With more than four hundred miles of waterways, the beloved nickname “Sportsman’s Paradise,” rings especially true in Livingston Parish. With bayous, swamps, and rivers to explore, along with the 124,000-acre Maurepas Swamp Wildlife Management Area, make Livingston the dream playground for adventurers and outdoors enthusiasts. Ample in game for hunting or fishing, load up on crappie sac-a-lait and bass-bream in Lake Maurepas, the second-largest lake in the state, or head to Springfield’s Tickfaw State Park for a hike or nature walk via miles of boardwalk trails. To visit a sporting goods mecca, look no further than Bass Pro Shops in Denham Springs. Equivalent in size to 3.5 football fields, with an indoor pond of roaming ducks and turtles, an on-site restaurant, and a pistol and archery range, the recreational retailer is an attraction in itself.
Speaking of retail therapy, downtown Denham Springs is home to an award-winning antique district that has drawn hunters of miscellaneous wares and wonders since 1995. The historic district is a treasure trove for eccentric furniture, vintage vinyl and literature, and quirky art. Time your trip for the V. Watts Trade Day, the second Saturday of the month, when over two hundred vendors set up a massive market outside.
For other vendor-heavy community-wide events, the Denham Springs Merchants Association is the impetus behind the town’s annual Spring Fest, a local art showcase started more than twenty years ago that features more than 160 regional makers, showcasing everything from handmade furniture, to textiles and pottery, to collectibles and folk art. Mark your calendars for this year’s fest on April 30th, along with the second annual Walker Spring Festival (date TBD), a two-day event which will feature a farmers market, car show, and live music performances.
Courtesy of Louisiana Travel
Livingston also boasts a legacy of scientific discovery and some little-known Louisiana history for visitors to explore. On the third Saturday of each month, LIGO—a research facility housing one of just two gravitational wave detectors in the country—offers tours and time to explore more than fifty hands-on science experiments in its interactive exhibit hall. The Hungarian Settlement Museum, located inside an old schoolhouse along Highway 43, is open on the second and fourth Saturday of each month. The museum honors the historic Hungarian settlement known as Árpádhon, established in present-day Albany in 1896, by three immigrant strawberry farmers.
The Grand Country Junction is presented on the third Saturday of each month, and the annual Tickfaw River Regatta returns on April 23. Last but not least, Bo’s Extravaganza 2022: The Last Rally returns to John Schneider Studios in Holden on April 23—24 to celebrate the anniversary of The Dukes of Hazzard. It’s a weekend stacked with spectacle, including car stunts and monster truck shows, celebrity meet-and-greets, a crawfish cookoff, live music across three stages, carnival rides for the kiddos, and a parade.
Courtesy of Louisiana Travel
Whether it’s a road trip, antique hunt or outdoor adventure, one thing’s for sure—once you’ve stepped foot into this special, swampy corner of South Louisiana, leaving is the last thing on your mind. livingstontourism.com.
Sponsored by Livingston Parish Tourism
