The Back Door to the United States
"No Man's Land" boasts a history of outlaws and pioneers, celebrated by regional festivals all year long.
Sponsored by Visit No Man's Land
The Bayou State has long been known as a place where the law is interpreted more as a loose suggestion rather than a hard-and-fast rule. That reputation stretches back to the early nineteenth century, when a portion of western Louisiana more closely resembled the rugged, raucous Wild West. Prior to the acquisition of Louisiana by the U.S. government in 1803, the boundaries of Spanish Texas and French Louisiana were sketches at best. After the Louisiana Purchase, defining the region’s new borders would take sixteen years thanks to ponderous American and Spanish bureaucracies. The land in dispute became the Neutral Strip, or No Man’s Land, known among pioneers and outlaws as “the back door to the United States.”
The region's low-lying land and legions of waterways, like Ouiska Chitto Creek in present-day Allen Parish, made for the ultimate hideaway for refugees, smugglers, and bandits. Today, that back door makes up part or all of Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, De Soto, Natchitoches, Rapides, Sabine, and Vernon Parishes, where residents still embody the rough-and-tumble, wild-streak ethos of No Man’s Land today with rapacious enthusiasm for food, nature, and community.
For a firsthand experience of how the culture of No Man’s Land lives on today, check out the region’s fall event listing:
West Louisiana Forestry Festival
September 28-October 6
Come out for a good time at the weeklong West Louisiana Forestry Festival, featuring the annual pageant, along with carnival rides, livestock shows and rodeos, vendor booths, and more at the Vernon Parish Fairgrounds in Leesville, Louisiana.
Stonewall Bee Gum Festival
October 5
Experience the history of Stonewall, Louisiana, first known as Bee Gum before its railroad stop was named for Stonewall Jackson, at the community’s annual festival honoring its founding settlers. The daylong event begins with a pancake breakfast hosted by the DeSoto Fire District No. 3 and features thirty vendor booths, live entertainment, and activities for the kids at Stonewall Community Park.
Zwolle Tamale Fiesta
October 10-12
The origins of the town of Zwolle can be traced back to prehistoric times. First occupied by Native Americans before becoming a Spanish territory, the annual Zwolle Tamale Fiesta celebrates the area’s Spanish and indigenous heritage. Arrive with an empty stomach and a hankering for warm, fresh tamales at the Zwolle Festival Grounds on Main Street.
Fall Tour of Homes
October 11-12
Watching the classic Southern film Steel Magnolias, who could forget the chaos at M’Lynn’s house on Shelby’s wedding day? At The Association for the Preservation of Historic Natchitoches’ annual Fall Tour of Homes, visitors can take a peek inside the famed film’s abode, along with Melrose Plantation and homes dating back to the eighteenth century. There’s no better place to peruse historic homes than Natchitoches Parish, renowned for its grandiose, stately residences that are hundreds of years old.
Re-Thunk Junk Trail
Oct. 18-19
The region’s largest secondhand shopping spree returns this month with Allen Parish’s fourth annual Re-Thunk Junk Trail, a sixty-mile long flea market and garage sale with items from over 200 vendors. Bargain-hunters and antique aficionados, now’s your time to shine.
Cane River Fall Festival
October 26
Despite Louisiana’s nearly year-round sweltering summertime temperatures, the second annual Cane River Fall Festival welcomes harvest season in full swing at Natchitoches’ Oakland Plantation. The fall fest will have entertainment including living history and blacksmith demonstrations, arts and crafts, pumpkin decorating, face painting, music and more on the sprawling grounds of Cane River Creole National Historical Park.
Louisiana Native American Art Festival
November 1-2
Louisiana is home to four federally recognized Native American tribes today, but our state’s original inhabitants included seven. Honor their contributions to Louisiana’s arts and culture by shopping for artisan crafts from Native American makers and watching a wild game cook-off at the Louisiana Native American Art Festival. Held on the Choctaw Apache Tribal Grounds in Ebarb, Louisiana, the two-day event kicks off Native American Heritage Month.
Sabine Freestate Festival
November 1-2
Celebrate western Louisiana’s Wild West roots at Sabine Parish’s 39th annual Freestate Festival. Named for the sixteen-year period when Sabine Parish was part of No Man’s Land—a disputed territory between America and New Spain after the Louisiana Purchase—the event recreates the spirit of the time with a treasure hunt, western shoot-out, quilt demonstrations, bull rides, arts and crafts, and more in the village of Florien, Louisiana.
Southern Cast Iron Cook-Off
November 1-2
Amateur chefs have the opportunity to showcase their talent by preparing original dishes at the inaugural Southern Cast Iron Cook-Off in Lake Charles. The competition will be accompanied by cooking demonstrations, live music, a farmer’s market and an expo for cast iron enthusiasts at the Lake Charles Civic Center.
Birds of Prey
November 9
Birdwatchers and wildlife lovers will have the chance to observe birds of prey from Walter B. Jacobs Memorial Nature Park up close at Los Adaes State Historic Site, which was once the capital of Spanish Texas from 1729 to 1770.
Grant Tree Farm’s Fall Harvest Fest
November 28 & December 7
You’d be hard-pressed to find something that Grant Tree Farm doesn’t offer at its annual Fall Harvest Fest. From homemade biscuits and piping hot syrup straight from off the furnace, to bluegrass and gospel music, to a petting zoo, arts and crafts, hayrides, and more, you won’t have to search for fun at the farm in Allen Parish.
Las Posadas: A Los Adaes Christmas Celebration
December 14
Trek to North Louisiana for Los Posadas, a traditional Spanish Christmas celebration that commemorates Mary and Joseph’s pilgrimage from Nazareth to Bethlehem for the Savior’s birth. Revelers can try traditional Posadas cuisine, such as tamales or piloncillo and chipotle ham, and take a swing at a Las Posadas piñata at Los Adaes State Historic Site.
Mansfield Quilting Show
May 1-2, 2020
Mark your calendars for the Mansfield Quilting Show at the Calista-Calhoun Event Center next year! The show features dozens of hand-stitched quilts from members of the DeSoto Quilters Club.