LA State Parks Events – Dec. 2013

Upon Request, buy cialis Forts Randolph & Buhlow State Historic Site, healing Pineville – Daily Demonstrations. Daily demonstrations will be conducted to show how cotton fiber was separated from seed. Juxtaposed against hand separation, this will serve to illustrate how such a simple machine had such a great impact on the proliferation of cotton production in the South. We will be using a wheel gin (hand crank roller gin). These types of gins even pre-date the Whitney gin. We will also have mature cotton plants with open bolls as part of the exhibit/demonstration, as well as raw cotton for use in the gin. For more information call 888.677.7437 toll free or 484.2390 locally.

Daily, Forts Randolph & Buhlow State Historic Site, Pineville – Musket Demonstration. The demonstration includes a brief presentation of infantry weapons used in the Civil War, a discussion of the merits of rifle muskets over smoothbore muskets and of the basic parts of the musket, a loading demonstration, and finally a firing demonstration. The presentation ends with a question and answer session and an invitation to continue the site tour with a visit into Fort Randolph. For more information call 888.677.7437 toll free or 484.2390 locally.

Tuesdays-Saturdays, Rebel State Historic Site, Marthaville – Musical Petting Zoo, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Visitors can view the collection of stringed instruments on display to touch, play, and enjoy. For more information call 888.677.3600 toll free or 472.6255 locally.

Tuesdays-Saturdays, Rebel State Historic Site, Marthaville – The Listening Library, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Visitors can listen to country recordings and access the collection of books and films that tell the story of the roots of country music. For more information call 888.677.3600 toll free or 472.6255 locally.

Saturdays, South Toledo Bend State Park, Anacoco – Eagle Walk, 9 & 11 a.m. Learn about our impressive eagles! The park interpretive ranger takes you on an easy walk with gentle slopes to the end of Eagle’s Nest Trail. Although the eagle’s nest is no longer here, eagles are still seen. Please bring anything you might need for an easy hike. For more information call 888.398.4770 toll free or 286.9075 locally.

Saturdays, Forts Randolph & Buhlow State Historic Site, Pineville – Workin’ in the Garden, 10-11 a.m. Together will the Rotary Club of Pineville, LA, site staff cultivates a vegetable garden on site. Volunteers are welcome to come help out and learn about vegetable gardening then and now. Your labor is always appreciated, as most vegetables produced go to the Main Street Mission of Pineville. For more information call 888.677.7437 toll free or 484.2390 locally.

December, Rebel State Historic Site, Marthaville – School Christmas Tree Decorating. Site staff invites local school groups to decorate Christmas trees in the museum and have pictures taken with Santa Clause. Pre-registration is required. For more information call 888.677.3600 toll free or 472.6255 locally.

Dec. 3-21, Rebel State Historic Site, Marthaville – Rebel Country Christmas Lights Display, 5-9 p.m. Guests can come to Rebel State Historic Site and the Louisiana Country Music Museum during the month of December to see over 75,000 Christmas lights and displays, as well as hear the sounds of traditional country Christmas music, and visit with Santa Claus. The site will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. with Christmas light display viewing from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. every day until December 22, 2012. Admission is $4 for adults, children 12 and under and seniors 62 and over are admitted free. For more information call 472.6255 locally or 888.677.3600 toll free.

Dec. 3-6, Hodges Gardens State Park, Florien – Pines of Hodges Tour, 1 p.m. We are deep in pine country, but can you tell one pine from another? Come and walk the trails with our ranger and you will learn the difference between a long leaf, and a loblolly and others. For more information call 800.354.3523 toll free or 586.3523 locally.

Dec. 7, Hodges Gardens State Park, Florien – Painting in the Park, 1-4 p.m. Participants will be shown step-by-step how to draw and paint a picture. The gardens will be inspirational with their beauty and color. With or without artistic ability, you will paint your own masterpiece. Bring your own canvas; paint, brushes and easels will be provided. For more information and to reserve a seat call 318.586.7002.

