NATCHITOCHES – Students from Northwestern State University in the Pre-Law and Paralegal Studies minor and on the Demons of Due Process Mock Trial Team observed a second-degree murder trial in the 11th Judicial District Court in Sabine Parish Sept. 29. The students visited with the Presiding Ad Hoc Judge Craig Marcotte District Judge Verity Gentry, First Assistant District Attorney Anna Garcie and other court officials.
Marcotte is a judge of the Second Circuit Court of Appeal and Supernumerary Judge of the 11th Judicial District Court.
“Observing and analyzing a trial brings home the importance of principles that can seem very theoretical or philosophical,” said Dr. Rebecca Riall, coordinator of Pre-Law and Paralegal Studies at NSU. “This experience helps pre-law students understand the context of procedural rules and help mock trial team students understand trial strategies. We are grateful to Judge Marcotte and Judge Gentry for allowing our students to observe as well as the district attorney’s office, court reporter, clerk of court, sheriff’s office, and others whose staff took the time to speak to the students about their roles.”
NSU students who observed a second-degree murder trial are, front row from left, Brooke Collins, Harper Collie, Jay Delgado, Madison Chaplin, Hannah Gore, Hailey Wolff, president of Demons of Due Process; Gracie Hale and Kaleigh Carver. Carver, in addition to begin a full-time student, is also an undergraduate law clerk of the 11th Judicial District Court. On the second row are Autumn Dawson, Samuel Mercantel, Cody Williams, Marcus Jenkins and Judge Craig Marcotte. On the back row are Nia Richards and Aniyah Smith.
NATCHITOCHES – An Instant Guitar for Hopelessly Busy People class will be offered through Northwestern State University’s Office of Electronic Learning and Global Engagement on Tuesday. Oct. 6. An Instant Ukulele for Hopelessly Busy People class will be taught on Thursday, Oct. 8. Both classes are for those 13 and over and will be taught via Zoom from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The fee for each class is $85.
In just a few hours, participants can learn enough about playing the guitar or ukulele to give them years of musical enjoyment. Each crash course will teach some basic chords and get students to play right away. Since this class is being held online with Zoom, students will be able to sit at home with their instrument and take this class without any pressure. The classes include an online book and online follow-up video lessons which allow participants to continue practice and study on their own. An optional periodic online question and answer session and recording of the class is also included.
Topics to be covered in the guitar class include how chords work in a song, how to form the three main types of chords and how to tune your guitar. The class will also cover basic strumming patterns, how to buy a good guitar and things to avoid and how to play along with simple tunes.
For more information or to register for classes, go to checkout.nsula.edu or call (800) 376-2422 or (318) 357-6355. Stay up to date with course offerings by following NSU Electronic Learning and Global Education on Facebook at facebook.com/NSULA.ece.
NATCHITOCHES – To celebrate and educate all on the heritage and living traditions of Louisiana Creoles and Creole Heritage Month, the Creole Heritage Center at Northwestern State University will host a series of events in October for NSU students, faculty, staff and the public.
The month’s central activity is a scavenger hunt titled #CreoleQuest2026. Members of the NSU community will visit locations at NSU and the surrounding Natchitoches area to learn more about the rich heritage and living traditions of Louisiana Creoles in the parish. Participants will take a picture of themselves at each location and are encouraged to post them to social media using #CreoleQuest2026 and tagging the Creole Heritage Center. All participants will earn a T-shirt and those who visit at least 10 locations or events will be included in a drawing at the end of the month for gift cards to locations around Natchitoches.
Scavenger hunt cards can be picked up at the Center or at any of the month’s events or found on the Center’s website (nsula.edu/creole).
The public can participate in #CreoleQuest2026, too, by visiting sites near them that are connected to Louisiana Creoles and posting their pictures on social media with the same hashtag. All public entries will be included in a drawing for Creole Heritage Center gifts such as aprons, lunch bags and cups.
All also are invited to an open house at the Creole Heritage Center on October 27 and 28 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. each day. Visitors can enjoy light refreshments and games while meeting the Center’s staff and exploring the Center’s artifacts, photographs and Resource Library that help it preserve and educate all on the vibrant Louisiana Creole people.
Other highlights during October for the NSU community include:
Oct. 1 – The Bon Temps & Living Traditions Kickoff! in front of Alost Hall from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. starts the entire month of events and individuals can pick up their #CreoleQuest2026 scavenger hunt cards.
