Louisiana is famous for food, art and music. Perhaps the pinnacle of summer’s arts and crafts celebration combined with good eats takes place at Melrose Plantation. Natchitoches visitors and locals get soaked in sweat, but find the treat worthwhile.

Nowhere is the celebration of arts and crafts creativity more special than at Melrose Plantation every June. This weekend was no exception. Over the June 13 – 14 weekend, cars and trucks crowded the roadways leading to the plantation so people could indulge the senses with art, music and lots of good eats. As the June heat sizzles the citizens, the folks in booths offered respite from the heat with liquid refreshments and cool, battery-operated fans. The booths this year had tee shirts with the familiar fleur-de-lis design, colorful gourds, colorful wood carvings, hand-made clothing, jewelry, Native American Art and fine paintings. Louisiana wood carvers have a chance to show off their whittling, which is far more than what one would expect of someone with a knife on an old front porch. These folks know how to make beautiful out of an old stump, and utilitarian as well.

Carol Forsloff Crafts Festival in Melrose 3 votes Vote up this image! Your image

Carol Forsloff Arts and Crafts, Melrose 3 votes Vote up this image! Your image

Every year Melrose wraps its loving arms around visitors and brings them close to the great history and culture that are part of this wonderful place. People look forward to finding that special something, handmade and uniquely part of the culture or done by a Louisiana faithful. Food booths add to the flourish of fun as celebration extends for two days.

Carol Forsloff Crafts Festival 2 votes Vote up this image! Your image

Success was reflected in the arms of shoppers laden down with goodies to take back home. I covered the story, but added to the success of the event with my own purchase, a handmade, quite practical purse. Rather than just a regular leather tote, this specialty item has compartments sewn into the sides for every little item, so things don’t get lost. In addition, each bag is decorated with a colorful scarf (you can choose your own if you want or leave on the one on display). The scarves can be changed so the purse has a new and different look with different outfits. What could be more practical than that, I thought, scooping up my treasure.

Carol Forsloff 2 votes Vote up this image! Your image

If there is a song of the South, it is played in lazy tunes on a sunny day in June in Natchitoches Parish where the ambience of Cane River and the colorful displays of creativity give praise to the human spirit and the best it can produce. A visit to Natchitoches Parish in summer would be incomplete without a journey to Melrose Arts and Crafts Festival, which visitors and local folk agree, is one of the highlights of a country trip of fun.