Contraband Days is now referred to as Lake Charles’ Mardi Gras. It is an annual celebration held in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The family-friendly festival features parades, costume contests, live music, craft and food vendors, an illuminated carnival, and the Pirate Pier fireworks finale.
The festivities typically occur during the weekend of the last Saturday in April, but this year it will be held from April 30th to May 9th. The festival attractions are available for patrons of all ages to enjoy.
Contraband Days has evolved over the years, allowing more visitors to experience an array of exciting attractions and family-friendly activities. For 2021, there will be a Contraband Days 5K run and walk, a two-night Contraband Bash on the Riverfront, an indoor music festival in the historic Calcasieu Marine National Bank, and the Contraband Days Leadership Summit.
The mission of the festival is to celebrate the unique festival traditions of the city of Lake Charles and to promote the cultural, educational, and economic vitality of Southwest Louisiana.
Why did they change the name of contraband days?
In 1966, the city of Galveston, Texas renamed its annual celebration of pirates and contraband from “Contraband Days” to “Galveston Island Beach Revue. ” The event known as Contraband Days had been celebrating the city’s history of contraband shipments, including of smuggled items and goods.
These shipments had been made mainly by foreign-born pirates and smugglers centuries earlier. However, in the 1960s the event was deemed too controversial, with its focus on criminal activities, and the name was changed to symbolize the beach’s family-oriented charms.
For many years from the early 1960s to the early 2000s, the event was known as the Galveston Island Beach Revue. The annual celebration included parades, carnival rides, attractions, music, and other entertainment.
In 2017, the event was again renamed, this time to the “Island Float Fest,” and the focus has shifted to a beach party theme.
Why was contraband days changed to the pirate festival?
Contraband Days in Lake Charles, Louisiana has been a part of the community since its formation as a holiday celebration in the late 1950s. It began as a way to celebrate local history, as it symbolized the time when Confederate soldiers hid and stored contraband in the area, ironically avoiding the Union Army.
However, due to the negative connotations associated with the term “contraband,” the festival has undergone a transformation in recent years and is now known as the Lake Charles Pirate Festival.
The shift from Contraband Days to the Pirate Festival was to help the holiday celebration become more family-friendly. According to the Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention and Visitors Bureau, “Contraband Days had become a drinking festival and it was losing what made it unique in the first place.
The goal was to spark interest and the pirate details seemed to do the job!”.
In addition to the new name and focus on pirate culture, the festival has since added numerous family-friendly activities for attendees to enjoy. These activities include boat rides, a treasure hunt, a mock pirate attack, and musicians and performers dressed as famous pirates such as Blackbeard and Jean Lafitte.
There are also arts and crafts, lots of food options, and even opportunities to learn traditional pirate trades such as carpentry.
The Pirate Festival has been successful in shifting the focus and bringing more families out to the event. The goal is to attract more visitors to the Lake Charles area and celebrate its rich history in a new and more inclusive way.
When was the Lake Charles Pirate Festival?
The Lake Charles Pirate Festival was held annually in downtown Lake Charles, Louisiana from 2005 to 2016. The festival was most recently held over two days in August in 2016 and included a host of activities, such as pirate-themed arts and crafts, games, performances, vendors and live music.
The festival also had its famous “Pirate Parade” which wound through the downtown area and featured elaborately costumed pirates and officers, with many of the festival-goers joining in on the fun by dressing up in period-style pirate costumes.
The Lake Charles Pirate Festival was a fun, family-centered event that saw thousands of people from around the area gather to celebrate the city’s rich pirate heritage. Unfortunately, due to changes in the Lake Charles area, the Pirate Festival was discontinued in 2017, leaving many local residents deprived of this annual celebration.
What is contraband in Louisiana?
In Louisiana, contraband generally refers to any item that has been knowingly possessed, sold, or transported in violation of state or federal law. In Louisiana, some of the most common examples of contraband include illegal drugs, firearms, stolen property, and counterfeit goods.
