Beyond jazz, Mardi Gras, and Creole cooking, folklife thrives in urban settings, through ethnic and neighborhood festivals held all over the city and in countless daily expressions of our diverse heritage.

Outside the cities, draft animals work in woodlands north of Lake Pontchartrain, and Honey Island hog hunters swap tales of "Bigfoot" sightings. Eighth-generation Filipinos of the Barataria wetlands recall growing up in fishing villages raised on stilts. The hand-built Lafitte Skiff is currently in high demand among Gulf Coast fishermen.

Some of our music and food traditions have become widely popular. Others related to work, worship, and play are less recognized, and may be threatened. Rapid changes due to development, coastal erosion, migration, pollution, and tourism, present real dangers to the continuity of traditional life. With thoughtful conservation we can enjoy, and benefit from, our considerable cultural resources into the 21st century.

If interested in learning more about Folklife, visit Key Folklife Definitions, and the Louisiana Folklife Program Photo Gallery, which contains a wealth of images and short essays about Louisiana cultures and traditions. You may also visit Planning and Funding Folklife Projects if you would like to get ideas on implementing your own projects.