Courtesy of Moncus Park.
Top: Yoga in Moncus Park, one of the many (often free) community-oriented events offered to residents of Lafayette.
In 2026, I want to feel alive again. I want to turn off the autopilot default settings, to stop only getting through each day. They say that in childhood the days and weeks and months feel longer because everything is new. These days, they all slip by in a rotation of routine, so many hours drowned in mind-numbing escape, courtesy of the computer living in our pockets. I want long days again, long weeks, long months—full of new, challenging experiences. I want my time to be filled with something real.
But what does this look like, in a practical sense? Is it a wobbly step out of one’s comfort zone, a peek into a buried interest, a precarious launch into a new world of experiences altogether? Inspiration awaits just outside our doors, in various pockets of our communities. I personally meet my own goals best when there is some degree of accountability, some degree of commitment, or investment. Here are a few avenues I’m considering exploring in the new year:
Become Certified as a Louisiana Master Naturalist
Every master begins as a novice, and the Louisiana Master Naturalist Program requires no qualifications other than curiosity and a commitment to loving our local environment to get started. The coursework (between forty to sixty hours to achieve certification) will immerse you in the wonders of our local flora and fauna, and connect you to this region’s natural heritage. The education requirement may be met by attending workshops—in classrooms and in the field—on subjects like wildflowers, entomology, herpetology, nature journaling, and more. “Members are encouraged to follow our own interests and development within the broader framework of environmental education and service,” said Charles Paxton, Public Relations and Outreach Officer of the Northeast Louisiana Chapter of LMNA. “We have privileged access to a varied range of subject matter experts, areas, and experiences. There’s no way I would have had such rich and varied experiences outside of this group.” At the end of it all, you’ll be part of a growing corps of individuals dedicated to ensuring Louisiana’s natural beauty sustains itself for generations to come. The world around you will never look quite the same again, and you’ll have forged a newfound, but ancient, bond between yourself and the ground you call home. “It’s all about connection,” said Paxton, “connection with our natural environment and with our fellow enthusiasts. It’s grounding, and it’s wholesome.” Learn more about the requirements to get involved with your local chapter of LMNA at louisianamasternaturalist.org.
Courtesy of the Acadiana Master Naturalists.
Get Involved with Local Festivals
Wherever you live in Louisiana, chances are there is a foodstuff, a musical genre, or a moment in history that brings the whole dang town together. This is where we do hyper-regionality right: at our local festivals. Such concentrated celebrations of culture don’t happen in a vacuum—they are the result of hundreds of volunteer hours activated by a spirited crew of passionate party-makers. Implant yourself in a ready-made community of people dedicated to placemaking and help contribute to the magic of what makes your hometown special. Plus, the trade-off is usually stellar: short shifts in exchange for big perks (free admission, good food, best seats in the house, etc.) and total immersion at the heart of the action. See the festival like you never have before, from the inside. Find volunteer opportunities for upcoming festivals on their corresponding websites or social media, or reach out directly to organizers to learn how you can help.
Buy a Season Pass to Your Local Performing Arts Organization
This one requires an investment, sure—but it’s a direct investment into not only your local performing arts community, but also into your own future enrichment (and it’s often less expensive than you might think). Commit to becoming a showgoer, and prepare to follow your local orchestra, ballet company, or theatre troupe through the year. The afterglow of a night of live performance lasts far longer than another Netflix binge, I assure you.
“Our season ticket holders are especially important because they provide a baseline of financial support we can depend on to fund our sets, props, and costumes,” said Dave Freneaux, chairman of the Sullivan Theater in Central, Louisiana.
Courtesy of The Sullivan Theater
From The Sullivan Theater's Production of "Oklahoma!"
Become a Groupie
On a similar note, I encourage you to get obsessed with your local musicians. Go down the rabbit hole, track down their entire discography and listen to them on repeat on Spotify. In Louisiana, we breed plenty of talent, and chances are the musicians from your neck of the woods are writing something that can strike a chord in a way the Nashville folks could never. Find a sound you like and make the band your whole personality. Follow them on socials, buy their merch, share their work, and—of course—go see them perform at all the neighborhood watering holes. When they do make it big, you’ll be able to say you were there at the beginning.
