Discover Lafayette

Marcus Lyle Brown is well-known throughout Louisiana, the U. S. and abroad for the talent he brings to the entertainment industry. He has performed in more than 78 feature films and television series, appearing alongside big names such as Sandra Bullock, Halle Berry, Diane Krueger, Jim Carrey, Billy Bob Thornton, and many more.

He delivered compelling performances in the Academy award-winning film, Twelve Years A Slave, and in The Great Debaters, directed and starred in by Denzel Washington.

An encounter in 1996 with Baton Rouge native Steven Soderbergh, director of acclaimed commercial Hollywood films like Erin Brockovich and Ocean’s Eleven, led Marcus to realize he could remain in Louisiana and build a successful career in the entertainment industry. Marcus followed that advice and Soderbergh's wisdom was proven true.

In 2007, Marcus’s company, Believe Entertainment, created and managed The Lafayette Entertainment Initiative, which was designed to promote Lafayette as a prime destination for creative content production.

As a production executive, Marcus has managed the financial and creative responsibilities for high profile feature film, television, and video games. He has managed recruitment and retention efforts yielding over $50 million in tax credit-eligible production activity.

Currently, Marcus serves as Chief Marketing Officer of Digital Twin Studios, which is housed in the LITE Center and the Opportunity Machine. The company is an immersive and interactive learning development company using simulated experiences in a risk-free environment. The group designs programs for safety training utilizing AR (augmented reality), MR (mixed reality) and VR (virtual reality).

An LSU alum with two Bachelor of Arts degrees in Communications and Theatre, Marcus earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in Performance and was one of the first recipients of the Huel D. Perkins Doctoral Fellowship in Communication & Media Studies at LSU.

For more information on Digital Twin Studios, visit https://digitaltwinstudios.com.

Known as the "Pistol" in Nashville, Country Music Singer/Songwriter Sara Douga has been singing and writing songs since she was eight years old. On this episode of Discover Lafayette, Sara shares her experiences and aspirations with host Jan Swift.

In April 2018, the stars aligned for Sara when she released her debut album, “Boots, Bras, and Drawers,” music she had actually written years prior. You can listen to this album on her website.

Shortly after her album was released, she was invited to play at the 3rd Street Songwriter Festival in Baton Rouge. She made such an impact she was awarded a scholarship to participate in the inaugural South Louisiana Songwriters Festival ("SOLO") Workshop, the first Buddy Holly Educational Foundation Writing Retreat in the U. S., which took place in Lafayette in May 2018.

While working with other SOLO songwriters, Sara wrote “Little Orphan Child,” which led to her attending the Chris Difford Songwriting Retreat in Glastonbury, England on a scholarship awarded by the Buddy Holly Foundation Board. In England, she made contact with many influential Country music professionals.

Last summer, she made her debut at Nashville’s iconic Bluebird Café and her songs were first aired in the UK by “Whispering” Bob Harris on his weekly BBC Radio 2 Country show.

She is currently working on a new Extended Play recording.

Sara lives in the Lafayette area with her husband and 2 young children. A graduate of McNeese University, she is a published wildlife biologist and you can see some of her writings at The Marsh Hen at saradouga.com. Her thoughts on science and the need for a creative mind are inspirational for young women and men alike.

Sara's faith drives her love of performing. This interview provides an educational journey on what it takes to make it in the music industry. Sara's advice: "Never limit by putting yourself into a 'box' of just one genre. The artist's job is to write and perform from the heart, and the industry positions the performer where it believes is appropriate. Don't worry about what people call your music....just do your thing!"

Our guests are Sheila and Tony Davoren, organizers of the 5th annual Celtic Bayou Festival to be held on March 13 and 14, 2020 at Warehouse 535 in Lafayette. The festival is a family-friendly event celebrating the Celtic Culture. After listening to this episode of Discover Lafayette, you will not want to miss the Festival's activities which will immerse you in everything Celtic!