Under the Louisiana criminal code, certain items are usually deemed contraband regardless of the context of the crime in which they are featured. A few examples include precursors used to manufacture illegal drugs, hand grenades, sawed-off shotguns, armor-piercing bullets, and switchblade knives.
In some cases, Louisiana authorities may seize property that is deemed to be contraband. This means the property has been illegally acquired, used in the commission of a crime, or is otherwise deemed to be illicit and confiscated.
Examples of property that may be seized for contraband purposes include cash, vehicles, and even real estate.
In addition to the items listed above, contraband can also refer to any activity which violates the Louisiana state laws and is often used to describe activities that involve illegal gambling, prostitution, and other forms of unlawful activity.
It is important to note that there are very strict laws in Louisiana that apply to the possession and sale of certain contraband items. Additionally, violators of these laws can face serious fines, as well as prison time, if found guilty.
What is the oldest pirate festival in the world?
The Bravest of the Bravest Pirate Festival has been running for over 375 years and is considered to be the oldest pirate festival in the world. The festival was founded as a celebration of acts of bravery during maritime battles.
It is still celebrated in the small fishing town of La Rochelle in Western France, which was a major port city and a center of pirate activity during the 17th century. Every year during the festival, two ‘captains’ are chosen to head up a crew of pirates who parade through the streets of the town and compete in various activities and challenges.
The festival culminates in a grand battle between the two captains and their crews. The event draws a large number of tourists each year to experience the fun and excitement of being a part of a real life pirate festival.
Visitors can participate in a variety of activities ranging from pirate-themed pub crawls to replica shipbuilding and costume parades. The festival continues to be popular to this day, as it allows visitors to experience the history of the area and its maritime traditions in a unique and exciting way.
What happens at Pirates Week in the Cayman Islands?
Pirates Week is an annual event that takes place throughout the Cayman Islands. It is a celebration of our island culture and heritage, featuring a wide array of activities and entertainment that has something for everyone.
The festivities begin with a street parade, which is a carnival-style celebration with colorful dancers, stilt walkers, pirate characters, live music and more. It also includes a “Pirate Encounter” show, a family festival with carnival rides, music, and activities, an arts and crafts show, a children’s treasure hunt, a pirate reenactment on the beach, and a Saturday night fireworks display.
Throughout the week, there are also various food and drinks, costume contests, and other challenges that offer something for everyone, young and old. Whether you’re a visitor or a local, Pirates Week is a party you won’t want to miss.
Is Pirate Fest canon?
No, Pirate Fest is not canon in the grand scheme of things. Pirate Fest is a fan-made event that was created as a role-playing game and social gathering for pirate-related activities and events. It is not officially connected to any particular franchise or source material, so it cannot be considered canon.
However, many pirate-themed activities, games, and even storyline elements have become entrenched in popular culture, so the influence of Pirate Fest is certainly felt throughout the pirate fan community.
What are some examples of contraband?
Contraband is any item that is illegal to possess, transport, or trade, and typically includes items such as weapons, illegal drugs, explosives, stolen property, unlicensed merchandise, restricted documents, certain foods, wildlife, and certain artwork.
Items that are considered contraband can vary from country to country and from region to region. Examples of contraband include:
• Drugs, such as marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy, and heroin
• Illegal firearms and weapons, such as pistols, illegally modified firearms, rocket launchers, explosives, grenades, assault weapons, and machine guns
• Alcohol, in countries where its sale or consumption is forbidden or restricted
• Stolen goods, such as jewelry, electronics, and vehicles
• Artwork, such as paintings and sculptures, that are illegal to possess in a given country
• Wildlife, such as endangered species of animals or unauthorized species of plants
• Intellectual property, such as illegal copies of software, music, or movies
• Contraband cigarettes, in countries with high tobacco taxes
• Pornography, in countries where its production or consumption is restricted or illegal
• Unlicensed medicines, in countries where their sale is restricted or illegal
Was there slavery in Lake Charles Louisiana?
Yes, there was slavery in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The area now known as Lake Charles was inhabited by several Native American tribes prior to European settlement, including the Atakapa, Houma, and Koasati peoples.
