America at 250: Avoyelles looks back at its story

As the United States marks its 250th anniversary, Travel Avoyelles invites the community to look at the role Avoyelles Parish has played in the larger story of Louisiana and the nation.

Louisiana’s Legacy: Avoyelles and America’s 250-Year Journey will be held Friday, Sept. 25, at 1 p.m. at the Avoyelles Commission of Tourism Office, 8592 Hwy. 1 in Mansura. The symposium is free and open to the public.

The program will explore Avoyelles history from the Native peoples and cultures who shaped the area long before 1776 through the generations that followed and helped create the parish as it is known today.

Featured presenters will include Leigh LeJeune, vocalist; Ryan Lopez, cultural specialist with the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana; and Dr. Thomas Smith, author and historian.

The Avoyelles Arts Council will also provide a special visual presentation highlighting the people, places and stories that have shaped the parish.

Organizers say the symposium will focus on more than dates and historic events, looking also at the culture, traditions, struggles, accomplishments and legacies passed from one generation to the next.

The afternoon will offer residents an opportunity to celebrate local heritage while considering how the story of Avoyelles fits into America’s 250-year journey.

For more information, call (318) 964-2025 or visit TravelAvoyelles.com.