Sheila and Tony love all aspects of their native Celtic traditions and delight in telling the story of their roots and why they are passionate about sharing it with Acadiana and beyond. The Celtic culture actually shares quite a bit in common with the Acadian/Creole culture we so easily take for granted. Tony explained that the Irish have a name for their own brand of joie de vivre: "craic" means enjoying good company, having a few drinks in a party atmosphere, singing and enjoying music, cutting up, dancing, and of course, eating. Who doesn't like that??

A little background: Sheila is first generation Irish-American and began Irish dancing at the age of four. She enjoyed a competitive career at the World Championship level and danced professionally with The Chieftains, a Grammy award-winning Irish group. (As an aside, the Chieftains will be playing in Lafayette on March 13, 2019, at the Heymann Performing Arts Center.)

At the age of 25, Sheila was one of the first Americans to be invited to perform with Riverdance, a theatrical show consisting mainly of traditional Irish music and dance. She directed and produced “Dancing at the Crossroads”, an instructional video, starring fellow Riverdance performers. The video has since become a staple study guide for those dancers wishing to be certified in Irish dance.

Currently, Sheila directs Camp Rince Ceol held each summer in California and New York and teaches Irish dance classes in Metairie and Lafayette. Visit https://irishdancecamp.com for more information.

Tony Davoren, known as "The Irish Guy," is from Wicklow, Ireland. He began his singing career with the Celtic Irish choral group Anuna and also toured with Riverdance. He has appeared at the Radio City Music Hall and performed for the Prince of Wales at The Albert Hall in London.

Tony has recorded with Sting, The Chieftains, and Sinead O’Connor. He is also featured on two Grammy Award-winning recordings: “The Long Black Veil” and “Riverdance the Show." He directed the music for “Dancing at the Crossroads” and has produced recordings for Irish soloists Katie McMahon and Dave Donohue.

Tony and Sheila first met while performing in Riverdance the Lee Company. Their mutual love of music, dance and enjoying their Irish culture drew them together and they were married in 2002. After falling in love with Acadiana after visiting several times while on break from tours, they viewed South Louisiana as their cherished getaway. In 2003, tiring of the frigid temperatures they endured in New York, they purchased property in Sunset while on a visit to attend Festival International.  The Davorens still live in Sunset today with their three children.

The 2020 Celtic Bayou Festival features musical performances by traditional Celtic bands, unique events such as the Lenten Crawfish Boil, Guinness Cook-Off Competition sponsored by Rader Solutions, Bailey’s Bake-Off Competition, Jameson Pub Crawl, a Genealogy tent for Acadiana people to trace their Celtic roots, and more. Visit http://www.celticbayoufest.com for a complete listing of events and attractions.

Celtic Bayou Festival is a non-profit, 501 c3 organization and relies on community support in order to share their lovely Celtic traditions.  Please consider supporting CBF with a donation.  For more information, please visit http://www.celticbayoufest.com.

This post was updated March 5, 2020 to reflect current event schedule.

Jerry Vascocu, Acadiana Market President of IberiaBank, sat down with Discover Lafayette host, Jan Swift to discuss his banking career. A Ruston native, Jerry graduated from Vanderbilt University with a degree in economics. Married to Julie Hiatt Vascocu, they have two children.

Jerry joined IBERIABANK’s Baton Rouge commercial banking division in 2005 at a time of explosive growth for the bank. When Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit the Gulf Coast in 2005, the organization decided to diversify its geographic footprint to minimize future risk. Under the leadership of CEO Daryl Byrd, the bank's first expansion occurred in January 2007 with the purchase of Arkansas based Pulaski Bank and Trust. From there, the bank moved into other community banking environments which fit its business model. Jerry served as the bank’s Market President in Little Rock in 2007 before moving to Lafayette in 2010 and has served as Acadiana Market President since then.

