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Lake Charles / Southwest Louisiana
Destination Guide 2010

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Bird Watchers Unite at LaQuinta Inn & Suites

The Gulf Coast Bird Club of Lake Charles will host the Louisiana Ornithological Society's winter meeting Friday-Saturday, Jan. 27-28 at LaQuinta Inn & Suites' Contraband Room.

Bureau Brings Home National Travel Trade Media Coverage

The Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau received recent coverage in group tour trade publications Courier and Group Tour Magazine.

Children's Day Provides Mardi Gras Culture and Fun

Children's Day is a free event open to all children in Southwest Louisiana ages 3-11 on Sunday, February 19 from noon to 3 p.m. at the Lake Charles Civic Center.

Krewe of the Golden Years

Calcasieu Council on Aging presents the Krewe of the Golden Year's 17th Annual Mardi Gras Ball on Monday, February 13, 9 a.m.--2p.m. at the Lake Charles Civic Center.

Mardi Gras Gumbo Cook-off is a Hot Competition

The public tastes from every pot of chicken and sausage or wild game gumbo in a hot contest at noon on Saturday, February 18, at the Lake Charles Civic Center from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The CVB Hosts International and National Journalists for Mardi Gras Press Trip

The Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau will host 10 travel writers from all over the United States and Canada for a Mardi Gras press tour set for Feb. 18-22.

Calling All Parade Lovers...Mardi Gras Parades Open for Entries

Mardi Gras of Southwest Louisiana is inviting the community to help them paint the town purple, green and gold!

Miss Mardi Gras of Southwest Louisiana Pageant Open for Entries

Mardi Gras of Southwest Louisiana invites all young ladies to enter the 2012 Miss Mardi Gras of Southwest Louisiana pageant.

Mardi Gras Royal Gala Dazzles the Public

The Cinderella night of Mardi Gras manifests on Mardi Gras eve, Monday, Feb. 20, with a lavish promenade of more than 50 krewes' royalty before thousands of residents and visitors at the Lake Charles Civic Center at 7 p.m.

Mardi Gras Shoebox Float Contest Call for Entries!

The CVB is inviting the community to bedazzle their shoeboxes and help usher in the Mardi Gras season.

STS Top 20 Event for Mardi Gras Southwest Louisiana

The Southeast Tourism Society recently honored Mardi Gras of Southwest Louisiana as a Top 20 Event for 2012.

Carlyss Mardi Gras Trail Ride

Experience a traditional Mardi Gras celebration with the Carlyss Mardi Gras Trail Ride, including chicken runs and a trail ride parade on Saturday, February 18.

Get in the Mardi Gras Spirit with Twelfth Night

Mardi Gras makes its flamboyant entrance on Friday, Jan. 6 with the annual Twelfth Night celebration.

Vinton Mardi Gras Celebration

Mardi Gras magic will be in full swing during the town of Vinton's Mardi Gras celebration on Saturday, Feb. 11, in downtown Vinton.

Alcohol-Free Mardi Gras Zone for Kids, Tweens, and Teens

The "Zone" presented by the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury will take place Tuesday, February 21st, from noon to 5 p.m. in the empty parking lot between the Charleston Building and the Parish Courthouse on Ryan St.

LHSAA State Cheer and Dance Championships

The Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA) will be holding the inaugural State Cheer and Dance Championships at the Lake Charles Civic Center this Saturday, Dec. 3 beginning at 9 a.m. There are 63 schools competing from across the state performing 93 cheer and dance routines in the championship.

Gingerbread House Contest

The annual gingerbread house contest will be held Saturday, Dec. 3 at noon at the Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau

Louisiana Showcase of Soccer

St. Louis Catholic High School hosts the Louisiana Showcase of Soccer on Dec. 16 and 17 at Highway 14 Soccer Complex.

National Pro Fastpitch, August 17-21

LAKE CHARLES, La. (August 2, 2011)--The National Pro Fastpitch Championship Series will return to Sulphur, La for its 2nd consecutive year at McMurry Park. Come out and support your favorite player as they compete for the title and possbily be on national television.

Slam Dunk for Scholars at Tournament of the Stars

The 17th Annual Tournament begins on Friday, August 12 at 7 p.m. at Barbe High School. Your favorite NBA Stars and Harlem Legends will be in attendance with men and women championships ending at the Lake Charles Civic Center on Sunday.

Creole Nature Trail - GPS Ranger Tour Launches

LAKE CHARLES, La. (May 4, 2011) - The Creole Nature Trail All-American Road, also known as Louisiana's Outback, has now been brought to life with the GPS RangerTM Handheld Video Solution and Smartphone application for visitors. The free app can currently be downloaded at the iTunes App Store or Android Market, and the GPS RangerTM Handheld Unit can be rented at the Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau free of charge beginning May 7 at the start of National Tourism Week.

National Tourism Week Overview

LAKE CHARLES, La.- The Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention and Visitors Bureau will celebrate National Tourism Week, May 7-15. As tourism is the seventh largest industry in Louisiana, the bureau will sponsor a variety of events in the community to create awareness of tourism's impact.

