Discover the Bayou State: Top 18 Fun and Fascinating Facts About Louisiana

1. TABASCO® Sauce's Fiery Birth

In a world where blandness reigned supreme and taste buds were on the brink of rebellion, one sauce donned a cap of peppers and took culinary matters into its own fiery hands: TABASCO® Sauce was born in 1868 in Louisiana's Avery Island by Edmund McIlhenny, saving the populace from boring cuisine ever since. The spicy superhero's identity remains in the family, thanks to the McIlhenny Company, who still use a little red stick to measure pepper ripeness before crafting the elixir that graces tables across 195 countries.
Source => tabasco.com

2. Alligator Delivery Service

Why did the alligator cross the bayou? To end up as one tasty delivery: Straight from Shreveport, Louisiana, Big Pop's Fresh Louisiana Gulf Seafood LLC delivers farm-raised alligator meat right to your door, offering everything from whole alligators to tenderized bites, perfect for a heart-healthy, protein-rich alternative to traditional meats.
Source => bigpopslagator.com

Discover why over 90% of burials in New Orleans' Metairie Cemetery are above ground and how a 19th-century ordinance plays a role in this fascinating tradition. 🎭💀

=> Fun Facts about New-Orleans

3. Wild Courir de Mardi Gras

When feathers fly and beggars ride: In Louisiana, the Courir de Mardi Gras is a wild, rural Mardi Gras celebration that involves masked horseback riders chasing chickens through muddy fields, playing pranks on farmers, and begging for gumbo ingredients while clad in costumes that mock nobility, clergy, and the educated. The Capitaine leads the rabble-rousing riders to ask for permission to party, and this eccentric tradition has been upheld since the 1960s Cajun Renaissance, gaining popularity across the Acadiana region.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

4. Drive-Thru Daiquiris

Feeling tipsy in the land of jazz and jambalaya? No worries, Louisiana's got your back with a delightful twist on the to-go cup: You can legally enjoy your hooch while strolling the streets or even grab a drive-thru daiquiri! With relaxed open container laws, rare drive-thru daiquiri stands offer frozen libations in sealed containers with straws on the side, making it a unique and much-loved part of everyday life for many in this southern state.
Source => thekitchn.com

5. Crawfish Crown

In a state where boiling crustaceans is a party, and Pinchy from The Simpsons might have been the guest of honor: Louisiana, proudly wearing the crawfish crown, dominates in their production and even offers crawfish harvest field tours between March and May in Jeff Davis Parish, enlightening visitors about the habitat, calculation, distribution, and consumption of the delicious little critters that reign supreme in the state.
Source => jeffdavis.org

6. Anne Rice's Gothic NOLA

Get your garlic and crucifixes ready, because next time you're in Louisiana, you might just bump into Lestat: New Orleans is not only a popular destination for Gothic literature enthusiasts, but it also serves as the fantastical backdrop for many of Anne Rice's novels, including The Vampire Chronicles and Lives of the Mayfair Witches trilogy. To truly sink your teeth into this experience, there are tours that guide fans to haunted spots mentioned in the novels, such as the Commander's Palace, Court of Two Sisters, and Jackson Square.
Source => vampirechronicles.fandom.com

7. Silicon Bayou

In the Louisiana Bayou, you're equally likely to spot a gator in the swamp or a "wildcatter" on the hunt for the next big tech idea: Louisiana's economy has a rich history of risk-taking entrepreneurs called "wildcatters," who've given rise to today's thriving startup scene, including Acadian Ventures, the first venture capital firm in the region, and Firefly Marketing, a digital marketing agency catering to clients both local and distant. This fusion of tradition and innovation means that Louisiana's Silicon Bayou isn't confined to just New Orleans but spreads its vibrant "cyber-spanish moss" all throughout Acadiana.
Source => itsacadiana.com

8. Red Dress Run

Who knew running could be so haute couture? Break a sweat and look ravishing in rouge at the same time: Every second Saturday in August, the New Orleans Hash House Harriers organize a Red Dress Run through the French Quarter and Marigny neighborhoods, complete with live music and libations, all to benefit local charities. Just be of legal age and don your most dazzling scarlet ensemble!
Source => neworleans.com

9. Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus

In a galaxy far, far away (or just in Louisiana), magical creatures traded in their unicorn horns for rocket thrusters and elves upgraded to cyborg status, all to join the eccentric parade of the Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus: A Mardi Gras celebration dedicated to all things science fiction, fantasy, and horror, showcasing over 150 subkrewes, eco-friendly contraptions, and unique homemade throws, culminating in a delightful post-parade extravaganza known as the "Chewbacchanal."
Source => mardigrasneworleans.com

10. Official State Crustacean

In a world full of superheroes battling for the title of the "Official Marvel," Louisiana broke the mold and went on a seafood crusade instead: they bestowed the high and mighty title of "Official State Crustacean" upon the mud-dwelling crawfish in 1983, a true testament to its significance in Cajun, Creole cuisine, and the local economy.
Source => a-z-animals.com

11. Haunted LaLaurie Mansion

Who you gonna call, Louisiana edition: The LaLaurie Mansion in New Orleans is like the French Quarter's very own ghastly Airbnb with an eerie twist – but look closer if you dare! : This once opulent abode was home to Madame Delphine LaLaurie, infamous for her horrific mistreatment of slaves; a fire in 1834 revealed seven malnourished, tortured, and chained slaves, leading to public outrage, eventual destruction of the mansion, and its current reputation for chilling paranormal encounters.
Source => ghostcitytours.com

12. Swimming State Bird

They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but try telling that to Louisiana's state bird, the Brown Pelican: A master fisherman and a surprisingly excellent swimmer, this seabird uses its webbed feet to glide through the water with ease, avoiding predators and catching unsuspecting fish. When they're not giving Michael Phelps a run for his money, Brown Pelicans can be found casually hanging out on jetties or giving boats some unexpected pool party tag-alongs.
Source => birdzilla.com

13. Unexpected Cajun Delights

They say Disneyland is the happiest place on Earth, but we suspect those folks never stuffed their face with Louisiana Cajun food at the Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival: Louisiana is a food lover's paradise thanks to its incredible Cajun cuisine, where even a tiny town bar might just serve the most delectable rémoulade sauce you've ever had the pleasure of dipping your shrimp into.
Source => newyorker.com

14. Crawfish Capital Festival

In a crustacean sensation sweeping the nation, Breaux Bridge, Louisiana has earned its claws of fame: As the "Crawfish Capital of the World," it hosts an annual Crawfish Festival since 1960, promoting the crawfish industry globally and inspiring numerous crawfish processing businesses throughout the state.
Source => cajuncountry.org

15. Directionally Challenged Cemetery

Directionally Challenged Cemetery: In Rayne, Louisiana, even the graveyard seems a little lost, with St. Joseph's Cemetery standing proudly as the nation's only north-south facing resting place, thanks to a hilarious hiccup in history involving a misplaced town and a railroad snafu.
Source => maisondmemoire.com

16. Swamp Pop Music

If swamp pop musicians were chefs, they'd be serving up a spicy gumbo of American music: In the 1950s, this Louisiana-invented genre cooked up a blend of New Orleans R&B, country and western, and Cajun and black Creole, producing national hits and flavoring the airwaves with a uniquely down-south sound.
Source => 64parishes.org

17. Nutria Bounty Hunters

Nutria or not to nutria: that is the bounty question in Louisiana's wetlands! In 2002, the Coastwide Nutria Control Program was established as a state-sponsored party for hunters, offering cold hard cash for each nutria tail harvested to protect the ecosystem from these pesky critters' destruction. The program is federally funded and stretches across all of coastal Louisiana, making it the go-to place for bounty hunters of the marshland variety.
Source => nutria.com

18. Gueydan Duck Festival

Grab your decoys and practice your duck calls, for it's time to flock to the ultimate quacking shindig: The Gueydan Duck Festival in Louisiana is a nationally acclaimed event celebrating the region's hunting heritage and Cajun culture since 1977, with captivating activities like Duck and Goose Calling Contest, Skeet Shooting, Dog Trials, and Decoy Carving, alongside nightly bands, pageants, cooking contests, and a grand parade, every last full weekend of August.
Source => duckfestival.org