Today, IBERIABANK has 325 combined locations, including 190 bank branches and three loan production offices in 12 states primarily throughout the South. The company has 16 wealth management locations in five states, and one Iberia Capital Partners office in New Orleans. Founded in 1887 originally as a Savings & Loan, the bank has come quite a long way in its growth and ability to serve its large client base. Since this original podcast was taped, IBERIABANK announced its planned merger with First Horizon National Bank to be finalized in 2020.

IBERIABANK has stepped up to meet the challenges presented by the Covid-19 crisis. For more information, please visit https://www.iberiabank.com/landing-pages/covid-19. 

Active in the community, Jerry served as Chair of One Acadiana’s Board of Directors in 2016. He also served as a Board Member of Upper Lafayette Economic Development, on the leadership teams of United Way of Acadiana and the Community Foundation of Acadiana, Ascension Episcopal’s Board of Trustees, and University of Louisiana - Lafayette’s Business Advisory Council.

Community involvement is important to Jerry, as well as all IBERIABANK employees throughout the organization. Charged with giving back to the community, the bank gets involved in a selective way with organizations who make a difference. In lieu of television ads, they become engaged in the community and partner strategically. Jerry shared that its mission is to be a top-notch corporate citizen. They strive to blend a community bank feel with large bank capabilities. IBERIABANK believes that the healthier the community in which the bank is located, the healthier the bank will be.

IBERIABANK Civic Impact Partners evaluate the bank's footprint throughout the Southeast U. S  to determine where the bank can best invest their lending dollars as well as its own equity dollars to improve housing opportunities in moderate to low-income areas. Just recently, IBERIABANK invested in the new, 192-unit, affordable apartment community, called Brook Pointe Family Apartments, which is situated behind North Lafayette’s Walmart at 504 N. Pierce Street. This is one of the bank's largest investments to date.

Jerry is a big proponent of Project Front Yard and he has consistently encouraged locals to work together to improve our community's gateway, especially on the drive into town on I-10. He discussed how the initial impression upon entering Lafayette Parish doesn't quite capture the many great things about living here, and the work of Project Front Yard and other organizations is worth the investment in time and labor.

A man of faith, Jerry reiterated several times that one’s prayer life, family, and friends are crucial to maintaining balance in one’s life. He counsels his team, whether its his family or bank employees, to be a positive, shining light, rather than allowing darkness to pervade.

Bikers Enjoying Scenic Azalea Trail on St. Mary Boulevard in Lafayette LA

Denise Lanclos of Scenic Lafayette was a guest on Discover Lafayette in 2019; this post was updated on February 12, 2020. Host Jan Swift welcomed Denise to the studio to discuss Lafayette’s Annual Azalea Trail Bicycle and Classic Car Cruise.

This year's event is scheduled for March 7, 2020. The historic Trail is celebrating 82 years of floral splendor.

The Azalea Trail originally began in 1935 when the Chamber of Commerce undertook a citywide beautification effort. By the late 1930’s the Garden Club was fully onboard and walked door to door encouraging local residents to plant azaleas.

By 1940, it is estimated that over 40,000 visitors toured the scenic Azalea Trail in Lafayette. Tourists described the azaleas as one of the greatest floral treats in the South. A film entitled Les Jardins de Mouton Gardens was released by Commerce Pictures of New Orleans, depicting the many tourists who traveled down Hwy 90 to drive the Azalea Trail.

By 1980, Southern Living named Lafayette’s Azalea Trail one of the top 10 Tourist Events in the South.

However, by the mid-1980’s urban sprawl and the demise of the Jaycees, who had overseen the trail in its last days, led to disinterest and some historic properties and azaleas were lost. The Trail faded in memory.

Fast forward to November 2014, when Scenic Lafayette was formed. In 2015: Scenic Lafayette adopted Azalea Trail Revitalization as its first-year initiative.

