Southern Carriage Tours Natchitoches

05/21/2025

05/15/2025

The Natchitoches App is your central hub for community events, helping you stay informed and engaged with everything happening locally.

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Want to stay in the know about local events? Download the Go Natchitoches app on the apple store or google play store, or learn about Natchitoches Parish annual events at gonatchitoches.com/directory on pages 16-17.

05/13/2025

What great ideas! Also, come visit Patrick, he be on Front Street and accepting sweet treats today!

05/09/2025

We love our Patrick! That’s for sure!

05/07/2025

05/07/2025

Join us for the 28th Annual Natchitoches Jazz & R&B Festival with headliners Gretchen Wilson & The BAR-KAYS! Music, food, and good vibes!

05/05/2025

We will be out doing tours this weekend! Excited for Gretchen Wilson! See you there!

Music lovers! Join us on May 9–10, 2025, for the The Natchitoches Jazz/R&B Festival featuring:

⭐️ Gretchen Wilson
⭐️ The BAR-KAYS
⭐️ Lover: An Eras Tour Experience – Best Taylor Swift Tribute concert
⭐️ Bad Medicine – Iconic Bon Jovi Tribute
⭐️ & over 20 acts on three stages!

🎶 The Natchitoches Jazz/R&B Festival is central Louisiana's premier annual music event. Don't miss out on a spectacular variety of live music acts and an unforgettable good time!

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The Festival is family-friendly with FREE admission for kids under 12!
🍔 Dive into deliciousness with a wide selection of food vendors.

🚨 Limited Capacity Alert! Tickets are limited due to event size restrictions, so be sure to get yours today!
https://NatchJazzFest_2025.eventbrite.com

⭐️🎟 VIP TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE and include:
✨ Exclusive access to a prime viewing area near the main stage, with some seating.
✨ Access to VIP-only restrooms and a private cash bar!

🎵 FRIDAY NIGHT MAIN STAGE:
🌟 Bad Medicine – Iconic Bon Jovi Tribute Band
🌟 Lover: An Eras Tour Experience

🎵 SATURDAY NIGHT HEADLINERS:
🌟 The BAR-KAYS
🌟 Gretchen Wilson

🚨Don't wait, get your tickets now! Make your festival experience even more special with a VIP upgrade. Secure your TICKETS now!👇
https://NatchJazzFest_2025.eventbrite.com

05/04/2025

Howdy folks! 🐴 Southern Carriage Tours in Natchitoches is on the lookout for some amazing people to join our crew! 🌟 We're hiring carriage drivers 🐎 and horse caretakers. 🥕 No experience? No sweat! 💪 We provide complete training, so you'll learn all the ropes. 🤠 If you're keen on working with gorgeous horses 🐴 and offering folks a one-of-a-kind tour of our charming town, 🏘️ shoot your resume and any questions over to [email protected]. 📧 Can't wait to hear from ya! 🎉

05/02/2025

🎉 Join us for the Natchitoches Juneteenth Festival on June 21st at the Downtown Riverbank! 🎉

Enjoy an exciting evening filled with:
🎶 Live music from Chris Ardoin and the On Point Band
🎧 Sounds by GoDJ Chris
🎆 Fireworks
🧒 Kids Zone
🛍️ Popup Shops
🍔 Delicious Food Vendors

🕕 Evening activities kick off at 6PM and run through 10PM

Don’t miss this celebration! 🇺🇸

05/02/2025

What can we say? We love our local photographer Jesse D Poole! This beautiful and honest tribute to our beautiful city hits hard.

02/18/2025

BITS OF EVIDENCE NO. 854
Natchitoches Baptisms, 1826–1831
Register 7, page 84

1831:31
EUPHROSINE LUDOVICA
Free child of color
8 May 1831, I the undersigned curate of the Church of St. Fçois of Natchitoches have administered the Holy Baptism to Euphrosine Ludovisca [sic], born 28 February last, natural daughter of Marie Antoinette Badin, free woman of color, and a father unknown. Godfather: B. Dranguet. Godmother: Azemia Euphrosina Dranguet. All of the parish of Natchitoches. [Signed] Blanc, J. Bte. Curé

1831:32
JEAN BAPTISTE
Of Marie Augustine, free woman of color
16 May 1831, I the undersigned curate of the Church of St. Fçois of Natchitoches have administered the Holy Baptism to Jean Bte, born 23 October last, natural infant of Marie Augustine St. Denis, a free woman of color. Godfather: Lindor. Godmother: Marie Louise. [Signed] Blanc, J. Bte., Curé.

