Cajun, Creole showcase planned for National Park Service Centennial at LIberty

The National Park Service and the city of Eunice will celebrate the NPS Centennial in 2016 with an evening of traditional Cajun and Creole music at the Rendez-vous-des Cajuns from 6 until 7:30 p.m. Feb. 13.
The show will feature Sunpie & the Louisiana Sunspots, Bruce Daigrepont’s Cajun Band, and Michael Doucet.
Rendez-vous-des Cajuns is a weekly show at the historic 1920s Liberty Theater. General admission tickets will go on sale at 4 p.m. on the day of the show. More information about the theater and tickets is available at www.eunice-la.com/index.php/things-to-do/liberty-schedule.
The Feb. 13 event is funded by a grant from the NPS Lower Mississippi Delta Initiative with technical assistance provided by the National Council for Traditional Arts.
More NPS hosted events on Feb. 13 in Eunice will include the weekly programs at the Prairie Acadian Cultural Center, 250 W. Park Ave., more information, call 457-8499. Explore & Restore craft workshop for kids happens from 10 a.m. until noon. Cajun Conversation meets from 1 to 2:30 p.m. to learn and practice conversational Cajun French, a cooking demonstration is set for 1 p.m., craft demonstration begin at 2 p.m., and music and dancing kicks off at 3 p.m. Admission to the center and program are free.
“The 100th birthday of the National Park Service seemed like the perfect time to showcase some of Louisiana’s most acclaimed musicians and most distinctive music,” said Matt Hampsey, supervisory park ranger for New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park. “Bruce ‘Sunpie’ Barnes is a retired park ranger who is a world-class musician and deeply involved in keeping the Louisiana Creole language alive. Bruce Daigrepont and Michael Doucet have been unofficial ambassadors for Cajun music and culture for decades. This concert will be like a summit meeting of musicians who not only put on a great show, but also serve as international ambassadors for their cultures and for Louisiana. I can guarantee you’re going to have a wonderful time and come away with a new appreciation for our state.”