Performing Arts in Gonzales Louisiana

Performing arts are an integral part of Louisiana's culture. From theater and drama to dance and visual arts, you will find performance art showcased around the state. Starting at the Municipal Auditorium in Shreveport all the way to the Manship Theater in Baton Rouge and universities and theaters in between, you will find dance and theatrical productions galore. And while in the New Orleans area, don't miss the opportunity to catch a show at the recently renovated Mahalia Jackson Theater and the historic Saenger Theatre.

Along the road between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Gonzales awaits. This city brashly proclaims itself the “Jambalaya Capital of the World.” With so much competition in the neighborhood, you better be able to back up such a claim. And Gonzales does. For more than 40 years, Gonzales has held an annual springtime Jambalaya Festival and even has a Jambalaya Park next to the city hall. The town’s name does not originate, as one might imagine, from the Spanish colonial days of Louisiana. Rather, the town was named after a local resident of the late 19^thcentury. With its proximity to the Mississippi River, there are a number of antebellum plantation homes within a short drive. Gonzales is a shopper’s xanadu. Its sprawling Tanger Factory Outlet Mall attracts people from miles away. The same goes for the 165,000-square-foot Cabela’s, which is part museum, part retail store for campers, fishermen and hunters.