Oct. 6 – A Creole Heritage Lunch & Learn exploring Creole art in its many forms featuring Milton Arceneaux of Creole Culture, and Katrice LaCour of the LaCour Trio. This event is produced with Northwestern State University’s Ethnic Studies Program and Gail Metoyer Jones Center and a RSVP is required.
Oct. 13-14 – “Show & Share: Louisiana Creole Treasures” will have the Center’s staff displaying highlights from its holdings on the NSU Kyser Hall Brickway from 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Oct. 19 – A Paint & Poetry event in the Student Union (Room 122) from noon- 2 p.m. when participants will be given the tools needed to paint, draw, or compose poetry inspired by Louisiana Creole music, poetry, people and places.
“All these opportunities for the NSU, Natchitoches and broader Louisiana community to recognize and learn about the Louisiana Creole people, their heritage and the impacts they have had on NSU and our communities is what Creole Heritage Month is all about,” shared Dr. Kent Peacock, director of the Center.
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October was first designated as Creole Heritage Month in Louisiana in 2005 by the state’s legislature at the encouragement of the Creole Heritage Center. According to the legislature’s resolution, this was done “to encourage statewide recognition of the unique Creole culture in Louisiana and across the nation” because it is “worthy and deserving of recognition so that this important part of the American experience will not be lost.”
The state chose October because it aligns with the UNESCO-recognized International Creole Heritage Day observed annually on Oct. 28 and the celebrations of all Creole peoples that happen throughout the world during the month.
The Creole Heritage Center at NSU has a mission to preserve, educate and advocate the value and significance of the vibrant Louisiana Creole people and is part of NSU’s School of Social Sciences and Applied Programs. For more information, visit www.nsula.edu/creole, or connect with the Center at [email protected] or 318-357-6685.
NATCHITOCHES – In celebration of Creole Heritage Month, Northwestern State University’s Ethnic Studies Program, Gail Metoyer Jones Center and Creole Heritage Center will host a special Creole Heritage Month Lunch & Learn highlighting the rich history, creativity and cultural contributions of Louisiana Creoles.
Creole Heritage Month provides an opportunity to celebrate and learn about the history, traditions, artistic expressions and contributions of Creole people and communities. Through educational and cultural programming, the observance encourages greater appreciation for the ways Creole, particularly Louisiana Creole, heritage continues to shape Louisiana’s cultural identity.
The event will explore Louisiana Creole art in its many forms, providing attendees with an opportunity to learn more about the ways music, literature, visual and physical arts have preserved and expressed Creole history, identity and traditions across generations.
Featured speakers will include Milton Arceneaux of Creole Culture and Katrice LaCour of the LaCour Trio. Together, they will guide attendees through a conversation about the history and significance of Creole music, literature and physical arts and their continued influence on Louisiana culture and beyond.
“Celebrating Creole Heritage Month provides an important opportunity to extend learning beyond the classroom. Events like this allow students to connect what they learn in their courses with the lived experiences, traditions, stories and contributions of the people who have shaped our region,” said Brittany Broussard, Ddrector of Campus Community Relations.
The Lunch & Learn is designed to be both educational and celebratory, creating a space for students, faculty, staff and community members to deepen their understanding of Creole culture while hearing directly from individuals engaged in preserving and sharing its traditions.
“The Creole Heritage Center is thrilled to partner with NSU’s Ethnic Studies Program and Gail Metoyer Jones Center on this event during Creole Heritage Month,” said Dr. Kent Peacock, director of the Creole Heritage Center. “Louisiana first recognized Creole Heritage Month in 2005 and connecting the next generations to cultural tradition experts like Mr. Arceneaux and Mr. LaCour is exactly what Creole Heritage Month is all about.”
From storytelling and literature to visual expression and other artistic traditions, Creole art provides a powerful record of community history and lived experience. The program will encourage attendees to consider not only the history behind these art forms but also how Creole culture continues to evolve and thrive today.
For additional information about the Creole Heritage Month Lunch & Learn, contact Dr. Jasmine Wise at [email protected].
NATCHITOCHES, La. (Oct. 1, 2026) — The Natchitoches Classic Car Show returns this weekend, bringing hundreds of classic vehicles and visitors to downtown Natchitoches.
The event begins Friday and continues through Saturday along Front Street and the downtown riverbank area.
Motorists should expect street closures in and around the event zone during the two-day show. City officials encourage residents and visitors to check the City of Natchitoches website for a complete list of affected streets and traffic changes.
Friends of Louisiana Sports and History (FLASH) will host Dolly Parton Bingo on Friday, October 9, at the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame & Northwest Louisiana History Museum, 800 Front Street in Natchitoches. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., with bingo beginning at 6 p.m.
