Lake Area Weekend! Top 5 Things to Do

Movies Under the Stars get underway at dusk Friday night. It's very casual so take the family, a picnic basket and some mosquito spray and enjoy "Rio". If you haven't seen it, ask the kids. It's from the same folks who did "Ice Age"

Jazz guitarist, vocalist and bandleader, John Pizzarelli, has had a multi-faceted career. He is internationally known for classic standards, late-night ballads and the cool jazz flavor he bring to his performances and recordings. He is also among the prime contemporary interpreters of the great American songbook. His latest release, “Rockin’ in Rhythm,” brings his signature style and brilliant guitar playing to the music of Duke Ellington.

Lake Charles, LA The Movers and Shakers of the South is pleased to once again present the Original DownTown Lake Charles Crawfish Fest April 12-15, 2012, in downtown Lake Charles.  This official Louisiana Bicentennial event will be held in the Lake Charles Civic Center Exhibition Hall at 900 Lakeshore Drive.  There are activities for everyone!

There will be over 10,000 pounds of boiled crawfish, the best music, food and fun at one of the largest indoor/outdoor Crawfish Festivals in Southwest Louisiana.  Featured artists are the Louisiana Scramble Band, Lawrence “Black” Ardoin and Tradition Creole, Damon Troy, Brandon Ledet, Chris Ardoin and Nu Step, Horace Trahan, Andre Thierry , and the 2011 Grammy Award winner Chubby Carrier, along with many others !

On Friday, April 13th, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., residents and visitors will be able to tour historic downtown properties and businesses while enjoying a tour of the best Southwest Louisiana art. Live music echoes throughout downtown, venues serve cocktails hors d’oeuvres, and this past year the Spring Art Walk hosted its first-ever Art Battle where teams of artists competed to create a mural live in front of an audience in only an hour.

The Art Battle will be held in the parking lot just south of the Charleston Hotel near the corner of Pujo St. and Ryan St. The winning team is determined by the number of tips that are put into the team’s tip jar, and 50% of these tips go right back to the artists. The winning piece of art is put on display as public art at Central School Arts & Humanities Center for 30 days, and to make it even better, the public can even purchase the murals created during the battle. All of the murals will be featured in a silent auction during the evening, and 70% of the proceeds go back to the artists as well. The battle will feature all mediums, all materials, and all themes, and it’s not often that you get to see a piece of art created from scratch, so this is not an event to be missed! The battle begins promptly at 6 p.m. and will end at 7 p.m. with voting from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The winning team will be announced at 8 p.m., and the silent auction will be from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Kids of all ages love trains. Trains have been an important part of America from the very beginning of their existence and they are still a vital force in moving goods around the country. This festival celebrates the machines and people of the railroad.

There's also great food and some very special musical entertainment from Jo-El Sonnier to Mark Chesnutt !