1831:33
MATILDE
Enslaved by Ve. [V***e = Widow] J Bte. Buard
22 May 1831, I the undersigned curate of the Church of St. Fçois of Natchitoches have administered the Holy Baptism to Matilde, aged one year, infant of Caroline, enslaved by Widow J. Bte. Buard. Godfather: Narcisse. Godmother: Laisa. [Signed:] Blanc, J. Bte., Curé.

1831:34
EMÉLIE
Enslaved by Ve. J Bte. Buard
22 May 1831, I the undersigned curate of the Church of St. Fçois of Natchitoches, have administered the Holy Baptism to Emélie, aged six months, daughter of Celeste, enslaved by Widow J. Bte. Buard. Godfather: Josephe. Godmother: Hé____. [Signed] Blanc, J. Bte., Curé.

1831:35
CHARLES
Enslaved by Ve. J. Bte Buard
22 May 1831, I the undersigned curate of the Church of St. Fçois of Natchitoches, have administered the Holy Baptism to Charles, aged two years, infant of Caroline, enslaved by Widow J Bte Buard. Godfather: Pition [Pitioiu?]. Godmother: Louise. [signed] Blanc, J. Bte., Curé.

1831: 36
MODESTE
Enslaved by Ath. Poissot
22 May 1831, I the undersigned curate of the Church of St. Fçois des Natchitoches, have administered the Holy Baptism to Modeste, aged nine months, daughter of Marie Anne, enslaved by Athanaze Poissot. Godfather: Celestin. Godmother: Adélayde. [signed] Blanc, J. Bte., Curé.

1831:37
CLERVILLE
22 May 1831, I the undersigned curate of the Church of St. Fçois des Natchitoches, have administered the Holy Baptism to Clerville, aged three years, infant of Phoebre [Phoebe?], enslaved by Athanase Poissot. Godfather: Joseph. Godmother: Marie. [signed] Blanc, J. Bte., Curé.

SOURCE FOR THE IMAGED PAGE:
Church of St. François des Natchitoches, Register 7 [Baptisms of free people of color, free blacks, and enslaved people], unnumbered p. 84. This church is presently known as Immaculate Conception. Imaged from microfilm provided in the 1970s by Northwestern State University. The film of this register depicts no cover or title.

CITATION FOR THIS POST:
Elizabeth Shown Mills, "Forgotten People: Cane River Creoles," FACEBOOK (https://www.facebook.com/ForgottenPeopleCaneRiverCreoles : posted 13 February 2025), Bits of Evidence No. 854.

02/17/2025

The Minor Basilica~

I’ve photographed this church from just about every angle outside, but stepping inside with my camera felt like a whole new experience.

The Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception has roots dating back to 1728, making it one of the oldest churches in Louisiana. The current structure—the seventh to stand here—started construction in 1857. Despite the chaos of the Civil War and Reconstruction, it was finally completed between 1900 and 1905. Then, in 2009, Pope Benedict XVI officially designated it a minor basilica, recognizing its deep historical and architectural significance.

The interior is nothing short of stunning. Chandeliers and altars imported from France, hand-painted Stations of the Cross—there’s an undeniable weight to the place. It’s the kind of space that demands you slow down, look up, and take it all in.

For this shot, I went with f/5, 1/40, ISO 400. Not the usual choice for architecture, but I needed to handhold the camera and still get a sharp, clean image. Could I have gone for f/8 or f/11? Sure. But that would’ve meant dragging the shutter too slow or cranking the ISO higher than I wanted. So f/5 won the battle, and honestly, it worked. The light, the tones, the depth—it all came together.

This was my first time photographing the inside, and I know it won’t be my last. There’s so much more to capture here, and next time, I’ll push the composition even further. Some places deserve more than just one round with the camera—this is one of them.
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Shot on Canon USA