Dec. 7 & 21, Fort St. Jean Baptiste State Historic Site, Natchitoches – St. Denis Clause, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Historically, St. Denis has been portrayed as a giving, generous Christian. Site staff will spend the day reenacting him as their Christmas Clause. For more information call 888.677.7853 toll free or 357.3101 locally.

Dec. 7, Forts Randolph & Buhlow State Historic Site, Pineville – Campfire Cooking Demonstration, 10 a.m. – noon. Food prepared will parallel camp cuisine common in Federal and Confederate encampments, but will also include seasonal fruits and vegetables that may have been available to foraging soldiers. This program offers opportunities to interpret period history, nature, culture, agriculture, commerce and more. For more information call 888.677.7437 toll free or 484.2390 locally.

Dec. 7, 14 & 21, Rebel State Historic Site, Marthaville – Visits with Santa, 6-8 p.m. Guests are invited to Rebel to see over 75,000 Christmas lights and displays, as well as hear the sounds of traditional country Christmas music and visit with Santa Clause. For more information call 472.6255 locally or 888.677.3600 toll free.

Dec. 10-13, Hodges Gardens State Park, Florien – Winter Nature Walk, 11 a.m. Join the park staff to discover what changes take place during the winter throughout the park on this nature walk. For more information call 800.324.3523 toll free or 586.3523 locally.

Dec. 12-15, Fort St. Jean Baptiste State Historic Site, Natchitoches – Vive St. Denis 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. This will be a full scope living history event which will include ongoing activities, presentations and demonstrations. For more information call 888.677.7853 toll free or 357.3101 locally.

Dec. 14, Fort Jesup State Historic Site, Many – Christmas at the Fort, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Guests are invited to enjoy an early 1800s Christmas celebration. The park will be decorated to reflect Christmas in the early Victorian era. There will also be Christmas games, a cooking demonstration, as well as opportunities to make homemade Christmas ornaments. For more information call 888.677.5378 toll free or 256.4417 locally.

Dec. 14, Forts Randolph & Buhlow State Historic Site, Pineville – Whittling the Hours Away, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Many hours were spent in camp with little to do so soldiers sought refuge from boredom by devising various diversions. Group songs, games, musical instruments, theatrical productions, practical jokes and more all helped to keep morale up and pass the time. For more information call 888.677.7437 toll free or 484.2390 locally.

Dec. 14, Marksville State Historic Site, Marksville – Household Pottery Molding, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. A professional potter will demonstrate procedures in clay selection, preparation and molding. See how clay can become a functional household necessity used every day for many purposes. For more information call 888.253.8954 toll free or 253.8954 locally.

Dec. 17-20, Hodges Gardens State Park, Florien – Camellia Walk, 1 p.m. The 50 year old camellias will be in full bloom. So come take a stroll through more than 300 trees that exemplify a true Southern garden. For more information call 800.324.3523 toll free or 586.3523 locally.

Dec. 21, Forts Randolph & Buhlow State Historic Site, Pineville – Winter in the Trenches, noon – 8 p.m. This sesquicentennial program will be held in conjunction with the Alexandria and Pineville Area Visitors and Convention Bureau “12 Days of Christmas” program. Not only will visitors experience the daily camp life in a fort, but after dark, a candlelight tour will be held along the walkways. For more information call 888.677.7437 toll free or 484.2390 locally.

Dec. 28, Marksville State Historic Site, Marksville – Prehistoric Mound Tour, 10 a.m. & noon. Site manager, Doyle Jennings, will conduct tours of the prehistoric mounds and demonstrations of the area and daily tasks. The Marksville mound site was an important American Indian ceremonial center over 2,000 years ago, established sometime around 100 B.C. by the Hopewell Indian culture and extended until approximately 430 A.D. For more information call 888.253.8954 toll free or 253.8954 locally.