music, dance, fashion, food and storytelling performances that span across the many cultures and ethnicities found in Southwest Louisiana. 

A Rhythm and Dance Night will kick-off the weekend’s activities on Friday at 6 p.m. at the Lakefront Amphitheater featuring live musical performances by Jairus Daigle and the Network, followed by Jarvis Jacob and the Southern Gents, and local favorite Bluesiana RED. Intermission acts including African Dancers and SETX Ballet Folklorico soloist Micaela Moreno will keep the stage hot in between musical acts. The evening will conclude at 9:30 p.m.

Saturday’s festivities begin at 10 a.m. in the Lake Charles Civic Center. This free family event will also have a variety of exhibits, each spotlighting a different country and cultural experience. There will also be cultural display booths from around the world. A variety of entertainment is planned, including Solero Flamenco, Nepalese and Filipino dancers, Peruvian Folk dancers, Jazz musicians, International Fashion Show, Irish dancers, Debakah dancers, and much more.  

Culture Fest Louisiana is presented by Common Ground, a nonprofit organization, and began in 2011 in partnership with the City of Lake Charles, McNeese State University, Calcasieu Parish Public Library, and several civic organizations and schools. 

The festival was initiated as a way to educate and enlighten the public about global cultures through a festival atmosphere. Culture Fest Louisiana was recently honored by the Southeast Tourism Society as a 2019 Top 20 Event for the month of October. More than 5,000 residents and locals attended last year’s event.  

Event coordinator Patricia Kelty said, “Our city and our own lives are enriched as we build upon our similarities and celebrate our differences. Ironically, in the process we strengthen our own heritages while gaining respect for others.” 

Culture Fest Louisiana is a free admission event made possible by the City of Lake Charles, Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, Arts Council of Southwest Louisiana, Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention and Visitors Bureau, State of Louisiana Division of the Arts, Jazz in the Arts, Phillips 66, Sasol of North America, CAVCO, Oceans Behavioral Hospital, and Kingdom Expressions. 

For additional festival information, visit www.culturefestlouisiana.com or email info@culturefestlouisiana.com, or call 337-409-9636.

Historic City Hall Arts and Cultural Center will host an art exhibition celebrating the work of eleven Louisiana illustrators beginning on Friday, October 18. The exhibit includes 100 illustrations from children’s books published in Lake Charles by Ally-Gator Bookbites, an independent publishing company, and will be on display through November 30. 

The illustrators hail from New Orleans to Lake Charles and tons of cities in between. Featured artists include Candice Alexander, Tim Banfell, David Bertrand, Erin Casteel, Lydia Crochet, Anne Dentler, Mary Beth Hebert, Gregory LeBlanc, Kathern Peal, Rebecca Stelly and Paula Windham. 

“This show is very personal to me because I have spent years working with each of these illustrators to publish some of the most wonderfully impactful books,” said Tommie Townsley, owner and publisher of Ally-Gator Bookbites. “This exhibition demonstrates the skill and imagination of our illustrators and is diverse in its range of media. A walk through the show is like a walk down memory lane and will have you feeling like a child again.” 

A gallery talk featuring many of the featured illustrators is planned for Tuesday, October 29 at 5:30. Following a brief presentation, a Q&A session will reveal insight in the artists’ inspiration for their work.   

Another traveling exhibition, “The Global Language of Headwear,” will open on Tuesday, November 5. A joint reception for both exhibits is planned for November 5 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. There is no cost for admission, and refreshments will be served. 

While visiting Historic City Hall, do not miss the Artisans’ Gallery’s Fall Exhibition, which is comprised of the work of 22 local artisans offering an array of ceramics, sculptures, paintings and much more. All works in the Artisans’ Gallery will be available for purchase 

Historic City Hall is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free. Charlestown Farmers’ Market is open on Bilbo Street behind the center every Saturday 8 a.m.to noon. For more information, please call 491-9147 or visit www.cityoflakecharles.com.

Get ready to enjoy four, fun, family-friendly movies on Fridays this October for the “Movies Under the Stars” series.