In 2016, the City of Lafayette was awarded the Azalea City Designation by Azalea Society of America, one of only 16 in the U. S. 2016 was also the Official Kickoff of the Azalea Trail Classic Car Caravan.

This year’s Azalea Trail takes place on March 7, 2020 and the schedule may be viewed here.

The grand boulevards of St. Mary and Mall showcase Lafayette's city flower, the "General Lafayette" Fuchsia Formosa, which was christened as such in honor of Marquis de Lafayette. The floral majesty of our local azaleas is so lovely it is called a Floral Mardi Gras by some.

Scenic Lafayette is one of 49 state and local affiliates of Scenic America, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and enhancing the visual character of our country's roadways, countryside, and communities. Scenic Lafayette's Facebook page provides local information.

For more information on the Azalea Trail, visit https://azaleatrail.org

Discover Lafayette would like to thank the many dedicated volunteers who work to beautify Lafayette and make our community a more scenic place for residents and visitors alike! Your work is appreciated and you make a difference in countless ways.  We congratulate the following volunteers:

Charter Members of Scenic Lafayette:  Alice Begneaud, David Begneaud, Stephanie Cornay Dugan, Robert Guercio, Sherrill Lorio, Cheryl Broussard Perret, Nancy Van Eaton Prince, and Bruce Conque.

Board of Directors:

Lynn Guidry, Stafford Barnett, June Faul, Heather Warner-Finley, Brandy Cavitt, Cheryl Perret, David Begneaud, Cindy Wiley, Robert Jarred.

Board Advisors: Don Begneaud, Bruce Conque, Micheal Cullen, Virginia Jones, Greg Manual, Sarah Schoeffler, Gretchen Vanicour. Abbie Judice, Kelia Bingham

Entrepreneurs Clare Cook and Dr. Robert Autin Collaborate to Enhance Cultural Landscape of Lafayette 

Friends since Pre-K, the husband and wife team of Clare Cook and Dr. Robert Autin provide an inspirational take on how a deep passion for arts and science can positively impact a community.

In this podcast interview with Jan Swift, host of Discover Lafayette, this highly-disciplined couple share their captivating journey which eventually brought them back to their beloved hometown, Lafayette LA.

Robert Autin always wanted to be a doctor and assumed he would follow in the steps of his late father, Dr. David Autin, who was a urologist. Instead, Robert followed a more arduous path of specializing in Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgery, along with General Surgery. He ended up at New York Methodist in Brooklyn NY for a five year residency in surgery.

Clare Cook, Robert's lifelong friend, was also successfully pursuing a career path as a dancer, choreographer and teacher, after receiving her Master of Fine Arts from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. In 2011, she launched Clare Cook Dance Theater and produced multidisciplinary dance theater projects and educational workshops to nurture youth creativity. Most noteworthy, Clare had the opportunity to work with Susan Stroman, a Tony winning choreographer, working on Woody Allen's Bullets over Broadway. Her career was definitely on an upward trajectory.

While Clare and Robert had dated in college, both had moved on as they pursued higher education. Year passed, and both ended up in New York where they reconnected. Married in February 2014, they returned home to Lafayette when Robert joined the medical practice of Drs. Philip Gachassin and Dennis Eschete.

As Clare wound up commitments with her work in New York, she pondered how she could positively add to the local arts community in Lafayette. The result was the establishment of Basin Arts, located at 113 Clinton St. in downtown Lafayette, which offers dance and art classes, free visual arts programming, and genre-bending special events. Basin Arts is also the home to a professional company-in-residence, Basin Dance Collective, and the newly established art rental program, BARE Walls, which establishes relationships between local artists and businesses and provides residual income to artists every time their work is displayed.

The name Basin Arts was coined by Robert, and refers to "a collective that allows things to pass through." As its website states and Clare affirms, "Basin Arts is a container for creativity that supports and implements cross-disciplinary collaboration, allowing Lafayette’s creative class to come together, share, experiment, and focus on process over product." For more information, please visit https://basinartslafayette.com.

