Louisiana Travels for June 24

Photo provided by Audubon Nature Institute -- In honor of Independence Day, staff at the Butterfly Gardens at the Audubon Insectarium in New Orleans will make an American flag out of red, white and blue butterflies Saturday and Sunday, July 7 and 8.

Feel like a day trip out of town for the 4th of July?

New Orleans is planning its annual Go Fourth on the River on Wednesday, July 4. The celebration runs all day in Woldenberg Riverfront Park, leading up to the 9 p.m. fireworks show which has been ranked as one of the top five in the country.

The U.S. Navy Band will perform and Amanda Shaw and her Cute Guys Band will play a free outdoor concert in Washington Artillery Park across from Jackson Square from 5 p.m. to 6:40 p.m. Other musical acts will perform in the park earlier in the day.

Cool off from the heat by slipping into the nearby Audubon Aquarium of the Americas or Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium. Both are offering $4 off admission Wednesday, July 4-Sunday, July 8.

Also, the Butterfly Garden will be marking Independence Day by making an American flag out of red, white and blue butterflies Saturday and Sunday, July 7 and 8.

Also in New Orleans, the Creole Queen Paddlewheeler will have an Independence Day dinner cruise with a meal, music and prime spot for watching the fireworks show. Cost is $99 per adult, $69 for youths ages 6-12, and $20 for children 3-5. Reservations are required. Call [phone].

Also for the holiday, City Park’s Carousel Gardens Amusement Park, Storyland and Boating on the Big Lake will be open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Call [phone] for more information.

In Covington, the celebrating starts early with an Old Fashioned Fourth 6:30 p.m.-9 p.m. Saturday, June 30, at Bogue Falaya Park. Events will include a half-mile fun run and 2-mile walk beginning at 6 p.m., music and fireworks.

Food and drink will be sold, with proceeds going toward the installation of a flag pole and American flag at the park.

For more information, call [phone].

In Acadiana, St. Martinville’s 4th of July celebration takes place Wednesday, July 4, at the Evangeline Oak on New Market Street downtown. Activities run from 10 a.m. to dark. There’s a children’s patriotic pageant at 10 a.m. and a patriotic bicycle contest at 5 p.m. A DJ will provide music, and Matt Castille will perform at 6 p.m. There will also be food, arts and crafts, a patriotic storefront contest, and fireworks display at dusk.

For more information, call [phone].

On the Internet:

http://www.go4thontheriver.com

http://www.AudubonInstitute.org

Trip for seniors

A trip set for Oct. 7-12 will take seniors in the Baton Rouge area to Savannah, Ga.; Jekyll Island, Ga., and Beaufort, S.C.

For more information, call Kirk Brown, [phone].

Eat in Lafayette

The EatLafayette campaign highlighting 61 locally owned restaurants runs through Aug. 15. Participants in the campaign offer specials during the two-month period, showcasing the eateries that are part of Acadiana culture. The program is in its eighth year.

For more information, cal the Lafayette Convention and Visitors Bureau, [phone].

Hear music in Algiers

The Wednesdays on the Point summer concert series takes place 6-9 p.m. each Wednesday through July 25 at at Algiers Point.

In addition to the music, there’s food and new this year, a kids’ zone.

Scheduled for June 27 are Sun Pie Barnes & the Louisiana Sunspots and August Rush.

The concerts are free.

Summer in N.O.

The “Get Away in the Vieux Carre” summer campaign has begun and runs through Aug. 31.

Specials and discounts at hotels, restaurants and attractions are available. Visitors can also win a “Get Away in the Vieux Carre,” which includes a stay at a French Quarter hotel, dining gift certificates, discounts and gift certificates to retail shopping outlets, tickets to attractions, parking, nightlife and more.

For more information, call the French Quarter Business Association, [phone].

Museum marking 30th

Southdown Plantation House/Terrebonne Museum in Houma will celebrate its 30th year of operation from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 30, at the plantation, 1208 Museum Drive. The open house and family day will offer children’s activities, food, free museum tours and performances by Comme C’etait, The Americanos and the Bayou Eagle Native American Dance Group.

For more information, call [phone].

Park goes patriotic

Fairview-Riverside State Park near Madisonville is displaying patriotic items in its Otis House Museum through Sunday, July 8.

Visitors can see a circa 1919 child’s American flag dress, a 48-star cigar felt flag and other items from the early 1900s.

The display is free with museum tour admission of $4 per person. Seniors 62 and older and children 12 and younger are admitted free.

The park also will offer a Dutch oven stacked-pot cooking demonstration starting at 9 a.m. Saturday, July 7. Edward Braud III will show how to cook in layered ovens, using a bed of coals between pots, making a meat dish, biscuits and a dessert for visitors to sample. Admission to the park, located on La. 22, is $1. Situated on the banks of the Tchefuncte River one mile east of Madisonville, the park also has camping facilities and a day-use picnic area.

For more information, call [phone].

More music at Mint

Music at the Mint, a summer concert series at the U.S. Mint in New Orleans, has expanded its lineup to include a concert in July.

The series, sponsored by the Louisiana Museum Foundation, has scheduled Linda Campbell and the Heavenly Melodies for 7:30-8:30 p.m. Friday, June 29. Admission is $15. Rockabilly queen Maggie Lewis will appear 6-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 17, for a performance and conversation. Tickets are $30.

The performances are held in an intimate, third floor setting at the Mint, 400 Esplanade Ave. The concerts are recorded for posterity.

For more information, call [phone].

Louisiana Travels is a biweekly column about travel destinations and events in Louisiana. Email items for Louisiana Travels to [e-mail] or [e-mail] or fax to (225) 388-0351.