The movies, which feature a football team trying to bounce back from an unthinkable tragedy, an enchanting extraterrestrial, a charming street boy with a magic lamp, and a genial ghost looking for a friend will kick off Friday, Oct. 4, at Prien Lake Park, 3700 West Prien Lake Road.

Movies, dates and locations: 

• October 4: “We Are Marshall” (Drama, rated PG). In 1970, Marshall University and the small town of Huntington, WV, are reeling after a plane crash claims the lives of 75 of the school's football players, staff members and boosters. New coach Jack Lengyel (Matthew McConaughey) arrives on the scene in March 1971, determined to rebuild Marshall's Thundering Herd football team - and help heal the grieving community in the process.
• October 11: “E.T.” (Science fiction, rated PG). A young boy named Elliott (Henry Thomas) befriends a gentle alien, or extraterrestrial, after he becomes stranded on Earth. He brings the creature, later named “E.T.,” into his suburban California house. Elliott and his siblings manage to hide E.T. there until E.T. becomes ill. That’s when Elliot and his siblings (Drew Barrymore, Robert MacNaughton) concoct a plan to help E.T. return to his home planet, all the while attempting to keep his existence hidden from the government.
• October 18: “Aladdin” (2019, musical fantasy, rated PG). Aladdin is a lovable street kid who meets Princess Jasmine, the beautiful daughter of the sultan of Agrabah. While visiting her exotic palace, Aladdin stumbles upon a magic oil lamp that unleashes a powerful, wisecracking, larger-than-life genie (Will Smith). Aladdin and the genie become friends and the two soon embark on a dangerous mission to stop the evil sorcerer Jafar from overthrowing young Jasmine's kingdom.
•  October 25: “Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation” (Computer-animated comedy, rated PG). Join your favorite monster family as they embark on a vacation on a luxury monster cruise ship. It's smooth sailing for Dracula and his pack as the monsters indulge in all sorts of shipboard fun - monster volleyball, exotic excursions, and catching up on their moon tans. But, the dream vacation turns into a nightmare when Dracula falls for the mysterious captain of the ship, Ericka, who hides a dangerous secret that could destroy all the monsters on the ship. 

Movies start at sundown – around 7:30 p.m. - but get there early to get a good seat. Residents are encouraged to bring their own blankets and lawn chairs. Residents can also bring their own food, but there will be some food available on-site for purchase. 

Movies will be cancelled in the event of inclement weather.

CultureFest Louisiana will be held at the Lake Charles Civic Center on Friday, October 18 and Saturday, October 19. The event will showcase a global blend of arts, music, dance, fashion, food and storytelling performances that span across the many cultures and ethnicities found in Southwest Louisiana. 

A Rhythm and Dance Night will kick-off the weekend’s activities on Friday at 6 p.m. at the Lakefront Amphitheater featuring live musical performances by Jairus Daigle and the Network, followed by Jarvis Jacob and the Southern Gents, and local favorite Bluesiana RED. Intermission acts including African Dancers and SETX Ballet Folklorico soloist Micaela Moreno will keep the stage hot in between musical acts. The evening will conclude at 9:30 p.m.

Saturday’s festivities begin at 10 a.m. in the Lake Charles Civic Center. This free family event will also have a variety of exhibits, each spotlighting a different country and cultural experience. There will also be cultural display booths from around the world. A variety of entertainment is planned, including Solero Flamenco, Nepalese and Filipino dancers, Peruvian Folk dancers, Jazz musicians, International Fashion Show, Irish dancers, Debakah dancers, and much more.  

Culture Fest Louisiana is presented by Common Ground, a nonprofit organization, and began in 2011 in partnership with the City of Lake Charles, McNeese State University, Calcasieu Parish Public Library, and several civic organizations and schools. 

The festival was initiated as a way to educate and enlighten the public about global cultures through a festival atmosphere. Culture Fest Louisiana was recently honored by the Southeast Tourism Society as a 2019 Top 20 Event for the month of October. More than 5,000 residents and locals attended last year’s event.  

Event coordinator Patricia Kelty said, “Our city and our own lives are enriched as we build upon our similarities and celebrate our differences. Ironically, in the process we strengthen our own heritages while gaining respect for others.” 

