The SWLA Juneteenth Fashion Show and Banquet was held as part of the national commemoration of the African-American emancipation, which is being celebrated locally through June 20. A Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to local R&B legend Carol Fran. Guests were also treated to a small reception before the banquet in the lobby of the Martin Luther King Center.
Chere and Bruce Coen made their way to the New Orleans Wine and Food Experience in May and decided to check out George Rodrigue’s gallery on Royal Street. Later that day the Coens ate at Cochon in the Warehouse District to get a taste of what’s to come in Lafayette. They also ran into Emily Schmidt, who does PR for the historic Hotel Monteleone, when she was dining on Esplanade with an old friend from Lafayette, Casey McDonald.
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Helen Perry, James Cormier, Pamela |
Abram Freeman, Jehoshaphat Sells, Carol |
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Leeana Carter, Imani Carter (front), Mya Guillory and Stacey Guillory |
Alex and Brenda Broussard |
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George Rodrigue and Bruce Coen |
Casey McDonald and Emily Schmidt |
On the night when the world is supposed to end, what better place to be than with fellow foodies and oenophiles dancing by the river? And, that’s exactly what guests did at Monrovia, the palatial pad of party animal Monroe Stephenson, for a sultry summer night of dining and socializing. Leonard Louviere warmed up the crowd with Zea’s famous Thai ribs and margaritas. For the main event, Great Dishes of the American South, Chef John Panaro cooked up fried chicken, fried oysters, pork roast, collard greens with sweet potatoes, Hoppin’ John salad, three kinds of cornbread, sweet potato bread pudding and berry cobbler (served with Blue Bell vanilla ice cream, of course!). After dinner, partiers shot tequila and boogied down along the banks of the Vermilion until well after midnight. Now, that’s my kind of party!
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Allison and Allen Womble |
Bryan and Angie Spallino, Denise Arceneaux |
Chef John Panaro |
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Chef John Panaro, and Pokey and Nell Aucoin |
Denise Arceneaux and Leonard Louviere |
Michelle Vallot, Russell Whiting and Angela Becnel |
China came to Lafayette for a festive reception held at the Lafayette Art Association for special guests of former Acadiana Symphony Orchestra conductor Xiao-Lu Li and his wife, Yang Yang. Guests sipped wine and enjoyed music from guitarist Gino Giles (playing a custom-made six-string guitar) while perusing artworks from 18 talented Acadiana artists. Jin Liu, one of the in-demand artists in China, described his exquisite and intricate limited designs painted on a ceramic rice bowl. For the bi-cultural occasion, LAA provided a generous spread of Chinese cuisine from ChopSticks.
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Artist Darlene Marr and Ellen Caillouet |
Artist/retired Judge Judy Fuller with her paintings |
Artists Sara Parker and Vaughan Burdin Simpson |
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Artists Judy Fuller, Phyllis Malczyk and |
Xiao-Lu Li, Paul Leu, artist Jin Liu, Anna Chen, |
On a pleasantly cool and breezy May evening, Oil Center supporters and friends gathered atop the Burden Riehl Parking Garage for the Boil & Oil Rooftop Block Party-Crawfish Boil. From the lofty fifth floor location, guests enjoyed watching the beautiful sunset while sipping wine and beer. At serving time, the crowd lined up for chef “Mudbug” Mike Hefner’s spicy and delicious crawfish, potatoes, corn and dipping sauce. Sponsors Lafayette General Medical Center, the Heymann Foundation and Cox put on the festive shindig.
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| James Doherty and Patrick Doherty | Nicholas Demny, Duaine Demny and Sarah Demny |
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| Leon Ferguson, Pat Olson, Jeanne Lantier and Lisa Ferguson |
Brittani Bass, Abigail Payne and Jeanne Lantier |
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| Shane Daly, Johanna Villarreal and Brad Colgin |
Xanadu’s ladies finished their “Louisiana Xanadu Style” season with flair at their Spring Social held at the Krooked Nickel Dockside Tavern on Johnston Street at St. Julien Avenue. Food, karaoke and music were on the agenda for the krewe members and their lucky gents. The Xanadu girls’ special drink of the evening was Pink Bayou Belle Punch, paying homage to their signature hot pink theme.
Party On!
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| Maxine Hollier, Brenda Dudley, Debbie Guidry, Phyllis Boudreaux, Debbie Mills, Jeanne Simon and Nancy Northcutt |
(left to right, bottom to top) Kim Domingue, Debbie Guidry, Dianne Carlise; Maxine Hollier and Monica Lyon; Brenda Dudley |
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| Lissa Adkins, Greg Adkins, Marty Audiffred, Sen. Fred Mills and Nancy Northcutt |
Kim Bartels, Robert Vinyard and J.D. Morein |
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| Judy Arabie and Sandy Huval |
View additional Party Girl photos at |
The Krewe of Bonaparte held its last party of the 2010-2011 Mardi Gras Season — the members-only annual Krewefish Boil (along with a large selection for those poor things who can’t eat shell fish) at Acadian Village. The fun-filled event also included lots of alcoholic beverages and a great DJ.