“Support from the community as an artist is honestly the most important thing,” said Kelli “K.C.” Jones, a multi-genre Acadiana musician you might recognize in bands like Feufollet, T’Monde, and The Daiquiri Queens. “If no one comes to your shows or engages with your artwork, for me, then what reason is there to continue to play live or spend the ever-increasing expense of money and time to put recorded and filmed things out into the universe? Being an artist can be a symbiotic relationship with the community, where support and engagement feed the creativity and momentum of your artwork.”
Photo by David Simpson.
Kelli Jones, an Acadiana musician and member of multiple local bands.
Tune Into Your Community Space Calendars
Unique, often free experiences are being organized every day in our libraries, parks, indie bookstores, museums, and throughout our various community spaces. Tune in, and get those calendars on your radar. (Trust me, I’ve been co-editing the Country Roads monthly events calendar for seven years now—there is far more going on than most people realize.) At Moncus Park in Lafayette, for instance, Marketing Director Mary Allie McGoffin says that one of the things she loves most is “how the park introduces people to experiences they may not have considered before,” she said. “Someone might show up for a casual walk and discover bird watching, a new wellness practice, a cultural activity, or an environmental skill they’d never tried.” Mary Stein, Assistant Library Director at East Baton Rouge Parish Libraries, described the library’s offerings as “only six degrees of separation from your own interest or passion.”
“Whether you care about gardening or sports, the environment or medieval history, bowling or dinosaurs, we’ve got something for you!” She went on, “As a trusted, welcoming, and safe ‘third space,’ your public library is the perfect place for patrons to try new experiences. There is no cost, no risk, no pressure—if a patron likes it, they can lean in, and if they don’t, they can move on to something else, just like they do with our book titles.”
So, stop sleeping on the community spaces in your area, and find your niche. The stakes are low, and the door is open. Step right on through.
Courtesy of Moncus Park
From the Moncus Park "Drum Circle," one of its many free community programs.
Become a Member of Your Local Museum
It doesn’t cost a lot to feel like a VIP at your local arts or history institution—annual gifting opportunities help these places keep their doors open, and for as little as $50 a year you can get benefits like free or discounted admission, special access to programming, savings in the museum shop, first-to-know status on upcoming events and exhibitions, and more. Certain memberships at museums that participate in the North American Reciprocal Museum Program—including the Louisiana Art & Science Museum, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, the Acadiana Center for the Arts, and others—offer free admission to more than 1,000 other museums and cultural institutions across the continent. And now, you’re a part of the institution in your own small way—with more incentives to experience the important cultural work happening within the gallery space, as well. “A museum membership offers a fun and meaningful way to engage with the region’s culture and creative community,” said Allison Bailey, Development Manager at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. “[It] encourages members to visit often, explore new ideas, and find inspiration. Members-only events, previews, and discounted classes also create opportunities to connect with artists, educators, and fellow art enthusiasts—making it a way to feel more deeply rooted in the community, while supporting an institution that reflects and celebrates the place we call home.”
Elijah List, the marketing and communications director at the Acadiana Center for the Arts, described finding a meaningful connection through creative community as “unlocking” your world. “Membership to the ACA is one of the best ways to play an active role in keeping the arts and culture thriving in Acadiana and beyond,” he said. But it's more than that—“it's an invitation to a close-knit arts community that wishes to see the arts and culture of our region thrive for decades to come.”
Courtesy of the Acadiana Center for the Arts
Stepping into the Acadiana Center for the Arts' gallery.
Make a Difference
There are so many important causes being championed across our region. What do you care about? What are your talents? There is perhaps no more significant way to re-ignite a fire beneath a stagnant life than to remind oneself of the challenges facing others, and then to do something about it. If you’re interested in helping local youth, explore volunteer opportunities with programs like the Court Appointed Special Advocates program (CASA) or the Boys & Girls Club. If animals are more your speed, local shelters can always use a helping hand. Many families are currently facing food insecurity, and food banks across Louisiana are feeling the pressure—contact the ones in your area to see how you can help. “The collective support has never been more important,” said Linda Hutson, the Director of Development and Community Relations at the Food Bank of Central Louisiana. “We’re seeing the need grow every day.” For service projects that are more environmentally focused, check out opportunities offered by the Pontchartrain Conservancy, Glass Half Full, the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, Keep Louisiana Beautiful, and Common Ground Relief.