Clare is also involved as a teacher in the community and she developed a curriculum, Movement & Mindfulness, for a year-long teaching residency at Myrtle Place Elementary School. She has led dance classes at Miles Perret Cancer Services for cancer survivors, worked with the elderly population at The Blake, and designed movement workshops with Acadiana C.A.R.E.S., Big Brothers-Big Sisters, AOC Community Media and GEAR Up through the Acadiana Center for the Arts.

Clare is not the only artist in the family. Robert is owner of Acadian Superette located at 600 Lamar Street in the Freetown neighborhood of Lafayette. A local favorite for hearty meals, the restaurant is beloved for its home smoked meats, homemade bacon, and good old fashioned plate lunches. Robert is a hands-on owner: he personally brines and smokes the meats and drives (at times) to the Eunice Superette where he sources the meats. He built the Superette's smokehouse. To get a feel for how much he enjoys cooking, check out a few of Robert's videos on Acadian Superette's Facebook page where he illustrates h...

Hook & Boil's Mark Alleman grew up in the crawfish business. Beginning with his "Pappy," Dalford Alleman, who started cultivating crawfish and rice in Duson in 1960, the Alleman family has enjoyed three generations of crawfish farmers which include Mark and his sister who grew up helping on the farm.

Mark's dad, Don, now runs the family crawfish farm which provides all of the fresh-sourced crawfish for Hook & Boil, which is delivered twice daily to ensure that all crawfish is prepared and served within a few hours of harvest.

Alleman was formally trained at Louisiana Culinary Institute earning a degree in the Culinary Arts. While training to become a chef, he started his catering business, Cravin’ Cajun Seafood, specializing in full-service, on-site Cajun catering.

Since opening in 2014, Hook and Boil in Broussard has become one of the area’s favorite local restaurants. It earned Alleman the 2017 Rising Young Business Leader Award from the Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame, and he has been honored by the Advertiser in their annual 20 under 40 award ceremony.

At only 32 years of age, Alleman has accomplished quite a bit, and has also experienced a loss when he attempted to open a second location of Hook & Boil downtown. Not one to dwell on the negative, he has moved forward and is focused on making his original restaurant in Broussard a roaring success. Given the crowds who have returned when he reopened in January 2019, it looks good for Alleman.

Alleman sponsors an annual "Boiling Up" greatness scholarship fund each May for 8th graders at St. Cecilia Catholic School in Broussard. The students write papers on how they can use their unique talents to impact the local community and the winner receives a $1000.00 prize.

Not sure you want to eat crawfish? Hook & Boil's boiled shrimp is a crowd favorite served up with a custom blend of seasonings.

Hook & Boil is located at 209 N. Morgan in Broussard LA. For more information, please visit their Facebook page.

Passionate about the right to free speech guaranteed by the 1st Amendment, Ed Bowie has served as Executive Director of AOC Community Media since 1998, having previously served as a volunteer since 1984. In this Discover Lafayette interview, Bowie discusses the importance of affording all individuals the ability to share their opinions and creatively express their views via an affordable platform accessible to all. He's worked diligently to improve services and enhance the public's awareness of the many ways AOC's resources may be utilized to create non-commercial video and audio content for distribution to the community and beyond.

In the early years of the television cable industry, legislation was passed requiring cable companies to provide access channels for Public, Educational and Governmental (PEG) use. In 1982, Acadiana Open Channel (AOC) became the local access point for Public, Educational and Government (PEG) use in Lafayette Parish. Its operations are funded by franchise fees paid by local cable television providers, Cox Media and LUS Fiber. Over the years under Ed's leadership, AOC has undertaken the production of content such as taping of Festival International and televising of public meetings. They deliver content which enhances the ability of local citizens to stay informed and enjoy experiences which may otherwise be missed.