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| Mike and Kelli Becnel | Marshall Montgomery, Jell Raggio, Garrett O’Connor and Keith Menard |
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| Dave Comeaux, and Marianne and Clif Lane | Rachel Comeaux, and Janie nd Michael Campbell |
A sea of ladies in red swept through the Lafayette Hilton for the Go Red for Women Luncheon 2011. This year’s attendees were truly hot, hot, hot in their crimson attire to support the American Heart Association’s movement to prevent heart disease in women. At a special table were the Go Red Personally Fit challengers, looking sizzlingly svelte after completing the grueling 12-week program. Guests noshed on a healthy and delicious Mediterranean Chicken Spinach Salad and Margarita Cake from the recipes of keynote speaker Holly Clegg’s new cookbook Too Hot in the Kitchen: Secrets to Sizzle At Any Age. Tables were topped with slender vases adorned with red beading, black and white feathers and red silk flowers from Dunn’s Designs. Marcelle Fontenot of KATC-TV 3 emceed the well-attended luncheon. A surprised Rose Cormier, decked out in a fabulous feathered chapeau, was awarded the first INDspirational award — a stunning rhinestone-studded Vivian Alexander ladybug cardholder — as the woman who most inspired the participants during the Personally Fit challenge. Sharon Moss presented Moss Motors’ first “Lady in Red” banner to Jan Swift, who wowed the crowd in a body-hugging red dress and red feather boa.
Party On!
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| INDspirational winner Rose Cormier with presenter Lisa Hanchey |
Lana Holden, Connie Gardiner and Sarah Citron |
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| Sonia Vice, Bonnie Robert Will and Eileen Green |
Rose Cormier, Anna Nugent, Debbie Mercke, Dawn Foreman, Toni Heinen and Jessica Keltner |
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| Gwen Cook and Karmen Blanco |
If you were lucky enough on Friday, May 6, and you could find the back room at Don’s Seafood & Steakhouse downtown, you could see the beaming faces celebrating Marcelle Bienvenu’s newest book, No Baloney on My Boat. In honor of the occasion Don’s kitchen complimented the affair by cooking recipes out of the book. The stuffed bread was to die for. There was also shrimp hugged by bacon and grilled along with catfish, alligator and shrimp. Bienvenu’s remoulade sauce was there to add a smooth, tangy flair to the dishes. Trent Angers, head of Acadiana House Publishing and publisher of the book, gave a brief speech about Bienvenu’s work and her importance as a culinary, cultural ambassador for Louisiana through her teaching career as well as her writing. Servers ceaselessly refilled wine glasses, and more than one of bartender Cliff’s famous Old-Fashions passed through hands. Bienvenu signed copies of her books and patiently answered questions and smiled for photographs. Outside the door Downtown Alive! was happening and The Howdies acted as a nice, if incidental, soundtrack to celebrate Bienvenu’s latest milestone in her career.
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| Rock Lasserre, Marcelle Bienvenu, and Brenda and Rocky Landry |
Marcelle Bienvenu | Angelina Leger and Marcelle Bienvenu |
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| Book signing attendees |
(clockwise from bottom) Robin Harbourt, Cindie Angers, Angelina Leger, Lori Cambre, |
Marcelle Bienvenu, and Neetzie and Dewitt David |
The Big Easel was bigger than ever this year, breaking all previous years’ records in sales for the dozens of artists selected to participate. Kudos to interior designer Jeffery McCullough and the staff of River Ranch Development Corp., who coordinate the one day al fresco show and sale. The preview party on Friday evening, having outgrown The City Club, was moved this spring to the Acadiana Center for the Arts, a fitting venue loved by hosts, artists and patrons alike. As guests enjoyed the nibbles and libations, Chef Jude Tauzin worked the rooms, which were filled with colorful canvases and a lively crowd of art aficionados, who commented with the more-than-occasional “Wow!” Party-goers woke the following day for the show to find beautiful French blue skies, the perfect backdrop for the clusters of white tents filled with art that dotted the deGaulle Square in River Ranch.
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| Sissy Belfour and Eddie Granger at the Big Easel Reception |
Olivia and Jady Regard |
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| Donna Byrne and Laura Ketteringham |
Artist Hope Hebert with Carroll Smith and Nancy Naomi |
When Bridgett Beaullieu Simon delivered the news that she and her husband Jonathan were finally starting a family, well-wishers lined up to co-host a baby shower extraordinaire in celebration of the long-awaited news — never mind that Bridgett had to fly in from Seattle for the party. The bouncing baby boy isn’t due until August, and Bridgett doesn’t plan to travel over the summer, but since she never misses Festival International, a spring date was set. (The proud poppa was en route home to Oregon from a business trip in Zurich.) Over 50 guests arrived with gifts in tow to share the happy news with great-grandmothers-to-be Deedie Beaullieu and Lu Daigle, grandmothers-to-be Karen Daigle and Ellen Simon and dozens more friends and family members.
Party On!
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| Mom-to-be Bridgett Beaullieu Simon with a host of shower hosts! |
Karen Daigle with daughter Bridgett, Mary Thompson and Lu Daigle |
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| Bridgett Simon and Claire Beaullieu | Deddie Beaullieu, Bridgett Simon and Lu Daigle |
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