From the 16th to 19th centuries, European settlers brought enslaved Africans and African Americans to the area to work on plantations and in businesses. The industry of slavery in Louisiana and the city of Lake Charles played an important role in the development of the area, with the majority of its population consisting of enslaved and freed African Americans by the late 19th century.
As France and Spain colonized the region, enslaved people were used in the production of cotton, sugar, and rice, as well as other crops for export. As the cotton and rice industries grew in the region, so did the number of slaves.
Laws against slave trading were passed in Louisiana in 1811 and 1855, but slavery was not abolished in Louisiana until after the Civil War in 1865. According to oral and written histories, some of the enslaved people in Lake Charles have African roots and many were multiethnic, with some having both Native American and African ancestry.
The first college in southwest Louisiana was established at the Sulphur Mines during the times of slavery and provided educational opportunities for African Americans.
Who owns the Golden Nugget in Lake Charles?
The Golden Nugget in Lake Charles is owned by Landry’s, Inc, a multibillion-dollar hospitality, restaurant, entertainment, and gaming company. The company was founded by businessman and billionaire Tilman Fertitta.
The Golden Nugget has been part of Landry’s since 2005 and is one of many properties owned by the company. Landry’s owns over 600 properties, including several other Golden Nugget locations as well as other popular venues such as the Rainforest Cafe, Morton’s The Steakhouse, and the Houston Zoo.
When did the Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival start?
The Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival, which takes place in the city of Breaux Bridge in Louisiana, has been held annually since 1959. The festival began as a way to raise money for the St. Bernard Church and served as a way to celebrate crawfish farming, which was a major industry in the area at the time.
Since then, it has grown to become one of the most popular festivals in the area, and draws a large number of visitors every year. The festival is typically held in late April/early May, and features live music, plenty of Cajun food, dancing, and other traditional festivities.
When did Elvis play in Lake Charles LA?
Elvis Presley performed at the Civic Center in Lake Charles, Louisiana on January 4th, 1977. He played ten sold out shows in the city over the course of five days. The show was part of his “Elvis in Concert” tour which had started in December of 1976 and ran through April of 1977.
Elvis had cancelled several of the concerts on the tour due to illness, but he refused to let the Lake Charles show be one of those cancelled. Prior to the show, the city had erected billboards advertising its upcoming star appearance, and those billboards still stand today.
According to reports, Elvis performed a wide range of hits from his career, and the show was met with a warm reception from his Louisiana fans. It would be one of his last performances before he passed away just four months later.
When did the pirate era start and end?
The pirate era is generally agreed to have begun at the end of the 16th century and continued until the 19th century. The rise of piracy is typically attributed to the period of turmoil following the 1580s, in which many nations with imperial ambitions were vying for control of the New World and its vast resources.
During this period, warring European nations provided refuge for exiled criminals and privateers, who would attack ships and settlements to acquire resources and valuables.
The end of the pirate era roughly coincides with the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815, when two of the most powerful maritime nations, Britain and France, had effectively put an end to piracy in the region.
The world’s other nations had followed suit and signed agreements banning privateering and the use of hostile flags, thus ending a 300 year era of piracy. In addition, steam-powered ships had become increasingly common, severely reducing the potential rewards that a successful pirate raid might yield.
All these factors led to the demise of piracy by the early 19th century.
What is the name of the famous weeks long festival held in Louisiana’s biggest city every year?
The festival is known as the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, or more commonly as Jazz Fest. It typically takes place over two weekends in the spring – the last weekends of April and the first weekend of May – and is held in the city of New Orleans, Louisiana.
The festival was first launched in 1970 and has since grown to become an iconic event among the city’s residents and visitors alike. Jazz Fest features top music acts from a variety of genres, including jazz, blues, folk, gospel, Cajun, zydeco, Latin, reggae, African and more.
Additionally, the festival’s multiple stages and fairgrounds host a variety of other activities, such as food booths and art markets. Attendees can buy food and souvenirs to enjoy while watching each of the performances.
The festival is a great way to explore and experience all of the best that the city of New Orleans has to offer.