No matter your income, you can have access to AOC's studios, production assistance, equipment and air time. The most expensive individual membership is $60 per year, which provides access to all equipment and facilities. Scholarships are available for individuals unable to pay the membership fee.

Discover Lafayette's podcast would not have been initiated without the encouragement and expertise volunteered by staff at AOC, particularly William McFarlain. This episode was produced in early 2017 at AOC when the show was still going by the name "Did You Know?"Ed Bowie's love of his job and community shine through in this relaxed interview between two friends. We hope you enjoy it!

If you are interested in joining AOC as a producer, please visit www.aocinc.org.

Ben Powers is the force behind Developing Lafayette, a blog dedicated to reporting new businesses and construction in Lafayette.

Driven by a natural curiosity about new businesses and restaurants popping up around town, Ben found there was no easy way to obtain access to information that was public record but not readily available online. Wanting to share information that was on the down-low or "DL," Ben took it upon himself to investigate new business happenings and inform the community about the latest construction projects and commercial developments.

Developing Lafayette began as a Facebook page in 2012 and now has more than 40,000 followers. His website, developinglafayette.com, provides a more comprehensive video and pictorial depository about Lafayette and the surrounding area's newest construction and notable transactions affecting the retail market.

The website is a popular destination and Ben keeps a running tally of the most wanted new developments.  As of this writing, voters' top 3 "wish list" desires are Trader Joe's, redevelopment of Northgate Mall similar to Tanger Outlets, and P. F. Chang's. There is also demand for new entertainment venues such as Dave & Buster's (a family video arcade/restaurant) and a Lafayette Aquarium.

Ben Powers brings the everyday man approach to unearthing information we all wonder about but don't take the time find out. A graphic designer by trade, he captures the excitement and visual aesthetics that draw our eyes to exciting and unknown things  Thanks to Ben Powers for answering the questions that our "enquiring minds want to know!"

Special thanks to our sponsors, Rader Solutions and Lafayette Convention & Visitors Commission.

Maggie Trahan Simar loves her job as Hearing Officer for the 16th Judicial District’s Family Court docket, where she hears and makes recommendations on all family filings, including custody, child support, community property and any other issue affecting divorce matters.

An active attorney, wife, mother, and community volunteer, Maggie was recently sworn in as the President of the Lafayette Bar Association. She has also served as President of the Junior League of Lafayette and is a big proponent on the opportunities the League offers women to not only serve the community, but to learn invaluable skills which can transfer to their professional and person lives.

Maggie offers a delightful and optimistic take on life. An enthusiastic participant in Mardi Gras through the Krewe of Xanadu, she served as Queen and has remained steadfast friends with the many women who joined her in the celebration.

This year the Lafayette Bar Association (LBA) celebrates its 50th anniversary and Maggie is looking ahead to promoting the many ways the LBA enhances our community through its public service programming, a few of which are as follows:

The Homeless Experience Legal Protection or H.E.L.P. Program assists area homeless individuals once a month in obtaining certified copies of birth certificates.  These documents help to prove your identity when trying to find shelter and apply for jobs.

Counsel on Call is a free program that gives people an opportunity to discuss legal matters with volunteer attorneys on a first come, first serve basis.  These attorneys will not represent you in court, but they will give legal advice.  The program is offered every Friday (excluding holidays) from 9:00 to 10:00 AM at the Lafayette Bar office, 2607 Johnston Street, Lafayette, LA 70503.

Protective Order Program for victims of Domestic Violence who need help navigating a petition for a Protective Order or Temporary Restraining Order.

Legal Forms for "pro se" or unrepresented litigants in cases such as divorce, child support or adoption are available for purchase at the Lafayette Bar office. These forms have been designed for use in the 15th Judicial District Court (Lafayette, Acadia, and Vermilion Parishes). Once the packet is complete, it is filed at the parish courthouse where the matter is to be decided.  For more information, please visit https://www.lafayettebar.org