Culture Fest Louisiana is a free admission event made possible by the City of Lake Charles, Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, Arts Council of Southwest Louisiana, Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention and Visitors Bureau, State of Louisiana Division of the Arts, Jazz in the Arts, Phillips 66, Sasol of North America, CAVCO, Oceans Behavioral Hospital, and Kingdom Expressions. 

For additional festival information, visit www.culturefestlouisiana.com or email info@culturefestlouisiana.com, or call 337-409-9636.

On Saturday, October 19^th, ArtsFest returns to engage area children in a free arts festival from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Lake Charles Civic Center’s Exhibition Hall. This event is hosted annually by the Arts Council of SWLA and the City of Lake Charles, and it encourages creative expression through hands-on art projects.

Local organizations and businesses will host booths where children can craft fun and creative pieces of art that educate them on the 2019 theme of “Going Wild” which will incorporate animals. Children can take home their art projects which cover a wide range of mediums including painting, drawing, sculpture, and crafts.

ArtsFest will also feature the wildly popular one-on-one pottery lessons and featured performers in conjunction with Culture Fest.

ArtsFest is sponsored by the City of Lake Charles, the Arts Council of SWLA, L’Auberge Lake Charles, ASI Printing, Knight Media, Inc., Image 360, Stine Lumber, The Art Factory, Nick Reina State Farm, and the Office of Cultural Development.

Area businesses or organizations interested in sponsoring or hosting a craft booth should contact the Arts Council at (337) 439-2787.

For more information about ArtsFest, or additional services and programming from the Arts Council, visitwww.artscouncilswla.org.

Fall themed projects will be available from 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. on a first-come first-served basis. Limit one project per child.

Headliners include Bonerama, Maggie Koener, Flamethrowers, along with many others.

Chuck Fest Foundation, a Louisiana non-profit corporation, was established to showcase Louisiana’s musicians, artisans, restaurants, and brews and bring them all together in the beautiful downtown Lake Charles. Our vision is to make Chuck Fest Lake Charles' signature live music, culture and food festival. Part of this vision is to draw people from across the Gulf South to enjoy all that SWLA has to offer, bringing economic benefits to The City of Lake Charles. This year marks a first for Chuck Fest, with the inclusion of national touring bands!

Keep up to date on future details by visiting chuckfest.org.

The Lutcher Theater, Shangri La Gardens and the Symphony of Southeast Texas have joined forces to create magical day in the gardens with all your favorite music. Come spend a delightful afternoon among the beautiful plantings, the creative scarecrows, and your SOST. This wonderful concert will feature baritone Dalton Woody, trombonist Tim Dueppen, and a great variety of pops and movie classics to compliment the wonderful setting. Bring a blanket, picnic dinner or just come out with your favorite chair and enjoy the music and the beautiful Shangri La Gardens. Please join us Sunday, October 20, 2019 at 5pm, with gates opening at 3:00pm. Tickets are available through the Lutcher Theater at Lutcher.org or 409-886-5535 or through the Symphony of Southeast Texas at 409-892-2257. Shangri La Gardens is located at 2111 West Park Avenue, Orange, TX 77630. Tickets choices are seating with a chair $35, seating on the lawn (bring your own blanket or chair) $20 Adults/ $10 Students; children 6 and under are free but they do need a ticket. Roundtrip bus transportation from Beaumont will also be available for $30 through the Symphony office. This amazing show could not be possible without the support of our Concert Sponsors: Invista Corporation, Edaren Foundation, Natalie and S. L. Greenberg, First Financial and Trust, Honeywell, Mercedes Benz of Beaumont, Chevron/Phillips and the Houseman Foundation. Sponsors like this help our local arts organizations by playing a role in the education, entertainment, and cultural enrichment of all residents of Southeast Texas.

The Literacy Council is hosting Musical featuring Jeremy JB Sazz Benoit! 

There will be a brunch menu, jazz, and mimosas!

Ticktets are $50 per person. 

To get your tickets, call (337) 494-7000 or visit their website.