Restaurant Day, National Tourism Week

As part of the National Tourism Week celebration, May 7-15, the Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau, in cooperation with the Southwest Chapter of the Louisiana Restaurant Association, will present Restaurant Day at a new location on Tuesday, May 10, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m., at the Lake Charles Civic Center Exhibition Hall.

Children's Day, National Tourism Week!

During National Tourism Week, May 7-15, the Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau will celebrate Children's Day on Saturday, May 7, at the welcome center, 1205 N. Lakeshore Drive.

Call for Boudin Makers

LAKE CHARLES-The Southwest Louisiana Boudin Trail is an attraction that is promoted nationally and internationally through the Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention and Visitors Bureau's public relations and advertising initiatives.

Two New CVB Board Members

LAKE CHARLES, La. (January 21, 2011)-The Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau has two new appointees joining the board of directors, with Jonathan Johnson representing Southwest Louisiana Festivals and Rob King representing the Southwest Louisiana Restaurant Association.

100 Reasons to ‘Like' Louisiana

Marking the 100th day of the ongoing oil spill tragedy, the Louisiana Office of Tourism is calling on online social networking communities to help develop a list of the top 100 reasons to visit Louisiana.

23rd Annual Cajun Music & Food Festival

Geno Delafose and French Rockin' Boogie to Headline 23rd Annual Cajun Music & Food Festival July 17 & 18, 2010

Game On! Ambassadors

On July 7, the Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) educated 21 members of the Southwest Louisiana hospitality industry with its new Game On! Hospitality Ambassador Training Program.

Blue Ribbon Apple Pie Contest

LAKE CHARLES-What's more American than apple pie? All bakers are invited to participate in the fourth annual Blue Ribbon Apple Pie Contest for ribbons and cash prizes, held in conjunction with the Red White Blue & You Fourth of July Festival in downtown Lake Charles.

Jimmy Buffet and CMT Present Concert Benefitting Gulf Coast: Southwest Louisiana to be Featured

Jimmy Buffet and the Coral Reefer Band will be joined by Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown, Allen Toussaint, Sonny Landreth, Jesse Winchester and special guests for a free concert in Gulf Shores, Ala. on July 1, being called CMT Presents Jimmy Buffet & Friends Live from the Gulf Coast.

New (June) Game On! Ambassadors

LAKE CHARLES, La. (June 4, 2010) - This week, the Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) educated 69 members of the Southwest Louisiana hospitality industry with its new Game On! Hospitality Ambassador Training Program.

Game On! Tourism Ambassadors

LAKE CHARLES, La. (May 20, 2010) - Yesterday, the Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) educated 95 members of the Southwest Louisiana hospitality industry with its new Game On! Hospitality Ambassador Training Program.

Bureau Honors Partners in Tourism

LAKE CHARLES-The Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau awarded partners in tourism who have made significant contributions to the tourism industry in Southwest Louisiana at the award ceremony on Thursday, May 13, held at the bureau, 1205 N. Lakeshore Drive.

Restaurant Appreciation Day, May 11

LAKE CHARLES, La.-As part of the National Tourism Week celebration, May 8-16, the Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau, in cooperation with the Southwest Chapter of the Louisiana Restaurant Association, will present the 2010 Taste of Southwest Louisiana Restaurant Day on Tuesday, May 11, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. on the grounds of the bureau's Welcome Center at 1205 N. Lakeshore Dr.

National Tourism Week, May 8-16

LAKE CHARLES, La.- The Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention and Visitors Bureau will celebrate National Tourism Week, May 8-16. As tourism is the second largest industry in Louisiana, the bureau will sponsor a variety of events in the community to create awareness of tourism's impact. In addition, advertising throughout Calcasieu Parish in newspapers, radio and television and will highlight the vital role that tourism plays in our economy and our lives.

Promote Your Organization, Business or Event on visitlakecharles.org!

LAKE CHARLES, La.-As part of National Tourism Week, May 8-16, the Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau is inviting organizations, businesses, individuals or event organizers to utilize its newly redesigned website, www.visitlakecharles.org, and related websites to help promote all there is to see and do in Southwest Louisiana.

Volunteer of the Year, National Tourism Week

LAKE CHARLES, La.-The 2010 Tourism Volunteer of the Year award for the Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau was presented to Merline Morvant for 8 years of service and commitment to the tourism industry. The award was given to Morvant in honor of National Tourism Week, May 8-16.

Volunteer of the Year! National Tourism Week

LAKE CHARLES, La.-The 2010 Tourism Volunteer of the Year award for the Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau was presented to Merline Morvant for 8 years of service and commitment to the tourism industry. The award was given to Morvant in honor of National Tourism Week, May 8-16.

Volunteer of the Year

LAKE CHARLES, La.-The 2010 Tourism Volunteer of the Year award for the Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau was presented to Merline Morvant for 8 years of service and commitment to the tourism industry. The award was given to Morvant in honor of National Tourism Week, May 8-16.

Children's Day, May 8, National Tourism Week

LAKE CHARLES, La. – During National Tourism Week, May 8-16, the Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau will celebrate Children’s Day on Saturday, May 8, at the welcome center, 1205 N. Lakeshore Drive.

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1205 N. Lakeshore Drive, Lake Charles, LA 70601
phone: (337) 436-9588 | fax: (337) 494-SWLA
toll free: 1-800-456-SWLA

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