Guests are invited to “put on their rhinestones” for a Dolly-inspired evening featuring bingo, prizes, light refreshments, beer and wine, and plenty of Dolly music. Attendees are encouraged to come dressed as their favorite version of Dolly—or simply come ready to play. The fundraiser will put a playful spin on a classic bingo night, with games inspired by the songs and style of country music icon Dolly Parton.
Admission is $25 at the door and $15 for FLASH members. Be sure to bring some extra cash for additional fun throughout the evening.
Proceeds benefit Friends of Louisiana Sports and History (FLASH), the local support organization for the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame & Northwest Louisiana History Museum. FLASH helps support museum exhibitions, educational programs, and special events.
NATCHITOCHES, La. — The Natchitoches Parish Library will kick off a four-part gardening seminar series Saturday, Oct. 3, with a free program focused on container gardening.
The first installment of the library’s “Get Your Hands Dirty” series will be led by Gordo Rivet and will include a presentation, demonstration and giveaways. The program will be held from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in the third-floor meeting room of the library’s Main Branch.
The Oct. 3 seminar is the first of four programs planned as part of the series. The second seminar is scheduled for Jan. 16, 2027, with additional sessions to follow.
Several companies have provided door prizes for the series, including Alliance of Native Seedkeepers, Victory Seeds, Botanical Interests, Lake Valley Seed and Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, with additional contributors expected.
The program is free and open to the public.
Those interested in attending can register in person at the Natchitoches Parish Library Main Branch or by calling 318-238-9224.
NATCHITOCHES, La. – The Natchitoches Parish Library will host a free children’s book giveaway on Oct. 6 from 10 a.m. until noon at its Main Branch on Second Street.
The event is free and open to the public, and no registration is required. Organizers say the giveaway offers children an opportunity to build their personal libraries. Information on the Imagination Library program will also be available.
NATCHITOCHES— The Northwestern State University Wind Symphony will open its 2026–27 concert season with a concert titled “Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue” on Tuesday, Sept. 29, at 7:30 p.m. in Magale Recital Hall. The performance is free and open to the public. A livestream will be available at nsula.edu/livestream
The program explores the familiar four-part phrase through four works representing different eras, influences and musical traditions.
“The theme seemed to naturally emerge from the music we selected,” said Anthony Pursell, NSU Director of Bands. “We have a work dating to 1913, a world premiere by one of our own students, a work that borrows from other musical traditions and a piece that celebrates the blues.”
The concert opens with Michael Markowski’s “JoyRide,” conducted by Associate Director of Bands Andrew Blair. Written while Markowski was a high school student, the work incorporates Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” and elements inspired by John Adams’ “Short Ride in a Fast Machine.” Markowski will headline NSU’s Invitational Band Festival in April 2027.
Pursell will conduct Florent Schmitt’s “Dionysiaques,” one of the landmark works of the early wind-band repertoire. Composed in 1913, the work helped demonstrate the potential of the wind band as a serious artistic medium, combining sophisticated harmony, complex rhythms, striking instrumental colors and dramatic contrasts. It is lauded by many in the profession to be one of the most challenging works for winds and percussion.
The program continues with Jack End’s “Blues for a Killed Kat,” a work that provides a distinctly different musical character and features soloists from throughout the ensemble. End was a prominent jazz educator and composer associated with the Eastman School of Music.
The concert concludes with the world premiere of “Symphony No. 1, Invictus” by Turner Sugg, a senior NSU music education student from Henderson, Texas. The work is inspired by William Ernest Henley’s poem “Invictus” and explores themes of resilience, adversity and personal growth.
“Turner has written music that is thoughtful, meaningful, engaging, and exciting to perform,” said Pursell. “We are particularly proud to present the first performance of this work and to celebrate his accomplishments as he completes his degree at Northwestern State.”
Sugg describes the work as a reflection on the role of change in personal growth. “Symphony for Band,” as suggested by its subtitle, is based on the poem ‘Invictus’ by William Ernest Henley.
“This poem has long been one of my favorite pieces of literature, and speaks to the importance of resilience, especially in the face of adversity,” said Sugg. “As someone who has not always been the most comfortable with change, undertaking this passion project and creating something so personal around this message has taught me to look at change in a new light. Change shouldn’t always be seen as something bad, but as a force that can bring forth the beauty in life.”
The performance of “Symphony No. 1, Invictus” will mark the work’s first public performance and will be professionally recorded later this year.
