Livingston Parish: Your Next Stop

Mark your calendars and take a step out your back door to visit the “Sportsman’s Paradise” from which Louisiana got its nickname. Perfect for an afternoon, a day trip, or a weekend getaway, your next stop is Livingston Parish, a destination filled to the brim with the beloved landscapes and culture of Southeast Louisiana.

Should you need an excuse to spend the weekend here, V. Watts Trade Day is a perfect one. Every second Saturday of the month, sprawling across the property between V. Watts Furniture and V. Watts Trade Mart, over two hundred vendors from here, there, and everywhere present their own personal versions of treasure. 

“We get some of everything!” says organizer Tammy Hardy. “You never know what you’re going to find. It could be anything from antiques to garage sale items to chickens and rabbits. Every time is different.”

The event, lasting from 8 am to 5 pm, attracts thousands of visitors every month. Some people mill in and out, spending a few hours at a time there, says Hardy. But many people make a day out of the unique shopping experience, taking advantage of the chance to interact with local crafters, farmers, collectors, and residents of the area.

“Take a drive out to the country,” encourages Hardy. “The large property gives you plenty of room to explore, and the nearby furniture center and trade centers provide an escape from the weather if necessary. You can walk and shop and just relax.”

With live music, local food vendors, and a big pavilion, Trade Day immerses its customers in the festival-esque celebration of all that makes the region so unique.

While you’re in town and in the shopping spirit, take advantage of Livingston’s premier shopping sites. Peruse your favorite retail branches like Academy, Kirkland’s, Lane Bryant and dozens, more at Juban Crossing’s shopping center. Kick back and take a break at Movie Tavern or enjoy a bowl of jambalaya from Pot & Paddle Jambalaya Kitchen.

Making the short drive to Denham Springs to visit their award-winning Antique District is well worth a portion of your weekend stay in Livingston. With over twenty-five shops to choose from, you’ll inevitably leave the famed village with a car packed full of ‘brand new’ heirlooms.

Now, the traveling hunter, fisherman, or camper cannot make a trip here without stopping at the most concentrated version of Sportsman’s Paradise, Bass Pro Outdoor World. The massive store contains three and a half football fields worth of all things outdoors, including a massive boat showroom and restaurant.  

After you’ve begun to develop that explorer’s itch don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy the wildlife and swamps at Tickfaw State Park in Springfield. Its miles of boardwalk trails place wanderers right in the middle of the sights and sounds of a cypress swamp. Whether you choose to incorporate the park into a day trip or to make its campsites your home for the weekend, be sure to step into its highly acclaimed Nature Center, where you can learn about and interact with local wildlife.

In addition to Livingston’s ample offerings for the shopper and the outdoorsman, the area also breathes a rich and compelling history—drawn together for the visitor in museums and monuments. Tour the early 19^th century Historic Carter House in Springfield, Livingston Parish’s only plantation and home of the golf course designed by David Tom . Make a pass into French Settlement where you can step inside an original 1898 dwelling made of cypress at the Creole House Museum, and don’t pass up the Hungarian Settlement Museum, which documents a less widely known aspect of our state’s history. The museum is open every Tuesday and Friday and every second Saturday, from 10 am–4 pm.

Make Livingston Parish your next stop, and whether you be a sportsman, an adventurer, a shopper, or a history buff—there’s a slice of paradise in this lively and lovely region for everyone. livingstontourism.com